This article was written prior to the Clippers' 127-120 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, but the analysis still rings true.
Following a rocky stretch of games after the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Clippers have put together a solid stretch, winning three in a row against playoff-contending teams, the caliber of opponent they’ve had notable struggles with recently.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, this enhanced effort is coming a little too late.
After spending nearly the entire regular season comfortably in playoff position, the Los Angeles Clippers now find themselves deep in play-in hell.
As of right now, the Clippers hold the eight seed in the Western Conference. They’re a game behind seventh-seeded Timberwolves and 1.5 games behind the red-hot, sixth-place Golden State Warriors.
Had it not been for a (second) Kawhi Leonard lucky bounce miracle at the end of Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, the Clippers would’ve fallen further into the depths of play-in territory — all the way down at the ninth seed.
Despite the fact that they’ve won their past three games, it’s still hard to believe that the Clippers will end up any higher than eighth.
Their competition for sixth and seventh, the Timberwolves and Warriors, are playing their best basketball of the season, and with the return of Julius Randle and Jonathan Kuminga re-entering the Warriors’ line-up on Thursday, Golden State and Minnesota possess concrete, solidified lineups going into this playoff push, something that the Clippers do not have the luxury of.
Norman Powell, who has been Los Angeles’ most dependable player this season, has only played one quarter of basketball since the All-Star break. Despite making his return in early January, Leonard is still missing a number of games with “right knee injury management.” Just recently, he sat out in the team’s win against Detroit.
With just 16 games left in the season, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Clippers develop the same kind of synergy as their peers — play-in basketball for Los Angeles feels inevitable at this point.
Despite the Clippers’ win streak, they still don’t necessarily look like a team that will be competitive in the playoffs. Their lack of up line-up consistency has led to a lack of team chemistry in comparison to other playoff contenders, and the effects are noticeable in their play. While the Clippers are still testing major rotation adjustments this late into the season, other teams are building off chemistry that’s been established throughout the year.
The Clippers last three wins—against Sacramento, the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons—don’t seem indicative of potential postseason success. These are, to be fair, some of the most impressive wins they’ve gotten in the past couple of months, but they’ve all come with a catch.
The Kings were missing All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, the Knicks were missing their go-to scorer in Jalen Brunson and in order to scrape by Detroit, Los Angeles had to ride a 50-point performance from James Harden, an unrealistic showing to expect consistently.
Looking ahead, the Clippers will need to win a vast majority of their remaining games if they want a chance at dodging the play-in, but that seems unlikely with multiple title contenders still on the schedule, including three total games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder—respective No. 1 seeds in their conferences.
All of the Clippers’ playoff hopes rest on Powell. If he’s able to get healthy and the team can develop a rhythm, then the Clippers have a shot at escaping the play-in. However, given the Clippers’ constant pension for inconsistency, and given how dangerous hamstring and knee injuries can be for a 31-year old guard, it’s hard to have a lot of faith.