Next up in our player preview series, we examine the potential 2021 season of Clippers starting point guard Patrick Beverley.

Basic Information

Height: 6’1

Weight: 185 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 32

Years in NBA: 8

Key Stats: 7.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 26.3 minutes per game across 51 games played on 43.1/38.8/66 shooting splits.

Playoff Stats: 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steals in 20.8 minutes per game across 8 games played on 51.3/36.4/50 shooting splits.

Contract Status: In the second year of a 3 year, $40M contract, earning $13.33M this season.

Expectations

Beverley is, along with Lou Williams, the most tenured player on the Clippers roster, as both veteran guards are going into their 4^th seasons on the team. Outside of a brief stretch in the 2019 season when Beverley was playing off the bench behind Avery Bradley (gross) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (our sweet prince forever), Beverley has operated as the Clippers’ starting point guard, a role he’s prepared to reprise this season.

Beverley is expected to provide his usual suite of services – leadership, tough perimeter defense, rebounding, outside shooting, and a helping of attitude. With multiple guards who can (theoretically) fill in for him in Luke Kennard, Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson, and even Terance Mann, the Clippers will probably try to keep his minutes around the 25-27 mark, as they have the past couple years. However, Beverley will start, and he will probably close most games as well, making him one of the most important players on the roster.

Strengths

Pat has earned three All-Defense teams in the past seven years, including a second-team selection last season, making him one of the more well-decorated perimeter defenders of the 2010s decade. He’s a tenacious, clever defender who puts pressure on the ball but also makes smart rotations and does less glorious stuff as a help player. While undersized, his toughness and strength enables him to defend much larger players with at least some aptitude, giving him added value in a switch-heavy NBA. There are better point guard defenders in the NBA (Marcus Smart, Kris Dunn, and Eric Bledsoe, with Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul up there as well), but not many. Part of that defense is simply exceptional rebounding – Pat’s rebounding numbers would be solid for a 6’6 wing, much less a 6’1 aging point guard.

However, the most underrated element of Beverley’s game is on the offensive end. While he’s received recognition as a defender, his complementary and quiet offensive game has earned him few plaudits. In particular, Beverley is a legitimately excellent three-point shooter, averaging 38.1% across his career on decent volume. Mostly a spot-up shooter, Beverley is at least somewhat of a threat off the bounce as well, and is capable of hitting shots from all around the arc. Next to scoring stars such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Beverley’s off-ball shooting is made even more potent.

Shooting is not Beverley’s only offensive strength. While not a particularly adroit playmaker, Beverley is more than capable of running simple offensive plays and getting a team into sets. He’s also a very secure ballhandler, with a consistently low turnover rate. Not giving the ball away is a huge component to generating a good offense, and while Beverley might not create much from others, he also doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. That has plenty of value.

Finally, Pat Beverley brings a fiery personality and attitude. That can get him into trouble at times, but it also made him a key leader on the highly entertaining, never-say-die 2019 Clippers squad that earned the lasting love of Clippers fans. That same attitude seemed to fail at times in 2020, but it was an unusual season, and Beverley will presumably bring his trademark personality for this critical 2021 campaign.

Weaknesses

As mentioned above, Beverley is a below-average playmaker, passer, and shot creator for an NBA starting point guard. His handle is more functional than deadly, and while he has some quickness, his lack of burst and explosion means he is rarely able to drive to the basket without the aid of a pick. This lack of downhill driving means he doesn’t really create open shots for other players very much, especially in the halfcourt, instead operating better as a secondary or tertiary playmaker. Additionally, his lack of individual scoring means opposing teams can place weaker defenders on him and help off, knowing he’s not super likely to burn them.

While not quite a weakness, it also must be said that Beverley is overrated somewhat defensively. He’s quite good, but probably wasn’t All-Defense last year. And, while he can switch onto bigger players, it’s something that the Clippers do too frequently. His hyperactivity and aggressiveness also result in high foul counts far too often, which is another limit on his playing time. If Beverley isn’t playing, he’s not bringing his positive attributes to the team – and is getting the team into the penalty.

