There’s no such thing as a bad win–but the Clippers’ ugly 109-104 effort against the Houston Rockets was about as close as it gets. Without being too critical of a game that the Clippers ultimately rallied and won, let’s take a peek at our Clippers and Rockets player grades.

Clippers Starter Grades

Reggie Jackson: A-. I’m not sure if an A should be possible for one of the main contributors to such a hideous game (the Clippers’ 11-point third quarter, their worst frame of the season, dings everyone’s grade all on its own), but insofar as the Clippers eeked out a win, Reggie was a huge piece of it. He had 13 fourth quarter points on 4-6 shooting, including back-to-back threes at the 9:20 and 8:55 marks that flipped a 5-point deficit to a 1-point Clipper advantage–and then a third three at 7:57 which put the Clippers back up by 2 again, taking away the Rockets’ final lead of the night.

Paul George: A-. I really waffled between a B+ and A- for Paul here, because his distribution was bad in this game. He’s not a pick-and-roll savant, but he’s gotten the job done this season. But his passes were everywhere tonight, he missed simple reads, and finished with just four assists and a season-high 7 turnovers. That said… he also had a game-high 33 points and worked hard for them, powering through a cold 10-27 night from the field to go 10-10 from the line and lead all Clippers with a massive 14-rebound performance. Factor in his 8 points in the final 3:30 to keep the Rockets at arm’s length, and he gets the A- bump.

Terance Mann: C. In a game where the Clippers needed a bit of a lift, they got an absentee performance from their biggest energy role player, who had just 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 37 minutes. Tasked with guarding John Wall for stretches, Terance played far too deep and let Wall comfortably hit multiple mid-range jumpers and control the game. Overall, a disappointing outing.

Patrick Patterson: C-. C-? But isn’t 12 & 6 good for PatPat? Allow me to be a hater for a moment: his inability to move was the primary culprit for the Clippers’ defensive woes against a terrible Rockets team. And while converting open looks at an acceptable rate is his biggest strength, 12 points on 11 shots while Houston funnelled the ball to him for wide-open threes and layups actually isn’t good. It’s a one-game sample, but the Clippers posted a miserable DRTG of 121.7 with Patterson on the court last night compared to a stellar 80.0 with him off. No other player was above 107.5 or below 92.4.

Ivica Zubac: B-. Zu was a dominant force early in this game, with essentially everything the Clippers created on offense either coming through him either directly scoring or distributing the ball, or the Rockets’ fear of him (watch the film–all 3 of Patrick Patterson’s open 3PA in the first quarter happened because of Zu). But then he picked up a second foul, and while he still made some plays the rest of the way he just was not engaged in the same way as early, unfortunately.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Nic Batum: A-. Everything that Patrick Patterson wasn’t in this game, Nicolas Batum was. He excelled defensively, he moved the ball, he made a big contribution on the defensive glass against an active, athletic Rockets crew. While the team definitely needed Jackson and George to lead the way with their scoring, Batum’s defense and ball movement were just as important to the overall success in this game. He was the common denominator in the Clippers’ successful lineups, while his absence was the common denominator in their unsuccessful ones (no coincidence that he shared PF minutes with Patterson).

Amir Coffey: A-. We grade on a curve here, so while Coffey was definitely less impactful than Nico in his run, he deserves a lot of credit for positively impacting a game with energy and defense from a two-way contract. After a disappointing outing as a starter in Wednesday, Amir made a nice impact on this game: 10 points while getting to the line 6 times, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a good bit of energy and pace that LAC lacked.

Luke Kennard: C+. I threw the + on because Luke really did everything you’d want tonight, right down to coming up with a couple of steals on the defensive end in his 19 minutes of action. He was just cold–2-10 from the field and 1-6 from deep on mostly clean looks within the flow of the offense. These are the same looks that got him 28 points on 10-16 shooting and 6-7 from deep on Wednesday, so I’m not sweating this performance too much. If this cold night is the trade-off for his game against Memphis, I’ll gladly take it.

