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The LA Clippers surprised everyone with how well they've incorporated James Harden into their system this season. Not everyone was initially a fan of his acquisition as the team lost five consecutive games when he started playing with them. Nonetheless, they could now be positioned for a potential Play-In Tournament appearance.
The Clippers are currently fourth in the Western Conference, but the competitive nature of the conference could cause them to drop. Additionally, they've lost six of their last 10 games.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst shed light on the possibility that the LA team could be a Play-In team. They have two wins more than the Sacramento Kings, who are seventh in the West. The only thing hindering them from being a Play-In team is their losing record. The Clippers have 27 losses, while the Kings have 30.
Windy addressed why it could potentially be problematic for them to be in the Play-In.
"Guess who is in heavy reverse, and we now have to look at the Clippers when it comes to the Play-In, because ... they are two games out of seventh," Windhorst said. "That's Play-In zone and they're about to go on an Eastern Conference road trip.
"Ending up playing the Lakers in a one-game playoff in the Play-In ... would be a quadruple disaster."
Matching up against their hometown rivals could be a problem for them. The Purple & Gold have proven they can play well in the Play-In, as they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves to qualify for the playoffs last season. As the seventh-seeded team last year, they silenced the haters and made it to the conference finals.
Also read: Joel Embiid Injury Update: Latest on former MVP's status against LA Clippers (March 27)
LA Clippers HC doesn't hold back in his criticism of the team after their recent trend of losses
The LA Clippers have struggled the past few games. They lost against the Atlanta Hawks, who were without Trae Young, and they lost against the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers.
After losing against the Pacers, head coach Ty Lue addressed the team's problems. According to Lue, the team lacks "physicality, mental and physical toughness and a high-powered offense." When asked what the team identity is at this point, he said:
"And so right now, do we have an identity? I think, yeah, we're soft."
They're on a four-game road trip with three games against Eastern Conference teams. They'll play against the Sixers and the Charlotte Hornets, which many believe should be an easy matchup for them.
Also read: Tyronn Lue's harsh words force LA Clippers to rethink identity
Guess the Lakers players!
