9 months earlier than the Nuggets ended the Clippers’ season, they had been sending their guests from Los Angeles to their sixth loss in 13 video games on a crisp January evening. By the tip, Doc Rivers’ endurance was as skinny because the Rocky Mountain air.

After voicing his frustration over two choices by the officers, the Clippers’ coach was whistled for 2 technical fouls, ejected and led off Pepsi Heart’s court docket with simply over a minute remaining.

The loss capped a stretch that includes a few of championship contender’s most head-scratching play of its extremely anticipated season, together with a 26-point loss on Jan. Four that led backup heart Montrezl Harrell to infer that “we’re not an awesome crew.” They weren’t ok to win in Denver, both, Rivers acknowledged, saying the crew had waited too lengthy to start enjoying. Nonetheless, he insisted the crew was on the identical web page.

“None of us in there are panicking or something like that,” Rivers stated. “It’s an extended season. And we’ll be prepared.”

The season would final 4 months longer than ever due to the interruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. But all that point couldn’t assist the Clippers be prepared, when it mattered most, to wash up the streaky play that was a trademark not solely throughout early January however a lot of the season.

Pushed by the Nuggets once more in a Western Convention semifinal, the Clippers noticed their commanding 3-1 collection lead disappear in a run of missed pictures, missed stops and missed alternatives that exposed that their inconsistency was nonetheless current months later. They flexed their championship potential whereas constructing leads of 16, 19 and 12 factors in opposition to the Nuggets within the collection’ last three video games. Additionally they regarded helpless when Denver started its rallies.

“They bumped into an actual crew that performed collectively, not despite one another,” stated one league government.

The sooner-than-predicted exit retains the franchise from realizing its said aim of a claiming a championship and leaves them watching because the rival Lakers proceed to pursue their very own.

Chris Webber, the TNT analyst and former All-Star, was among the many many who picked the Clippers to win the West primarily based on the tantalizing promise of including two-time Finals most useful participant Kawhi Leonard and former most useful participant candidate Paul George to a lineup of established, resilient, versatile gamers who excelled of their roles.

“You thought that chemistry would simply be of their effort and protection each evening,” Webber stated.

As a substitute, a scarcity of chemistry was repeatedly cited by gamers after Recreation 7 as a key consider why they fell brief when their sheer expertise did not overwhelm opponents.

The Clippers averaged solely 45 factors and 39% capturing in second halves in opposition to Denver, figures that ranked final amongst all eight convention semifinalists. George and Leonard took 11 pictures and missed all of them within the fourth quarter of Recreation 7 and mixed for simply 5 factors after halftime.

“We begin lacking pictures and you’ll see us trusting much less and fewer and fewer,” Rivers stated. “I imply, pay attention, clearly I may have completed one thing extra.”

From the beginning of the Leonard and George partnership it was understood that integrating face-of-the-franchise stars recognized for lead-by-example types into a longtime locker-room hierarchy would take time. Probably the most influential voices from the earlier 12 months, resembling Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Harrell, remained. They sought to kick-start that course of. Earlier than coaching camp started, the Clippers had already performed pickup video games for weeks, chartered a ship for a deep-sea fishing journey and watched a Rams recreation from a collection on the Coliseum. Contained in the league’s bubble final month, gamers stated they grew nearer whereas debating whether or not the crew ought to proceed the season due to considerations over racial injustice.

Nonetheless, meshing proved harder than anticipated as gamers’ roles modified.

“You go from final 12 months, we had been the crew that wasn’t anticipated to make the playoffs to going and being a championship-caliber crew whenever you usher in two high-level guys, that is an adjustment,” Williams stated. “[Harrell] and I we needed to alter our video games. I believe everyone needed to sacrifice and put themselves in a special place and that kind of factor takes time, particularly whenever you’re doing it for years at a time.

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“For Kawhi, he simply gained a championship with a totally completely different group of men, to return right here. Paul was in a special scenario. There was so many alternative shifting elements.”

That included their rotations too. Their first recreation with a wholesome roster was Christmas. They performed with a full roster 19 occasions. A typical downside, Williams stated, was discovering gamers used to completely different methods of offense and protection within the incorrect spots. Leonard stated the crew wanted “higher basketball IQ” getting into subsequent season.

