DALLAS — LA Clippers coach Ty Lue described his workforce’s efficiency for the primary 9 minutes Friday night time as “a murals.”
As for the remainder of the 144-126 loss to the Dallas Mavericks? To place it politely, think about it proof that the Clippers are a piece in progress a couple of video games after James Harden joined them following the blockbuster commerce that freed him from the Philadelphia 76ers.
“What is the worst that you may be?” Lue stated when requested for his description of the rest of the sport after the Clippers constructed a 12-point lead late within the first quarter. “I am telling you, it should be good. That is all proper. We’ll be all proper. They higher benefit from it now.”
The Clippers dropped to 3-5 on the season, together with 0-3 with Harden becoming a member of seemingly future Corridor of Famers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook within the lineup. LA has suffered losses to the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks in these video games by a mixed 39 factors.
“I am nonetheless assured,” stated Leonard, who led the Clippers with 26 factors. “I nonetheless really feel like we’re studying one another, the entire gamers and training workers, and also you see slightly bit of fine issues within the recreation tonight, even final recreation — having some good leads. We’re simply not sustaining it, and as soon as we determine it out, we’ll hold it rolling. So all of us acquired to remain afloat and keep assured and hold pushing each other to maintain that mindset on the objective.”
Dallas responded to the early dozen-point deficit with a 35-4 run over a span of virtually seven minutes bridging the primary and second quarters. The Mavericks led by as many as 32 factors, using a dominant efficiency from Luka Doncic, who completed with 44 factors on 17-of-21 capturing with six rebounds and 6 assists.
The Clippers’ stars did not play within the fourth quarter, which started with the Mavericks main by 26 factors. Lue stated he thought of taking part in his starters regardless of the lopsided rating due to the necessity to develop on-court chemistry, however he determined in opposition to it partially due to an early Sunday afternoon tip in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies of their subsequent recreation.
“I believe it was simply, let’s get out of the sport wholesome and prepare for a 12:30 [PT] recreation on Sunday,” Lue stated.
Harden, who didn’t play within the preseason whereas he was within the strategy of forcing a commerce from Philadelphia, scored all 14 of his factors Friday night time within the first quarter. He was 3-of-3 from the ground within the first quarter and 0-of-3 the remainder of the night time. Harden, a three-time NBA scoring champion, has tried a median of solely eight discipline targets in his three video games with the Clippers.
“Simply getting used to it, you already know what I imply?” Harden stated. “There’s simply so many nice gifted gamers on this workforce, I acquired to discover a technique to nonetheless be aggressive, producing photographs or creating photographs for myself as effectively. So first quarter felt actually good on each ends of the ball, after which from there it went downhill. So looking for a stability of not making an attempt to step on anybody’s toes, however simply making an attempt to nonetheless be aggressive and be myself. So it is a course of, however it’s undoubtedly slightly irritating. We do prefer to win video games.”
George particularly struggled in opposition to the Mavericks, ending with eight factors on 3-of-12 capturing. He lamented coming into the sport with a concentrate on being a “glue man” as a substitute of being aggressive offensively.
“I believed are available and avoid wasting vitality for the opposite finish, however once more, it did not work,” George stated. “I let the workforce down with that strategy, however once more, it will not occur once more. The mindset will likely be an assault mode always.”
The Clippers are trying to determine spacing and find out how to intensify one another’s expertise on the fly. Harden acknowledged that a part of that course of is ultimately figuring out find out how to greatest divide touches amongst gamers who’re accustomed to being offensive focal factors.
“We do not know what that appears like but simply because it is too early, after which all of us carry totally different dynamics to the sport,” stated Harden, who’s averaging 4.7 assists per recreation with the Clippers after main the NBA with 10.7 for the 76ers final season. “I believe for me, so far as the pecking order, I believe I am a facilitator and a scorer, so if anyone has it going, then I’ve no drawback producing actually good photographs and ensuring we get high quality photographs possession by possession. As a result of I do know on the finish of the day, if I am doing that, then we’re getting good photographs, then we acquired a very good probability of successful. However we’re all figuring that out as video games go by.”
Leonard stated he is not stunned by the struggles because the Clippers regulate to the addition of one other ball-dominant participant, however he’s “seeing extra of the draw back early” than he anticipated.
“We’ve got 4 guys on the ground which are used to having a ball, used to discovering a rhythm simply by feeling and touching all of it recreation,” Leonard stated. “You can see it, you sort of seen it with Luka and Kyrie [Irving] final yr. They was making an attempt to determine it out. However like I stated, simply taking part in extra, you will begin to determine, OK, this man wants this spot right here or he acquired it going, let me purchase in into one other a part of the sport the place I could make us win.”
Lue continued tinkering with the rotation in seek for mixtures that work. He modified the lineup to begin the second half, changing heart Ivica Zubac with guard/ahead Terance Mann, however stated he believes that Harden must be paired with an enormous man as his pick-and-roll companion regularly. Lue was extra dismayed with LA’s defensive lapses than the offensive struggles, because the Mavericks shot 52% from the ground, together with 19-of-42 from 3-point vary.
“I really feel such as you acquired to study to only regulate,” George stated. “It isn’t from a ‘like’ standpoint, it is simply he is making an attempt this out too. We’re all making an attempt to do this out, and so I do not know. I do not know. I am on the market to attempt to simply study on the fly, determine it out on the fly as all of us are. So I am rolling with what T-Lue sees on the market, and once more, in some unspecified time in the future it should work and no person’s going to speak in regards to the rotations and guys on the ground and personnel.”
Dallas endured comparable struggles after buying Irving in a blockbuster commerce with the Nets earlier than final season’s commerce deadline, going 5-11 in video games with Doncic and Irving within the lineup collectively and falling from fourth within the Western Convention standings to eleventh place and into the draft lottery.
Irving, who scored 27 factors to assist the Mavericks enhance to 7-2 this season, can empathize with the frustration and confusion the Clippers are experiencing throughout their adjustment interval.
“Proper now, they’re simply going by way of these ups and downs within the public discussion board the place they’re getting criticized for not successful video games though they’re as nice as anybody within the league statistically and individually,” Irving stated. “Collectively, I do know that they will be higher, however proper now they’re looking for their method. Want ’em effectively, however I am glad they did not determine it out tonight in opposition to us. We did not need that.”
