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While certainly one can call this a hit piece, the realities are not erased because of that. What are going to be the challenges for Lue this season with taking control of his roster? What should the team from top down do to address the way Kawhi is essentially controlling them and getting whatever he wants?

“How do you ever build a strong team with that [expletive] going on?” one team source said. “I thought from the beginning, ‘We’re doomed. Kawhi wants too much special treatment.’”

According to multiple sources, the Clippers have Leonard and George perks to the level to compromise the standard of culture they had built over the previous two seasons.

Leonard and George had power over the team’s practice and travel schedule, leading teammates to believe Leonard canceled multiple practices.

Leonard was allowed to live in San Diego and commute from there, which made him late for team flights.

While many of the Clippers had a level of acceptance for Leonard's preferential treatment as a two-time Finals MVP, sources say the benefits George received was more of an issue. There was a sentiment among certain teammates of, “What have you accomplished in the playoffs?” multiple league sources said.

Leonard and George didn't bond with their teammates, which could have helped the situation. Leonard oftentimes was hanging out with close friend and Clippers assistant coach Jeremy Castleberry. George mostly stuck with Reggie Jackson and Patrick Patterson.

The Clippers hired Tyronn Lue, at least in part, due to his ability to hold star players accountable. Sources say Lue will look to push Leonard and George to forgo certain requests or standards to set an example for their teammates.

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/260674/Tyronn-Lue-To-Push-Kawhi-Leonard-Paul-George-To-Forgo-Certain-Preferential-Treatment

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the team’s training staff would create a private space for Leonard to do his pre-game routine prior to every Clippers game. He also often occupied the female staffers’ locker room during road games and sometimes during double-headers in the Staples Center last season. Several players and staffers were reportedly knowledgeable about the situation which ultimately caused uneasiness within the team.

Many people around the league felt that the Clippers also had no choice but to oblige to the four-time All-Star’s many demands.

“What were they going to do about it?” one league source said. “It’s Kawhi.”

The off-court issues seemed to be negligible for others but it eventually translated to the team’s dynamics and performance on the court. After having high expectations set around the Clippers due to their stacked roster, the team ultimately disappointed as they fell short in their bid for a deep playoff run last season

https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonards-pregame-privacy-request-caused-uneasiness-in-locker-room/

Original Article:
https://theathletic.com/2222210/2020/12/02/kawhi-clippers-chemistry-nba-title/

Why release this now instead of at the end of last season? We get it things were bad... enough

This is the 3rd time (at least) they’ve written this story. Back in January was the first, then after the collapse, and now. What’s the point exactly? The first time I understand but the rehashes I do not.

Horrible feeling

KL2 wrote:This is the 3rd time (at least) they’ve written this story. Back in January was the first, then after the collapse, and now. What’s the point exactly? The first time I understand but the rehashes I do not.

Same reason they show re-runs on tv, I would guess. The casual fan doesn't know all of the details so they generate clicks and discussion by releasing "new" stories.

Winning cures everything. The same stuff went on in Toronto but they kept it in house. Only after they won the championship and Leonard leaving did these stories come out.

The Clippers had an obvious leaker and that did not help the situation here. Doc not taking control is the other. Thankfully both of them are gone.

Now it’s up to Lue and his coaching staff to fix things. I feel a lot more confident in them than the last group. And hopefully the players took a look in the mirror and will do the rest.

The team needs to trade Lou immediately and Reggie/2Pat being back now looks like horrible favoritism. We even paid Patterson more for no reason

KL2 wrote:Winning cures everything. The same stuff went on in Toronto but they kept it in house. Only after they won the championship and Leonard leaving did these stories come out.

The Clippers had an obvious leaker and that did not help the situation here. Doc not taking control is the other. Thankfully both of them are gone.

Now it’s up to Lue and his coaching staff to fix things. I feel a lot more confident in them than the last group. And hopefully the players took a look in the mirror and will do the rest.

yeah, i mean guess i don't really care about any of this

doc's ways are gone. montrez harrell is gone. lou williams will most likely be traded. i mean it's pretty clear what issues they caused last season.

i will say, though, it's pretty creepy that kawhi was often hanging out in the women's staffer's lockerroom. that can't fly at all and no idea at all why the team didn't put a stop to it.

Calming down more things don’t look as bad it’s just a lot of miscommunication. I’m sure Kawhi talked to Doc and Ballmer about the stuff he needed to be comfortable beforehand.

Doc never got the team from the year before to buy in to the new stars. All that talk about culture and half of the team was traded by the deadline and gone the next year

This is 100% Doc's fault. It's no coincidence that there's been severe chemistry issues on every team he's "coached," from T-Mac getting him fired in Orlando, to the Rondo and Ray Allen drama in Boston, to Lob City hating each other by the end of their era, and now this. He's been the one common denominator in all the drama. He will never understand that playing favorites does nothing but undermine your team.