DeMarcus Cousins: A-. It’s clear where Boogie’s strengths and weaknesses lie at this point, and there isn’t much doubt in my mind that Ibaka and Zubac are substantially more deserving of the center minutes in the playoffs. That said, for what Cousins has given the Clippers on a pair of 10-day contracts, I also have little doubt that he is fully deserving of a rest-of-season contract to be the team’s emergency/utility center going forward. For all of his warts at this stage in his career, his blend of overpowering physicality and experience reading NBA defenses provides an interesting wrinkle.

No Grades

Were the scores a little high for barely stealing a win against the worst team in the NBA? Maybe, but it was still a win–and a win without the likes of Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, and Serge Ibaka, who are all out with various injuries and rest needs. Jay Scrubb and Yogi Ferrell were the less notable absences, with Ferrell picking up a quad injury this week. Daniel Oturu, as is custom, was the team’s sole unused substitute. This is the way.

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Clippers vs Rockets Player Grades
Lucas Hann

Despite being down 6 of their top 9 rotation guys, the LA Clippers rallied from down 18 to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night, 117-105. Any time you win this shorthanded, it means a lot of guys had to step up, so let’s relish in high marks in these Clippers and Grizzlies player grades. And once you’re done, make sure to check out Cole Huff’s newest piece on how the team’s process has improved from last season.

Clippers Starter Grades

Terance Mann: A. On paper, it might not look like Terance Mann was the player of the game tonight for the Clippers, but to these eyes, this is a 20-point loss without him. As crucial as Morris and Kennard’s shooting were, as unexpected as Ferrell’s fourth-quarter outburst was, Terance was the engine for both the offense and defense in the Clippers’ dominant 34-20 third quarter that not only pulled them back into the game but gave them the lead heading into the final frame.

Luke Kennard: A. But while Terance was my player of the game, you gotta give it up for Luke Kennard, who had a season-high 28 points in 38 minutes, shooting 10-16 from the field and an unconscious 6-7 from beyond the arc. Without Jackson, without George, without Leonard, the Clippers needed someone from the fringes to blow up in order to win this game and Luke did just that.

Amir Coffey: C+. This would probably be a lower grade if Amir wasn’t on a two-way contract forced into a starting role by absences ahead of him, but considering he literally doesn’t have an NBA contract I think we have to realize that yes, it absolutely could have been worse. He struggled to get much of anything going in this game, although he was at least able to get to the free throw line 7 times and convert on 6 of those attempts.

Marcus Morris: A. This wasn’t quite god-tier Marcus Morris, who has a pair of 30+ scoring nights this season where he shot 6-8 from three, but it was the next step down–still really good. He contributed 25 points on 9-19 shooting, including making some difficult shots inside the arc in the first half to keep the Clippers close when they were struggling before catching fire from deep in the second half.

Ivica Zubac: A. Zu isn’t necessarily the same kind of “step-up” player as Mann, Kennard, or Morris, in the sense that you aren’t going to just give him the ball more times and let him go to work with the stars out. But without the talent around him, the dirty work he does inside becomes even more essential. One big factor in this game: the Grizzlies are a younger, faster team that plays at a pace of 100.4, 8th in the NBA, compared to the Clippers’ 97.0, 27th. The pace of last night’s game was 96.1, in large part because Zubac’s work on the offensive glass (he grabbed 5 OREBs and on many more possessions his presence forced the Grizzlies to hold extra players back for rebounding support as the other 4 Clippers transitioned back to the defensive end).

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Nicolas Batum: B-. The Clippers got a bit of NiCardio in this one–not that he was bad, but as one of the team’s 3 playoff rotation guys available, you’d hope that he would find a way to bring a little more offensive punch than 2 points on 1-2 shooting. And it wasn’t just “things were clicking, they didn’t need him,” since he had 0 points on 0 FGA in the first half when things were decidedly not clicking for the team offensively. He still overall did his job and helped stabilize a second unit mostly composed of odds and ends, but I’m left a little underwhelmed.

Yogi Ferrell: A. What is there to say? In his Clipper debut, Yogi was a bit shaky… until he wasn’t. He poked away a rebound late in the third quarter and found Terance Mann for a lob that was the play of the game. That was his third assist. Then, in the fourth, he had all 8 of his points and 4 more assists, playing the entire frame and running the team’s offense to perfection.

