Although the LA Clippers believed they could be an offensive powerhouse with the addition of Bradley Beal, that was never going to be the reality. In fact, their age would have kept them far from it, and because of Beal’s tragic hip injury, the Clippers will end up giving the minutes he would have received to defensive-minded players, elevating the team out of the bottom five defensive ratings in the league.
The Clippers’ defensive rating, as it stands, is 118.7, which is precisely the fifth-worst spot in the NBA. This may not be rock bottom to the rest of the league, as they are still a few spots away from 30, but to themselves, they are below it with incoming disappointment in various aspects.
That said, their failed mindset got them here, and their new mindset, concentrating on a different style of talent, will get them out.
Kris Dunn will have the most important role in changing the Clippers’ defense
As an underrated guard and an overlooked piece to the LA Clippers’ success, the love Kris Dunn deserves will never be at the level it should be. Impact-wise, he can sway the game just by getting his hands dirty defensively, suggesting that Tyronn Lue’s trust in him should go up with Bradley Beal unfortunately going down for the remainder of the year.
This season, Dunn is averaging over 25 minutes per game. His playing time has increased since Beal last played, but this was inevitable, as they are both veteran guards who were interchanged for each other in Lue’s lineups.
However, Dunn should be closer to the 30-minute-per-game mark. This simple change will instantly push the Clippers’ defensive rating closer to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s, who are first in the NBA by a pretty wide margin.
The Clippers would have Derrick Jones Jr. to lean on, just like Dunn, as their defensive specialties are remarkably similar, yet in a manner as devastating as Beal’s, the fear after LA’s contest versus the Boston Celtics is that he could be out for a while with a knee injury.
Thus, though the pressure and bright lights will follow Dunn throughout each game, he is a defensive player of the year talent who is not a stranger to high stakes. He has already done a great job deflecting and disrupting, and with that continuing following Beal’s injury, the Clippers will soon have a top-15 defensive rating.