LA Clippers Roundtable: What has been most impressive so far?

November 21, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers gather together before playing against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
November 21, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers gather together before playing against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Dec 7, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) passes against LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) in the first period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) passes against LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) in the first period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Luc Mbah a Moute taking a step forward – By Mo Dakhil

The most impressive thing of the LA Clippers’ start so far is how important Luc Mbah a Moute has become for the team as a shooter. There is no question he is the best defender on the team not named DeAndre Jordan, but he’s shooting 41.9 percent from three, up nearly 10 percent from last season and with three times as many attempts (0.5 up to 1.6) to make things even better.

If he can sustain this, he’ll be able to stay on the court longer without the team sacrificing more spacing. His shooting dips at times and there have been stretches where he doesn’t hit a three for a game or two, which will cause trouble for the team in the long run.

Mbah a Moute has to keep making shots at a high rate, otherwise teams will just ignore him offensively. His shooting has surprised me so far and has raised his value to a level that his elite defense alone couldn’t take him to. Now, we need it to stay.