Once again, the Los Angeles Clippers were one of the strongest candidates to win the NBA championship. Once again, they couldn’t even make it to the NBA Finals. As a matter of fact, they didn’t even make it past the first round.

Granted, they came across a very good Dallas Mavericks team. Also, with Kawhi Leonard being hurt in the playoffs again, some thought they never truly stood a chance.

Even so, their issues in the playoffs may have run deeper than Leonard’s absence. According to Paul George, it all came down to poor execution and not getting everybody involved.

Paul George Blames Hero Ball For Playoff Loss

“We should’ve played a lot quicker, we should’ve tried to get in transition more, after rebounds we should have tried to get out and run the lanes,” Paul George said Podcast P.

The two-way star stated that his team got caught playing hero ball too often. They had the talent to win a game or two that way, but it also took other players out of their rhythm:

“We should’ve tried to play on the second side, forced the ball to reverse a couple times, where we could attack with our iso players,” George continued. “But I thought we came down, and rightfully so it happens, you try to play hero ball, you try to make the big plays, you try to be the scorer and be dominant but you fail to realize sometimes you have to take what the defense gives you and it might not be your night, or it might be your night later in the game, opposed to try and will it to be your night, and I think we got in trouble with that.”

It takes more than just talent to win in the playoffs, and the Clippers found out that the hard way. Now, with George’s future up in the air, it may have been their final chance to make a run.

Ernesto Cova is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, and international soccer. Since the inception of Bolavip US in 2020, he has been a leading content creator and took on additional responsibilities as a sub-editor in 2023. Ernesto specializes in daily sports news, producing 100% original content that includes potential trade rumors, player and team rankings, and more. He holds a BA in Psychology from Universidad Central de Venezuela and has completed postgraduate studies in Sports Psychology at APDA (Argentina). His previous work includes contributions to Fadeaway World and The Cold Wire, with a primary focus on the NBA.