The Clippers activate the Coue method

Kawhi Leonard we may be back to work, but we’re still a long way from the heralded revolution Clippers. Defeated by the Lakers (135-118), the Los Angeles franchise is sinking with its 11th loss in its last 13 games. With a 5-13 record, the Clippers haven’t posted a winning percentage as low as Blake Griffin’s rookie campaign since the 2010-11 season. Despite everything, there is no question of giving in to panic: in California we are still trying to see the future with optimism.

Those are still the same problems that plagued the Clippers on Tuesday. They lasted much of the match before breaking (and not just a little) one quarter. However, in the first quarter, they resisted Luka Dončić’s “independent performance” and led 38-37 despite the Slovenian’s 24 points. This time, in the last act, the players v Tyronn Lue relented, conceding the fatal 37-25.

“We just ran out of gas.”the Clippers coach summarized at the press conference. It’s hard to be surprised for the oldest team in the league…

“Aggravating Circumstances”

Faced with a situation that could turn into a disaster, Tyronn Lue prefers to applaud the efforts of his group. “We’ve got to keep going, like Jeff Van Gundy said before the game: play as hard as you can, talk as loud as you can… I can’t say the word, but you get the idea. Guys have played with real intent, and we’ve been beaten by the better team so far.” sums up the coach of the Inglewood franchise.

“We had aggravating circumstances. Players were absent… The way we’re built, we need the best players to be on the court. This is how everyone around can succeed. It’s a tough start to the season. The problem is when James Harden comes out, we’re not good on offense. And that’s because Kawhi Leonard missed eleven games… When he missed the power of Bradley Bevan, Donnelly Bevan, it becomes complicated to compete.

However, the problem seems deeper. The Lakers scored 135 points against a team that built its success last season on its defensive strength. The Clippers allowed at least 120 points for the 10th time in 18 games. Last season we had to wait until the 65th match, on March 11, to reach this total…

They also suffered a lot on the rebound (29 to 38) against a team that was deprived of Deandre Ayton, with the starting pivot, Jackson Hayes, who finished with just three shots in 30 minutes.

The next two very important games

But at all levels of the franchise, we continue to show confidence, even though we don’t have the results. “It’s very, very unusual for me.”explains James Harden. “But I firmly believe in us. I work hard every day, not only for myself, but also for my teammates. I have complete faith in our leaders, our coaches and teammates to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I’ve never lost this much before, but I’ve never been in a situation where literally everything is going against us. It will be a test of our character and strength later.

The Clippers are already six wins behind the top 6 after only a quarter of the season, but they believe, like Kawhi Leonard, that “still early”.

“We just have to be able to put a real top five on the pitch, I guess.”continues the winger, not without a small slip, which led to the idea of ​​possible moves in Los Angeles. “Having more talent, playing with more talent and seeing what happens. By that I mean playing better: we all have to play better.”

“It’ll be fine for us”insists Tyronn Lue. “We’ll be back in the saddle at some point. It’ll be all right. If it wasn’t, I’d tell you.”

The next two meetings against the Grizzlies and Mavs, both at the Intuit Dome, should allow the Clippers to get back on track. Otherwise, we risk this first part of the season being spoiled a little more.