LA Clippers: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20
By Adam Taylor
3. Who is their backup point guard?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the starting point guard last year, earning plaudits across the league for his maturity and ability on the court for a rookie.
A necessary evil, he was traded to the Thunder as part of the trade to bring Paul George to the LA Clippers thin at the point guard position heading into the new season.
Patrick Beverley will become the starting point guard entering the season, leaving only Landry Shamet, Jerome Robinson and Sindarius Thornwell as viable options to fill the role off the bench.
Following Shamet’s play as a shooting guard last year he is considered as a potential starter for that position, allowing Lou Williams to continue tormenting second units off the bench — a role he has made his own, being crowned Sixth Man of the Year for the second straight season.
It’s true that Williams is indeed a ball-dominant guard who will command considerable usage while on the court with the second unit; however, he will be unlikely to play the point guard position having thrived as a 2 for the majority of his illustrious career.
This leaves Robinson and Thornwell as the only logical options, both of whom are officially registered as shooting guards.
A possibility could be that the Clippers favor the defensive potential of a Beverley/Robinson backcourt, allowing the second unit to have increased fire power with Shamet and Williams coming off the bench.
This actually makes the most sense from an outsider’s prospective, as Robinson displayed his defensive potential during the playoffs (over limited minutes) while Shamet is officially listed as their only point guard outside of Beverley.
With Montrezl Harrell and Williams running their successful pick-and-roll and the outside shooting of Shamet, the second unit becomes a daunting prospect for opposing teams.
On the defensive end, the second unit would have Harrell and JaMychal Green, while the Clippers’ ability to plug in either Kawhi Leonard or George can solidify them on that end.
The starting unit under this assumption would be fearsome on defense while respectable when attacking, Leonard and George can ensure defenses are kept honest and Beverley is a respectable 3-point shooter — hitting 39.7 percent from 3 last year.
Doc Rivers is a great coach, so expect him to get creative with his lineups during the early days of the season while he figures out his rotations. Questions do remain over their depth at the guard spot though should players need to miss time due to maintenance or injury.