The LA Clippers picked up their seventh loss in the last eight games after succumbing to the Dallas Mavericks, 114-110, on Saturday. The Clippers now stand at the 14th spot in the Western Conference standings with a 5-15 record. Following their loss against the Mavericks, Clippers head coach Ty Lue expressed the team's lack of possible adjustments and options as they deal with their early-season struggles. “We’ve tried a lot of different things. We’ll keep trying. There’s no next step right now," Lue said. The Clippers started the season strong with a 3-2 record, but it all went downhill from there, only winning twice in their next 15 games. James Harden has carried the cudgels for the Clippers, averaging 27.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard has only appeared in nine games so far, putting up 24.9 points per outing. Against the Mavericks, they allowed Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg to score 35 points, his season-high so far. It was the Clippers' seventh straight home loss. Last year, the Clippers won 50 games and finished the regular season as the fifth seed, forcing a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the first round, but lost. They lost Norman Powell in the offseason, but added veterans such as retirement-bound Chris Paul and Bradley Beal, who has since undergone a season-ending surgery, for this season.Ty Lue hints at his desire to see Clippers superstar play more oftenClippers head coach Ty Lue expressed his frustration in seeing his superstar Kawhi Leonard play sparingly to start the season. According to Lue, it was hard to coach the team when the Clippers' top player's availability had been fluctuating. "When you lose your best player, a top 10 player when he's on the floor, it's hard to really make up for that," Lue said, via The Athletic's Law Murray. "I know a lot of people say 'Next Man Up', but if he's making $60 million and your next man is making $400,000, it's not really the same."Leonard, who has won two NBA championships, is earning $50 million this season, according to Spotrac, but has nursed knee issues this season. Lue has been in hot water this season due to the team's poor start. He has been the team's head coach since 2020, bringing the team to one Western Conference appearance.