The last of Pat’s weaknesses is the most unfortunate – his propensity to get injured. In eight years in the NBA, Pat has cracked the 70 game line just twice, and finished below 60 in five seasons. He’s just always banged up, and his likelihood of injury is not going to decline as he enters his mid-30s. Perhaps the most underdiscussed reason for the Clippers’ disappointing playoffs is that Beverley missed most of the bubble dealing with the death of a friend, then got injured and missed five of six games in the Mavs series. While he played in all seven games against the Nuggets, he clearly was not at 100%, and that hurt the Clippers a great deal. The Clippers know that Beverley is likely to get injured, and know that their play consistently takes a big hit when he’s out.

Summary

Pat Beverley might be the 3^rd most important player on the Clippers, behind the obvious Kawhi and George. The Clippers have a three-year track record of being a far worse team when Beverley is off the floor compared to on, and none of their signings this summer make that scenario any less likely this year. He’s one of the better rebounders, defenders, passers, and shooters on the team, and that array of skills make him a viable candidate to play in any game against any opponent. If the Clippers are to make a deep playoff run, they need Beverley healthy and playing at peak capacity. Anything less and another disappointing finish is much more probable.

Clippers 2020-2021 Season Preview: Patrick Beverley
Robert Flom

Earlier this evening, the NBA released their All-Defense Teams, and to no surprise, Clippers’ players Patrick Beverley and Kawhi Leonard made the Second Team. The First Team was composed of Marcus Smart and Ben Simmons at guard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis at forward, and Rudy Gobert at center. Joining Beverley and Leonard on the Second Team were Eric Bledsoe at guard, Bam Adebayo at forward, and Brook Lopez at center.

Beverley and Leonard were two key perimeter players for a Clippers’ team that ranked 5th in Defensive Rating in the regular season despite injuries and lack of cohesion. Beverley’s communication, fire, and hustle make him a constant irritant on the court, while Leonard can do things on defense that perhaps no other player (other than a fully locked in LeBron?) can (see yesterday’s one-finger block).

It’s tough to say either should have been 1st team – Beverley is smaller and less versatile than Smart or Simmons, and Leonard played much less and was generally less impactful than Giannis and Davis. Guys like Jrue Holiday and Kyle Lowry certainly had arguments over Beverley as well, but both Beverley and Kawhi were certainly worthy of their All Defense placements. Their contributions on defense in addition to their varying roles on offense have made them hugely valuable to the Clips as two-way players, and each will have big roles to play for the Clippers in the weeks to come.

Paul George also received three votes for the second team, but no other Clipper garnered any support. If George had played more games he probably would have had stronger consideration, but it would have been tough to place him this season.

Congratulations to Kawhi and Pat on the achievement! This is Pat’s 3rd All-Defense Team nomination (he made 2nd team in 2014 and 1st team in 2017) and Kawhi’s 6th (2nd team in 2014 and 2019, 1st from 2015-2017). They are two of the best perimeter defenders of the decade, and fully deserving of adding another accolade to their wall.

Kawhi Leonard and Pat Beverley Make Second Team All-Defense
Robert Flom

In somewhat surprising news, Doc Rivers announced in the Clippers pregame press conference that Pat Beverley will play tonight against the Lakers. Now, he was ruled as questionable in the pre-game injury report, but he didn’t shoot around with the team this morning and has been out of Orlando for a couple weeks, so he presumably won’t have a ton of rhythm with the rest of the team. Prime Ticket has noted that Pat won’t start, which makes sense – the bench unit will already be disrupted without Lou and Trez, while the starting lineup has at least gained some steam during the scrimmages.

Doc did say that he’s not sure how many minutes Pat will play, so it’s quite possible we see him for a very limited stretch tonight as he plays his way back into game shape and into chemistry with the rest of the squad. However, even a little bit of Pat Beverley can go a long way, and his defense, energy, and shooting will be welcome boosts for the Clippers in a tough game against the Lakers.

What this means for the rest of the team depends on how much Pat will play. If Doc is comfortable giving him even 15 minutes, Terance Mann will probably be out of the rotation, and Amir Coffey and Rodney McGruder will see their minutes squeezed as well. While all those guys have looked effective at times, Pat Beverley is certainly a step up, and the more minutes that go to him rather than 3rd stringers, the better. One of Coffey and McGruder will probably still get minutes, though, and it will be interesting to see which one Doc turns too now that the games matter.

