The LA Clippers are on a path towards redemption. They are trying to erase the awful memory of their epic collapse in the 2020 playoffs, where they, as title favorites, blew a 3-1 series lead to the underdog Denver Nuggets in the second round.
As the Clipps continue to march forward, the trail is being expectedly bumpy, quite evident in two particular losses early in the season – one saw them get demolished by the Dallas Mavericks for 51 points and the other featured them squandering a 23-point, second-half lead to the Golden State Warriors.
The good thing, though, is the team isn’t getting fazed by the familiar meltdowns. Following the Warriors loss, the Clippers have stringed together four consecutive wins, with the last two being 38 and 34-point blowouts. They currently hold a 10-4 record, only a game behind the first place Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference.
The considerably solid start is also generating a new-found poise from the gang, especially from one of its superstars, Paul George. The same guy who’s receiving much of the ridicule and criticism from the infamous postseason choke.
Speaking with the media earlier this week, George expressed his confidence on the 2020-21 team:
“The chemistry is amazing … It’s a real bond. It’s fun, with this team, it’s locked in, we are together; it is one of the best locker rooms I have been around and been in. Hopefully, you guys see it, just how well we are meshing. We are going to continue to build off of that; we like where we are at and like where we are heading, and we want to see this thing play all the way through.”
Paul George on the Clippers’ new chemistry
Don’t call him ‘Pandemic P’ for now. George has some room to talk as he’s played good part in the current surge. Through 13 games this season, the six-time All-Star is averaging 24.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, plus career-highs 51% field goal shooting and 4.1 threes per contest.
Key bench contributor Marcus Morris Sr. is backing George’s claim. He, too, is very positive about the Clippers’ play, and shared as much after Monday’s win over the Indiana Pacers.
Morris also threw in some hyped for his teammate:
All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense selections are most definitely on the horizon, but MVP might be a bit far-fetched since George isn’t even the best player on Clipperland – that title belongs to Kawhi Leonard, obviously.
In terms of team outlook, however, yes, there’s no denying that the Clippers are certainly looking stout lately. It’s good that they’re staying the course and not regressing after the tough failure. Then again, it’s always easy to sound positive when things are going well. We’ll see how focused and committed they are when the up-and-down grind of a season turns into the seemingly inevitable rugged stretches
The Clippers return to the floor tomorrow at 11 AM (Manila time). They’ll host the visiting Sacramento Kings, a team they crushed last Saturday, 138-100.