(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Just a few weeks ago, the Los Angeles Clippers were vying for the top spot in the Western Conference but they are now sliding down the standings.
They have lost four of their last five games, including a surprising and large defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
What’s the cause of these recent troubles?
According to Paul Pierce, it’s due to a lack of leadership.
Speaking on “Undisputed,” Pierce said the absence of Russell Westbrook is truly hurting the team.
.@paulpierce34 says the Clippers’ recent struggles is due to lack of leadership: pic.twitter.com/gA2IPgCg2d
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) March 19, 2024
Although other players such as Kawhi Leonard can lead, they can’t do so in the same way that Westbrook does.
Pierce said that the team needs someone who will hold others accountable and even get in their faces and challenge them.
Head coach Ty Lue cannot do that, Pierce claims, and other players on the roster aren’t able to either.
This is a responsibility that Westbrook is great at and the team is severely missing him right now.
The guard is still recovering from a hand injury and surgery but the team is hoping he is back and ready to play soon.
Will he be able to perform before the playoffs get started?
The Clippers sure hope so because they are now the fourth seed in the Western Conference with a 42-25 record.
The New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings are sneaking up behind them and if they suffer many more losses, they will sink down to the fifth spot, or even lower.
Clippers fans were hoping that this season would be the one to break the cycle and, in many ways, it has.
But the team is starting to experience troubles at the worst possible time, putting their postseason chances in jeopardy.
According to Pierce, they need leadership and they need it as soon as possible.
The post Paul Pierce Says 1 NBA Contender Has A ‘Lack Of Leadership’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.