To say it's been a trying start to the season for the Los Angeles Clippers would be an understatement. Sunday brought yet another low for the team, as they were trounced 120-115 by the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers despite a combined 53 points from Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac.

Leonard scored 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, while Zubac led the team with 33 points on a more efficient 15-of-22 from the field overall. Despite the scoring output from their two best players, the Clippers allowed 37 points to Donovan Mitchell. Following the game, Leonard gave props to his fellow NBA All-Star on the other side. 

“He had a good game,” Leonard said about Mitchell. “Played well in transition. Made some open threes. I give him credit.”

In terms of where the Clippers need to improve specifically to present more discouraging results like the one they suffered on Sunday, Leonard pinpointed the team’s transition defense and the speed at which they move when the ball is in transistion. 

“We can improve on transition defense,” Leonard said. “Just playing a little bit faster. Doing a better job defensively, like I said, in transition. And keep going from there.”

Despite the fact that his teammate Zubac’s performance wasn’t enough to will the Clippers to an unlikely victory, Leonard had a positive assessment regarding the minutes the star center registered in Sunday’s win.

“He did a good job of getting steals, getting offensive rebounds, also rebounding the ball defensively,” Leonard said. He got to the spots and made shots.”

As rough as the Clippers’ 5-12 start has been on the team in the first month of the season, Leonard made it clear that the objective is still the same.

“We know what we need to do,” Leonard said. “We’ve just got to go out there and do it, and play as we need to.”

Leonard also had encouraging words for the younger players on the Clippers’ roster who have been turning in solid performances despite the team’s early struggles, specifically Kobe Sanders, who has made his first three career starts for the team within the last few weeks,

“They've been doing good,” Leonard said. “Ready at any moment. Kobe's been starting the last few games. Playing well. Enjoying the moment, and yeah, he's been doing good.”

The Clippers are back in action on Tuesday and it’s a game that most Angelenos have circled on the calendar, as they’ll head downtown to the Staples Center for a date with Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.