Having Pat Beverley play against the Lakers is a big deal, too, because of the fight that he always brings to this matchup. His defense on LeBron might be somewhat more entertaining than it is effective (though it’s had its highlights), but his ability to get his teammates energized is second to none (though Montrezl Harrell is close), and that will be hugely important in the bubble without fans and crowd noise. Welcome back, Pat!

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Patrick Beverley to Play Against Lakers
Robert Flom

Per Malika Andrews of ESPN, Pat Beverley left Orlando tonight due to an undisclosed family emergency. He will be gone for however long his family emergency needs him, with no projected return date.

First of all, our thoughts and best wishes are with Pat and his family at this time. No matter how this effects the Clippers, Pat’s family is obviously more important, so we won’t speculate on what’s going on with him, or when he might come back. He will take the time he needs, and when he’s ready to rejoin the team, he will. The Clippers will miss Beverley’s defense, his leadership, and his three-point shooting while he’s gone, and the team is certainly not complete with him absent.

In the meantime, the Clippers will go on without Pat (though it’s fortunate that Marcus Morris just arrived). Reggie Jackson will presumably step up to the starting point guard role, which should give Doc Rivers and the Clippers an extended look at what the veteran can handle in a bigger role. Hopefully they won’t have to rely on Jackson like that in the playoffs, but it will be useful to know if he can fill that role if needed.

Behind Jackson, the Clippers’ depth at point guard is not super great. Lou Williams can handle the position in a pinch of course, and his minutes will probably increase accordingly. Moving Lou over more towards the point will free up wing minutes, which could actually result in Rodney McGruder or Amir Coffey getting more run than otherwise expected as well. If the Clippers don’t want to play Lou too much at point, rookie Terance Mann might get a chance to play point guard too.

Pat Beverley left Orlando tonight and won’t return until his family emergency situation is taken care of. We will continue to provide updates on the situation as it develops, but in the meantime, we will continue to send our thoughts towards Pat and his family to get through the emergency they’re presently dealing with.

LA Clippers News: Pat Beverley Left Orlando Due to Family Emergency
Robert Flom

Lucas Hann and Robert Flom are joined by 213Hoops staffer Joey Linn to discuss the signing of Joakim Noah, reminisce on the one-year anniversary of the arrivals of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and chat about the 2020 seasons of the Clippers point guards.

Download the podcast here, or listen to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

TLTJTP: Joakim Noah Signing and a Review of Clippers’ 2020 Point Guards
Robert Flom

Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch/Listen: TNT, Prime Ticket, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Rockets: James Harden – Russell Westbrook – Danuel House – Robert Covington – P.J. Tucker

Clippers: Patrick Beverley – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Rockets: DeMarre Carroll (Questionable) Illness

Clippers: None

The Big Picture

The Clippers continue to look their most impressive stretch of the season, riding a current five-game win streak into Houston Thursday night. With a win tonight, if Montrezl Harrell is healthy (rolled his ankle Tuesday), the Clippers would be 10-0 with a fully healthy lineup. Their next two games, Houston tonight, and the Lakers Sunday, will be their two most important of the regular season to this point. Tonight could be a statement win. The Rockets are only 2.5 games back of the Clippers for the two seed. However, this season, the Rockets have beaten LA two out of three times, including the Clippers squandering an 18-point lead in the last matchup.

There is also a weird little rivalry with the Rockets given previous playoff matchups and the players that are on both rosters. It’s been noted that Pat Bev and Russ hate each other, and that Austin Rivers is both a former Clipper and son of the Clippers coach Doc. These games are always scrappy and drama filled. The Clippers have been able to stifle top teams this season, but have yet to see a team like the Rockets all season. You know, the team with a 6’5” center. Do the Clips take advantage of having Zubac and go inside more? Do they match the Rockets in their small-ball efforts and utilize Trezz to extremes? It’s going to be a fun watch regardless.

