For a second, it seemed as though the Los Angeles Clippers were turning a corner; after a rough stretch, the Clippers looked like they were in midseason form when they dismantled the Portland Trail Blazers on back-to-back occasions leading up to the weekend. However, all the good vibes the Clippers built during those wins have now disappeared into thin air after back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers, both of which point to LA's inability to string together stretches of consistent defensive effort.
Now, James Harden and company are searching deep within themselves for answers on how to right the Clippers' sinking ship that has them in legitimate danger of falling to the play-in tournament spots. Their next opportunity to get back to winning ways will come on Wednesday, when they visit the 76ers in Philadelphia; given the Clippers' precarious position these days, Harden couldn't even focus on the narrative surrounding his first visit to the City of Brotherly Love since his trade back in November.
“We have bigger problems than me worried about Philadelphia. We got bigger problems,” Harden said in his postgame presser following their loss to the Pacers, per Tomer Azarly, Clippers beat reporter for ClutchPoints. “I don't know [how the fans will react] and I don't care. We got bigger problems to worry about.”
At this point, a team-wide malaise has enveloped the Clippers, and they have been unable to find the remedy to cure what's ailing them. After all, how can James Harden and company fix what's broken if they do not know what's broken in the first place?
Clippers' identity problems
Over the Clippers' recent terrible stretch, Paul George asserted that they have been having trouble with their lack of identity. It's understandable why they would feel this way. The Clippers pride themselves in being a two-way juggernaut, and yet here they are, hemorrhaging points all over the place.
On Monday night, the Pacers shot a red-hot 58.1 percent from the field and an even more blistering 60.7 percent from deep on 28 attempts. During the Clippers' matinee against the 76ers on Sunday, Philadelphia made 53.3 percent of their field-goal attempts while going 18-37 (48.6 percent) from deep.
James Harden is now echoing George's statement; per Azarly, he said that they “gotta find” their “identity” because having an identity gives them something they can “rely on”. Locking in on the defensive end of the court is the first step they must take, although it's now becoming a major concern that this terrible defensive effort could be the new norm instead of the outlier.
Beginning of the end of the 213 era?
The Clippers are not getting any younger; Kawhi Leonard is 32 years old, Paul George is 33, and James Harden is 34. They looked like they were one of the league's legitimate contending teams during their incredible midseason stretch, but now, it seems like age-related problems are catching up to them.
Leonard, in particular, looks more lethargic as of late; he has already played in 65 games this season, and with the Clippers in dire need of his services to avoid falling further in the Western Conference standings, he could play in as many as 76, which would be a career-high for him.
Could Leonard be feeling the wear and tear of the heaviest workload he has shouldered since the 2016-17 season? Perhaps. But the Clippers go as far as he can take them, so he might have to turn on playoff mode earlier than expected to prevent the worst-case scenario.
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