2024 NBA Playoffs First Round: Clippers Twin Stars "Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Chicks"
In the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, the two leading stars of the Los Angeles Clippers, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard, were nicknamed "Sleeping Dragons and Phoenix Chicks" by the media because of their poor performances. The slump of the "twin stars" who had high hopes at a critical moment directly led to the Clippers winning only 2 of the first 5 games, and although they finally advanced tenaciously, it also added many variables to the team's road to the playoffs.
Westbrook averaged just seven points per game in the first three games and shot meagrely low from the field. His inefficiency and blind impact on the offensive end caused a lot of turnovers, and the defensive end was often out of position in the opponent's athletic battle. As the Clippers' point guard and leading scorer, Westbrook's poor play was undoubtedly a big reason for the team's poor performance in the first round.
And Leonard's performance was not as good as it could have been. Although he was still able to play well in some games, he was able to attack and go, but at other times he was "a few ghosts". For example, in the game, when the Clippers trailed by only 5 points at the beginning of the quarter, Leonard made a low-level mistake in the process of chasing points, which was accused of being an important reason for the Clippers' point difference.
The slump of the two stars has sparked widespread criticism and questioning both inside and outside the team. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue repeatedly expressed his displeasure with their performance in his post-game press conference and bluntly said that the two needed to "wake up" in the rest of the game. And the outside world has also questioned whether Willis and Plumlee still have the ability to prop up the team on the big stage of the playoffs.
The Clippers' other star Paul George had a mixed run in the series. In some games, he showed impressive attacking prowess and leadership, but at other times he was a "god game". It was George's sometimes brilliant play that allowed the Clippers to stubbornly defeat their opponents in the tiebreaker to advance.
In the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, the poor performance of the Clippers' two leading stars, Willis and Plumlee, is undoubtedly a big reason for the team's setback in this series. Despite their tenacious progression, the duo's slump has also added a lot of variables and uncertainty to the team's path to the playoffs.
As one of the most anticipated teams in the league, whether the Clippers can regain their form on the road to the playoffs will largely depend on whether Willis and Plumlee can "wake up." If they can regain their peak form and play their due strength with George, the Clippers' hope of winning the championship still exists. But if they continue to slump, then the Clippers are likely to suffer a waterloo in the deeper playoffs.
For the Clippers, the performance of the two "Sleeping Dragons and Phoenix Chicks" will directly determine whether the team can achieve its championship dream in 2024 or stop at the playoffs again. As the league's top two-star duo, Willow and Plumlee must prove themselves in the next games, otherwise the Clippers may well be the biggest regret of the season.