Ask Eric Pincus
What's happened to my Clippers the past two games?
Anto, Pasadena
Eric Pincus: The past two have certainly been disappointing. I'm afraid what we're seeing is just how big an impact Eric Gordon has on the team – and how badly they miss him.
Chris Kaman has been off to arguably the best start in his entire career. Marcus Camby and Craig Smith have been rock solid as well.
To win in this league, you have to do it with size and the Clippers are stacked up front. Just wait until Blake Griffin gets back.
In the back court, both Baron Davis and Sebastian Telfair have been steady playmakers. They've combined for 10.8 assists a game – that's a positive as well.
The key area where the Clippers have struggled at both the guard and small forward positions is shooting.
Gordon was, by far, the team's most efficient perimeter player. In seven games he shot 50.6% from the field and 46.2% from the arc. He averaged 18.9 points a game along with 4.0 assists and 1.71 steals.
While there is a ton of talent and star power at guard in the Western Conference, Eric put up All-Star numbers over that stretch.
As a team, the Clippers were still learning how to close out close games. They'd obviously made progress on that front during their three-game win streak.
It's no surprise they've slumped without Eric. Baron, Rasual Butler and Al Thornton add pieces to the Clippers' puzzle but so far they haven't shot the ball very well.
Coach Mike Dunleavy is asking his players to make better choices when it comes to shot selection.
Ricky Davis and Telfair have actually done been shooting well but the Clippers need their big guns to be more efficient.
With Gordon out at least another four games, the team has to have at least one or two of their veteran guards fill the void.
You may have noticed Kaman struggling at times throughout the Thunder game. Of anyone on the Clippers, he benefited the most from Gordon's efficiency. With Baron and Telfair's capable passing and Gordon's ability to hit from anywhere – or penetrate and get to the line – Kaman has had a lot of freedom in the post.
Now the Clippers are having trouble keeping the floor spread which means double and triple teams on Chris, fewer driving lanes for Baron and a general tough time for the Clippers as a team.
Dunleavy is going to have to find a solution in both Eric's and Blake's absence. The Clippers can't afford to fall too far behind in the West.
We're screwed. That being said, I'll be watching, and hoping, and expecting to win....I just don't learn.
