On a team of alphas like the LA Clippers, defining exact roles can be more of a challenge than outsiders might think. When multiple players on the floor are capable of making a big impact at a crucial juncture, egos can start to get involved.
Paul George discussed this circumstance on the latest episode of his podcast, Podcast P with Paul George. When asked about his game-winning shot against the Golden State Warriors on December 2, George explained how he took that shot purely off feel for the situation.
"That was all feel," he said. "Russ got it to me, and in that situation you don't want to call the timeout because you don't want the defense to be able to set up a scheme or get their defense set ... In that particular instance, I had it, I felt confident in it, (Head Coach) T Lue was going to let us rock."
But in the grand scheme of things, George revealed that the large majority of the time, the Clippers' final shot comes down to an offensive progression of sorts.
Paul George says the final shot comes off a progression
When talking about this progression, George revealed that all of LA's stars will essentially have their own chance to make a play, and whoever has the best opportunity will get the shot off.
"I might come off and have the first look," said George. "If I don't have the shot, then now it's a second action where Kawhi is coming off, or vice-versa. Then if Kawhi doesn't have a shot, it's a progression within that play that like, James comes off at the end. If James is not open, Russ will be on a slip out or a back door."
George explained that this natural progression allows all four of the stars to be a part of the play, and the end result is the team getting the best shot attempt possible. Part of what makes this possible is the coach not calling a timeout and allowing things to happen organically so the defense does not have an opportunity to get set.
This explanation provides a little insight into the Clippers' process at the end of close games. With so much talent on the roster, LA has an effective system to best utilize their players.