By now we know that a massive aspect of the Clippers’ disappointing 2019-20 season was that they failed to gel as a team, and that in particular, the way that superstar additions Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were treated by management and the coaching staff rubbed some of the other players on the team the wrong way.
A new report from Jovan Buha of The Athletic further explains the tense situation, including how George’s lack of playoff achievement made teammates chafe at his “preferential treatment” over the course of the season:
Teammates had a level of acceptance of Leonard’s preferential treatment, as his status as a two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP — the then-reigning Finals MVP, at that — was indisputable.
But George’s treatment was more of an issue within the locker room, league sources said. George, while a perennial All-Star and All-NBA candidate, didn’t carry the same cachet with his teammates. There was a sentiment among certain teammates of, “What have you accomplished in the playoffs?” multiple league sources said.
The story explains how George and Leonard were the only Clippers to have their own security and training staff, how the duo controlled the team’s practice schedule, and dictated when and how they spoke to media, occasionally putting teammates in the awkward position of speaking on behalf of the team.
Perhaps that was more accepted when it came to Leonard, who had just done things his own way in Toronto en route to a title, but less so with George, who has not won a championship and performed poorly in the Bubble playoffs. Both are still on the team, however, meaning Lue may have his hands full repairing relationships in the locker room and charting a path forward for the team.
Contrary to the roster turnover some believed was coming for the Clippers, their only big changes came in letting Montrezl Harrell leave in free agency, signing Serge Ibaka, and trading Landry Shamet for Luke Kennard. Outspoken veterans like Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams are still around, at least for now, and they’ve brought back Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson in free agency.
The Clippers remain among the short list of championship contenders by way of their talent, but it’s clear mistrust runs deep in the organization run down based on how consistently these reports have come out over the past year. Getting past that will likely be their biggest hurdle, beyond the presence of the Lakers, if they are to put things together and achieve their full potential.