Clippers: 3 offseason needs exposed by Phoenix Suns
By Evan Desai
No. 3 Clippers offseason need exposed by the Phoenix Suns: Down-low defense
The Clippers struggled in defending big men in the series vs. the Suns.
Ty Lue opted to force Devin Booker and Chris Paul to beat the Suns in most games of this series, and in most games of the series, it proved to be a nice defensive strategy. This of course, however, left the Phoenix Suns to try to win this series with Deandre Ayton.
Ayton feasted in this series. He shot 69.3% in the series and averaged 17.8 points per game in the series, which was the best he’s played offensively all postseason.
Ayton is a very good player, but there’s no doubt that the Clips’ struggles against him were a major contribution to the lost series.
If Ibaka is back next year, that will surely help, and Zubac will be back too. He was obviously hurt for the last couple games of the series.
Getting healthy will certainly help, but other adjustments are going to be needed to make sure the Clippers have situations like these covered.
Maybe the coaching staff needs to hit the drawing board and make some adjustments on how they want to approach big men like Ayton. Whatever it is, it needs to improve soon.
Next. Clippers who have played their last game as a Clip. dark
The Clippers’ future does look bright, but nothing in this league is guaranteed. They need to make adjustments this offseason to see their potential come to fruition.