Subtitles won't be needed Friday when the Clippers watch film of Golden State's blowout win.
There won't be much in the way of highlights for the Clippers, who returned to practice after their worst game of the young season. The Clippers (3-2) are searching for answers as to why they've struggled so mightily early in the season, particularly defensively and rebounding.
"When we watch the film, it's going to be a silent film," Doc Rivers said. "I know it's not, but I'm going to try to be a silent film. I don't think I have to say a word today. If they can't draw their own conclusions by the effort, then we do have a problem."
The Clippers have a tough stretch over the next few days in which they play Portland on Saturday at Staples Center and defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs on Monday at home.
Rivers ripped the Clippers when talking to reporters following the game on Wednesday and there was a team meeting as well, in which Rivers didn't think players were being "real." One of the things Rivers told reporters was that if the Clippers and Warriors played a playoff series now, Golden State would win in four games.
"We're just as disappointed," Chris Paul said. "We actually play. It was tough. You hear coach say stuff like that and it should hit home. He's probably right. Luckily it's not the playoffs yet, so we'll never know."
Since the Clippers have nearly everyone back from a year ago, when they lost to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals, perhaps expectations are weighing too heavily.
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"It may be in the back of our heads," Crawford said. "Obviously, a lot of people picked us to finish near the top or go to the finals or Western (Conference) Finals. For good reason. We're a good team. We won almost 60 games with me missing a month and Chris missing a month and a half and J.J. missing half the season. People could argue we're better. I get it. For us, we need to go play."
Added Paul: "You come into a season and you think you're going to pick up right where you left off, but that's not the case," Paul said. "At the core it's the same team. We have a few new pieces. It's up to us guys that have been here to be the leaders to get everything going."
The Clippers are only five games into the season, and even though they're above .500, they have concerns. They won two of their first three games but by the thinnest of margins. Then came that ugly loss to Golden State. Blake Griffin averaged 31 points over the first two games and was rolling into early MVP candidacy, but he drew just one foul and had one rebound on Wednesday.
It's not just Griffin. Paul has said he's not finishing around the basket like he did last season. DeAndre Jordan needs help with rebounds. The Clippers have yet to out-rebound an opponent.
"At this point of the season, I wouldn't say it's completely unusual," Griffin said of the Clippers' early woes. "For most of our team being back and how we finished the year last year and how we were together last year, a little bit. It's not necessarily something I'm concerned about. It's one of those things you can rectify."
Rivers keeps preaching that even though the same players return, it may not be the same team. Not in production on the court, anyway.
"It happens. I just heard a coach, Pop, (Gregg Popovich) say on TV, it doesn't matter if I have the same team, this isn't the team I had last year," Rivers said. "It happens. It's individuals. We deal with people. We don't deal with X's and O's. We deal with human people that have human stuff going on in their life, and you've just got to figure it all out.
"In a crazy way, it's part of the joy of my job. And it's the same part of my job that drives me nuts."
Rivers is trying to pushing the right buttons, but this fix might take some time.
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"I think it's very important to have patience," Paul said. "We're lucky enough to have an amazing coaching staff and amazing leader in Doc who's been through just about everything you can go through, so I think we'll be fine."
Crawford said he's seen flashes of good play in practice. And, the Clippers have shown fine play in spurts. Their good play has been awfully inconsistent. They played their best basketball, in stretches, against Utah on Sunday, then had that clunker at Golden State.
"We have those days at practice. You don't get a chance to see it. It's there," Crawford said. "Sometimes, you get your butt kicked in front of everybody. Sometimes you get your butt kicked in front of no one in practice. You guys saw it. We're disappointed you saw it. We're working to correct it."
Perhaps, with few words.
