LA Clippers: Despite win, bench issues looming large after Game 3

The LA Clippers are a championship-caliber powerhouse in the Western Conference, but their bench play has proved inconsistent recently.

Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell are without question two of the best in the business when it comes to coming off the bench. As unconventional as it sounds, both finished in the running for Sixth man of the Year honors this year, a testament to how good they served as reserves. All season long, depth seemed to be the most substantial advantage that the LA Clippers had over any other team in their pursuit of a championship, and these two were a significant reason for it.

Led by this stellar two-headed monster of Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, LA’s bench ranked first in the league in scoring during the regular season, coming in at an astounding 50.3 points per game. However, in the postseason, the team’s production off the bench has dipped significantly. They currently rank as the third-highest bench scoring team in the postseason, coming in at 39.3 points per game, partially because their star tandem off the bench has not been themselves.

In nine postseason games thus far, Williams is averaging 14.3 points per game, shooting 46.0 percent from the field and an abysmal 18.9 percent from 3-point territory. A significant portion of that scoring average came from a 36-point outburst in a Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, undoubtedly his best game of these playoffs. Nine games in, the certified scorer has only scored over 14 points twice after averaging over 18 points per game in the regular season.

If there is a precise area to show concern about, it is William’s 3-point shooting. In Monday night’s Game 3 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Williams connected on two of his five attempts from deep, making it his first 3-point make since Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks, which took place over two weeks ago. Shooting 35.2 percent from downtown in the regular season and 18.9 percent in the postseason, Williams finds himself in a woeful slump shooting the ball.

As for his teammate, Montrezl Harrell, he too has not been himself. After averaging 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in the regular season, the big man recently earned him his first-ever Sixth Man of the Year award. As fantastic a regular season as he had, the 26-year-old is also struggling in this recent stretch. Harrell is posting just 10.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game, not living up to his usual quota.

In addition to their star reserve duo struggling, third fiddle Reggie Jackson has also had a vile start to the Denver series. After averaging a solid 9.3 points in 22.7 minutes per game in six meetings against the Mavericks, Jackson is averaging just a single point in 9.0 minutes per contest in three games against the Nuggets.

Even with this trio struggling, the LA Clippers are 6-3 in the playoffs so far, handling the Dallas Mavericks in round one 4-2, and now sitting with a 2-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in the Semifinals.

LA might get be able to get past the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks or even the Denver Nuggets with their best bench players locked in a slump, but what happens if fate has them face off against the Los Angeles Lakers next round? Only time will tell if that dream matchup NBA fans have been praying for all season comes to fruition, but if the Clippers continue playing like this, they could be in trouble.

Teammate Paul George went through a similar phase in the first round, averaging 24.6 points in his last five games after averaging 15.2 points in his first four to kick off the postseason. Hopefully, for the LA Clippers, this is somewhat similar to what George went through, and their reserves can get back on track soon enough with a genuine opportunity to secure an NBA title on the line.