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The LA Clippers’ small-ball approach failed again on Tuesday night as they lost their sixth consecutive game, including their fifth with James Harden. Shaquille O’Neal criticized Clippers coach Ty Lue for not adjusting to Nikola Jokic as he dominated with 32 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists in a 111-108 win on Tuesday night.
Even though the margin of defeat was the smallest for the Clippers (3-7) in their five games since the blockbuster deal, O’Neal didn’t see many positives. Denver, the Western Conference leader at 9-2 and the defending NBA champion, controlled the In-Season Tournament game with Jokic at the forefront.
One of the downsides to trading for Harden earlier this month is that the Clippers have a smaller lineup. That was even more of a detriment on Wednesday night as 7-footer Ivica Zubac played just 13 seconds in the fourth quarter all while 6-11 big man Mason Plumlee is out for the next two months with an MCL sprain in his left knee.
"Inside the NBA" crew dissected the matchup and Shaquille O'Neal stressed that this loss by the Clippers is on Coach Ty Lue. O'Neal said:
"Well his only mistake tonight-- you talked about switching when you have a big-- Joker is not your average big. 'Cause even though you do all those pick-and-roll and you give him on a disadvantage, what are you going to do on the other end? The small ball didn't work."
“They wait till late to come back and they try to hero ball. … That’s now how you win a championship. That’s not how you get better," adds O'Neal.
Nikola Jokic is the front-runner to win his third MVP title
In just the first month of the NBA season, the Denver Nuggets are off to a good start in defending their NBA title, with Nikola Jokic still at the prime of his powers. The two-time league MVP picked it up more when Jamal Murray went down with an injury as he increased his assists mark.
For the first 10 games of the season, Jokic averaged 29.8 points, 13.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.0 steals. He also had two triple-doubles in the last four games and missed out on a third after tallying nine assists against the Clippers.
So far, the MVP ladder has Nikola Jokic leading the pack followed by reigning MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic is third after the Mavericks off to a hot start. He is then followed by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Denver Nuggets will get tested as they head on to a five-game road trip from November 17 to 24. Among the teams that they will face are the New Orleans Pelicans, OKC Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets.