The Antagonist

The most frustrating team in the league to watch and to play against. The Houston Rockets have gone all-in on Mike D’Antoni’s wet dream of small-ball by taking out their biggest player and going five-out, chucking threes, playing minimal defense, and “revolutionizing” the way the game is played. So far, it’s worked? Since trading Capela on Feb 5, the Rockets are 7-3. Their lowest point total in a game since has been 111 (in a win over the Boston Celtics), and this small-ball play style has unlocked different looks in their offense. Russell Westbrook has gone from undeserved All-Star to playing perhaps the best ball of his career, averaging 32.5, 8 and 8 in the month of February and, you know, actually contributing to wins instead of chucking unnecessary threes and hurting his team.

This game has all the makings of being very frustrating to watch. If the Rockets are hitting their deep balls and the lane is open for them, they are very difficult to beat. The Clippers defense has been able to stifle top opponents this season and make life hard for offenses, but the Rockets can shoot their way into (and out of) every game, as well as use their unique, rush-to-the-ball defense to confuse offenses. It will be we interesting to see how they protect the rim against someone like Zubac or Trezz. Likewise it’ll be fascinating to see how the Clippers defend the Rockets.

Notes

Reggie and Lou combo KILLIN IT: Reggie Jackson’s ability to take the ball out of Lou’s hands in the 2nd unit and let him play his natural position, shooting guard, has done wonders for the Clips bench. Via Jovan Buha with The Athletic, in the 69 minutes they’ve played together, Jackson and Williams have posted a plus-34.2 net rating. It’s a small-ish sample size, but the way this pairing has been going so far, I don’t see the momentum stopping anytime soon. Especially when you factor in that the Reg-Trezz PnR is now dangerous as well. 

I do this every time they play but watch this video on the beef between Russ and Pat Bev: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4htEvURGco

Clippers Vs. Rockets Game Preview: This Is A BIG One
Chris Murch

Summary

The Clippers took control of the game from the jump ball and never let go. In fact, they would never trail the Nuggets, and the game did not seem in doubt outside of a few scattered minutes in the second quarter. The key? The Clippers’ resurgent defense, which looks better than ever with the new, fully healthy starting lineup. Kawhi Leonard has engaged “Klaw” mode, Pat Beverley is playing his best defense in years, and Ivica Zubac has become a legitimately good defensive player. With Paul George finally looking healthy as well, even the relative weak point of Marcus Morris is hard to exploit. Morris has looked engaged on that end of the court so far in his Clippers tenure, and while he’s not great on that end, his size alone makes him a physical presence. The offense looked a little less smooth, but still moved the ball well and would have been a lot more potent if shots had fallen.

The second unit was a little less dominant, but still played well. Reggie Jackson continues to play at a high level, and his addition has really increased the ball movement on offense. Lou Williams playing a little more off-ball has been nice to see, and both he and Landry Shamet have more room to attack the basket now with Jackson’s shooting and slashing on the court at the same time. Montrezl Harrell looked invigorated as well, attacking Mason Plumlee with verve and showcasing the trademark energy that has made him such a fan favorite over the years. The Nuggets were able to hang around largely through Jerami Grant’s scoring around the rim and Nikola Jokic’s brilliance, but the Clippers were in control.

Then, in the third quarter, the Clippers blew the doors off. The starters locked down on defense once more, and were able to turn stops into scores in transition. Paul George looked especially dangerous, consistently getting to his spots and sizzling from deep. A seven-point lead quickly turned into a 20-point lead, and the Nuggets never made a run again. Every time they scored, the Clippers would come right back down and put in another basket, and the Nuggets deflated. The final period was garbage time, and the Clippers played well even in that low stakes environment. It was a night where everyone contributed, and the Clips just played great basketball.

Notes

Return of Paul George: Paul George has been better than the box score stats would suggest in recent weeks. Even though his shot hasn’t fallen, his defense has been good (if not great), and he’s contributed as a rebounder and playmaker. Last night, however, was probably the idealized version of himself on the Clippers. He didn’t hold the ball or try to create too much, except late in the shot clock or on a mismatch, instead playing off-ball as a shooter. And boy did he shoot, draining six of his eight shots from deep, and looking fully capable of dropping an easy 40 points if the game had been close. He was also more active on defense than he has been recently, and made hustle plays like diving on the floor for loose balls that would suggest he’s feeling healthy and comfortable with his body. Shooting on this level is impossible to get every night, but this Paul George is the second banana who could get the Clippers a championship.