DeMarcus Cousins: A-. This version of Boogie is… limited. I’m looking forward to Serge Ibaka returning. But, for a guy on a 10-day contract, he’s got a few skills and he is absolutely busting his ass every time down the floor. Finishing around the rim? Terrible. Mobility? Terrible. 5 Turnovers? Terrible. Taking three charges in 14 minutes in one game? Amazing. A third string center who both has the strength to bother opposing bigs down low (10 rebounds!) and space the floor and hit a three? Amazing. It’s extreme highs and lows for DeMarcus, even possession-to-possession, but there’s no denying he made a notable positive impact on this game, which is deserving of praise for a guy on a 10-day deal.

Patrick Patterson: B. Patterson didn’t do much in his short 13-minute stint in this game (this is an outing where a couple weeks ago, pre-Boogie, we would have seen way more PatPat), but he hit a really big three in the early fourth quarter with the game very much in question and the Clippers’ makeshift second unit trying to find enough points to hold things together.

No Grades

Daniel Oturu saw a minute of garbage time with the game in hand, but didn’t register anything in the box score. Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, Rajon Rondo, Reggie Jackson (and of course, Jay Scrubb) were all out tonight for various injuries, ailments, or rest purposes.

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 Grizzlies Player Grades
Lucas Hann

The Clippers steamrolled their visitors from Minnesota last night, setting a season high for three pointers made in a game as they continue to be the best shooting team in NBA history. Sure enough, such a victory is accompanied by some good marks in our Clippers and Wolves player grades. Let’s get started!

Clippers Starter Grades

Reggie Jackson: A-. There’s gonna be a trent here among the core rotation guys, who mostly all had really effective low-volume performances as they hit threes every time they got a look up. For Reggie to have 13 points on 4-9 shooting, 4 assists to 0 turnovers, and a +32 in his 21 minutes can’t possibly be lower than an A-, but it also wasn’t in his most impressive class of A-worthy performances.

Paul George: A-. Paul was probably the star of the show tonight, as has been the case for a little while now. He was the only Clipper to break 20 points with 23 on 9-17 shooting, and he added 7 rebounds and 5 assists (with 3 turnovers) on the night. Can’t knock anything about this performance but we won’t hold this among his very best games either.

Kawhi Leonard: A-. I’m almost tempted to have Kawhi be the guy who breaks through and earns an A, since he flirted with a triple-double in just 23 (!) minutes. Perhaps if he had stayed in, he would have gotten the additional 2 assists required to reach that threshold. However, he was rough in his first shift tonight and while that can be forgiven as he was rusty, it ended up being a large portion of his minutes on the night. A- it is.

Marcus Morris: A-. On a night where the Clippers set their season high in three point shots made, it makes sense that the team’s most prolific spot-up specialist would lead the way with 5 of his own. Marcus is now 2nd in the NBA in three-point shooting at 48.1%, and he even pitched in 6 rebounds as the Clippers demolished the Wolves on the glass, 48-37.

Ivica Zubac: A-. Actually, if one Clipper from the starting unit deserves an A for this game, it might be Zu. I’m leaving him down at A- because he would up in foul trouble again playing against Karl-Anthony Towns, but I have a bit of a bone to pick with the rest of the team here. Zu and KAT both picked up their third fouls midway through the second quarter. Ty Lue, trying to preserve his young center for later in the game, pulled Zu from the game. Chris Finch, recognizing the perilous position that the Wolves were already in, kept Towns in the lineup. Zu deserves some credit for his physicality dominating the interior early and contributing to Towns’ foul trouble, and it was a bit disappointing to see the other Clippers not be more aggressive in forcing Towns into compromising situations in foul trouble. In the 16 minutes that the two were matched up, Towns was 4-11 and did not grab a single rebound, while Zu was 4-5 and had 4. The Clippers won those minutes by 27 in a game they won by 19 overall.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Terance Mann: C+. I love that Terance continues to take threes with confidence when defenders sag off of him, and it helps on that front that he’s been red-hot from deep. He’s now up to 42.9% on the season (46.3% from the corners) on 3.3 attempts per 100 possessions, and he’s hit 47.2% since the All-Star Break. Obviously you’d like to see those attempt numbers higher, but it feels like he’s been taking them far more willingly. But he was 0-4 on two-point shots this game and didn’t get to his strengths going downhill and finishing around the basket nearly enough, especially given leash to protect the lead in garbage time.

