LA Clippers are right to be confident, despite offensive struggles
By Tom West
The LA Clippers have struggled on offense so far while excelling defensively, but the team is right to stay confident about their slow start.
The LA Clippers have been a perennial 55-win, top-five offensive team over the course of the Lob City era. They slipped ever so slightly to a still-elite 6th place in offensive efficiency last season, but they led the NBA in back to back seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15, gradually taking over since Chris Paul and Blake Griffin teamed up. Tremendous pick-and-roll play and efficient shooting has defined this team for years, but it’s been quite the opposite so far to start the new season.
In their 3-1 start, the Clippers have found other ways to win, whether it’s been defense, increased hustle to rebound, or the surprisingly impressive play of their bench, which has done nothing but surpass early expectations (particularly on defense).
The team’s shooting, however, has fallen off. Believe it or not, the Clippers rank 26th in three-point percentage at a measly 28.7. The offense just hasn’t been as crisp as it usually is, whether it’s maintaining possession of the ball or simply making shots.
Doc Rivers isn’t worried, though. He knows they’re just getting started this season and that his offense is still brilliant, and he expressed his calm approach to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register after the 85-83 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder:
"“Tonight it was just not shooting, though we got open shots. Tonight, it was the way we played. Other than that, I’ve not been disappointed offensively. We’ve missed shots that I think we’ll make eventually. I’m not worried about that.”"
Griffin reiterated Doc’s comments, emphasizing that the team just needs a little time:
"“If offense is a thing we’re worried about, then we’re in good shape… It’s not something that’s impossible to correct. And, I think it’ll come. But, it needs to come sooner than later.”"
Griffin is right that if the Clippers’ biggest worry early on is clicking offensively and hitting their shots, things really aren’t too bad. A more troubling concern would the be the bench playing atrociously or the team’s defense being poor, but the Clippers have shown intensity to step up at that end of the floor and the improved depth of the team has been delivering.
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Paul has been the only player on the team to shoot effectively from three-point range so far. He’s shooting 42.1 percent from three with two makes a game, while the reigning league leader in three-point percentage, J.J. Redick, has been strolling along at just 31.3 after hitting 47.5 percent of his treys last season.
He’s still one of the best on the team at this early stage, though. No one else, except for Raymond Felton (only two makes) and Brandon Bass (one half-court heave), has made more than 28.6 percent of their threes. Seeing as the next best player at 28.6 is Griffin, it’s clear just how off the team’s shooters have been.
But don’t worry, Clippers fans; this is clearly something that will improve as time goes on. We’ve only completed four of 82 games.
To make it easier for the team to accept these struggles and address them early on, they’re leading the NBA in defensive rating, allowing just 89.4 points per 100 possessions.
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We’ll see a slight drop off in this regard before not too long, but the LA Clippers did rank 4th in defensive efficiency last season as well, and we should expect something fairly similar again this year. That’s even more true if the bench keeps playing this way. Once the offense comes and threes fall, this will yet again be an elite two-way team.