Five Clippers storylines to think about ahead of the NBA’s return由卡哇伊爱小西瓜 发表在ClipsNation https://bbs.hupu.com/672
With the parameters of the NBA’s return largely set, it’s time to discuss and dissect the second half of the Clippers’ season.
There will be more to unpack once the schedule is released, but here are five interesting storylines to watch from now through October.
How are the Clippers affected by the time off?
In theory, the Clippers could be one of the teams that benefit the most from the multi-month hiatus, given the age of some of the roster’s principal players and the group’s extensive injury history this season.
Imagine how devastating Kawhi Leonard and Paul George could conceivably be with months of rest and recovery. Neither player had a normal 2019 offseason, given their injuries at the time — injuries they carried into the 2019-20 season. In addition, the postponement affords Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell, who stepped up in the absences of Leonard and George, ample opportunity to recharge.
The Clippers arguably have been the most banged-up contender this season. This could be the respite that properly resets the group ahead of the postseason gauntlet.
Another benefit: The Clippers’ deadline newcomers, Marcus Morris Sr. and Reggie Jackson, have additional time to learn sets and schemes and jell with their teammates remotely.
“At least when we come back, we’ll say, ‘Let’s run slice roll,’ and they’ll know exactly what we’re doing, or they’ll remember it quickly,” Doc Rivers said in April.
There is some downside, of course. Players having over three months off from high-level scrimmaging and gameplay can make ramping up dangerous, because the risk of injury increases significantly. The Clippers easily could suffer an injury that sets them back. There also is now the looming threat of players contracting COVID-19 and quarantining for 10 days.
As long as Leonard and George are healthy, the rest of the rotation is relatively interchangeable. But it’s impossible to predict who will come back healthy and in shape. The uncertainty remains the most interesting variable — for the Clippers and across the league.
What is the closing lineup in the postseason?
Due to health, matchups and the trade deadline additions, it’s still unclear who the Clippers’ closing five will be in the playoffs.
There’s no such thing as too much depth, but it can be tricky juggling egos and roles.
Maybe Rivers will determine the lineup on a game-by-game or matchup-by-matchup basis. Perhaps it doesn’t matter, with the team’s star power and depth. But it’s going to be one of the Clippers’ most dissected storylines in the postseason.
There are two constants in any crunch-time configuration: Leonard and George. Leonard and George will most likely play in a two/three/four combination, but they have the versatility to slide to the one or the five as well.
Beverley is a near-lock. Williams is close to a shoo-in on paper, but he presents a multitude of defensive issues. Harrell is often in the closing five, but the Clippers also have two smaller alternatives — JaMychal Green and Morris — who can defend bigs and space the floor. Ivica Zubac is the best option against traditional centers. Landry Shamet is an elite floor-spacer who was a starter and closer last season. Jackson has played well in his stint in L.A.
Rivers has difficult decisions to make. Any of the aforementioned 10 players can make a reasonable claim to closing games. This projects to be a fluid situation, but the Clippers need to strike the right offense-defense balance.
Where does Lou Williams fit into the crunch-time equation?
This is the subplot to the closing lineup — one that picked up traction in the national media following the Clippers’ loss to the Lakers before the stoppage. Williams’ defense had already hurt the Clippers earlier in the season, though, as the 76ers and Celtics exploited him in back-to-back losses before the All-Star break.
Williams’ defense hasn’t become a crippling issue yet, but it’s a problem that’s impossible to ignore. Smart offensive teams with multiple perimeter options can isolate and draw Williams into screen actions late in games, putting incredible pressure on the Clippers’ offense to keep up with the points the defense is allowing.
Williams can be a sneaky post and wing defender who snatches lazy entry passes, but he gets lost off the ball, struggles to navigate screens on and off the ball and will often give up a basket at the rim instead of taking a hard foul. He is one of the worst defenders in the league statistically — to the point that it’s difficult to hide him even if he’s surrounded by four positive defenders (it’s not impossible, but it requires extra effort).
Additionally, Williams’ primary strengths — ballhandling, playmaking and off-the-dribble shot creation — are somewhat negated with Leonard and George as the team’s two top options late in games. For as good as Williams is, he is clearly the third-most qualified Clipper to handle the ball and take crunch-time shots. The Clippers have superior off-ball options like Beverley and Shamet.
If Williams is cooking offensively, he should play. But if he’s having an off night, as he frequently did in the second half of the regular season, his defensive limitations likely warrant the Clippers going in a different direction.
Lou Williams’ scoring might not be needed to finish games. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
How does the center rotation shake out?
The last time Rivers spoke with the media about the center rotation, he mentioned going smaller at the five, with Green or Morris playing more minutes in small-ball units.
