The Los Angeles Clippers‘ trade for perennial All-Star guard James Harden a few weeks ago had some pegging them as legitimate championship contenders once again.
But they have lost the majority of their games since he arrived, and on Monday, the Clippers hit a new low.
Playing the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, who were without Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Aaron Gordon, they fell apart down the stretch, as they got outscored 36-16 in the fourth quarter and lost, 113-104.
In the final moments of the game, Westbrook got into a heated discussion with a fan at Crypto.com Arena, the Clippers’ home arena, and on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins took Westbrook to task as a result, saying he should direct that animosity toward his teammates.
.@kendrickperkins says Russell Westbrook should've been arguing with his teammates instead of the fan 😮 pic.twitter.com/hvrM4TxViz
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 28, 2023
Westbrook came to the Clippers off the buyout market last season after a failed stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the national media expected him to give them a big boost.
Instead, they instantly went on an extended losing streak upon his arrival and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Phoenix Suns.
With Westbrook, Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, they have four of the brightest stars of this era, but the fit between them is very questionable, and as a result, they have a 7-9 record.
If the play-in tournament were to begin today, the Clippers would be on the outside looking in from their living rooms or the beaches of Cancun.
The Western Conference is looking tougher than it did last season, and at this point, one has to wonder if the Clippers will even make the playoffs.
If they were to miss the playoffs with these four stars, it would have to be one of the biggest failures in recent memory, absent of major injury.
NEXT: Paul George Shares His Thoughts On Russell Westbrook Incident