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LA Clippers: 3 Reasons Why the Clips Should Make a Trade

By Michael Hanich

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 11: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers dunks the ball past Ben Simmons #25 and Al Horford #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on February 11, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Clippers 110-103. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 11: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers dunks the ball past Ben Simmons #25 and Al Horford #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on February 11, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Clippers 110-103. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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LA Clippers Paul George
LA Clippers Paul George (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

LA Clippers Trade Reasons # 3. Clippers Can Revitalize the Team

This season, the LA Clippers are playing at an elite level on the offensive and defensive end of the court. They are ranked seventh in the league in points per game (114.8) and first in three-point shooting percentage (41.9%). On defense, the Clippers have the sixth-ranked scoring defense (109.4 points allowed per game).

The LA Clippers have been one of the most consistent teams in the league with Leonard and George on the court in regular time. Even though the Clippers have only seen 45 minutes of crunch time, their results in crunch time have not been highly positive. They are 7-10 in games where they have played in clutch time.

In the clutch, the LA Clippers are last in the league in field-goal percentage and 26th in effective field-goal percentage. Finally, they have the worst net rating in the league in clutch time. This comes as a surprising stat considering how efficiently both Leonard and George have played in clutch time in the past couple of seasons.

While many of the losses in clutch time have been earlier in the season, the details of how they lose in the final minutes of the game is highly frustrating. In the 119-117 loss at the Washington Wizards, the Clippers didn’t have a single field goal in the final four and a half minutes of the game. In the 105-100 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Clippers were 0-of-9 in their last shots. Leonard and George took all nine of those finals shots. Leonard was 2-for-8 and George was 1-for-8 in the fourth quarter. This was one of the worst performances for both Leonard and George in the fourth quarter all season.

Their performance was not brought on due to a lack of point guard but more so in the system of iso play from head coach Ty Lue. Players like shooting guard Lou Williams or power forward Marcus Morris were the only players to score efficiently.

While an efficient offensive-minded point guard might have helped the LA Clippers in their shot selection, it wouldn’t have helped them perform better in iso play. At times, the Clippers’ offense can become predictable with Leonard and George running the offense in solo play. If the front office is looking to revitalize their offense, they might look for a potential third-leading scorer on their starting unit. This would help spread the ball around as well as help compose the offense on the court.

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