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Takeaways from the first quarter of the LA Clippers’ season

By Brian Cullen

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 1: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers stands at center court during the game against the Washington Wizards on December 1, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 1: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers stands at center court during the game against the Washington Wizards on December 1, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 22: Kawhi Leonard #2 is congratulated by Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half of a game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on November 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 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 (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 22: Kawhi Leonard #2 is congratulated by Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half of a game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on November 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 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 (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Ryan Snellings

Likes: The Highs

Twice this season the LA Clippers have scored 150 points in just four quarters of play. While it doesn’t make for the most exciting basketball for the last several minutes and leaves me wondering why I continue to stay up until 1:00 am even though the game is wrapped up, there is still something enjoyable about watching this team fire on all cylinders.

Take the blowout of Washington the other night. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Montrezl Harrell, and Lou Williams combined for 110 points. That’s insane! This team isn’t even at full force with Landry Shamet and Rodney McGruder still on the mend and JaMychal Green getting injured during that game.

It’s not just the blowouts though. Take the comeback victories against the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets on back-to-back nights. In the Houston game, the Clippers were down by five points with just a minute left in the game. The defense got stops. The stars hit shots. Everything looked great.

There have been several instances of this throughout the season. Even on opening night when we didn’t have PG available, the team looked composed and like a championship contender. The pieces are there, it is just a matter of getting it to happen more frequently.

Dislikes: Being unaware of what team will show up

This is a two-fold dislike. As a fan, I don’t like knowing who is suiting up on what night. For example, I will see the Clippers on Sunday, December 8 in Washington. That’s the first night of a back-to-back. Do the Clippers need Kawhi to beat the Wizards? Probably not. Am I going to be disappointed if he doesn’t play? Probably. For what it’s worth, Garrett is actually seeing the Clips on the second night of this back-to-back in Indiana and shares the same concern. For non-LA based fans, we only get one shot to see this team. I feel for people like us that may not get to see some of the NBA’s best.

This isn’t to say I don’t understand nor like load management. In fact, I’m a proponent of load management until the NBA does something to change the schedule.

That’s not the main concern here though. By being unaware of what team will show up, I mean more so on a consistency basis. I think all of us except for Joseph have touched on this. There are some nights when this team just looks like a complete dud.

They obviously have the talent to be in every single game, but as I said in the last section, they just need to be more frequent in when they stomp on other teams. Maybe we don’t have to load manage as much if we don’t let teams like New Orleans cut a lead to six after being up by 27 points.

Yes, injuries are a big part of this. December looks to be the month that this team should be able to get mostly healthy and that will matter, especially with several marquee games on the horizon. If there’s a coach that can get this group to be consistent, it’s Doc. He has time to do so, but I’ll be watching closely.

What I Want to See: Landry Shamet next to the All-Stars

Can you believe it’s December 3 and we have yet to see Landry Shamet on the court next to both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard!? This has to be something that terrifies other teams.

Just imagine Shamet curling off screens while PG has the ball at the top of the key. Kawhi is sitting on the wing with Patrick Beverley in the corner. What do teams do? Thankfully, I don’t have to come up with that answer.

Shamet has shot just 36.2% on his three point attempts this season, but he had a wrist injury to start the year. His ankle sprain may have been a blessing in disguise as it allows that to heal up as well. If he comes back and can get near his 42% shooting from last season, then teams are going to have a real issue. This is, of course, assuming he starts.

If he doesn’t, he will be moving around the three point line while team’s try and guard the Montrezl Harrell-Lou Williams pick-and-roll. One of the most deadly tandems in the league gets a 40% three point shooter on the court with them.

Our own Leonard Saldana went into more detail why Landry matters so much and it’s not just his shooting. Having been a point guard in college, Shamet gives us more ball handling. He’ll also soak up most, if not all, of Jerome Robinson‘s minutes. While I love Jerome, Shamet is an obvious upgrade.

We don’t have an official return timeline from the team yet, but all signs point towards him coming back near the end of this month.

Next. Five must-watch games in December. dark

What do you like about the first quarter of the season? What do you dislike? What would you like to see? Make sure to let us know on Twitter. We want to extend a big thanks to Charles and William of Locked On Clippers for joining us. Make sure to subscribe to their podcast and to check back here for all your LA Clippers’ coverage!

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