The LA Clippers traded for Balsa Koprivica’s draft rights Friday evening, sending cash considerations to the Detroit Pistons, the team announced. Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II reported that the Clippers sent the Pistons $2.1 million in the deal to acquire Koprivica, a 23 year old 7’1″ center from Florida with Serbian heritage (he has appeared for the Serbian national team at youth levels) who played for two years at Florida State before being taken with the 57th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and stashed overseas.

Let’s be blunt: Koprivica averaged 9 points as a sophomore at Florida State before entering the draft and has been a backup in the Adriatic league for the last two years. I won’t pretend to be well-versed in fringe prospects playing overseas, but he wasn’t on anyone’s radar to come over to the NBA next season; in fact, the Pistons didn’t even have him on their Summer League roster this year after scarcely playing for them in Las Vegas the last two summers. The Clippers didn’t trade for Balsa Koprivica because they think he can join them next season, and they didn’t trade for him because they think he has a shot at being a helpful piece at some point down the line. They traded for him so that they can trade him again, potentially as soon as in the next few days.

Let me explain. In multi-team trades, each team must “touch” at least two other teams in the trade by having something sent or received. The draft rights to an international player who hasn’t come over yet counts as something (even if that guy seems unlikely to ever actually come to the NBA, as long as he’s still a player in a competitive professional league, which the Adriatic league certainly is). I don’t know what the Clippers’ potential deal for James Harden looks like, but they’ll probably already be fine on this front–if the Sixers’ plan is to flip stuff from LAC along with additional pieces of their own to a third team to add a replacement star, then “stuff from LAC” going to the third team already satisfied this requirement. Even in hypothetical 4-team, or 5-team, or 9-team trades that Morey could be cooking up, you only need to touch two other teams in the trade, not every other team. Something from LAC being rerouted to a non-Philly team + Harden coming in = touching 2 other teams. But the Clippers could need Koprivica’s draft rights as the “something” in any multi-team scenario that could come along, now or in the future.

Of course, not having the draft rights to a random stashed player who iwll never come over hasn’t blocked teams from making multi-team deals in the past. Among other things (like a 2nd round pick), teams could satisfy this requirement by sending $1.1M in cash. But with the NBA’s new second apron rules, which I wrote about yesterday, teams over the second luxury tax apron can no longer send out cash in trades. It’s unclear to me if that rule kicks in this summer or next, as the stricter rules will be phased in, but regardless: there’s a possibility, whether it’s this summer or years down the line, that the high-spending Clippers will be above that second apron and need to send something for the “touching” rule to pull off a multi-team trade, and having Koprivica’s draft rights to send will save them a second round pick. That’s what $2.1M gets you, apparently–maybe saving yourself a second round pick if a very specific situation arises at some point down the line. Teams hold on to draft rights without expiration, so we could go a decade without hearing this guy’s name again before he suddenly makes a trade possible–Sofoklis Schorsanitis (affectionally known to Clippers fans as My Big Fat Greek Center in the mid-2000s) was drafted by the Clippers in 2003 and never came over, but they used his rights in a trade in 2012.

It would obviously be more fun if this move was a precursor to an imminent deal, especially if it turns out to be part of a larger series of transactions that brings James Harden to Los Angeles. But realistically, it’s probably not that (even if Harden comes to LAC, and even if it’s in a multi-team deal, it’s likely the Clippers will be “touching” at least 2 other teams without needing Koprivica). It’s more likely just LAC using some of their use-it-or-lose it 2022-23 trade cash in the waning minutes of the old collective bargaining agreement to get a 0-value piece to technically satisfy the rules in a potential future trade.

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Clippers Trade for Balsa Koprivica’s Draft Rights
Lucas Hann

You could forgive the Clippers for being a little bit sleepy.

After winning a tight game against the Washington Wizards in LA on Wednesday, the Clippers flew across the country to lose a tight game in Atlanta Friday night. Then, it was on to Detroit, where they had to wake up early today to play a matinee against the Pistons… after losing an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings Time. They’ve done this all while managing an 8.5-man rotation, playing without 6 guys (meaning they can’t even properly get their rotation players rest during garbage time), including Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Norman Powell, and Robert Covington–and they played a half without Marcus Morris in Atlanta, too.

