Last year, the Clippers were back-to-back masters, winning 11 of 13 games on no rest. The combination of superstars and veteran play up and down the roster allowed the team to manage its best players without sacrificing wins.
Now the Clippers are missing the superstar part of the equation, and are much younger, leading to difficulties on short rest. And unfortunately, they’re in the midst of a 5-in-7 stretch without their two best players plus Reggie Jackson, who has been the only other driver of efficient offense this year. There is much respect in the power rankings for what the Clippers have done so far, but this is where they really start to get tested.