Lou Williams Dazzles: While Lou has had bigger scoring nights recently, this game might be the best he’s played in a while. He was fully under control and didn’t force any shots or passes. Having Reggie Jackson on the court alongside him seems to agree with the reigning Sixth Man, and he devastated the Nuggets last night. Whenever he wanted to score, he would score, and whenever the Clippers big men rolled to the hoop, Lou found them. 17 and 7 on good efficiency is exactly what the Clippers need from Lou, and the 22 minutes was a huge plus – Lou’s no spring chicken, and he might need some reduced minutes more than anyone before the postseason. Still, there’s no questioning the importance of Sweet Lou to this team, and last night’s version will be a force in the playoffs, poor defense or no.

Pat Makes it Work: With all that said, the true difference in the Clippers the last few games has been Pat Beverley. The Clippers just play consistently harder when he’s on the court, and his energy and attitude are contagious. When Reggie Jackson drained a three late in the 1^st quarter, the first guy to run on the court and pump him up was Beverley, who was bouncing around and hyping him up all the way to the bench. He didn’t score and took one shot, but his defense was phenomenal, as he rotated and scrambled all over the court to cover shooters, take away driving lanes, and force extra passes. On offense, even without scoring, his shooting ability helped space the floor, and he kept the ball moving without turning it over – two issues the Clippers have had this year. Kawhi and Paul George are the superstars, Trez and Lou are the bench engines and fan favorites, and Shamet and Zu are the young guns, but it’s Beverley who holds the whole operation together. Long live Pat.

Tomorrow the Clippers take on the Sixers in another marquee game, and if they play like this, they should be looking at their fourth win in a row.

Clippers Clamp Down on Nuggets 132-103
Robert Flom

Game Information

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch/Listen: ESPN, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Nuggets: Jamal Murray – Gary Harris – Will Barton – Paul Millsap – Nikola Jokic

Clippers: Patrick Beverley – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Nuggets: Bol Bol Out (Foot)

Clippers: None

The Big Picture

The Clippers have righted the ship a little since their first three-game losing streak of the season with two solid wins against the Grizzlies and Suns. They continue to look like a championship-caliber team when fully healthy, even with Paul George struggling with his shot. Meanwhile, new addition Reggie Jackson has fit in excellently off the bench, bringing especially tough defense early on. The Clippers bench has surprisingly struggled this season, but have looked better the past couple games. The Suns and Grizzlies aren’t challenging opponents right now, but they’re not cakewalks either, and the revitalized Clippers bench is a good sign for when the schedule gets more difficult. Sitting at the 3^rd spot in the West, the Clippers might be out of range of the top seed, yet are still in good position entering the stretch run.

The Antagonist

The Nuggets have had a season that, record-wise, looks like what was expected before the season. They’re the 2 seed in the West, are on pace for a win total in the high 50s, and have mostly been very good. However, they have not done so in a manner that might have been predicted. Young point guard Jamal Murray, fresh off a max contract extension, has stagnated in his 4^th season. Gary Harris, another core player, has continued to regress from his breakout 2018 season. However, Will Barton has stepped up with a fantastic season, and Paul Millsap, while clearly declining, has still been fantastic. Michael Porter Jr. has had issues, but the rookie has looked extremely promising as a scorer, and is lights out when he’s hot. Throughout it all, Nikola Jokic has continued to play at an All-NBA level. The Nuggets might not have the starpower of the other top West teams, but they’re deep and talented.

Notes

Pat Beverley Surging: Much like last season, Patrick Beverley started off the year slow from three, and has heated up to a full boil over the course of the year. After shooting a paltry 15.4% from deep in October, and 32.7% in November, the feisty point guard has hit over 40% of his shots from beyond the arc in each month since, and has raised his overall percentage to a very respectable 37.5. Beverley’s shooting is extremely important around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, and every time he hits a three it draws just a little bit more defense attention away from the Clippers’ superstars. Beverley’s leadership and defense are important, but he does plenty else on the court that is valuable to the Clippers.

