Although adversity rarely occurs as a detrimental factor for teams early in the year, let alone during the first game, the LA Clippers saw it make an arrival in their 21-point loss to the Utah Jazz. This can cause a team slump, and to get out of it quickly, the Clippers need effective leadership, yet, according to Bill Simmons, they do not have it.
Furthermore, the leader and the title “best player on the team” are essentially synonyms in basketball terminology, making Kawhi Leonard the go-to guy who should be able to help the Clippers with their short-term struggles.
But Simmons suggests that Leonard’s quiet personality hinders him from assisting his team in these situations, and regarding James Harden and Chris Paul, the NBA expert believes that each has a factor that limits their ability to motivate their teammates.
This ultimately means the Clippers’ dark days have only begun, and that time is the main savior that can help them jump out of the disaster they created.
Someone in the LA Clippers’ locker room must motivate a change in body language
When they are down, or in the midst of a realization that a disappointing loss will be the result, the LA Clippers’ body language declines significantly. This defeats the idea of a comeback, even if the goal is to believe anything is possible.
Moreover, against the Utah Jazz, fans could visibly see that several key players had given up before the game ended. There was less effort and more miscommunication, and when Will Hardy saw it happening in real time, winning became impossible, as the Jazz just continued to score and get stops.
This was an opportunity for someone to step up, and no one did. Yet, a veteran on the roster can still self-assign himself to being the motivator of the group, in case something similar happens in the future, and it should be Chris Paul.
Paul has the perfect communicative skills to activate a locker room amid a large deficit. He will simply have to remind players what is at stake, and, with a loud tone and emphasis on certain words, the rest of the team will follow what he is saying.
Thus, Paul is the type of leader Bill Simmons is referring to; he just has to step up and be the voice the Clippers need in games like their first matchup with the Utah Jazz on the season.