All of that is to say, I get why the start to the game was ugly. The Clippers broadcast noted the team had been particularly lifeless in warmups, and they immediately fell behind 17-4 to the young Pistons. LA couldn’t do much at all defensively, with poor perimeter containment allowing constant drives into the lane and flat-footed help defense from Ivica Zubac offering little meaningful protection at the rim. The Clippers managed to a little more competence as the first half wore on… but only a little. The second unit was equally lifeless and the Clippers went into halftime down 53-39 with just 31.7% shooting from the field. The only Clipper to actually have a strong first half was the man who took the second half off in Atlanta on Friday night: Marcus Morris, who put up 15 of the Clippers’ 39 points and made 5 of their 13 first-half field goals. He routinely worked his way into good spots with the ball in his hands, creating far more paint touches than typical of his game and getting to the free throw line 8 times.

But as has so often been the case with these Clippers this season, there was simply no moment tonight where they allowed fatigue or missed shots to demoralize them. Morris’ play kept up as he matched his first half production with 16 more in the second, but the rest of the team decided to join him in the third quarter. Reggie Jackson, after going 1-6 from the field for 2 points and 0 assists in the first half, had 13 points on 5-10 shooting and 9 assists in the second. Reggie also added 8 rebounds, second-most on the team. Ivica Zubac, who had 4 points and 6 rebounds on 1-4 shooting in the first half, had 10 points and 9 rebounds on 5-7 in the second, also stepping up his defensive play and stonewalling Piston drives as the Clippers won his 14 second-half minutes by 17 points.

That improved play from the starters allowed the Clippers to pull themselves back into the game, but as the third quarter wore on you just knew they’d need some type of burst off the bench. In tandem with former Piston Marcus Morris’ scoring and fellow former Piston Reggie Jackson’s distribution, a third former Piston stepped up to the plate: Luke Kennard, who made four second-half three-pointers en route to being the Clippers’ second-leading scorer. With a lift from Kennard and Isaiah Hartenstein, LA’s second unit managed to carve out a small lead in the mid-fourth, but quickly relinquished it as Ty Lue stuck with his second unit well into the final frame.

After going ahead 92-87, the Clippers saw their lead cut to one, 97-96, before Lue brought back his starting front court alongside Jackson and Kennard to close the game. Jackson and Morris delivered back-to-back daggers in the final two minutes to push the lead to 4 and then 6, and the Clippers were able to successfully coast to the finish from there against a Detroit team that wasn’t overly interested in extending the game with intentional fouls.

However ugly the first half was, the Clippers found a way to win in the second, as they have so often this season. They improved to 36-34 on the year, maintaining a comfortable lead over the 9th-place Los Angeles Lakers while still well behind the 7th-place Minnesota Timberwolves. The margins on either side of the team are both not quite insurmountable… but they’d require some pretty shocking results to close the season as LAC has just 12 games remaining. The Clippers’ focus is now entirely on the road game they’ll play in the second week of April for a chance at clinching the 7-seed in the first round of the playoffs–a game that will most likely be against the Wolves, but could still be one of Utah, Dallas, or Denver.

As far as that sleepiness that slowed down the Clippers in the first half today, they’ll have to wait a bit longer to get their respite. The team travels from Detroit to Cleveland tonight, where they’ll complete their final 5-in-7 stretch tomorrow against the Cavaliers. I’d be inclined to suggest that Reggie Jackson, who played his third straight game of 40 minutes today, should sit that one for rest, but the Clippers do not have another point guard on the roster. Maybe they just eat the loss and let Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, and Brandon Boston all do a little ballhandling.

Then, things will finally start to lighten up, at least as far as fatigue is concerned. The Clippers, whose current 70 games played lead the NBA, have just 12 games in the final 27 days of the regular season. The catch is that their next 8 straight games come against playoff opponents, so they’ll have to get the most out of their rest advantage in coming weeks to find those last few wins to push themselves to 41 or 42 wins and either finish the season at or above .500. Even though they’ll be the 8-seed even if they fall short of that mark, those are nice internal goals to keep them motivated.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers Wake Up Late, Beat Pistons Anyway
Lucas Hann

The Clippers just got a road win with their entire starting lineup out. So, yes, it’s time for some Clippers and Pistons player grades–but we aren’t gonna take them too seriously today because it’s all vibes right now.

