NBA Power Rankings: The Grizzlies are in trouble

22. Los Angeles Clippers

After a brutal run that saw a strong start to the season wiped away, the Clippers showed some signs of life this week.

In going 2-1 this week, with the wins coming against the Kings and Hawks and the loss coming against the Knicks, the Clippers were not perfect. Against the Knicks, they were blown out and Blake Griffin shot just 6-18 before fouling out with 4:46 left in the game.

“Tonight was not a good showing,” Griffin said after the game, per ESPN. “We have to put together 48 minutes rather than playing in spurts. We know as a team that this is not going to be the end.”

But against the Hawks and Kings, the Clippers did what they have to do in order to turn their season around. Neither the Hawks and Kings are good teams, and the Clippers already can’t afford to lose games against teams of this caliber. The Kings game did take a Griffin game winner (and a bad shot at the buzzer by Buddy Hield) in order for the win to happen, but that’s fine for the moment.

This week, the Clippers will get a chance at continued improvement. A showdown with the Lakers looms, and a Thursday night matchup with the Jazz figures to pose a challenge as well. They’ll then wrap up the week against the Mavericks and Wolves on the weekend. A 2-2 week against this schedule would be a progress.