November 19, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) controls the ball against the defense of Los Angeles Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Defense
Luc isn’t just a great defender. He’s royalty.
According to ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus ratings, Luc is the 9th-best defensive power forward among 94 ranked. He primarily defends small forwards however, so the ranking may not be conclusive.
There’s also no denying that many of Mbah a Moute’s best defensive efforts have come against the best scorers in the league.
For instance, in the December match-up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mbah a Moute drew the assignment of guarding LeBron James for most of the night. While Luc only managed 6 points of his own, he held King James to 16 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds on 35.7% shooting. Luc also recorded 5 steals in that game.
In the Clippers’ most recent match-up with the Utah Jazz, Mbah a Moute held Gordon Hayward to a mere 13 points on 41.7% shooting. In a February matchup with Utah, Luc shined again by limiting Hayward to just 7 points on 16.7% shooting.
Lastly, in LA’s first matchup of the year with the Golden State Warriors, Mbah a Moute allowed Kevin Durant to score 16 points, shooting just 5/17 overall from the field.
Defense is just second nature for the man, and that’s going to come in handy versus Utah.