The Los Angeles Clippers identity has come into question after the team has gone spiralling down with a late season decline. After decades of false dawns, this was supposed to be the year that Tyronn Lue and the Clippers finally put it all together. Fans were hoping the addition of 10-time NBA All-Star James Harden could be the difference for a franchise that after 53 years in the league, is still in search of their first NBA championship.
After a strong start to the season, the Clippers are struggling at a critical stage. Monday’s 116-133 loss to the Indiana Pacers means the team has now lost six of their last nine games, with two of those wins coming over the lowly Portland Trailblazers. Over that stretch, opponents are averaging 116.55 points per game against a defense that is leaking points.
Per ESPN, after the defeat to the Pacers, Harden stated the team “gotta find our identity.”
Head coach Ty Lue also addressed the issue of team identity after the disappointing loss.
“So identity for us, it’s got to be toughness. Which means physicality, mental and physical toughness,” said Lue. “And so right now, do we have an identity? I think, yeah, we’re soft.”
Ty Lue calls out the Clippers
“Right now do we have an identity? I think, yeah. We're soft.” 😳
(Via @TomerAzarly pic.twitter.com/kzLEVKyk1c
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 26, 2024
The Clippers have dropped to fifth in an extremely competitive Western Conference. Their 44-27 record means they have been overtaken by the New Orleans Pelicans, a team that holds the tiebreaker over them. With just 11 games remaining in the season, the pressure will be on Lue to find a winning formula for this extremely talented roster.
