LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The LA Clippers returned to the postgame locker room last Tuesday night inside the NBA’s Disney campus, and received notices on their phones for the following day that they had not been expecting: a 1 p.m. afternoon flight home. After a 3-1 series lead over the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, the Clippers surprisingly lost three straight games, ending leaguewide anticipation for an all-Los Angeles Western Conference Finals.
This isn’t how the Clippers season was supposed to go.
Several players had underwhelming postseason performances. Head coach Doc Rivers had several strategic decisions that left players scratching their heads, such as the decision not to ride a bigger lineup against Nikola Jokic, choosing rotations that did not prioritize more minutes for JaMychal Green and various defensive adjustments. The team also never came together in terms of chemistry or camaraderie inside the bubble. These are all…