Marcus Morris vs. Paul Millsap: Paul Millsap has given the Clippers grief for years, with his stocky frame, defensive smarts, and clever playmaking being a unique and oft-devastating package. Theoretically, Millsap is the type of player who Morris can match up against. Morris is a big, solidly built man himself, and can bang with Millsap in the post while stretching him out of the paint on the other end. If he can play Millsap to a standstill, the Clippers should be in a good position to win the game.

JaMychal Green, Always Contributing: On the surface, JaMychal Green’s stats don’t look great. He’s shooting under 40% from the field, extremely bad for a big man, and just 35% from three. Those stats don’t show his true impact, not even close. First off, he’s the second-best rebounder on the team behind Ivica Zubac (and maybe Kawhi Leonard), and can always be counted upon to bring down big boards. He also plays bigger than his size defensively, helping out around the rim in rotations and banging with centers in the post. Even out on the perimeter, while not swift, Green plays angles smartly and knows where to funnel opposing players. The Clippers just generally play better when he’s out there, and he deserves more minutes.

Follow along on this post or on the forum throughout the game!

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game Preview
Robert Flom

The NBA regular season resumed last night, which means its time to start thinking about the stretch run of the season in earnest. The Clippers will not play until tomorrow afternoon, a fortunate occurrence for a team that is nursing injuries to two key players. Every day that Paul George and Patrick Beverley are able to heal up and rest is a blessing for the Clips, who need both starters at 100% if they’re to make a run at a championship. However, if both those guys continue to miss games, the Clippers’ postseason positioning could be damaged. Here’s a brief look at the standings at the top of the West right now, along with strength of remaining schedule (SOS) and home and away games remaining.

The Clippers are six losses behind the Lakers, who are healthy, and have a home-heavy schedule the rest of the way. It is highly unlikely they catch the Lakers barring an injury to Anthony Davis or LeBron James, especially with George and Beverley still on the shelf and Kawhi Leonard load managing games. However, catching the Lakers doesn’t matter all that much – the Lakers would have homecourt advantage in any series against the Clippers regardless of seeding, so placing ahead of them in the standings wouldn’t matter in a head-to-head series. Now, facing whoever is in the 8^th seed instead of one of the top seven teams (who are all clearly far ahead of the rest of the pack) would be a boon, but it’s not as important for a Clippers team that prides itself on being a championship contender.

The Clippers could, on the other hand, catch the Nuggets. Denver is just a half game ahead of LAC at the moment, and have a slightly tougher schedule the rest of the way. If Beverley comes back soon, and George doesn’t miss *too* much more time, the Clippers could absolutely make a run at the 2 seed. The issue, of course, is that the teams behind them won’t be idle either. The Jazz are just a stone’s throw away from the Clippers and have frequently made runs down the stretch in recent years, while the Rockets have been surging lately behind their reshaped roster and increased focus on small-ball. The Clippers have a bit more breathing room over Dallas and Oklahoma City, but a top-five seed is far less comfortable than a top-two or even top-three placement would be.

That’s because, of course, the Jazz and Rockets are more threatening than the Mavs or Thunder by a considerable margin. All credit to both those teams, who are very good and having extremely entertaining seasons, but neither matches up well with the Clips. The Clippers have beaten the Mavs several times this year, mostly because they have several capable wing defenders to throw at Luka Doncic and are unafraid (rightly so) of his supporting cast. The Thunder feature several former Clippers and are highly talented, but their roster is thin, and their best lineup is a three-guard unit that would be greatly undersized against the Clippers wings.

The Jazz have several large, capable wing defenders to put on Kawhi and Paul George, and Rudy Gobert is a major deterrent at the rim. The Clippers don’t have a truly devastating high pick-and-roll threat (ala Steph Curry or Damian Lillard), which is the best way to attack Gobert, and he’s dominated them several times over the years. The Rockets might not have size to punish the Clippers anymore, but their small lineups are devastatingly effective on offense, and if they happen to catch fire over a series could spell doom for any team, even if their defense is leaky. The Clippers are fully capable of beating both teams, but should try to avoid them in the first round if at all possible.