Clippers Starter Grades

Reggie Jackson: A. What is there to say?

Luke Kennard: B+. It felt like the Clippers’ “Plan A” tonight was for Luke to get hot, as he came out of the gates putting up a ton of shots. That didn’t materialize, but I actually love to see a shooter dig deep and find ways to contribute when shots aren’t falling. A career-high 10 rebounds and a lot of craftiness to get to the free throw line 7 times didn’t make for a pretty performance, but a gritty one, and the Clippers pulled out a gritty win.

Terance Mann: B. Probably the main guy who didn’t “step up” and impact the game, Mann got a couple of early fouls and had just three first half points before finishing with 9 points on 4-12 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 29 minutes. But I’m not going lower than a B because two of the biggest plays of the game were with 44 and 19 seconds left, when Terance threw down an underappreciated monster dunk and then raced forward in transition to kick the ball out for a Reggie Jackson three to tie the game.

Patrick Patterson: D. There’s really no way that Malik Fitts could have been worse. Missing open shots, and absolutely no threat to do something with the ball in his hands when the defense overplays other options. Patterson’s flaws are much better masked by elite talent around him, but his court time was rough with this crew.

Ivica Zubac: A. Until Reggie’s fourth-quarter takeover (10 points on 4-6 shooting, including the gamewinner), Zu was the best player on the court tonight. He had 18 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. With the Clippers struggling offensively, he earned extra possessions on the offensive glass and kept the Pistons in the mud by anchoring LA’s defense. It’s less of an issue when this team is at full strength, but I think there’s a lot of merit to being more deliberate about getting Zu touches: not only is he a really efficient finisher around the basket who gets to the free throw line and converts, but he has also really shown passing ability in the short roll.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Amir Coffey: A. Contract. If not now (because the Clippers need to juggle emergency depth at guard and center), next off-season will be the time for Amir to sign a nice, cheap, multi-year deal to stick with LAC. Like any deep bench player, there are some weaknesses, and I don’t think it’s certain that he’ll ever be a good top-10 rotation guy, but he’s already proven this year that he can make an impact and avoid catastrophes when called upon in an injury replacement roll.

Nic Batum: B. It was actually a low-production evening for Nic, who had 7 points on 2-7 shooting, only 1 rebound, and no assists (though he did get a steal and a block) in 27 minutes of court time. But I have a bit of appreciation for the 32-year-old core rotation player who not only plays when the other vets are sitting out, but plays big minutes. The image of the Clippers coming back onto the court after their final timeout and Batum gathering Reggie, Luke, Terance, and Amir around him for another quick huddle is sticking with me. Leadership.

Rajon Rondo: B+. Speaking of leadership, none of the veteran Clippers who rested tonight were as active in encouraging and coaching the younger players on the court than Rondo. He did appear in this game, but just for a 17-minute backup role to keep the trains running on time with the Clippers down so many guards. I actually would have liked to see him play a bit more down the stretch as the Clippers were sputtering offensively, but the team was ultimately able to both win the game and keep the 36-year-old’s minutes down.

DeMarcus Cousins: B-. In what was Cousins’ first real rotation night as a Clipper, it was clear where his struggles arose this season with the Houston Rockets: he just has no lift around the basket, making it really difficult for him to finish at an average rate in traffic. But I think we also saw some of the advantages: his strength adds a nice little layer of physicality to the team, as he drew two fouls battling for position in the early fourth quarter. Normally, the team won’t need him to play this much (if at all) and they won’t be so short on options that they’ll have to force feed him in the post. In that more refined role, I think the early fourth quarter of this game was a nice example for how Cousins can contribute positively situationally.

No Grades

Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, and Jay Scrubb were all sidelined with various injuries, ailments, or just straight-up rest. Malik Fitts and Daniel Oturu were both available to appear off the bench but went unused by Ty Lue.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Pistons Player Grades, Part 2
Lucas Hann

Battling through fatigue, a truncated rotation down five starters and the officiating of Tony Brothers on the road, the L.A. Clippers (39-18) prevailed 100-98 over the Detroit Pistons to extend their winning streak to seven. Knocking down a cold-blooded game-winner in the heart of Motown with 2.3 seconds left, Reggie Jackson threw on his cape to put up a season-high 29 points (12-24 FG) and six rebounds. Had Jackson not gone hero-mode down the stretch, the Clippers’ player of the game honors would’ve went to Ivica Zubac, who double-doubled with 18 points (6-10 FG, 6-7 FT), 13 rebounds, two steals and a block. Luke Kennard had a rough shooting night, but finished with 17 points and a career-high-tying 10 boards. Making up for lost time, Jerami Grant led the way for the Pistons (16-39) with 28 points. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Pistons game recap.

