LA Clippers: The Good & Bad at the Season Quarter Mark

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PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 25: Avery Bradley #11, Danilo Gallinari #8, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2, and Tobias Harris #34 of the LA Clippers look on during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 25, 2018 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Good

Forward Play

This will probably be the longest section in this article because let’s face it, the Clippers have a really good group of forwards.

Tobias Harris is the top dog as of now. In fact, he’s coming off winning Western Conference Player of the Week. The 26-year-old is averaging a career-high in points AND shooting percentage. (21.5 PTS on 52.5 FG%, 42.7 3P%)

Many will look at these stats and say “Oh, it’s a contract year for him” and while that is true, he has improved his scoring in every season in his career, so the jump shouldn’t be that surprising. He might have trouble making the All-Star team in a loaded Western Conference, but his name should be in the conversation at the very least.

His running mate, Danilo Gallinari, has also been very impressive. After only playing 21 games for the team last year, he has appeared in all but one game which he missed due to an illness.

He has been shooting the lights out, especially from deep, where he is converting on 45.8% of his attempts. His 18.6 points per game are his second highest in his career and he’s been near perfect from the line at 94.8% on 5.4 attempts. His defense has also looked surprisingly good, in part due to him seemingly coming into the season in better shape.

The last forward we’ll cover is an unsung hero. Mike Scott has been a sneaky solid piece off the bench for the Clippers. His three point shooting off the bench has given the team a new wrinkle. Just look at his three point shooting splits here. He also gave the team an identity after establishing that this group “ain’t no [expletive]“.

More. Mike Scott: A significant bench piece. light

Finally, after having no forwards who can provide shooting, the Clippers have three.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been nothing short of impressive. The rookie has looked poised and after only 19 games, we are all ready to decree him the point guard of the future. He likely won’t win the Rookie of the Year Award, but his play style shows so much potential. Already adept at using his length in the paint, Shai just needs to continue to expand his range. He has already earned the starting role and should see his numbers bump up accordingly.

So far, he’s putting up 10.5 points, 2.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds.

Montrezl Harrell

Where do I even start with Montrezl Harrell? He has embodied everything we love about this iteration of the LA Clippers. Look at these PER 36 stats:

22.2 points on 64.1% shooting
10.4 rebounds
2.1 assists
1.6 steals
2.5 blocks

Call me crazy, but if Trezz was doing that, he would be in the MVP conversation. Alas, he only plays 15.8 minutes as his level of energy is likely unsustainable. Still, even in that limited time, he has been one of, if not the, most impactful players on the roster. He set himself the goal of winning Most Improved Player and honestly has a chance at both that and Sixth Man of the Year if he keeps this play up.

His energy is contagious and his level of play is a big part of why the team currently sits atop the standings. Thankfully the team locked him up this summer for a couple of years because at this point, he could be looking at a significant pay day.

Rex Kalamian

This name won’t jump out to a lot of casual fans, but he was a massive get by the front office this summer. The defensive guru joined Doc Rivers staff and transformed the team. The team has a league best 43.4% defensive field goal percentage, but the notable thing is how they are achieving this.

The team has limited opponents to just 30.6% shooting from the corner, which should be the easiest three point shot to make. They’re also surprisingly good at forcing teams into mid-range jumpers (10-16 feet). The team allows the third most from the league at 12.3% of attempts with opponents only converting on 34.4% of them. In the modern NBA, running players off the three-point line is key and the Clippers have had a lot of success there. Teams are taking 68.3% of their shots from inside the arc, so the team is doing something right to keep them off the perimeter.

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