LA Clippers: This lockdown lineup would demoralize offenses
By Evan Desai
The LA Clippers are going to have a great defensive team next year, even with the departure of Patrick Beverley.
The Clippers still have 16 combined All-Defensive teams between Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Serge Ibaka, and Eric Bledsoe. Can you imagine a lineup where all four are on the court at the same time? That would be terrifying for opposing offenses.
The Clippers can do that. While I don’t recommend starting this lineup (Reggie Jackson needs to start at point guard), I’d love to see it throughout games when Jackson and Ivica Zubac are taking breathers. The lineup would look like this:
PG: Eric Bledsoe
SG: Paul George
SF: Kawhi Leonard
C: Serge Ibaka
Nobody would be able to score against this LA Clippers lineup.
This LA Clippers lineup would lock down every single team in this league.
The last time Bledsoe was primarily the point guard for his team, he was an All-Defensive selection. He was the season before too, where he was the primary ballhandler as well.
He’ll lockdown this year as the one, and having two former steal champions as the two wings is huge. And Kawhi is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Kawhi’s made seven All-Defensive teams, including the second team this year. PG has made four, and has averaged 1.7 steals per game over the course of his career. Kawhi has even averaged more at 1.8, and it’s safe to say that these three likely wouldn’t even let the big men get the ball.
If they did, however, I still don’t know how they’d score. Morris is a great defender who has never had any issue being willing to take on the toughest assignments possible on D. Whoever he’s guarding doesn’t score.
He can guard players of all different sizes too. He may be 6’8,” but he’s quick enough to thrive on the wing defensively. He’s long, and plays bigger than 6’8″ too, which is why he’s so good at defending bigs when the Clippers go small.
As for Ibaka, there’s no explanation needed. There’s a reason they call him Serge ‘Iblaka.’ He rejects every shot near him. The three-time All-Defensive selection has won two block championships, and has averaged two blocks per game throughout his 12-year career.
The paint isn’t a safe place for offenses if Ibaka’s on the floor, and let’s not forget Ibaka’s ability to come out to the arc and guard shooters. He’s quick for a man with his type of length, and will be a huge part of the Clippers’ defensive game plan and strategy this season.
Next. 3 players who will experience a role change. dark
We’ll likely see a lineup like this when Leonard gets back from injury. It’ll be a lot of fun for us to watch. That being said, it won’t be very fun for opposing offenses to play against.