Luke Kennard: B. Luke was a little better offensively than Terance in this one, and while the team did lose his minutes I have a hard time blaming the downfall of a Kennard – Coffey – Fitts – Oturu – Cousins lineup on Kennard… that’s just not a very good group. The most important thing for Luke is to maintain his confidence as his role is inconsistent in upcoming weeks, and to come into games determined to make an impact with his shot-making. That way if (when?) he’s called upon in a pinch in the playoffs, he can make a positive impact despite not getting many minutes.

Patrick Patterson: B. PatPat didn’t have a ton to do in his 17 minutes tonight, but he did his job.

DeMarcus Cousins: C+. Good: he hit a cutting Daniel Oturu several times to help the rookie get a few easy buckets in garbage time. Bad: the mobility just isn’t there for him to be able to finish reliably in traffic, which aligns with the much larger sample size of meaningful minutes in Houston earlier this season.

Rajon Rondo: B. Opened up the offense with a few brilliant passes, stalled a few possessions because he didn’t want to shoot. Ultimately, like PatPat, the Clippers just didn’t need very much from Rajon tonight and so he had a ho-hum game, did his job, and got to play assistant coach to the younger guys down the stretch.

Amir Coffey: C. Look, if Amir somehow coming up big every time the Clippers need him for a meaningful shift is the trade-off for him laying an egg when he just has to come in and hold a lead, I’ll take it. But to do nothing in 12 minutes of garbage time as the third string got crushed by 19 points is pretty bad.

Daniel Oturu: B+. Some actual cutting and finishing around the basket! Oturu had 7 of the team’s 20 fourth-quarter points, which isn’t going to force him into the rotation any time soon but feels worth a little happiness as it’s the most good we’ve seen him do in his limited time this year.

Malik Fitts: A. Okay, he wasn’t spectacular or anything–but the guy hit his first NBA shot and won’t be continuing with the Clippers past this game (at least for now) as they utilize this roster spot on emergency guard depth in the form of Yogi Ferrell. Maybe team and player will be reunited in the coming weeks or months.

No Grades

For once, everyone on the end of the bench got such substantial run that every active Clipper got a grade. That means only the guys who didn’t suit up tonight went without marks: injured veterans Patrick Beverley and Serge Ibaka, essentially-redshirted Jay Scrubb, and forward Nicolas Batum, who the team rested in this game.

Clippers vs Wolves Player Grades
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

For posterity, I figured I should throw up some Clippers – Rockets player grades–although my Saturday schedule got fully derailed and it’s now time to shift our attention to Sunday’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons. So, please enjoy these one-sentence grades (if you’re familiar with my writing, you know that brevity presents a unique challenge for me).

Clippers Starter Grades

Reggie Jackson: A. The Clippers will really miss a chance to build some on-court chemistry with Patrick Beverley over the next month, but at least they’ll get to ride an extremely high Reggie Jackson wave as the fill-in guard continues a fantastic run of form.

Luke Kennard: C-. Whether it was due to a lack of assertiveness or not having his number called, Luke made a few nice reads but spent most of his night standing in the corner, missing a crucial opportunity to keep his name in the conversation for depth guard minutes.

Kawhi Leonard: A. Big buckets in big moments, and a continued pattern of dominant assist-to-turnover ratios.

Marcus Morris: C+. He’s been inconsistent lately and was quiet in this one, but it still feels like the new rotations are working out for both Morris and Batum, which is great since LAC is going to need both of them to play big minutes in big games.

Ivica Zubac: B+. Zu was dominant inside during the Clippers’ dominant second quarter but only registered 23 minutes due to early foul trouble and the team’s general lethargy in the other three frames.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Terance Mann: A. After being squeezed a bit from the team’s healthy rotation, Mann put forth another spectacular two-way performance that, along with Jackson’s recent run of play, gives Ty Lue a number of guards who simply need to play.

