How a Clippers trade with Spurs could add point-of-attack defender

The point guard position has been one that the LA Clippers have chosen not to prioritize during this current chapter of the franchise, trusting in the on-ball scoring and playmaking of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Clippers have valued adding wings like Norman Powell and not devoted many resources to the point.

The point guards on the roster were reclamation projects and they toggle between running the show when Goerge and Leonard sit to trying to fit in around the ball-dominant stars when they do suit up. They’ve done a reasonable job of it, but neither Reggie Jackson nor John Wall is thriving this year.

Between the two the Clippers also are suffering from a roster weakness, namely point-of-attack defense. As George and Leonard age and are shifted to defending larger players, the Clippers need a player they can deploy on opposing guards to slow them down. Terance Mann is a decent option but is also called upon to guard wings when he is on the court, and Jackson and Wall have both slipped quite a bit in defending the tip of the spear.

The LA Clippers need to upgrade their point-of-attack defense.

As the Clippers scour the trade market, one thing they need to keep in mind is that on-ball, pesky defender who can harry opposing guards and push the offense off-kilter. From Jrue Holiday to Jose Alvarado, many of the league’s top teams have such a player (be it a star like Holiday or a role player like Alvarado), but the Clippers do not. Can they find one on the trade market to bolster the bench and give them much-needed point guard depth? Perhaps the answer lies in the heart of Texas.