Discuss the review | The Clippers lost 3 games in a row, what happened to Lu Blind, and Wei Shao had a toxic attack

On February 23, Beijing time, the fully healthy Clippers ushered in their first game after the All-Star break, and the Clippers lost 107-129 to the Thunder on the road, once again losing the first place in the West.

Counting the games before the All-Star break, the Clippers have lost 3 tough battles -

Facing the Pelicans, who finished in the top six in the West, the Clippers lost 106-117.

Facing the Timberwolves, the West's top direct rival, the Clippers lost 100-121.

Today against the Thunder, another direct competitor in the West, the Clippers lost by another 22 points.

Previously, the Clippers won 6 games in a difficult 7-game road trip and once ranked first in the West, but the Clippers won 2-3 in the next 5 games. What the hell happened to the Clippers?

Don't use size as an excuse this time

The Clippers lost to the Pelicans and Timberwolves, both at a size disadvantage. After sending three forwards in the Harden trade, the Clippers' forward size fell behind, which was their established weakness. Especially in the head-to-head match with the Timberwolves, the size disadvantage of the Clippers is particularly obvious, Leonard, George and Harden are all limited, and the offensive end cannot open the situation. On the defensive end, when the Clippers used a small lineup, they were constantly eaten by the Timberwolves inside, and they lost without temper.

But the Clippers' fiasco against the Thunder can no longer use size as an excuse, in fact, this time the Clippers still have an advantage in size. Harden plays Dort, George touches Alexander, Leonard touches Jalen Williams, and the Clippers have a height advantage in all three key points. Zubac has a weight advantage over Holmgren. Westbrook, Plumlee, and Coffey also have a size advantage over the Thunder bench group.

But the size advantage of the Clippers did not translate into a score advantage at all, except for Leonard, who can stably use the size advantage to kill, and the other points did not play an advantage at all. Judging from the details of the game, Coach Lu didn't think about using his size advantage to make a fuss.

Lu instructed the blind to work

During the Clippers' 31-8 record in 39 games, the Clippers established a stable rotation lineup. But recently, Director Lu didn't know if it was for the purpose of the experiment or for what purpose.

First of all, in terms of rotation, Mason Plumlee has been in poor form since his return, and Theis has been a consistent contributor to the team during his absence. But Director Lu has near-blind trust in Plumlee. In the last 5 games, the Clippers have lost by 33 points when Plumlee is on the floor.

Plumlee's time on the pitch is usually paired with Willis and George, and the team's offensive space is very poor, and the defense is also unstoppable.

In today's game against the Thunder, the Clippers completely lost in rotation time, and when Harden and Kawhi Leonard were not on the court, Lue's aimless lineup led to the Clippers being swept away. Harden emphasized that the team has to rely on picking out details to win, and Coach Lu must pay more attention to details in the lineup.

Episodes of viriotoxicity

As I mentioned in a previous article, with the Clippers' current 8-9 rotation, they are a team with a very low margin for error. Plumlee is a side effect, and if Willis' rotation time also plays a side effect, it will be difficult for the Clippers to make up for the deficit by starting the game.

Especially Wei Shao, as the engine of the second team, Wei Shao still has to play 15+ minutes per game, and whether he can play output during this time directly affects the results of the Clippers. In 3 tough games, Wei Shao scored 4 points, 4 assists, and 3 turnovers on 2-of-7 shooting against the Pelicans, and scored 12 points on the court. Playing the Timberwolves, Wei Shao scored 11 points, 3 assists, and 1 turnover on 3-of-11 shooting, and lost by 21 points while on the court. Playing the Thunder, Wei Shao scored 2 points, 5 assists, and 1 turnover on 1-of-9 shooting, and lost by 11 points while on the court.

Wei Shao's hard work and vitality are still online, and his organization also has bright spots, the key is that Wei Shao's offensive efficiency is too low. Once his blind breakthrough fails, the opponent can easily fight back. A lot of times, his failure to make a breakthrough layup is just as fatal as a turnover.

Yes, Wei Shao's contract is cost-effective, Wei Shao will always be the source of power for the Clippers, but these are not equal to Wei Shao's "death-free token", what the Clippers need is a backup point guard who is both energetic and calm, if Wei Shao becomes the Clippers' own rhythm blocker, then Coach Lu giving Wei Shao 20 minutes of playing time is tantamount to suicide.