In the grand scheme of things, the LA Clippers, barring another trade, have a lot of appealing traits that could put them in a position to exceed expectations in the stacked Western Conference. They have just the right amount of star power, several players that can shoot the lights out of the arena, size inside the paint, and depth at almost every position.
However, despite all of these advantages, something that could cause problems from the start of the regular season until the finish, if they don’t fix it, is their lack of physicality, which is not really being talked about enough. Many are worried about rebounding on both ends, but right now, few players on the roster are both strong and able to use it to the team's benefit.
Last season, two players who truly set a great example were Kawhi Leonard and Bennedict Mathurin. Over the summer, the front office moved on from both.
The LA Clippers don’t have many guys who thrive in the department of physicality
Right now, Kris Dunn, Brook Lopez, and maybe Derrick Jones Jr. are the only guys on the roster who bring a strong sense of physicality. Rather than creating for themselves, which they can do, these three excel in playing through contact at any given moment.
Additionally, only one of them is projected to be a starter, and that’s Lopez. This is another issue in itself.
And, regularly, the Clippers will be relying on Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, Keaton Wagler, Max Strus, and Rui Hachimura, who each play a softer brand of basketball than LA needs.
Against some, the Clippers will be just fine. They will get to their sweet spots and defend how they’ve always won games. But when they come across an opponent that embraces physicality, what are they gonna do?
The answer is nothing, and quite frankly, there are too many of those types of teams across the league to count.
That’s arguably their biggest weakness. In the playoffs, which they see themselves making, this problem could rise to an entirely new level and may end up being the reason they get sent home early if it’s not fixed as soon as possible.
That said, the lack of physicality the Clippers have is definitely something the front office should look into fixing before the season kicks off, and it’s too late. They still have time to patch the hole.
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