Teams that are ready to win championships may have some minor issues present on “the first day of school,” the season opener, but it is typically not anything close to what the LA Clippers were dealing with regarding superstar contributions, defense, and turnovers. Thus, Bill Simmons, on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” removed the Clippers from his list of the NBA’s championship contenders.
Though Simmons could have been patient for a few more games to give the Clippers the benefit of the doubt, in their game against the Utah Jazz, being a one-time occurrence, he was not entirely wrong, as LA looked more like a team that would fight for the playoffs.