The Athletic: Kawhi and PG controlled practice schedule, choosing when to check into games etc

[OkcSinceSGA]

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Damn what an article. This kind of behavior is disgusting. What a wasted season. If you have a sub there is A LOT more drama here than I posted. A lot of locker room confrontations and BS. Lue definitely has his hands full getting these guys on the same page.




But according to multiple league sources, the perks the Clippers gave Leonard and George began to compromise the standard of the culture they had built over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons — the very culture that the Clippers used, in part, to attract Leonard and George to Los Angeles.

Some of those perks included:

• Leonard and George were the only players to have their own personal security guards and trainers.

• 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 often made him late for team flights.

• Leonard and George typically didn’t speak to the media until at least 45 minutes after games concluded, under the guise of postgame treatment or workouts. This usually resulted in their teammates speaking with the media first, and for longer, essentially becoming the public voices of the team.

• Teammates also believed that Leonard and George were able to pick and choose when they played. Not only did they sit out games entirely, but also at times they accepted or declined playing time in the moment.



Marcus Morris Sr., whom the Clippers acquired at the February 2020 trade deadline, entered the locker room with the intent of asserting himself as a leader after pacing the New York Knicks in scoring. He quickly became one of the team’s louder voices.

While league sources say Morris had good intentions with teammates, and was trying to step into the clear leadership void that he had observed when he joined the team, Morris’ advice for his new teammates didn’t always go over well.

“You don’t want to be the guy that just shows up and starts telling people what to do,” one league source said.

According to league sources, center Ivica Zubac and Morris had several heated arguments early in Morris’ tenure, with Zubac essentially saying, “Why are you telling me to change what I’m doing after I’ve been doing it successfully all season?”


But the same issues that the Clippers faced in the regular season transferred over to the bubble. Another point of contention was that certain players felt teammates were looking out for their contracts more than the team, league sources said. Earlier in the season, teammates had felt Harrell was looking out for his numbers because he was a pending free agent, and that belief continued into the bubble.

With higher stakes and pressure, there were several blow-ups between players, with George often at the center of the tension, with teammates citing a lack of accountability from him.

During Game 7, several players felt George (10 points on 4-of-16 shooting, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 38 minutes) didn’t play with the type of effort or sense of urgency that matched his public comments.

“It looked like he was coasting the entire game,” one league source said. “He looked like he was floating.”

Afterward, his impassioned speech to his teammates about bouncing back and returning next season rang hollow, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Sept. 21.

[Jellybeans]

What have PlayoffPeePee done,that he can control something?

[homecourtloss]

“Street lights over spotlights.”

“Driven over given.”

“We over me.”

[Smash3]

I can understand Kawhi "two time finals MVP" Leonard having this type of control, but who the **** is PG13 to get the same treatment?

[Sgt Major]

And then this guy destroyed it all

Watch on YouTube

[OkcSinceSGA]

Where the **** was doc Rivers in all of this? Thought he was supposed to be some kind of respected leader around the league?? Players didn’t respect him and he clearly didn’t do enough to take control of the locker room

[OkcSinceSGA]

“Street lights over spotlights.”

“Driven over given.”

“We over me.”

So disgusting man. Kawhi needs to change too. If he is a lead by example type To start acting like he’s just one of the players

[nikster]

I can understand Kawhi "two time finals MVP" Leonard having this type of control, but who the **** is PG13 to get the same treatment?

Even if it was just Kawhi, that type of treatment is easily poisonous to the locker room

[iamworthy]

Where the **** was doc Rivers in all of this? Thought he was supposed to be some kind of respected leader around the league?? Players didn’t respect him and he clearly didn’t do enough to take control of the locker room

Where was Phil Jackson when Kobe and shaq were at each other's neck? Some coaches just handle things differently.

[HoopsterJones]

Preferential treatment might have been offered by the Clippers FO and Doc Rivers to entice Kawhi and PG13 to join the Clippers. If so, I don’t fault the Clippers FO because that might have been the difference of landing them versus not.

[LofJ]

Where the **** was doc Rivers in all of this? Thought he was supposed to be some kind of respected leader around the league?? Players didn’t respect him and he clearly didn’t do enough to take control of the locker room

It's an organizational issue to let Leonard and George have so much priviledge and control over the team. Rivers worked for Ballmer just like they did. Doc should have put his foot down and demanded accountability, but again it isn't his team. As the head man in charge Ballmer should have never allowed Leonard and George to have so much authority.

[toodarkmark]

Yeah, Doc Rivers was at fault, and Harrell, and Lou, even though they had a great culture and made the playoffs the year before.

Well now it's Kawhi and PG's team. They got the coach fired, drove out the 6th man of the year, and have put Lou and Bev very openly on the trade market.

[Lakers LeBron]

The Clippers version of this article:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26821790/lakers-20-failed-reboot-nba-crown-jewel

Which was Luke Walton and his incompetent coaching staff leaking everything they could to trash the organization on their way out.

Now we'll see if the Clippers have the leadership to rebound from this.

[iLLmatic860]

I still have them coming out West if they can make a trade for a Playmaker

[mademan]

Pretty sure the pitch from Balmer to Kawhi was that he would be king in Clipperland. Cant be mad when he decides to act like one

[MoneyMo]

Wow Montrezl is spilling everything now.

[DTP]

Coaches have very little power if they don't have the backing from the front office/management. I've never heard of Doc giving guys like McGrady, KG, Pierce, Griffin, or Paul these type of privileges, so I find it hard to believe he just changed his approach on things all because of Kawhi & PG.

PG was my favorite player in the league until last season. I'm hopping back on the bandwagon and really hoping he has a bounce back season...way too many people have tried trashing him this off season. Some of it is deserved but not all of it. Hopefully he's back to 18-19 status this season.

[whatisacenter]

anyone putting this all on Doc Rivers' door step is only fooling themselves. The Clippers organization was courting Kawhi for a year and gave him anything he wanted including PG13 and all their preferential treatment. It will be interesting to see how those two behave as teammates this season in their walk years...no pressure to win it all!

[Kilo]

It's a players league. Coaches have no power outside of a few organizations where the owners, GM back the coach and players know that going there.

[Pharmcat]

LOL at someone selling out the snake himself

what goes around comes around