The Los Angeles Clippers came into Orlando with numerous concerns surrounding some of their key players. While this might be concerning, it also means the Clippers’ best basketball is still to come.
Here’s just a quick summary of some of the setbacks the Clippers have faced. Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet arrived to the bubble late due to having positive COVID-19 tests. Marcus Morris came late as well, and is expecting the birth of his son soon, which will cause him to depart the bubble again. Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley, who were already in Orlando, both left due to family emergencies. Lou Williams also departed the bubble to attend a family funeral in Atlanta, but a stop for wings made him quarantine for ten days upon returning.
The Clippers don’t have to worry about losing their playoff spot in the Western Conference, but since basketball hasn’t been played in four months, it’s imperative to have the main rotation in form sooner rather than later. Team chemistry, conditioning and shaking off the rust is top priority for a team primed to make a deep run in the playoffs – and keep the best seed possible.
The three scrimmage games every team in Orlando played was designed for that purpose. For the Clippers, however, the scrimmages primarily showcased the young guys they have at the end of the bench – and Joakim Noah. Terrence Mann, Amir Coffey and Rodney McGruder played hefty minutes due to the shorthanded roster, which is good for them, but didn’t help the Clippers get into their real rotations.
Fortunately, the Clippers got reinforcements with Zubac, Shamet and Beverley returning for the Los Angeles Lakers matchup. However, Montrezl Harrell still isn’t with the team as he grieves the death of his grandmother, Williams’ quarantine just ended, and he looked quite rusty in his first game back – he’ll need more time to get back up to speed.
Still, the Clippers are improving after not playing in so long, and as the players find their rhythms, it’s clear that the best is still to come for the squad.
A two-point loss to the Lakers isn’t bad at all considering the circumstances. You can point to any missed shot by the Clippers as deciding the outcome, but the game was winnable. Beverley, on a minutes restriction, scored 12 points in 16 minutes. Zubac got into foul trouble and saw 15 minutes of action where he only scored two points. Marcus Morris went scoreless in 19 minutes, Shamet couldn’t buy a basket, and Reggie Jackson’s decision-making on offense looked rough.
Still, the Clippers knocked down 16 threes on 36 attempts, good for 44.4%. That’s a tremendous rate to hit on opening day, with Paul George’s six triples playing a big role in that success. Kawhi Leonard started off slow but got into a rhythm as the game went on and finished with 28 points. The two stars did their jobs, but they needed assistance.
Against the New Orleans Pelicans, George and Leonard received help and it showed on the scoreboard. Following a successful game from deep against the Lakers, the Clippers somehow managed to top that rate. The Clippers shot 25-47 from deep, good for 53.2%. Again, George was the forefront of the team’s success by hitting on 8-11 attempts, but the players who struggled on opening day began to assert themselves against the Pelicans.
Morris hit a three en route to nine points, Shamet knocked down two threes for his only field goals, and Zubac grabbed nine rebounds in 24 minutes. Beverley, who started but was still on a minutes restriction, provided his usual consistent presence from deep going 3-5 for nine points. Jackson came off the bench to lead that unit, scoring 15 points in 20 minutes and knocking down 3-4 threes.
The hot shooting from the entire team proved to be too much to overcome for New Orleans and illustrated how dangerous the Clippers can be when the players are at their best. That level of shooting for L.A. is definitely unsustainable, but considering the fact that Williams and Harrell didn’t play, it could’ve been worse for the Pelicans.
The scorching hot shooting for the Clippers cooled off massively against the Phoenix Suns, but games like that happen every now and then. George and Leonard struggled to hit their shots despite being the team’s leading scorers. As a team, the Clippers shot just 8-29 from deep, a clip of 27.6%. That could lead to believing the Clippers were blown out by their opponents, but that wasn’t the case. Though the Suns were the team on fire from three (17-32, 53.1%), it took a tough turnaround jumper at the buzzer by Devin Booker to win.
In good news, Morris and Zubac were a combined 13-17 from the floor, with Zubac grabbing 12 rebounds. Zubac notably arrived in Orlando late, and to see him put up a performance that was desperately needed (besides the late crucial turnover) gives the frontcourt additional versatility going forward while JaMychal Green continues to be a perfect floor space at center.
Williams made his return following his 10-day quarantine, but he naturally didn’t play as well as he could’ve. Williams grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists, but he couldn’t provide the points off the bench that he’s known for. With Beverley leaving the game early, the Clippers should be relieved that Williams is back now rather than later, as Beverley’s injury is one to watch going forward.
Now that Williams is back, it’ll be interesting to see how Doc Rivers gets him going. Williams won’t have his main PnR partner in Harrell available yet, but as mentioned, Beverley’s injury sets the team back in some areas. With Beverley being out, more of the ballhandling and playmaking duties will fall on Lou, which could be rough as he gets into shape, but will be good for him in the long term.
It may take a few games for Williams to find his footing again. One key thing for Lou will be hitting his outside shots (he didn’t hit one against the Suns). He’s not elite from the arc, but he’s a respectable threat and with Beverley’s shooting currently out of the equation, Williams will need to step up on that end as well as providing his usual scoring inside the arc.
The Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks next, and that’s a team that hasn’t looked sharp defensively. Guards have been scoring with ease against them, making it a good opportunity for Williams to shine.
When Harrell makes his return to the bubble, there’s no doubt the Clippers will see a big boost in energy and interior scoring. Due to the recent passing of his grandmother, we could be seeing Harrell with more energy and passion than ever. Writing that sentence alone gives me goosebumps.
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Harrell’s presence in the paint would’ve been vital in a game as against the Suns where nothing fell from deep. Green’s spacing has provided the Clippers with an alternative if having Zubac or Noah on the court isn’t ideal, but nobody can match Trez’s ability to score and create in the paint. His scoring and energy simply isn’t replaceable.
The Clippers losing two games by four points in the final seconds against two good teams speaks volumes to how great they can be when Williams and Harrell return. The Clippers haven’t been fully healthy for the most parts of this season, but they’re getting close to it (despite Beverley’s injury). Once that happens, the chemistry and execution should start to pick up as well.
Reintegrating Williams and Harrell into the rotation should serve the team better than giving Patrick Patterson and Shamet minutes right now, even with Lou and Trez being rusty. With those two back, the Clippers not only get stronger on paper, but also gain new dimensions on the court that will make a huge difference in games against competitive teams. Other Western Conference opponents should fear the opportunity to play a Clippers team that hasn’t reached their best in Orlando yet.
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