In the second-to-last game of the regular season, the LA Clippers played with a real sense of pressure hovering above them against the Portland Trail Blazers. Both teams were neck-and-neck in the standings, fighting for the regular-season tiebreaker, but with the Trail Blazers winning by 19 points, fans can easily conclude that the Clippers will not survive in the postseason.
How can one possibly expect anything from the Clippers when matched up against a top seed for an entire series, when the stars could not maintain the momentum once it arrived, and the bench was non-existent versus a team that was .500?
On top of that, Deni Avdija had a remarkable performance of 35 points and five assists on 11-19 shooting, and the Clippers had no answer for it.
This game had a playoff environment written all over it. Tyronn Lue can adjust accordingly and move lineups around where he sees fit, but at the end of the day, the Clippers’ true colors have already been put on blast.
The trends say the Clippers may not be as good as they think
The LA Clippers put together an unforgettable sequence of starting out terribly, getting back on their feet, replacing two franchise pieces, and then overcoming the difficulties of adjustment to keep winning. That has to arguably be the most roller-coaster of a season in NBA history.
However, inside the Clippers’ 41-40 record, particularly the last bit, are trends that back up the fact that they simply aren’t a team that will cause any sort of havoc in the playoffs.
It all started after a four-game win streak in March, on the second night of a back-to-back, against the Sacramento Kings. LA was defeated by nine, then lost the following three games.
The concerning aspect is that two of those three were to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Their standing for the postseason and current narrative on readiness would look a whole lot different if the Clippers had won on the nights they were supposed to.
In addition, the Clippers put themselves in a position to lose to the Indiana Pacers on March 27th, when Kawhi Leonard hit a game-winner. But they lucked out thanks to missed free throws and poor late-game execution by the Pacers.
So, the collapse against the Portland Trail Blazers was a long time coming, and it ultimately cemented the Clippers in a tier of teams that may not make it out of the first round, if they get there.