“The one thing I didn’t think we did enough of, and unfortunately it’s hard to do, we didn’t play small at the center spot very often,” Rivers said. “But in the few games, or the few moments that we did, we were lethal. JaMychal did it against Oklahoma (City) … and then the lineups that we can put on the floor with that.”
That will almost certainly depend on the matchups in a playoff series — it could be challenging to play small against the Lakers, Nuggets and/or 76ers — and how the Clippers’ current centers — Zubac and Harrell — handle their responsibilities as screeners, rollers, rebounders and rim-protectors. It’s a long shot, but Joakim Noah has a chance to earn minutes if the Clippers sign him to a contract for the rest of the season when the NBA’s transaction period resumes on June 22.
The Clippers’ center rotation has been a topic of fierce debate this season. Rivers has said he prefers Harrell over Zubac, but Zubac has developed a cult-like following among Clippers fans on Twitter for his remarkable rebounding and defensive metrics.
Both players have actually played fewer minutes since Morris’ arrival, with Rivers opting to shift a few minutes toward Green and Morris and suggesting he will continue to do.
However, there is no Warriors-level threat to play Zubac off the floor this postseason. It’s unclear how the center rotation will shake out, but the bet here is Zubac keeps his starting spot, even if he’s simply a placeholder.
How are the Clippers affected by the elimination of home-court advantage?
The Clippers have been difficult to beat at Staples Center with a 25-7 home record this season, the best mark in the West and the fourth-best record in the league overall. Their 19-13 road record, while solid, is less impressive, ranking fifth in the West and eighth in the league.
Their home (plus-8.9) and road (plus-3.8) net ratings further illustrate that discrepancy. Losing out on games at Staples Center will certainly sting.
But the Clippers have both gained and lost home-court advantage with the new format, depending on how you look at it.
On the one hand, the Clippers will no longer have home-court advantage in the first or second round (assuming they lock up the No. 2 seed and advance past the first round). That can potentially favor the road team, stretching a theoretical four- or five-game series into a six- or seven-game series that drains the Clippers before the deeper rounds.
On the other hand, the Clippers were projected to start potential series against the Lakers and the Bucks on the road — some have mockingly said that a series against the Lakers would be seven road games for the Clippers in L.A. — and that will no longer be the case. The Clippers have a better shot in those two series, even if only by the slimmest of margins, without having to win a Game 7 on the road.
The path to the conference finals might be slightly more difficult, but the Clippers could earn an advantage later when it matters most.
With the parameters of the NBA’s return largely set, it’s time to discuss and dissect the second half of the Clippers’ season.
There will be more to unpack once the schedule is released, but here are five interesting storylines to watch from now through October.
How are the Clippers affected by the time off?
In theory, the Clippers could be one of the teams that benefit the most from the multi-month hiatus, given the age of some of the roster’s principal players and the group’s extensive injury history this season.
Imagine how devastating Kawhi Leonard and Paul George could conceivably be with months of rest and recovery. Neither player had a normal 2019 offseason, given their injuries at the time — injuries they carried into the 2019-20 season. In addition, the postponement affords Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell, who stepped up in the absences of Leonard and George, ample opportunity to recharge.
The Clippers arguably have been the most banged-up contender this season. This could be the respite that properly resets the group ahead of the postseason gauntlet.
Another benefit: The Clippers’ deadline newcomers, Marcus Morris Sr. and Reggie Jackson, have additional time to learn sets and schemes and jell with their teammates remotely.
“At least when we come back, we’ll say, ‘Let’s run slice roll,’ and they’ll know exactly what we’re doing, or they’ll remember it quickly,” Doc Rivers said in April.
There is some downside, of course. Players having over three months off from high-level scrimmaging and gameplay can make ramping up dangerous, because the risk of injury increases significantly. The Clippers easily could suffer an injury that sets them back. There also is now the looming threat of players contracting COVID-19 and quarantining for 10 days.
As long as Leonard and George are healthy, the rest of the rotation is relatively interchangeable. But it’s impossible to predict who will come back healthy and in shape. The uncertainty remains the most interesting variable — for the Clippers and across the league.
What is the closing lineup in the postseason?
Due to health, matchups and the trade deadline additions, it’s still unclear who the Clippers’ closing five will be in the playoffs.
There’s no such thing as too much depth, but it can be tricky juggling egos and roles.
Maybe Rivers will determine the lineup on a game-by-game or matchup-by-matchup basis. Perhaps it doesn’t matter, with the team’s star power and depth. But it’s going to be one of the Clippers’ most dissected storylines in the postseason.
There are two constants in any crunch-time configuration: Leonard and George. Leonard and George will most likely play in a two/three/four combination, but they have the versatility to slide to the one or the five as well.
