Having an elite core of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden should have been enough for the Los Angeles Clippers to dominate in the playoffs. Instead, they are now on the receiving end of a harsh Stephen A. Smith take after their first round elimination at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.
After acquiring James Harden at the start of the season, the Clippers showed everyone why they can be contenders. With Russell Westbrook on the bench, the trio of Harden, George, and Leonard dominated opponents during the first half of the regular season.
Once the All-Star break was done, something changed with the team and they weren’t playing as well as before. Even if that’s the case, the team finished the regular season with the fourth seed and a home court advantage over Luka Doncic and the Mavs.
The thing is, it only took Dallas six games to close out the series against the Clippers. With Leonard missing some games, Doncic and one-time champion Kyrie Irving took charge and never looked back against Los Angeles.
This can be seen in how the Mavericks shot the ball better, grabbed more boards, and committed fewer turnovers. Ultimately, the Clippers failed to make the most out of their All-Star core and saw their season end in a disappointing manner.
Los Angeles Clippers Receive Harsh Take From Stephen A. Smith After Playoff Exit
After the Clippers exited the postseason, a lot of negative reactions were thrown their way. Among those who gave their take on the matter was Stephen A. Smith, which can be seen in a video posted by First Take on X:
“Hell no. Clean house.”
—@stephenasmith on whether or not the Clippers should stick with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden 👀 pic.twitter.com/XsgVgLUOLH
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 7, 2024
Leonard and George have played together for five years, and the most their pairing has produced was a Conference Finals appearance in 2021. Add Harden’s expectations of getting a big contract, and keeping this roster will only produce the same results in the future.
In a way, Smith’s take of cleaning the house up made a lot of sense. It remains to be seen whether the Clippers’ front office will consider this option or retain the current lineup.
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