
The Los Angeles Clippers are 5-13 and in the 13th spot in the Western Conference after 18 games.
They don't even own their first-round pick, so there's no incentive to tank. However, despite all the moves they made in the offseason, it seems like this roster has yet to mesh.
More than that, with Kawhi Leonard's never-ending injury woes and steep salary, the Clippers don't have as much depth as they would want, at least if you were to ask head coach Tyronn Lue.
When asked about the team's struggles, Lue seemingly took a shot at Leonard for his lack of availability, hinting at that as the main issue with his team.
"When you lose your best player, a top 10 player when he's on the floor, it's hard to really make up for that," Lue told Law Murray of The Athletic. "I know a lot of people say 'next man up'. But if he's making $60 million and your next man is making $400,000, it's not really the same."
Of course, it's not like Leonard should be blamed for his injuries, but he's undeniably been the team's primary issue for quite a while now. He's only been able to play in seven games this season, averaging 23.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game on 50 percent from the floor. He's still one of the best two-way players in the world when healthy, but given his long history of injuries, the Clippers might not be able to return to contention until his contract is off their books.
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