There has been plenty of excitement surrounding this LA Clippers team, but also plenty of noise from outsiders. After the departure of Paul George and Russell Westbrook during the free agency period, the front office was forced to make some quick choices to re-shape this roster and make it back into a Western Conference playoff contender.
That is precisely what they did when they signed the likes of Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., Nic Batum, Derrick Jones Jr. and Mo Bamba. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden remained the cornerstones of the franchise, but these supporting players gave the stars a much firmer foundation to work with.
These new additions also pointed toward the Clippers having a resurgence in defensive identity. Several of these new role players came in with a reputation of being strong defenders, and it became obvious that LA would take a step in the right direction regarding that department this season. That sentiment only became more glaring when Jeff Van Gundy was announced as Ty Lue's defensive coordinator.
But the most important moment so far of the Clippers' transformation into a hard-nosed defensive team came during their first preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. While LA lost a close contest that came down to the wire, they also showcased their strong defensive chops and proved just what kind of ceiling they will have on that side of the ball.
The Clippers generated 20 Warriors turnovers
Obviously, one preseason game is not the end-all, be-all for this team. But the Clippers' performance here could end up being a solid preview of what we see from them all season. LA forced 20 Golden State turnovers in the game, holding their opponent to a dismal 33.7% shooting mark for the entire contest.
The Clippers transformed what could have been a lighthearted, free-flowing preseason game into a heated defensive match. Only one of the Warriors' starters shot above 43%, and none of them scored in double figures. Stephen Curry finished 0-for-4 from three-point range.
Additionally, LA held Golden State to just 18-for-41 shooting in the paint, while giving them just 19 attempts at the free throw line. The defensive benchmarks go on and on. The Clippers made life incredibly difficult for a Warriors team that could have a high-powered offense.
There is only so much that can be taken away from 48 minutes of preseason play. But if the Clippers showed us anything, it was that they will have the capability to be game-changers at the defensive end with their high-level team defense.