The thing that NBA champions always talk about after they win a title is the chemistry they have together on the court.
The players may not always agree. They may not even necessarily like each other off of the court. But they always come together for one common goal at the end of the season – winning an NBA title.
It’s pretty clear now, after the Clippers’ Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets, they had not one bit of the chemistry necessary to be a great team.
That was made evident in the way the Clippers fell apart on court, and in the details that came out after the loss. Nobody seemed to be on the same page. An argument between Paul George and Montrezl Harrell perfectly captured just how disjointed they were.
Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes reports the two got into it over a turnover in the middle of the second quarter — when they were actually winning the game.
“Early in the second quarter, a struggling George had committed two careless turnovers in less than a minute. The second mishap was a half-court pass to Harrell, who was near the paint but surrounded by Murray and Michael Porter Jr… Murray picked off the pass. Seconds later, the Clippers called a timeout. “
Harrell approached George about the pass and George snapped at him. That’s when things blew all the way up.
“Harrell responded with something along the lines of, “You’re always right. Nobody can tell you nothing,” and expletives were uttered from both players, sources said. George eventually toned down his rhetoric, but a heated Harrell wasn’t having it. Teammates began clapping on the sideline, in part to disguise what was going on and in an attempt to defuse the situation. The incident deescalated shortly after as coach Doc Rivers took his seat to go over the game plan. “
Yikes. Big yikes. This is never what you want to see from a championship team.
And, look, all teams argue. That’s just part of the game. There are blown coverages, missed assignments and lazy moments that just get the better of players. They’re human. They make mistakes. They come back from it. Sometimes, they need someone else to kick them in gear.
But in the middle of a game 7? When you actually have a lead? With your season on the line after letting a 3-1 series advantage slip away? Nah, that’s not a good sign.
But it is one that perfectly captures the Clippers’ season. They never got the chemistry thing down. That’s been a thing. Harrell himself admitted it back in January.
Montrezl Harrell lit into his own team postgame – “We’re not a great team. We’re not a great team… I think that’s what we need to realize and wake up. We’re a team that still has to figure out things to win night in and night-out.”#Clippers pic.twitter.com/NEMjdIlYzV
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 4, 2020
The signs had been there. We just didn’t pay attention. Now we know and the Clippers are done.
Better luck next year.
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