Summary

Tipping off with their 20th different starting lineup of the season, the Clippers played about as well as could be expected in the opening quarter. Shooting just 1-for-6 from deep, L.A. still managed to put up 30 points in the period behind strong drives into the paint. Entering the bonus midway through the quarter, the Clippers cashed in on 9 of 11 trips to the free throw line. As Detroit’s Mason Plumlee and Josh Jackson each picked up two fouls in the period, however, so too did Terance Mann, who ultimately played just 10:54 in the first half. With the Clippers missing its Top-4 leading scorers, Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac provided the much-needed offense with ease early for the Clippers, combining for 21 points on 11 field goal attempts in the opening frame. After missing the two teams’ first matchup Sunday, Jerami Grant made his presence known for Detroit from the get-go, scoring 12 while playing the whole 12 minutes in the quarter. After one, the Clippers led 30-27.

In the second quarter, the game’s true colors began to show as both sides shot less than 36% from the field. As Reggie Jackson struggled to find the range, Luke Kennard became more aggressive in finding his own shot, leading the Clippers with 10 points in the period. The Clippers shot just 2-for-8 from deep in this frame, but were able to take what ended up being their largest lead of the game of eight by being scrappy on the boards and continuing to draw fouls. With momentum-killing buckets by Jerami Grant and Josh Jackson to close the first half, the Clippers took a 53-49 lead back to the locker room.

The Clippers had one of their worst third quarters of the season as their heavy-legged 3-point shooting continued to fail them. Reggie Jackson came back to life a bit to shoulder L.A.’s scoring load, but the Pistons flipped the free throw shooting discrepancy on its head, taking 10 trips to the charity stripe as opposed to the Clippers lone one. Shooting 52.9% from the field and looking much fresher than their opposition, the Pistons nearly took complete control of the game had it not been for a Nicolas Batum 4-point play to cut the Clippers’ deficit to 73-77 heading into the fourth.

After falling further behind in a tight duel through the first seven minutes and 10 seconds of the final frame 9-16, it appeared as though L.A.’s lack of consistent scoring was simply too much to overcome as the Pistons held their largest lead of the game up 11 with 4:50 remaining. As both sides soon continued to come up short with empty possessions, however, the Clippers stayed the course off of timely baskets from Mann, Jackson and Zubac. After emptying the playbook, including some Hack-a-Plumlee theatrics that ultimately failed, L.A. found itself with a chance down 93-98 with 46.9 seconds left. With a T-Mann dunk, a Batum steal leading to a transition Jackson corner three to tie it and an unbelievable inbound steal by Amir Coffey, the Clippers handed it off for Jackson to go on and win the game.

Clippers vs. Pistons Game Notes

• Boogie Delivers: Albeit the 15:27 of playing time felt a bit too high, DeMarcus Cousins was a positive contributor in the win. With his physicality down low and raw skill, Cousins drew some big fouls early in the fourth on both ends to go with his eight points.
• A True Point Guard: The Clippers move to 7-0 when Rajon Rondo plays, and have outscored their opponents by 71 points with him on the floor. Accounting for nearly half of the team’s mere 10 assisted baskets (4) Wednesday night, Rondo showed off his ability to be a floor general once again in his 17 minutes of action. Although he did pass up a pair of wide open looks from three, Rondo was very vocal in directing traffic, connecting guys together during dead balls and set up another Clipper to perfection on a nice BLOB dime to Luke Kennard for an and-1 layup.
• Old-School Win: Despite shooting a horrendous 7-for-28 from three (24.1%), the Clippers moved to 1-5 on the season when making less than 10 3s and 10-1 in the second game of back-to-backs.
• Up Next: The Clippers will face the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center to close out their three-game road trip Friday, April 16 at 4 p.m. PT.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Pistons Recap: Clips Steal Last-second Win
Ralston Dacanay

Following a strong win over the Indiana Pacers to kick off their three-game road trip, the 213-less L.A. Clippers (38-18) will try to keep their six-game winning streak rolling and sweep the Detroit Pistons (16-38) Wednesday. Read on for our full Clippers vs. Pistons game preview.

