LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 19: Montrezl Harrell #5 reacts after being called for a foul as Paul George #13 looks on (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers have some chemistry issues stemming from a Paul George altercation with Montrezl Harrell.
The Los Angeles Clippers rolled into 2019-20 with championship aspirations, but Kawhi Leonard and Paul George swiftly put those aspirations on ice by underperforming during a playoff series against the Denver Nuggets in which LA blew a 3-1 advantage. Doc Rivers’ team never looked like a full-functioning unit that was really jelling, and Chris Haynes confirmed that everything wasn’t rosy behind closed doors during this series.
Haynes confirmed that George and big man Montrezl Harrell, who won the 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year Award, got into a shouting match after Game 2 in this series, with both star players hurling multiple expletives at one another.
The Clippers looked disjointed in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets
George, who fancies calling himself “Playoff P” despite years of underperforming in the postseason, was singled out as arguably the biggest reason for LA’s collapse, as he had more turnovers (five) than made shots (four) in the decisive Game 7. While Harrell put up 20 points in 26 minutes, his struggles on the defensive end against the bigger, more versatile Nikola Jokic paired with Leonard’s poor shooting were crippling for LA.
Handicapped by the amount of money owed to both George and Leonard and without tons of leeway in trade talks due to the fact they traded control of their entire draft for the next half-decade to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for George, the Clippers will almost assuredly run it back with the same squad in 2020-21. Considering the holes on this roster, that isn’t ideal for Clippers fans.
Even after this collapse, the Clippers should be among the title favorites in 2020-21. However, as proven by Denver in this series, a team as talented as the Clippers won’t amount to much if friction in the locker room spills onto the court.