Don’t tell the Clippers they overachieved this season based on preseason NBA predictions that had them vying for a play-in spot in the uber-competitive Western Conference because Kawhi Leonard started the season dealing with right knee injury management and Paul George had bolted to the 76ers.
Don’t tell the Clippers they exceeded expectations with a 50-32 record and a fifth seed in the West despite odds against that happening.
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They always viewed themselves in a different light and refused to listen to the “outside noise” that pointed to the Clippers finishing in the bottom half of the conference.
By losing to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers failed to achieve their goals for the season.
Read more: James Harden disappoints again as Clippers are eliminated by Nuggets in Game 7 rout
“Whether you overachieve or not, when you lose in the playoffs, it’s tough,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said after the team’s 120-101 loss in Game 7 on Saturday. “And, so, I feel bad. … Our players feel bad. Like I said, that’s all you think about is this game. You’re not thinking about the season. You’re just thinking about things you could have done better when we got to this point and it’s frustrating to go out like this. So, how I feel, I’m pissed off.”
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The Clippers became one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, holding teams to 108.2 points per game (fifth-best in the league) while posting a defensive rating of 109.4 (third-best).
But with George gone and Leonard out the first 34 games, did the Clippers achieve more than they should have?
“Hell naw. Hell naw. We didn’t overachieve nothing,” said Derrick Jones Jr., a top defender for the team this season. “We believed from Day 1. The outside noise is the outside noise. We don’t care for it. We believe who we believe in and we knew that we could make it to where we made it to and go further. … We fell short.”
The Clippers have 12 players under contract and two players on two-way deals.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, defends against Clippers guard James Harden during Game 7…
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