The Los Angeles Clippers, a team brimming with future Hall of Famers, are currently facing a mountain of challenges. With a record of 5-16, they're not just struggling; they're in crisis mode.
Chris Paul, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard are all destined for the Hall of Fame, and even coach Tyronn Lue could join them one day. But right now, they're dealing with a whole host of issues.
The Clippers' recent loss to the Miami Heat, 140-123, was a perfect example of their struggles. Despite being considered championship contenders at the start of the season, they've dropped to the bottom of the Western Conference, with only the New Orleans Pelicans below them. Age is a factor, with the team being the oldest in NBA history, and key injuries like Bradley Beal's season-ending absence haven't helped.
"Everybody wants a win, but we're just not finding one right now," Leonard admitted.
The game against Miami was a microcosm of their season. They went on an 11-shot drought, allowing Miami to go on a 30-2 run in the first half. They gave up 12 unanswered points in just over two minutes to start the second half, and when it seemed like they might make a comeback, Miami quickly put the game out of reach again.
Coach Lue's decision to bench his entire starting five just over a minute into the second half was a controversial move. He later explained that it wasn't a benching, but the lack of clarity around the decision, coupled with the team's poor performance, left many questions unanswered.
"I never would have guessed they'd be in this position," said Miami's Norman Powell, who is having the best season of his career. "The Clippers are a team of Hall of Famers, but they're struggling right now."
The Heat are thrilled to have Powell, and the Clippers are likely regretting letting him go. While he alone might not have prevented this miserable start, his absence is certainly felt. And there's already talk around the league about the potential consequences of the Paul George deal, with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending NBA champions, potentially ending up with the Clippers' first-round draft pick.
"There's a fine line in this league. You have parity, ambitious teams, and then you have Hall of Famers," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "It's a delicate balance."
To turn things around, the Clippers need a Hall of Fame-level performance. Only seven teams in NBA history have started 5-16 or worse and made the playoffs, and only one of those teams, the 1977-78 Seattle SuperSonics, went on to win a playoff series. That team is particularly close to the heart of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who tried to save the Sonics before buying the Clippers.
"We've got to keep fighting, keep believing," Lue said. "It won't be easy, but if we do things right, things will start falling into place."
With three-fourths of the season still to play, the Clippers, a franchise with 14 consecutive winning seasons, the longest active streak in the league, are running out of time to figure out a solution. If they can't turn it around, a team that hoped to play deep into the season might see big changes much sooner than expected.
