The last 10 days have been more of a struggle than LA Clippers fans anticipated. Since acquiring James Harden, the team has struggled to adjust and is currently looking much more jumbled than they did at the end of October.
Adding a player like Harden to the mix changes a lot, and more time will be necessary before the Clippers settle into this new version of themselves. In the meantime, the losses have begun adding up for a team competing in an ultra-competitive Western Conference.
But as is the case with anything, there is always some good that comes with the bad. Right now for the Clippers, that good comes in the form of their halfcourt production, where they are still one of the top teams in the NBA on both ends of the floor.
Every team's halfcourt production after two weeks of basketball pic.twitter.com/BKswsSK6UD
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) November 9, 2023
The Clippers are statistically the best halfcourt team in the league
Looking at these numbers provided by Shane Young, the Clippers currently own the second-best halfcourt defensive rating in the league, behind only the Minnesota Timberwolves. LA has been extremely effective at stopping opponents when they have been able to take them out of transition.
When the Clippers run their halfcourt offense, it has still been one of the top scoring attacks in the NBA, with only the Mavericks, Rockets, Thunder and Nuggets registering a better halfcourt offensive rating. This comes in spite of LA failing to score 100 points in their last two consecutive games.
What these numbers mean is that the blueprint for success is still there for the Clippers. They have extremely adept personnel to be effective on both ends of the floor, especially with things slowed down in the halfcourt. The next step will be the coaching staff and players working together to maximize their output with James Harden.