Beverley is a near-lock. Williams is close to a shoo-in on paper, but he presents a multitude of defensive issues. Harrell is often in the closing five, but the Clippers also have two smaller alternatives — JaMychal Green and Morris — who can defend bigs and space the floor. Ivica Zubac is the best option against traditional centers. Landry Shamet is an elite floor-spacer who was a starter and closer last season. Jackson has played well in his stint in L.A.
Rivers has difficult decisions to make. Any of the aforementioned 10 players can make a reasonable claim to closing games. This projects to be a fluid situation, but the Clippers need to strike the right offense-defense balance.
Where does Lou Williams fit into the crunch-time equation?
This is the subplot to the closing lineup — one that picked up traction in the national media following the Clippers’ loss to the Lakers before the stoppage. Williams’ defense had already hurt the Clippers earlier in the season, though, as the 76ers and Celtics exploited him in back-to-back losses before the All-Star break.
Williams’ defense hasn’t become a crippling issue yet, but it’s a problem that’s impossible to ignore. Smart offensive teams with multiple perimeter options can isolate and draw Williams into screen actions late in games, putting incredible pressure on the Clippers’ offense to keep up with the points the defense is allowing.
Williams can be a sneaky post and wing defender who snatches lazy entry passes, but he gets lost off the ball, struggles to navigate screens on and off the ball and will often give up a basket at the rim instead of taking a hard foul. He is one of the worst defenders in the league statistically — to the point that it’s difficult to hide him even if he’s surrounded by four positive defenders (it’s not impossible, but it requires extra effort).
Additionally, Williams’ primary strengths — ballhandling, playmaking and off-the-dribble shot creation — are somewhat negated with Leonard and George as the team’s two top options late in games. For as good as Williams is, he is clearly the third-most qualified Clipper to handle the ball and take crunch-time shots. The Clippers have superior off-ball options like Beverley and Shamet.
If Williams is cooking offensively, he should play. But if he’s having an off night, as he frequently did in the second half of the regular season, his defensive limitations likely warrant the Clippers going in a different direction.
Lou Williams’ scoring might not be needed to finish games. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
How does the center rotation shake out?
The last time Rivers spoke with the media about the center rotation, he mentioned going smaller at the five, with Green or Morris playing more minutes in small-ball units.
“The one thing I didn’t think we did enough of, and unfortunately it’s hard to do, we didn’t play small at the center spot very often,” Rivers said. “But in the few games, or the few moments that we did, we were lethal. JaMychal did it against Oklahoma (City) … and then the lineups that we can put on the floor with that.”
That will almost certainly depend on the matchups in a playoff series — it could be challenging to play small against the Lakers, Nuggets and/or 76ers — and how the Clippers’ current centers — Zubac and Harrell — handle their responsibilities as screeners, rollers, rebounders and rim-protectors. It’s a long shot, but Joakim Noah has a chance to earn minutes if the Clippers sign him to a contract for the rest of the season when the NBA’s transaction period resumes on June 22.
The Clippers’ center rotation has been a topic of fierce debate this season. Rivers has said he prefers Harrell over Zubac, but Zubac has developed a cult-like following among Clippers fans on Twitter for his remarkable rebounding and defensive metrics.
Both players have actually played fewer minutes since Morris’ arrival, with Rivers opting to shift a few minutes toward Green and Morris and suggesting he will continue to do.
However, there is no Warriors-level threat to play Zubac off the floor this postseason. It’s unclear how the center rotation will shake out, but the bet here is Zubac keeps his starting spot, even if he’s simply a placeholder.
How are the Clippers affected by the elimination of home-court advantage?
The Clippers have been difficult to beat at Staples Center with a 25-7 home record this season, the best mark in the West and the fourth-best record in the league overall. Their 19-13 road record, while solid, is less impressive, ranking fifth in the West and eighth in the league.
Their home (plus-8.9) and road (plus-3.8) net ratings further illustrate that discrepancy. Losing out on games at Staples Center will certainly sting.
But the Clippers have both gained and lost home-court advantage with the new format, depending on how you look at it.
On the one hand, the Clippers will no longer have home-court advantage in the first or second round (assuming they lock up the No. 2 seed and advance past the first round). That can potentially favor the road team, stretching a theoretical four- or five-game series into a six- or seven-game series that drains the Clippers before the deeper rounds.
On the other hand, the Clippers were projected to start potential series against the Lakers and the Bucks on the road — some have mockingly said that a series against the Lakers would be seven road games for the Clippers in L.A. — and that will no longer be the case. The Clippers have a better shot in those two series, even if only by the slimmest of margins, without having to win a Game 7 on the road.
The path to the conference finals might be slightly more difficult, but the Clippers could earn an advantage later when it matters most.
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