Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue expressed frustration after his team's fourth straight defeat Sunday, losing 112-91 to the New Orleans Pelicans.
"We're not a very good basketball team right now," Lue said, according to Farbod Esnaashari of Sports Illustrated.
The Clippers own the 29th-ranked offensive rating in the NBA, ahead of only the Los Angeles Lakers. With a 2-4 record, their minus-7.8 net rating is 27th in the league. L.A. is also shooting 31.5% on 3-pointers and making just 9.5 triples per game, both bottom-five numbers.
Clippers star Paul George said he needs to step up to help the club overcome their offensive struggles.
"I was poor tonight," George said. "I've been poor the past couple of games. I'll get it together. I'm committed to my work and committed to this team succeeding."
The seven-time All-Star averaged just 13.3 points and 3.3 assists over his last three games, shooting 31% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc. George hasn't shot worse than the league average on 3-pointers since his rookie campaign, but he's hitting just 25.7% this season.
George isn't alone in his struggles. Key role players Norman Powell and Reggie Jackson are shooting below 40% from the field. Powell's current mark would be a career low, while Jackson's would be his worst efficiency since his rookie season.
Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers' other star, has missed the last three games due to injury management for his right knee. He's also set to miss Monday's contest against the Houston Rockets.
Leonard has played in just two of L.A.'s first six games. He came off the bench and tallied 21 minutes in each of those outings - opening night against the Lakers and a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23.
The former Finals MVP missed all last season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the 2021 playoffs. Leonard played in 52 regular-season games during the 2020-21 campaign and 57 in his first season with the Clippers in 2019-20.