Nicolas Batum: B+. The bench role has been a great fit for Nic to stay fresh with slightly fewer minutes, and things should get even better when Serge Ibaka returns and Batum is asked to do less interior work.

Patrick Patterson: B+. It’s been yeoman’s work for Patterson in recent weeks and while I’ll be concerned if he’s getting playoff minutes, simply not being a liability while playing undersized & out of position in place of Ibaka has helped the Clippers avoid any second-unit disasters.

Amir Coffey: B+. While he shouldn’t be a big part of the Clippers’ run this season, Amir has earned a spot on the 15-man roster next season where we can get a better look at what he has to offer.

No Grades

Despite a 3-turnover minute to start the second quarter, DeMarcus Cousins played little enough that he escapes without a grade. New Clipper Malik Fitts and Daniel Oturu each got on the court for a few minutes at the end of the game. In addition to Serge Ibaka and Jay Scrubb remaining out, Patrick Beverley will miss significant time with a hand fracture while Rajon Rondo and Paul George got some rest on the second night of a back-to-back to nurse their nagging injuries.

Clippers vs. Rockets Player Grades
Lucas Hann

In another big win this week, the Clippers got the best of the Suns last night and have earned some favorable player grades as a result. Overall, I wasn’t thrilled with this game–I thought Phoenix, on the second night of a back-to-back after their core guys went for 40+ minutes against Utah last night, outplayed the Clippers through 36 minutes but ultimately went down thanks to a big disparity in three-point percentage and running out of gas in the fourth quarter. But, things don’t have to be perfect to be good, and the Clippers got a good result against a very good Suns team, keeping them alive in the hunt for the 2-seed.

Clippers Starter Grades

Patrick Beverley: F. It wasn’t enough that Pat didn’t make a real impact on the game in his limited time on the court, but he went and got himself thrown out in the fourth quarter for a really dumb non-basketball play where he fouled Chris Paul in the open court and threw a rough elbow. You gotta be smarter in those situations, and even though a Flagrant 2 felt a bit harsh, Pat made his own luck by running in to make a completely unnecesasry foul and throwing a dirty elbow while he was at it.

Paul George: A. Yeah, Paul is having a great year, but he clearly really likes to play against the Suns. A game-high 33 points on 12-19 shooting, including 7-9 from three? Whew. I think Devin Booker might see Paul George in his nightmares. One slight knock on this game from George: a foolish (and obvious) third foul chasing down a fastbreak midway through the second quarter where he should have let the play go. I would have kept him in the game, though.

Kawhi Leonard: B+. Kawhi had an “A” second half, but he was really, really bad in the first half. In fact, he was the main reason why the Clippers trailed going into the break: his four first-half turnovers and overall offensive sloppiness not only limited LAC’s scoring potential, but compromised their defense by allowing the Suns to get into transition and early offense. So even his fantastic second half–20 minutes, 19 points, 7-13 shooting, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover–can only lift him to a B+. And oh yeah, I almost forgot the dunk of the season.

Marcus Morris: B-. It wasn’t a flashy game for Marcus Morris, who finished with just 8 points on 3-8 shooting and 6 rebounds to his name. He contributed (modestly) in some other areas, but also struggled at bit in a few defensive moments where he ended up on quicker guys. Overall, probably a B-level game that gets knocked to a B- because he got himself tossed at the end of the game. Unlike Beverley, though, Morris made his departure with a 16-point lead on the board and 1:24 on the clock, so he didn’t leave the Clippers exposed.

