With guard-heavy lineups, head coach Tyronn Lue had the LA Clippers thriving. The combination of James Harden, Norman Powell, and Kris Dunn was elite on the perimeter. They could score effortlessly on any defense in the NBA and lock down the primary sources of offense on teams who relied on superstar production from the backcourt.
However, the flaw that would cause the Clippers to fall, within lineups like so, takes place on defense within the painted area. Opponents with strong big men, or even a score-first forward, could isolate any one of the three in the half-court and win nearly every rep consistently.
The weakness did not stop there, as rebounding was another pivotal area where the Clippers saw themselves exposed in the regular season, and on the biggest stage against the Denver Nuggets. Granted, some lacked effort as Russell Westbrook was on a mission on the glass, but to a certain extent, there is only so much to expect out of three guards versus Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, and Michael Porter Jr.
In fact, the game-winning tip-in from Gordon in game four occurred with Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac being lined up with Harden, Powell, and Bogdan Bogdanović.
That said, the Clippers wanted to and immediately addressed this void before another season of the same issues passed, which could have resulted in the same outcome: an early playoff exit.
The LA Clippers’ Norman Powell trade adds to how the game plan of Tyronn Lue will have changed next season
Today, the LA Clippers landed John Collins, a remarkably athletic power forward, with the capability to dominate on the glass and consistently drain baskets on attempts from beyond the arc. To do so, the front office got rid of Powell, a guard who Tyronn Lue heavily utilized in most lineups throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Collins will be joining the starting lineup on the last season of his contract, but he is not the only new, notable face, as Brook Lopez will be coming off the bench.
By signing Lopez and trading for Collins, the Clippers are making it clear that they recognize the importance of having adequate size and that a shift in philosophy has occurred.
The first and second units finally have no excuses not to box out and soak up every rebound, as numerous options understand the concept of how to effectively box out, resulting in on-paper wins and through advanced metrics.