Although this may be the toughest season in recent memory to be as realistic as possible within the locker room, Zach Lowe, on a recent episode of “The Zach Lowe Show,” does the LA Clippers’ job for them. Lowe is 100% transparent when speaking on the state of the Clippers, which he says is old and slow, and that at the end of the tunnel sits an 8-10 seed in the play-in tournament.
However, in the wake of conversing with co-host Mo Dakhil about a season the Clippers have presented that has been detrimentally interesting, Lowe does bring attention to their injuries. This has been their biggest issue, which says a lot, as the list of flaws feels infinite.
That said, Lowe’s quiet, play-in prediction on the Clippers may be in tune with the writing on the wall. Yet LA should treat a tournament finish as an opportunity to still make the playoffs, rather than a disappointing setback given their talent and experienced coaching.
The LA Clippers’ new goal should be to not fumble a spot in the play-in tournament
Zach Lowe may have unveiled the reality of the LA Clippers he sees, but he also expressed confidence that they will make it to the play-in tournament. Lowe ultimately believes the teams currently below the Clippers, in seeds 12-15, will not progress, and that at least one of the teams ahead will drop out.
Moreover, the Clippers should not be anywhere near the 11th seed, but here they are, with four wins and ten losses, behind the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz.
Head coach Tyronn Lue should take baby steps and focus on the bottom half of the current standings in the play-in tournament. This will prevent the Clippers from getting ahead mentally to a destination they have not arrived at.
Consistent health from Kawhi Leonard will not magically solve every issue on both sides of the ball, but him on the court next to James Harden, who would be in the early MVP discussion if the Clippers were winning, will surely move one of the teams ahead out of the way.
Thus, the Clippers should not pout about possibly being placed in the play-in tournament or use injuries as an excuse to lose hope. Nowhere does it say winning in the NBA is easy, implying the locker room needs to accept the hardships for what they are and overcome them to find the reward of their hard work.