Through experimentation, the LA Clippers tried to follow a league-wide strategy in 2019 by scheming around the offensive side of the ball. They had two superstars at the helm, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, along with a bench that could have been better than some starting lineups around the association.
Furthermore, this strategy worked excellently throughout the regular season. Night after night, the Clippers were scoring points in some of the most efficient ways possible. In addition, opponents were not able to stop LA from fidning the three-point line.
Conversely, the Clippers could not flourish in the postseason, when all things mattered most. Though injuries made an impact, head coach Tyronn Lue followed a trend that consistently gave out.
After several seasons of building an offensive-dominant roster, even with the help of three NBA greats, the Clippers’ front office decided they were ready to make a change. Select decisions had to be made, and executive Lawrence Frank picked up the phone in order to remodel the franchise.
That said, the first domino was completed by not agreeing with George on the contract he requested. This decision was a turning point that led most to assume the Clippers were regressing. However, Frank knew that once George was off the roster, LA would transform their style of play into one that shocked the world.
The LA Clippers’ defensive approach could inspire teams in the middle of a rebuild.
With how offensive-minded the NBA is today, the LA Clippers are shifting the narrative by proving how defense wins games. As this is something basketball fanatics have heard for decades, Tyronn Lue is proving this tactic to be a beneficiary in a generation propelled by scoring.
This explains how the Clippers won games without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup. Sure, former MVP James Harden was phenomenal, but when times were tough, the overall defense helped Lue.
Moreover, Lawrence Frank was sure his unique scheme would work once he added assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy to Lue’s staff. This was the final investment, as Van Gundy had the intelligence and experience to lead the Clippers in the direction they were aiming for.
That said, younger teams can use the current Clippers as an example when planning for the future. As long as they have a foundation molded around clamping the basketball, their front office does not need to spend hundreds of millions in pursuing multiple superstars.