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LA Clippers player grades for first 30 games of 2016-17 NBA season

By Tom West

Dec 14, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and teammates get pumped up before the game against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and teammates get pumped up before the game against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Now that we are 30 games into the 2016-17 NBA season, let’s grade how each LA Clippers player has performed so far, from Blake Griffin to Marreese Speights.

Dec 14, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and teammates get pumped up before the game against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and teammates get pumped up before the game against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Initially, I was prepared to write up some player grades to evaluate the performance of each member of the LA Clippers after the first quarter of the 2016-17 NBA season, just over 20 games into the year. Alas, life comes at you fast, the games tick by in a flash at times, and I tried to actually be prepared for once and get some Christmas shopping done in advance this year during my spare time. So, as I’ve slightly missed the first quarter trend for early takes and analysis, I hope Clippers fans can cut me a little slack.

Anyway, let’s get straight to the point here and break down how things have gone after the first 30 games of the season.

After the Clippers’ first 30 games, they’re sitting 3rd in the Western Conference at 22-8 since cooling down from their franchise-best 14-2 start. The defensive intensity has slipped at times, leaving them searching for the same aggression, intensity and communication that allowed them to lead the NBA in defensive efficiency over the first couple of weeks.

With a 106-101 win against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, though, winning with no Blake Griffin and Chris Paul for less than three quarters due to a hamstring issue, the rest of the team showed some real resolve in a statement win.

Plus, even with their down spell, going 8-6  (CHECK) since their 14-2 start, they still rank 5th in both offensive and defensive efficiency, which makes them the only team to rank top five in both.

These LA Clippers are really good and they have more depth, so it’s time to break all that down and see who’s been playing best. Let’s start with the new additions from the summer and work our way through the roster (rookies will be excluded as Brice Johnson has been out injured and Diamond Stone played just 16 minutes before going to the NBA D-League. There’s hardly much to evaluate right now).

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