Clippers vs. Pistons Game Information

Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
When: 5 p.m. PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports West, AM 570 L.A. Sports, 1330 AM Tu Liga

Projected Starting Lineups:
L.A. Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Luke Kennard – Terance Mann – Patrick Patterson – Ivica Zubac
Detroit Pistons: Cory Joseph – Josh Jackson – Saddiq Bey – Jerami Grant – Mason Plumlee

Injury Report:
L.A. Clippers: Patrick Beverley – OUT (Left Hand Fourth Metacarpal Fracture), Serge Ibaka – OUT (Lower Back Tightness), Paul George – OUT (Rest), Kawhi Leonard – OUT (Sore Right Foot), Marcus Morris Sr. – OUT (Rest)
Detroit Pistons: Rodney McGruder – OUT (Right Elbow Sprain), Dennis Smith Jr. – OUT (Left Knee Inflammation)

The Big Picture

As the postseason winds continue to draw near, the Clippers have remained locked in as the owners of the NBA’s longest active win streak and the victors of 13 of their last 16 games. Despite continuing to miss two starters for an extended stretch of the season, L.A. hasn’t missed a beat, seeing impressive contributions from just about top-to-bottom while posting three straight games with at least 30 assists. To supplement its historic offense, the Clippers’ defense has continued to rank in the Top-10 with Ivica Zubac in the starting lineup.

With Ty Lue reiterating Tuesday that the team will prioritize health heading into the playoffs, it makes a lot of sense to rest Paul George on the backend of yet another back-to-back. Coming off of four-straight games with at least 30 points, George played a game-high 38 minutes and 29 seconds in Indiana, including virtually all of the fourth quarter. With Kawhi Leonard also remaining out, however, the Clippers will playing without their star 213 duo for the first time since their 114-96 loss to the Utah Jazz back in February. The Clippers are 3-2 this season without PG-13 and The Claw in the starting lineup.

The Antagonist

After trailing by as much as 12 points to Detroit in the third quarter last Sunday, the Clippers should have no lack of motivation to come out with a sense of urgency against the Pistons tonight. Despite sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Detroit has shown the ability to elevate their play to the level of their opponents with wins over Boston, Phoenix, Miami and Philadelphia.

In addition to Cory Joseph, Josh Jackson and Saddiq Bey, who each had nice showings for Detroit last time around, the Pistons appear to be getting Jerami Grant (Knee) back for this one. After departing from the Denver Nuggets as a free agent in hopes of taking on a larger role, Grant has taken a sizeable step with Detroit, leading the team in scoring (22.5 PPG) with decent efficiency on career-high volume.

Clippers vs. Pistons Game Notes

• Next Mann Up: While having to go back to playing without your main guys always stinks, the Clippers have taken a lot of strides since then. They’ve been playing better as a unit and with the depth of guys such as Ivica Zubac, Reggie Jackson, Nicolas Batum and Terance Mann still in the lineup, the Clippers could still have a great chance to squeak out a win here before heading off to Philadelphia.
• Hitting the Brakes: The main stat that jumps off of an otherwise uninspiring page of numbers for Detroit this season—the Pistons are 9-4 when shooting 50% or better. As shown by the 53/47/90 percent shooting splits the Pistons put up on the Clippers the last time out, Detroit quietly has the ability to catch fire and stay hot the entire night. With the Pistons looking to return the favor after leading the Clippers for the majority of the first three quarters and putting up 124 points in a loss, L.A. will need to tighten it up on the defensive end or else Lucas will have to bring out the ice cream again.
• Check Your Local Listings: For the first and only game of the season, the local Clippers TV broadcast will be hosted on Bally Sports West, as opposed to its usual spot on Bally Sports SoCal.

Feel free to stick around and chat down below as this article’s comment section will serve as our live game thread tonight against the Detroit Pistons. Sign up for a free account and join the conversation!

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs. Pistons Preview: Rematch in the Motor City
Ralston Dacanay

According to the New York Times’ Marc Stein, the LA Clippers are among several contending teams interested in signing free agent forward Blake Griffin, who recently completed a buyout with the Detroit Pistons. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the buyout.

