LA Clippers: Buy or Sell on 3 Concerns for the Clips
Buy or Sell? The LA Clippers Can’t Defend the Point of Attack
Here’s an issue that has haunted the LA Clippers for multiple years now. The Clips have a hard time defending lead guards and guarding at the point of attack.
We all remember Jamal Murray torching us on the playoffs, and that sort of defense has continued, and been noticed, this year. Here are some numbers for you.
In the pick and roll, the LA Clippers allow the 4th highest points per possession to the ball handler. In isolation, the LA Clippers allow the 10th highest points per possession. In transition, the Clips allow the 6th highest points per possession.
When the LA Clippers are facing a ball handler attacking and looking to score, they’ve struggled this year on defense. Lead guards tend to carve us up. So the question for the Clips is: why?
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It’s hard to imagine that it’s because of talent. The LA Clippers can put out a Bev/George/Kawhi/Batum/Zubac lineup that’s incredibly switchy 1-4 and has one of the better young defensive centers guarding the rim.
Part of the reason, especially in the pick and roll, is because of the LA Clippers’ attachment to playing drop coverage. In drop, the center falls back, protecting the rim and containing the roll man. But if the ball handler can hit a shot, they tend to have an open midranger available. Alternatively, if the other defender gets lost on the pick, suddenly the center is facing a 2v1 attacking the rim. Not an easy situation to be in.
It’s likely that it’s more system than talent. We’ve heard from the LA Clippers camp that we should expect to see the defensive system change and lock down in the playoffs, and Lue certainly has a reputation for that stretching back to Cleveland.
Unfortunately, fans of the LA Clippers have a very strong negative reaction to hearing “it’ll get better in the playoffs.” That’s what we heard all last year, and come the postseason it never really turned around. For that reason, until we see some serious improvement, we are BUYING on this concern, and at full price.