The LA Clippers came into Saturday’s matchup against the Lakers mired in a five-game losing streak, and the vibes around the team couldn’t be much worse. Just days earlier, they were 17.5-point underdogs against an OKC Thunder squad that rested key players-and still got run off the floor, 122-101. That loss dropped the Clippers to just three wins since November, a stretch that’s raised more questions than answers about a team that was once expected to contend.
Kawhi Leonard remains the face of the franchise, but even he hasn’t been able to steer the ship back on course. And now, the frustration is starting to spill into the public eye.
Robert Horry Sounds Off
Lakers legend Robert Horry didn’t hold back when asked about the Clippers’ ongoing struggles. Speaking candidly, Horry said, “You can’t blame the coaching staff, ‘cause coaching staff didn’t get rid of Ty Lue, you didn’t get rid of Norman Powell, so there’s a problem from… I guess you got to find more trees to cut down or something? There’s just so much going on over there!”
It was a pointed comment-and not just about basketball. Horry’s jab referenced the off-court controversy that’s hovered over the Clippers since the offseason, when a report alleged that team owner Steve Ballmer used a now-defunct sponsor, Aspiration, to funnel $28 million to Leonard via a no-show job. The company, which had ties to a tree-planting initiative, became the centerpiece of a story that questioned whether Ballmer had worked around the NBA’s salary cap to retain his star.
Ballmer flatly denied the allegations in an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, even encouraging the league to investigate the claims. Leonard also pushed back, telling the LA Times the report was “inaccurate.” But the damage was already done in the court of public opinion, and the Clippers’ poor play has only kept the story alive.
On-Court Numbers, Off-Court Noise
Here’s the frustrating part for Clippers fans: Kawhi Leonard is actually playing well. Heading into Saturday’s game, he was averaging 24.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
He’s shooting a strong 48.9% from the field and hitting 35.3% from three. Those are All-Star numbers.
But they haven’t translated to wins.
The Clippers’ offense has been stuck in neutral. They’re averaging just 110.9 points per game-third-worst in the league-and their offensive rating of 112.8 ranks just 23rd. That’s a steep drop for a team that was built to score with versatility and depth.
Defensively, things have unraveled even more. Last season, defense was their calling card-they posted a 109.4 defensive rating, third-best in the NBA.
This year? That number has ballooned to 118.9, putting them 26th in the league.
That’s a massive swing, and it’s a big reason why they’ve fallen to 6-21, tied with the Kings for the worst record in the West.
The Bigger Picture
It’s not just the losing. It’s the way they’re losing.
The Clippers look disjointed on both ends, and the chemistry that once showed promise has faded. Ty Lue, one of the most respected coaches in the league, is still on the sidelines.
Kawhi is still producing. But the pieces aren’t fitting, and the noise around the franchise-whether it’s about off-court deals or on-court dysfunction-is only getting louder.
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley even took a shot at Leonard recently, joking about him having “two jobs.” It’s the kind of trolling that sticks when a team is down and doesn’t have wins to push back.
The Clippers don’t need to silence the critics-they need to give them something else to talk about. That starts with winning. Until then, Kawhi and company will keep hearing it from all angles.