Clippers Lose Third in a Row

The Clippers bad loss to Chris Paul’s old team is the third loss in a row for the struggling Los Angeles team. Nothing is going right and everyone is looking for someone to blame.

Reportedly Coach Vinny Del Negro is on thin ice. In only his second year with the team, it is starting to be deja vu with his experience with the Chicago Bulls. He had one of the most memorable playoff series when the Bulls went seven games, four of which went to overtime, against the Celtics, and then followed it up with another 41-41 season and was fired.

The similarity with is that there were expectations. After taking the Eastern Conference power Boston to seven games with burgeoning star Derrick Rose, the front office expected more and replaced Del Negro with Tom Thibodeau (who won the coach of the year last season with the best record in the league, and is poised for another run at the award).

With stars like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin on the roster, this is where the Clippers are headed and Del Negro is going.

With the acquisition of Chris Paul, probably the wrong thing happened, which was there were expectations. The excitement from the off season was then justified and then grew more with the strong start the Clippers had to their season. The expectations for this team are too high. Both the praise of this team at the outset of the season, and now the criticisms are too strong. Either way we have to remember one thing–this is the Clippers. A .500 team is not bad, especially for the Clippers, and that record and franchise is not worth all the hype for their good or bad play. . .yet.

I thought the goal for this Clipper team the whole season was just to not screw it up. That is the necessary outcome when this season is actually over (there are nearly two months of playoffs). The Clippers are a highlight waiting to happen. Fans both away and at Staples know they can do as they please on their smart phones most of the game, and only have to pay enough attention to see that one “Oh me oh my” moment live, from the most intriguing team in the league when they play loose.

By loose I do not mean that Nick Young should jack up a shot at every opportunity, but that the players need to be excited about the type of basketball they are playing at both ends of the floor, and the results will come with that.

Just look at their points by quarter against New Orleans. Playing fast and loose in the first quarter earned the Clippers 35 points; compare that to their tight and uninspired fourth quarter which saw the Clippers score only 11 points. Their third loss in a row, to a 12-35 New Orleans team, is how the team responded the night after Vinny Del Negro yelled at the team for their effort against a superior Thunder squad.

Its easy to point the finger after this three game losing streak to find the problem . I usually like blaming Nick Young. He just got here so he is an easy target. How about too many jump shots in transition and early in the shot clock. Coach Del Negro is such an easy scapegoat, and they can go get another coach (anybody know if Phil Jackson has any ties in LA?). There’s a lot of fingers pointed at Chuncey Billups. . .s’ achilles. Or management adding too many pieces to a completely revamped roster.

The Hornets look like the old Clipper’s roster. Eric Gordon was inactive for the game, and former first round pick Al Farouq Aminu played only eight minutes. Chris Kaman was on the floor for almost 40 minutes, torching the Clippers for 20 points on 9-13 shooting with 10 boards. He appeared to have fun, or at least more fun than previously playing against Reggie Evans.

But Reggie Evans wasn’t having as much fun, nor were any of the other Clippers. I am not suggesting the Clippers play THAT loose. Reggie Evans doesn’t need to nutbuckle someone from the opposing team every game. But come on Reggie, where is the excitement and energy. The Clippers were up double digits in the third quarter, and if they played loose, they could have built on that lead rather than see it slip away between the team’s tightly gripped fingers.