As four games have already came and went, the LA Clippers' offense has had moments of heat checks, like their battle with the Phoenix Suns, but more often than not, it is ice cold, because their secret sauce is inactive: the pick-and-roll. According to the advanced pick-and-roll-handler statistics on the NBA’s official website, the Clippers have a frequency-percentage of 11.3, which is second-worst in the league thus far.
This primarily falls on James Harden and Ivica Zubac, as last season they were among the best pick-and-roll duos in the league, per the eye test. Even if the ball were not always kicked to Zubac on a cut to the paint, Harden would still use the screen to make space for himself or one of his teammates.
Nonetheless, fans of the Clippers will not be able to believe the facts about the struggles their fan-favorite duo is having to connect. It also does not help that Chris Paul and Brook Lopez are in a dilemma that is worse.
The LA Clippers’ pick-and-roll performance is currently a non-factor
With flaws in the roster all over the place, Tyronn Lue must add the pick-and-roll between James Harden and Ivica Zubac to the order of playcalls that cannot be spammed. Defenses know how effective these two used to be, so they focus on preventing them by triumphing over screens.
This strategy has worked against all four of their opponents, as the Clippers do not have another duo that can replicate the guard-to-big-man chemistry, which explains the extremely low frequency.
In fact, Lopez is seen attempting three-pointers far more than anything inside the paint offensively, and in the aspect of a floor general, Chris Paul is stuck at a career-low of 4.0 assists per night.
Had the Clippers been a team that is well-spaced and making a reasonable amount of their looks, it could have helped the pick-and-roll system in LA prosper, but before tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, they are barely in the top-20 in three-point percentages.
That said, there is a limited number of players on the Clippers who have been playmaking at a high level since the season opener, and the same goes for the success from their big men in the paint. This means Paul must pick up the pace, and Lue should ask Lopez to focus on scoring inside the same way he desires to drain buckets from long range.