Los Angeles Clippers

Report: Clippers didn’t respect Paul George as much as Kawhi Leonard due to lack of playoff accomplishments

Published by
Ryan Ward

The Los Angeles Clippers failed to live up to expectations in the NBA bubble last season, and now details are surfacing about the dysfunction within the team during that time in Orlando, Fla.

Among the main culprits of this reported dysfunction in the Clippers locker room was Paul George. Jovan Buha of The Athletic made it abundantly clear that George was not respected by his teammates.

“But George’s treatment was more of an issue within the locker room, league sources said,” wrote Buha. “George, while a perennial All-Star and All-NBA candidate, didn’t carry the same cachet with his teammates. There was a sentiment among certain teammates of, ‘What have you accomplished in the playoffs?’ multiple league sources said.”

The Clippers were among the legitimate title contenders in the NBA bubble, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks expected to give them some competition if they ended up meeting in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, George and company blew a 3-1 lead in the second round of the playoffs against the resilient Denver Nuggets.

As a result of the epic playoff collapse, the Clippers made some drastic changes by letting Montrezl Harrell join the Lakers in free agency and firing head coach Doc Rivers.

Now, George’s future with the team stands into question with a lot of speculation about whether the Clippers may end up trading him at some point.

Ryan Ward

Ryan is a veteran sportswriter with nearly a decade of experience covering the NBA and NFL. He has also interviewed numerous players and coaches as a credentialed member of the media. Follow him on Twitter @RyanWardLA.

Published by
Ryan Ward

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