That being said, guys like Lou, Trez and Pat can't honestly be surprised that Doc played favorites. Doc spent their whole first season here padding his son's stats at the expense of the team, then spent their second season refusing to stop playing former Celtic Avery Bradley until the front office finally traded him. It's not like this was anything new. And none of them really have any room to complain compared to guys like Zubac or Milos who were legitimately screwed over by Doc.

I was having such a good day. This article just pisses me off though.

The team deserved criticism for last season. I don’t think anyone would dispute that. It’s been covered ad nauseam.

However, the FO made necessary changes and obviously looking to turn a new leaf as they say. From what little we’ve heard from coaches and players they’re all excited to get back to work.

This rehash is a slap in the face by one of their own. I can’t get over the timing or what he hoped to gain.

It doesn't bother me, in the sense that we all knew we massively underachieved last season, looked horrible when the going got tough in the playoffs. If we had a tight-knit team we would have at least pulled it together emotionally and given a better fight, we didn't. We flat out sucked.

I think Lue is the right choice to lead the team this year. Not only because he saw this all from the coach's bench, but because he led a Cleveland team that also had potential chemistry issues all the way through to a title. If anyone can get everyone on board together this season, it should be him.

The question was never whether the team was a mess but whether this mess was a team. When it came time for the team to reach down during the playoffs, there was nothing there.

The irony is that Doc has to perform the same exorcism in Philly that Father Ty has to do here, and make this mess a team. The fingers will point at the coaches but it's really up to Kawhi and Embiid. Instead of leading their teams [like LeBron does, let's face it], they're at the core of their teams' problems.

Leonard will never be a vocal leader. Certainly not in the Lebron James or Chris Paul vein. He’s gotten better over the years but admits he likes to lead by example. The reason it worked in SA and Toronto is because they had a solid foundation and structure. Sure stuff went on behind the scenes but it was kept in house. Only reason stories came out is because he left.

Clippers lacked that but went out and did something about it.



Really like what I’m hearing from Lawrence Frank and Ty Lue. Sounds like everyone from top to bottom understand the shortcomings of last season, what needs to change, and how everyone is on the same page going forward.

The Athletic's pay-to-play model seems about on its last legs. They run such obviously timed, drama-clickbait tripe, my goodness. It's a shame that journalism went the way it did at the papers long before this, but between 1. the gambling economy and 2. the purely for-profit 'news' cycling, advertising/endorsements, and PR culture of the league, we've got very little substance to count on and pretty much have to come up with it ourselves or cut through all the BS. I recall the golden age of basketball blogging, but that also is lost in the hype culture noise now.

I would love to see the Clippers simply play a good season now, after a first run together and some good changes (Ibaka is a great pickup, for example, and Batum for cheap is also a really strong one). Call me crazy, but I thought a big move for Westbrook might be perfect for this team, too-- he's incredible despite all the negative noise (especially from pro-Warriorsville, in my opinion), has a great track record with George, is pure LA, and can take that spotlight while Kawhi plays the game.

Seems like the league's PR department still desperately clings to its pro-Warriors, anti-LA drama for its business model though. Then there's the Luka full court press for MVP already starting up this year lol. Can we grow up and just let them play the sport and enjoy the excellence on the court, please?

What a day filled with drama but fun stuff

Jovan couldn’t let the Clippers enjoy what is hopefully a successful off season. Nor could he let them start camp on a positive note. Nope. He’s like, wait, let me grab my hamper of dirty laundry to air again. And again. And again.

I wonder how players will respond to him now? If they’ll be more careful what they say to him for fear of him airing it to the public?

The Clippers can win the championship and the first thing he’ll probably post is another airing of dirty laundry. Sheesh.

KL2 wrote:Jovan couldn’t let the Clippers enjoy what is hopefully a successful off season. Nor could he let them start camp on a positive note. Nope. He’s like, wait, let me grab my hamper of dirty laundry to air again. And again. And again.

I wonder how players will respond to him now? If they’ll be more careful what they say to him for fear of him airing it to the public?

The Clippers can win the championship and the first thing he’ll probably post is another airing of dirty laundry. Sheesh.

Crazy part all that got buried under the PG13 interview now. What a snowball

TheNewEra wrote:Crazy part all that got buried under the PG13 interview now. What a snowball

Don’t worry. As soon as Jovan sees a couple guys get chippy in practice, they blow a big lead, or lose and he’ll fall back on this rehash.

It’ll be interesting to see what/if any inside scoop he gets during the season.