Clippers’ Downward Spiral Quickly Gaining Speed

Sixteen games in and the Clippers’ season is already at a crossroads.

The positive outlook the team had two weeks ago has been swallowed whole by a negative attitude tied to the team’s current losing streak, which reached five after a 102-89 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics before 10,326 Saturday at Staples Center.

Despite an improved roster, the Clippers (4-12) have the look of a team headed nowhere.

They lost for the 11th consecutive time to Seattle with an effort that ranks among the worst of their defeats.

“This is a matter of us having to make a commitment to each other,” said veteran point guard Eric Murdock, 31, the Clippers’ oldest and most experienced player. “There’s not a lot of trust with everybody.

“We need to come together. This is a real important period right now in our season. You hear the rumbling. People talking . . . but this is not the time for people to start pointing fingers.”

For a team that appeared to be coming together after an impressive 100-95 victory over the New York Knicks on Nov. 23, the Clippers play like strangers now.

On offense, too often players run to a spot on the floor and stand because they do not have the ball. The Clippers have turned into one of the best one-on-one teams in the league, but selfish teams don’t win in the NBA.

No one questions the ability of Maurice Taylor, Derek Anderson and Lamar Odom, but they haven’t responded well in getting their teammates into the offense.

In late November, the Clippers were without Taylor, sidelined for seven games because of a foot sprain, and Anderson, out for three games because of a concussion. But during a four-game stretch, they won three games.

Since Taylor, Anderson and backup swingman Tyrone Nesby, who missed two games for personal reasons, have returned, the Clippers have struggled.

Not only are they having problems getting movement in their halfcourt offense, but the Clippers can’t get enough fastbreaks to take advantage of their athleticism.

Taylor and Anderson led the team with 19 points each and Odom added 12 and grabbed eight rebounds against the SuperSonics. The Clippers, however, shot 36.8% from the field, despite shooting 60% in the first quarter.

“Right now we are not getting the leadership we had when we were short-handed,” Clipper Coach Chris Ford said. “I think it’s a question of when we were so short-handed, guys did whatever they could do. There was no time to sulk. They were just getting after it.”

The Clipper defense has also deteriorated in recent weeks. Against Seattle, defense appeared to be an afterthought.

Six SuperSonics scored 12 or more points, with Gary Payton leading with 19. Vin Baker scored 16 and Horace Grant and Brent Barry each had 14.

“We have to stick to the guys who are going to be committed defensively. That’s what we have to go with,” said Murdock, who made his third consecutive start and had a team-high six assists in 22 minutes. “We have to go with guys who are committed to do the little things because right now we are out of sync.”

The Clippers’ trapping defense was easily defeated by the SuperSonics. Time after time, the Clippers did not rotate well enough out of double teams and gave up easy baskets.

The SuperSonics made 51.4% of their shots, thanks to countless layups and dunks.

Seattle (13-4), which has defeated the Clippers three times, took note of L.A.’s lack of togetherness.

“You could see [frustration] a little bit today,” said Barry, a former Clipper. “They didn’t seem like they were too much into the game. They seemed a little bit lethargic. Maybe it was just tough to get up for an afternoon game.”

The Clippers, who dropped to 0-4 on their five-game homestand, play host to the Miami Heat on Monday before starting a three-game trip against Eastern Conference teams.