But after the January loss in Denver, the Clippers gained 9 of their subsequent 11 video games and gained seven of eight by the primary week of March, together with a blistering efficiency in opposition to Denver at Staples Heart. Simply as they had been rolling, with midseason acquisitions Marcus Morris Sr., Reggie Jackson and Joakim Noah within the fold, the coronavirus shut down the season.

The Clippers implored one another to “win the wait” throughout the league’s 4 months off, however the anticipate rhythm continued even when the NBA reconvened in Orlando, Fla. Heart Ivica Zubac and guard Landry Shamet arrived greater than two weeks late after testing optimistic for COVID-19. Williams, Beverley and Harrell all left the bubble to mourn the lack of family members. Harrell was gone for almost one month, returning simply earlier than the playoffs.

“Guys needed to go dwelling for rightful causes,” George stated. “We simply missed a whole lot of time being along with accidents within the common season and contained in the bubble. So we did not get a lot time to be collectively. This was the longest stretch I believe that we had performed collectively. But it surely simply wasn’t sufficient and I believe on this collection, it confirmed. Denver is a crew that been enjoying collectively for alongside time. When issues received tough, once they wanted this or wanted that, they only know one another.”

Reggie Miller, the Corridor of Fame guard and TNT analyst, stated Wednesday that George “wants to start out himself” partly for his postgame remark that the previous season had not been thought of championship-or-bust.

“This crew was constructed to win this 12 months,” Miller stated. “You’ll be able to’t inform me it was all about chemistry. Their cross-town rival has a brand-new coach in Frank Vogel. They’ve received, what six, seven new gamers as properly? Avery Bradley just isn’t even within the bubble? … So everybody’s coping with chemistry within the restart.”

Following Tuesday’s loss in Recreation 7, Rivers acknowledged clearly falling wanting expectations and that he would “take any blame for it.” Rivers was lauded for his impassioned postgame speech in August decrying racism. Extra lately, nonetheless, he has been closely criticized for his lineup utilization and changes.

Regardless of the Clippers’ early exit, their roster remains to be top-loaded with expertise and anticipated to be among the many high contenders within the West subsequent season. The league government believed the Clippers would carry again a lot of the identical crew into 2021, calling it the course he would take, as properly. The Clippers can use a midlevel exception in free company.

The Clippers, the chief stated, ought to pair Leonard with the standard of point-guard playmaker he performed alongside whereas profitable championships with San Antonio and Toronto. It’s certainly one of a number of upgrades wanted if their championship goals are to change into actuality in 2021.

“Working it again is nice, however the Clippers are beatable,” the chief stated. “They want a degree guard. They’ve received to get one. They want higher chemistry. They’ve received to do a greater job scheming and adjusting.”

Who’s again:

G Patrick Beverley (7.9 factors, 5.2 rebounds, second-team all-defense)

F Kawhi Leonard (career-high 27.1 factors and 4.9 assists, 7.1 rebounds, second-team all-NBA and all-defense)

F Paul George (21.5 factors, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists)

G Terance Mann (2.Four factors, 1.Three assists as a rookie)

G Rodney McGruder (3.Three factors, 2.7 rebounds)

C Joakim Noah (2021 contract is nonguaranteed)

G Landry Shamet (9.Three factors, 37.5% three-point capturing)

C Mfiondu Kabengele (3.5 factors in 12 appearances; rookie spent most of season in G League)

G Lou Williams (getting into last season of contract)

C Ivica Zubac (8.Three factors, 7.5 rebounds, career-high 10 double-doubles)

Who may be gone:

F Marcus Morris Sr., unrestricted free agent (10.1 factors, 4.1 rebounds, 42% capturing)

F JaMychal Inexperienced, $5-million participant possibility for 2021 (6.Eight factors, 6.2 rebounds, 38% three-point capturing)

F/C Montrezl Harrell, unrestricted free agent (18.6 factors, 7.1 rebounds)

G Reggie Jackson, unrestricted free agent (9.5 factors, 3.2 assists)

F Patrick Patterson, unrestricted free agent (4.9 factors, 2.6 rebounds)

What concerning the draft?

The Clippers traded their 2020 first-round choose to New York, in February, in trade for Morris, and traded 5 draft picks by 2026, plus two choose swaps, in trade for George.

Greif reported from Los Angeles.