Rajon Rondo might not be the biggest addition to the LA Clippers from the trade deadline; that honor might go to Terance Mann. Not that Rondo isn’t capable of helping, but Mann has been addressing some of the biggest concerns that the Clippers had before the All-Star break.
Given that the trade the LA Clippers did make has been met with tepidity at best from most fans of the team, it’s nice that the Clips have made an improvement. Terance Mann has been a revelation for the Clips in the start of the post-deadline season.
Terance Mann was exactly what the LA Clippers Needed to Get at the NBA Trade Deadline.
After a hot shooting start to the season, the LA Clippers came a bit down to Earth. In January, they shot 41.2% on 14.6 open threes per game (best percentage in the NBA, and 8th most attempts). In February, the Clippers still shot 41.3% on open threes, but that was 5th in the league, and their 14.2 open attempts a game was 15th in the league.
A very related statistic was their performance at the rim. Before the All-Star Break, the LA Clippers only took 20.2 shots per game at the rim, which was second fewest in the entire league. If you’re not getting shots at the rim, you’re going to struggle generating open threes, and the Clips were no exception.
Enter Terance Mann. In the games since the All-Star Break, the LA Clippers have gone up to 24.6 shots at the rim, good for 18th in the league. 18th still isn’t great, of course, but going from almost last to roughly league average is a big improvement.
Going further, in the (small sample size alert!) five days since the trade deadline, the LA Clippers have gone up to 25.7 attempts at the rim, 15th in the league. What changed? Terance Mann started playing.
Since the All-Star Break, Terance Mann has played the 6th most minutes on the LA Clippers, but he’s second on the team in shots at the rim, and he’s shooting 77.5% inside the restricted area. He’s added a dynamic attack to the LA Clippers that they were missing before.
The Kawhi Leonard and Paul George offense, while very good, can be a bit predictable at times. They dribble the air out of the ball, pass up good shots for great shots, and there’s a lot of Kawhi in the post and Paul George behind the three point line.
Terance Mann doesn’t let the defense get comfortable; he’s attacking from all angles and at all times, and the defense always has to be aware of his drives. His playmaking has improved as well; we’ve seen him make fantastic entry passes and also great kickouts after his drives.
Given the rise of an interior threat in Terance Mann, the LA Clippers are tops in offensive rating since the All-Star Break. The dimension that Mann adds has unlocked the team even more, and they’re clicking at just the right time.