The beginning of this season has been an uphill battle for the LA Clippers. Not only did they have to deal with a massive roster shakeup and adjusting their philosophy four games into the season, but they are now facing the backlash of everyone ready to call them failures not even two weeks into November.
One would imagine this could weigh on a group of players and coaches if they are not approaching things with the right mindset and becoming too receptive to the outside noise. Luckily, the Clippers’ locker room is filled with veterans that have been in these situations before.
One of those veterans is Mason Plumlee. While the 11th-year big man is currently sidelined with a knee injury, he is still a valuable presence in LA’s locker room. Recently, he sat down with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and discussed a few aspects of this Clippers team. One topic the two touched on was what it will take for this group to win a championship.
Mason Plumlee talked the Clippers’ championship hopes with Michael Scotto
There has been much discussion around the Clippers and the word ‘sacrifice’ ever since James Harden arrived in town. The idea that the team’s four stars will each need to sacrifice more for the benefit of those around them has been an increasingly popular idea.
But Mason Plumlee challenged that theory in his discussion with Scotto. “I think it’s striking a balance of being effective being yourself and piecing that together with what everyone else does.” said Plumlee. “I think sacrificing overgeneralizes what it takes.”
This is a viewpoint we have already seen recently from Head Coach Tyronn Lue as well. When talking about the idea of the star players sacrificing, he reiterated that Kawhi Leonard is decidedly the team’s best player, and certain things need to be done through him for the Clippers to succeed.
It sounds like he and Mason Plumlee are already on the same page. Plumlee expressed that finding the right balance is one of the exciting parts of becoming a team worthy of a championship.
“I think it’s something that’s a fun challenge,” said Plumlee. “If you like the challenge of team building or coming out with the best group ultimately, there’s more to it than just (sacrificing).”