The Los Angeles Clippers opened the season with a 5-2 record, but nothing has gone right since then. And point guard Patrick Beverley is rightfully furious about it.
Following the team’s 107-85 shortcoming to the New York Knicks, Beverley said he was “pissed off” and challenged the starters to play harder. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times shared Beverley’s comments after the Clippers’ nine straight loss.
“This … feels like 100 losses. Straight up. This … is weak. This ain’t how I roll. That ain’t OK and I won’t allow it to be OK as long as I’m here. That’s a fact.”
Beverley added that Los Angeles has been playing like opponents are supposed to tremble at the names on the back of the jerseys. Instead, they’re seeing “Clippers” on the front, and that moniker currently stands for the league’s longest problematic streak.
Neither Beverley nor the returning Clippers are accustomed to this type of losing. He appeared in the playoffs during all five years as a member of the Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles is riding a six-year streak of reaching the postseason.
Plus, the 22-point blowout by New York isn’t a typical thing. The Clips have often been competitive in losses this season. However, they’ve posted the league’s absolute worst net rating in clutch situations and have a lowly 1-7 record when the score is within five points during the last five minutes.
Fortunately for LA, the next three matchups are against the 3-14 Atlanta Hawks, 4-13 Sacramento Kings and 7-10 Los Angeles Lakers. Not only should the Clips bust their slump, they could start a much-needed winning streak.
But if the losing skid continues, Beverley might explode. And it would be understandable if the veteran did exactly that.