Getting a two or three seed also keeps the Clippers away from the Lakers, their greatest threat, until the Western Conference Finals. The more chances that other teams have to beat the Lakers, the better; while beating the Lakers en route to a championship would be extremely satisfying for Clippers fans, avoiding them entirely would be the smoothest path to the Finals. Essentially, the Clippers are likely to finish somewhere in the 2-5 range in the Western Conference. If possible, they should attempt to get the 2^nd or 3^rd seed, both to stay out of the Lakers path and to hopefully face one of the Mavs or Thunder in the 1^st round rather than the Nuggets, Jazz, or Rockets. It will be tricky for the Clippers to do so with Beverley and George out, but if both guys can return sooner than later, and the team is able to get some cohesion down the stretch, it’s certainly in the cards. All that said, the Clippers being healthy for the postseason is the most important thing, and if they need to sacrifice positioning to have their key guys ready for the playoffs, it will probably be worth it. They’re not going anywhere in the postseason without a healthy Paul George or Pat Beverley, but if they possess their full roster, there’s not a team they can’t beat in the NBA, homecourt advantage or no.

Looking at the Clippers’ Battle for Postseason Positioning Down the Stretch of the NBA Season
Robert Flom

Summary

Well, this was an inauspicious first game for me to cover at 213Hoops. Let me be brief, as I don’t think any Clippers fans want to dwell on this one too much. After hanging even with the Wolves for the first half of the first quarter, the Clippers’ defense collapsed in a major way, surrendering open three pointers at will. Normally, this might not be too bad – the Wolves were the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA coming into tonight. However, they were on fire in this one, and the Clippers paid for it. Oh boy did they pay.

The Clippers were able to stay somewhat close in the first quarter due to their own strong offense, but as soon as that fell off, the Wolves surged ahead. Every time the Clips made a shot, the Wolves would come back and hit another, and then another after that for good measure. There were no stops to be had, no momentum gained, and the Clippers trailed by 22 at halftime.

The second half was extended garbage time, for all intents and purposes. Yes, the Clippers played key guys for the third quarter, and at least some effort was there, but there was no hope of any sustained comeback. The Wolves scoring fell off, but it was more due to coasting on their end than anything else – they still sliced and diced the Clippers “defense” at will. The 4^th quarter truly was garbage time, as Doc Rivers emptied his bench and let the young guns get some time. The end result was a shocking 142-115 rout, with the Wolves setting a franchise record with 26 made threes.

Notes

Defense is Slop: The Clippers offense wasn’t great in this one, as it was fairly stagnant and never strung much together. Compared to the defense, however, the offense looked championship-level. The Clippers were a step slow all night, seemed out of sorts with communication, and failed to play with any toughness or physicality. This kind of effort has happened too frequently this year, and while it wouldn’t seem to be of concern in a truly meaningful setting (such as the playoffs), it hasn’t made those games any more enjoyable tot watch. This one was yucky from start to finish.

Credit to Wolves: The Clippers were awful defensively, but credit must go to the Wolves, who moved the ball excellently and were unselfish throughout. The Wolves looked like a well-oiled machine, with no hints that they were missing their starting point guard and had just reshuffled their roster a couple days ago. Just about every single player on their team contributed to the win and played well, and if it hadn’t been the Clippers they were playing against, it would have been a joy to watch. They also played well defensively, shutting down the Clippers’ three-point attack and rotating hard to contest shots around the rim. Just a very nicely played game from Minnesota all-around.

Pat is Missed: The Clippers’ record without Patrick Beverley over the past two seasons is dreadful. They miss his shooting, defense, playmaking, and rebounding, and that’s not even counting his energy, leadership, and overall attitude. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are the two best players on the team, but the player who it seems the Clips truly can’t do without on a game-to-game basis is Pat. Hopefully his groin injury isn’t too bad, and he can rejoin the team soon, because they are not the same without him.

Next up, the Clippers play tomorrow night at Cleveland. The Cavs are very bad as well, but should have Andre Drummond in their lineup, and he will give them a boost offensively and on the glass. The Clippers, meanwhile, will presumably be without Kawhi Leonard on the second night of a back to back, but might have Marcus Morris in the lineup for the first time. Hopefully he’s ready to go, because the Clippers will need him, especially if Beverley is out again.

Clippers Blown Out by Wolves 142-115 in Embarrassing Effort
Robert Flom