According to Wojarowski, the veteran forward is expected to have conversations with interested teams in the coming days before making a decision. The 31-year-old Griffin, who will turn 32 later this month, has had egregious problems remaining healthy in recent years, playing just 49 games/season for the five years prior to this one. Last month, Griffin and the Pistons mutually agreed that he wouldn’t play again for the team and instead work on a trade or buyout. Notably, the Clippers did not appear on Wojnarowski’s (partial) list of suitors:

But with a $36.6M salary for this season and a $39M salary next season, and his performance dropping off just as precipitously as his availability, a trade was never likely to happen. In fact, I’m fascinated to see exactly how much of his remaining guaranteed money Griffin relinquished to the Pistons in order to reach free agency. After the Clippers traded Blake in 2018, he had a triumphant first full season in Detroit, playing in 75 games and averaging a career-high 24.5 points to go with 7.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 36.2% from three on 7 attempts per game. But he was dreadful in just 18 appearances in 2019-20, putting up 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 35.2% from the field and 24.3% from deep. In 20 appearances for Detroit this year, his play was equally miserable: 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 36.5% from the field, 31.5% from deep–and with over half of his shot attempts coming from beyond the arc. Robbed of his athleticism by injuries, Griffin settled in as a low-efficiency three-point shooter on offense, and his always-poor defense became compounded by his reduced mobility to produce truly awful play on that end.

On the one hand, Griffin is undeniably going to be seen as one of the top targets for every contending team this buyout season due to his undeniable talent. There really hasn’t been much to like from him since the 18-19 season, but if the cost is only a roster spot and a rest-of-season minimum deal, there’s little downside to bringing in a veteran with 50 games of NBA playoff experience. In all likelihood, he doesn’t have much left to contribute at the NBA level–even in a reduced role, he really didn’t show any signs in Detroit of being to approach rotation quality on either end of the floor. But your 15th guy isn’t going to play much anyway, and if he does somehow take his skillset and evolve as a role player within his new post-injury limitations, Blake brings a much higher ceiling than other forward who will be available around this time of year.

For the Clippers, though, so much of that ceiling is offensive that it’s worth wondering whether or not Blake is the best fit for what this roster needs. Yes, the Clippers have struggled to generate good shots late in games recently (though even in his prime, Blake was infamous for dribbling off his foot on crucial possessions), but they ultimately still possess a historic offense… and a below-average defense, one that gets even worse when injuries force them away from their trustworthy wing/forward combinations featuring Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Nicolas Batum, and Marcus Morris. What the Clippers really need is another body at 4 (or 3/4) who can come in and stabilize lineups defensively so that their backup guards–Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, Luke Kennard–can bring the offense without getting buried on the other end.

For Griffin, his real role is likely going to be as a bench center, not a power forward. Playing at the 5, his mobility defensively can be hidden (a little) more effectively (though teams will still put him in pick-and-rolls), and his perimeter skillset on offense will force opposing backup centers into uncomfortable positions defensively. We saw last year, however, how hard it can be to “hide” an awful backup center on defense. The Clippers do need a third string center, but again, they’re probably in greater need of defensive stability than another option to create shots (which Blake hasn’t even been great at lately). The Clippers also don’t seem likely to offer Blake guaranteed minutes at either position, considering the varying roles and contributions of Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, and Ivica Zubac at the PF and C positions. Other teams with greater frontcourt depth needs (like the Brooklyn Nets, who play 4 guards most of the time) might offer Griffin clearer paths to playing time.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Report: Clippers Interested in Blake Griffin
Lucas Hann

In this episode of LA Clippers News and Updates, I broke down the Clippers’ trade of Landry Shamet for Luke Kennard. The team also sent Rodney McGruder to the Detroit Pistons in the deal. Shamet went to the Brooklyn Nets, who sent the 19th pick in tonight’s draft to the Pistons.

You can listen to the show and get my take on the Clippers’ decision to trade Shamet for Kennard here.

Make sure you check out the podcast and subscribe! LA Clippers News and Updates is a Clippers breaking news podcast that provides rapid reaction 5-15 minute episodes whenever there is significant news surrounding the team.

Podcast: Clippers Trade Shamet for Kennard
Lucas Hann