Ivica Zubac: C. Zu lost his individual match-up with DeAndre Ayton, but a good amount of that was by design–the Clippers played higher on Paul and Booker in the pick and roll to prevent them from getting high volumes of mid-range looks (which they’re lethal on). Whether rolling to the rim or crashing the offensive glass, Ayton always had a step on Zu because of that–and when the Clippers attempted to help the helper, Ayton’s massive size advantage over guys like Marcus Morris rendered the challenges ineffective. Zu deserves his share of credit for Paul and Booker getting up just 24 FGA (short of their average of 32) and combining for just 37 points (short of their average of 42). But despite the scheme directing Zubac to focus his attention on stopping the guards and funneling the ball to Ayton, I was still left a bit underwhelmed with his individual impact, especially as DeAndre went on a tear in the third quarter.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Nicolas Batum: A-. Batum has been making really good impacts in his bench role lately, despite not being super hot from deep. He was 0-3 from beyond the arc in this game, but still added 8 points, 4 rebounds, and good defense. I have to admit that the effectiveness of the Batum-at-C lineup vs Ayton in the fourth quarter feels a bit flukey–again, Phoenix ran out of gas on the second night of a back-to-back and scored just 8 points in the first 7 minutes of the final frame. Morris and Batum together at the 4-5 is still a legitimate weapon, just perhaps not quite as dominant in this matchup as it seemed last night.

Reggie Jackson: B. Reggie followed up his dominant game Wednesday with a quieter performance Friday, but he still played well and made a positive impact on the game. It was just quiet enough, though, that with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 24 minutes and the Clippers losing the energy battle and failing to get to the free throw line, you begin to wonder if Terance Mann might have gotten a more serious look in this game. This is the impossible situation Ty Lue has been put in: whoever he chooses from Jackson, Mann, and Kennard to play this role, the other two have had enough great games in recent weeks to make the decision second-guessed unless the guy chosen is fantastic every night.

Rajon Rondo: A. Much like Jackson on Wednesday, Rondo clearly stepped forward to be the third guy to have a great performance alongside LAC’s stars vs Phoenix, contributing 15 points, 9 assists, and 0 turnovers. I will caution everyone–just like I have with Terance Mann and other Clippers–to avoid flying too close to the sun celebrating a player’s best game of the season. But without trying to make big, overarching statements based off of one regular season game, this performance defenitely deserves to be appreciated. Obviously the offensive production was great, but through three games, Rondo’s defense has been more significant. Not only is he just a capable individual defender, but it seems like he always wins his gambles to disrupt the offense. Even a seemingly-ill-advised trap off of Cameron Payne led to Payne missing a wide open lay-in and the Clippers breaking the other way. It was that kind of night for Rajon.

Patrick Patterson: B+. PatPat has finally had his most consistent run of NBA-quality play lately, although he has still fallen far short of redeeming his contract when the Clippers could have used their bi-annual exception to add another above-minimum free agent. But despite more solid play, his impact as an alternative to Zubac in keeping Ayton off the glass is being greatly overstated. Ayton had 4 offensive rebounds in this game; 2 came in his 4 minutes against Patterson, 2 came in his 23 minutes against Zubac. Overall, though, Patterson did as well as you could reasonably expect in his second-unit small-ball matchup with Saric, and you can’t hold Ayton getting offensive rebounds over him against him.

No Grades

Terance Mann got another 4-minute shift in the second quarter as Lue manages minutes for his veterans, but he isn’t getting any kind of real role or opportunity to evaluate. He was joined for the final minute of garbage time by Luke Kennard, Amir Coffey, and Daniel Oturu. DeMarcus Cousins was the Clippers’ sole unused sub (I expect we’ll see a bit more of him when LAC plays teams that have traditional backup centers, unlike Portland and Phoenix), and Serge Ibaka and Jay Scrubb remain injured. Malik Fitts, who the Clippers are signing to a 10-day contract, didn’t official join the team until today.

Clippers vs. Suns Player Grades
Lucas Hann

The Clippers pulled off a dominant win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night, and I’m here for a speed round of player grades to evaluate a night where LAC got great outings from their stars and a bunch of noteworthy performances and rotation decisions deserve a bit of analysis.

Clippers Starter Grades

Patrick Beverley: B. I didn’t think it was a remarkable return to action for Pat, but boy, is it nice to have him on the court. He’s played just 30 of the Clippers’ 52 games, and averaged just under 24 minutes per game as he’s spent much of the season on a minutes restriction. That restriction was back tonight, as he played 20 minutes in 5-minute shifts, but having him in the lineup at all is a win at this point.

Paul George: A. After struggling–and I mean really struggling, to the tune of 18 points per game on under 40% shooting from the field–since the All-Star Break, PG had a breakout game tonight with 22 first quarter points en route to a 36-point outing on 11-18 shooting. That’s just fantastic.

