3 Clippers Most to Blame for Their Worst Loss of the Season vs. Timberwolves

Despite going up against the Anthony Edwards-less Minnesota Timberwolves, the LA Clippers were a no-show in the NBA Cup opener on Friday night. The Clippers were outmatched all game, never threatening the Timberwolves. The defensive performance was especially brutal, but the Clippers left plenty to be desired on both ends of the floor.

Of course, it's important to remember all the injuries the Clippers are dealing with. This has made life difficult for some of the players on the roster. But the injuries shouldn't be an excuse for how poorly the Clippers competed. Let's take a look at some of the more disappointing performers from the 127-101 loss.

Darius Garland

Unsurprisingly, Garland was the Clippers' best offensive player. He was tasked with the lion's share of shot creation duties. Even though he struggled with turnovers once again, he was at least able to hit shots. But he wasn't able to get the Clippers' offense to score at a high enough level to compensate for the defensive issues. With him on the floor, the Clippers had a 101.5 offensive rating.

The bigger problem was on the defensive end of the floor. Garland struggled to stay in front of Minnesota's guards. He couldn't provide much intensity and physicality in the pick-and-roll defense, allowing the likes of LaMelo Ball and Bones Hyland to step into uncontested three-pointers.

There were also an unacceptable number of communication and scheme errors, resulting in Minnesota scoring 133.8 points per 100 possessions when Garland was on the floor.

The Clippers were -19 in Garland's 31 minutes of action. Amid injuries, he needs to be much better for LA to have a shot night in and night out.

Keaton Wagler

Perhaps it's not fair to single out a 19-year-old rookie for a poor performance. The problem is clearly more that the Clippers rely on a rookie point guard this early in the season. Due to the number of injuries in the backcourt, LA is giving Wagler more than he can handle.

This was evident on Friday night. Wagler played 25 minutes off the bench and had a usage rate of 27%. He was 2/11 from the field and 1/5 from three. He was able to find paydirt at the charity stripe, going 7/8 there. He continues to be aggressive and isn't shying away from physicality, but he is finding it very hard to generate good shots for himself.

The Clippers had a 77.4 offensive rating with Wagler on the floor. He was a team-worst -24 in his minutes. Considering his defensive shortcomings due to his lack of physical and athletic tools, Wagler was a net negative against the Timberwolves.

The future is still bright for the kid, but there will be games like this as he adjusts to the NBA pace and physicality.

Rui Hachimura

Hachimura was able to hit two threes, but he continues to be highly inefficient. He shot 4/11 from the field, which is an improvement from his FG% for the season. But he had two turnovers and zero assists, bringing his season totals to ten turnovers and three assists.

The short-handed Clippers need Hachimura to step into a bigger role. He is tasked with more shot creation and playmaking, but the Japanese forward hasn't been able to do it so far.

It's not like Hachimura provides much defensive value, either. He was responsible for a few of the defensive breakdowns on Friday night. His lack of physicality and rim protection is an issue, considering his frontcourt partner is undersized Isaiah Jackson.

As the second-highest-paid player in the rotation right now, Hachimura has to be way better than he was against Minnesota.

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