Los Angeles Clippers: Clippers Are Still Dead Last
By Marcus Bass
When will the Los Angeles Clippers get it right? They’ve certainly made strides from being the laughing stock of the NBA for decades, and while their current roster boasts incredible talent, it’s their obvious digression that’s made for one huge head scratcher.
Out of the Donald Sterling era and now into Microsoft tablets, eccentric owners and sky-high budgets, the Clippers have rid themselves of their problems on the surface, without addressing what’s going on with their roster.
It’s early in the season and with a record of 4-2, there’s no reason why the Clippers should rank 26th in opponents scoring per game, 23rd in defensive rating (109.0) with only a ninth-ranked offensive rating of 108.5. Last season the Clippers were first in points scored per game (this year they’re 10th).
With lofty goals, what exactly happened? Why does it seem like most of the Western Conference big teams have advanced while the Clips are stuck in mud with the same ol’ issues. Not many expected an out-of-the-gate sixth position in the Western Conference.
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
The Clippers primary issue is the use of one-way players. Outside of Chris Paul, there isn’t one guy that does one thing great. The majority of players on the Clippers roster do one thing well and are inadequate in other areas.
It’s what makes their rival Golden State Warriors a better team, and why head coach Doc Rivers admitted that his team would get swept by the Warriors if they met the Dubs in a seven-game series right now.
A look at how Golden State’s roster and the Clippers players compare makes the one-way player inadequacy more apparent than ever.
From top to bottom the Warriors sport players that are threats in multiple ways, by comparison Chris Paul and Stephen Curry cancel each other out, but while Klay Thompson can shoot, penetrate the lane, finish above the rim and play lockdown defense, Clippers guard J.J. Redick is incapable of creating his own shot, and in crunch time he’s riding pine when the Clippers need a defensive stop.
Although Redick is shooting 41.4 percent from the perimeter and 38.8 percent from 3, on the flip side the opposition shoots 45 percent against him overall while hitting 66.7 percent of trey-balls and 41.7 percent of shots from the perimeter.
As the old adage says “defense wins championships,” it’s apparent the Clippers are not winning any time soon with Redick on the defensive wing.
Other comparisons to be made are the Matt Barnes‘ inefficient shooting and average defense versus Harrison Barnes‘ equally average offensive and defensive skills.
Blake Griffin is the better power forward than Draymond Green and David Lee, however both Lee and Green can fire from the 3-point line, making them a greater offensive threat. Griffin still struggles with his back to the basket and while his shot from deep has improved, it’s far from dependable.
Down low Andrew Bogut and DeAndre Jordan present a night-and-day conversation as well. While Jordan clearly has the advantage in athleticism, both are skilled on the defense. On the offensive side of the ball, Bogut’s further advanced than Jordan is, and where the Clippers wish he’d be.
While Jordan rules Bogut in field goal percentage less than 10-feet to the basket (71.4 to Bogut’s 51.4), that’s mainly attributed to the Clippers play style. Jordan catches many lob passes from point guard Chris Paul and get’s many of his shots from cleaning up the glass.
He’s not the back to the basket player the Clips can look to, as clearly identified by his zero field goals made on the season when taking three to six dribbles and no frequency of an attempted shot higher than 8.6 percent when taking anywhere between one to six dribbles before putting up a shot down low.
All in all, while the Clippers are a completely revitalized franchise, Rivers and his crew needs to recondition their way of scouting players and the motivators that encourage them to add one-dimensional guys in a league that’s trending towards players who are multi-dimensional.
It’s not enough to be a $2 billion franchise, and the good vibes that stem from an off-the-court feel good summer don’t bring wins. It’s time for the Clippers to put up or shut up.