NBA roundtable: What’s going on with sputtering Clippers, and are they still title contenders?

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A few months ago, once they really kicked into gear following the James Harden trade, the Los Angeles Clippers were the hottest team in the league and seen as a true contender in the Western Conference. When CBS Sports NBA staff made our midseason predictions, three of seven writers picked them to get to the Western Conference finals, and one had them as a Finals team. 

Fast forward to now, and suddenly they’re a team in crisis. They’re 9-10 since the All-Star break, getting carved up on the defensive end and are just half a game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans in the race for the No. 4 seed. After a recent loss, head coach Tyronn Lue called his players “soft.”

The Clippers will face a tough test on Friday night against the up-and-coming Orlando Magic. Ahead of that game, our experts shared their thoughts on what’s going on in Clippers land, and if there’s still any hope for them heading into the playoffs. 

James Harden was recently asked if the Clippers are the team that had a 26-5 stretch in the middle of the season or the one that is 18-22 otherwise. He said, “We don’t know.” What do you say?

Jack Maloney: Somewhere in between is the obvious answer, but I’m going to lean more toward the latter, given their concerning recent form. Since the All-Star break they have one good win over Minnesota, that’s it. Their eight other victories have come against bottom feeders or lower-tier Play-In Teams, and they’re 2-9 against opponents with a winning record in this stretch. 

Sam Quinn: They’re somewhere in between. This is a roster far better suited for the playoffs than the dog days of March, and they went just 6-6 with Russell Westbrook injured. He’s by far their biggest source of energy off of the bench, and his absence proved significant. They’re not quite as dominant offensively as they looked at their peak, but this is still a roster with three high-end shot-creators and enough supporting shooting to stretch any defense.

James Herbert: I mean, it’s the exact same group of players that went 26-5. On paper, the Clippers still have…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-roundtable-whats-going-on-with-sputtering-clippers-and-are-they-still-title-contenders/

Author : Jack Maloney

Publish date : 2024-03-29 17:49:05

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