Kawhi Leonard: A. And while George was the more explosive scorer in this one, Leonard might be the Clippers’ sneaky MVP. He had 29 points of his own on an efficient 10-18 night, and added 12 rebounds and 7 assists with just one turnover. We spend a lot of time fixating on whether role players swing a game in positive or negative directions in their short shifts, but the reality of the NBA is that the team with the best player (or more accurately, the team whose star is the better player on that night) normally wins the game. Kawhi and Paul were the two best players in this game by a healthy margin.

Marcus Morris: B-. A night to forget for Marcus, who was 1-6 from deep and finished with just 5 points and 4 rebounds in his 24 minutes, watching most of the second half from the bench as the Clippers turned the page defensively. But I don’t want to be too harsh on a 1-6 shooting night from a guy who is shooting 46% on the season–Marcus getting up 6 attempts in 24 minutes is a good sign.

Ivica Zubac: C+. Zu had his moments tonight, with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, but a fixture in LA’s first-half defensive issues was his repeated failure to contain Portland’s guards in the pick-and-roll, allowing them to turn the corner on him. I still would have gone back to Zu to close the game, but it’s perhaps telling that Ty Lue didn’t.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Reggie Jackson: A. With Patrick Beverley back in the lineup, Jackson had to move to the bench, and everyone knew a controversy was looming with Rajon Rondo breaking into the team after the trade, Terance Mann in the midst of a breakout season, and Luke Kennard riding a hot month. Ty Lue stuck with Jackson as his primary rotation guard, and Reggie played like he knew there was a target on his back, putting up 23 points on 8-12 shooting. Now, Mann and Kennard have both had games just as special as this one recently, and I have a feeling that as time goes on Reggie will find his role shrinking–but you gotta give him all the credit in the world for not just a fantastic performance in this game, but for having that performance in the context of a contentious battle for rotation minutes.

Nicolas Batum: A-. Batum’s stats don’t jump off the page, but he was really solid on both ends in this game. After a stretch where he got a bit three-happy, he’s back to playing more patient offensively and using his vision to help facilitate, and he brought a really great stabilizing defensive presence tonight.

Patrick Patterson: A. In recent weeks, things have gone very poorly for the Clippers when they’ve turned to Patterson in the backup center role due to his lack of size (he’s really not a center in any sense), but the Blazers actually don’t play a backup center either–and while PatPat doesn’t exactly scream “quick” or “switchable,” he employed a bit of his defensive savvy (he was a very good defender back when his body moved a bit better) in a second-half scheme that included more hedges and traps, fully stymieing Portland’s offense.

Rajon Rondo: B. I thought the mixed results continued for Rajon in his second LAC appearance. Clearly, the man can pass–that won’t shock anyone who is familiar with his NBA career. But he had more turnovers than assists for the second game in a row, and has a hard time creating the kinds of advantages necessary to open passing lanes because defenses have absolutely no respect for him as a scorer. His presence also meant Portland freely bringing doubles to LAC’s stars, as they are happy to end defensive possessions with Rondo threes. But on the defensive end, he brings a level of IQ and communication that allow the Clippers to play more cohesively as a team and execute more complex coverages.

DeMarcus Cousins: A. We all know that the Clippers didn’t land an All-Star on the scrap heap–Cousins is several severe injuries removed from his prime, and was decidedly awful in 25 games for the Houston Rockets earlier this season. So, if we forget the name value and reframe our expectations to a guy brought in mid-season on a 10-day contract to fill a third string/injury insurance role… he did pretty much everything that could be expected of him in his debut. Cousins had 4 semi-meaningful first half minutes and 4 minutes of garbage time, and contributed 7 points on 3-4 shooting, 4 rebounds (2 of them offensive) and 2 assists. He brought a big inside presence that the Clippers have lacked behind Zubac with Ibaka injured, played within his limitations, and flashed a little of the skill that we know exists. It may not be sustainable if he starts playing regularly and teams target his limitations more deliberately, but I don’t think I would have wanted much different from Cousins than what he provided in this game.

No Grades

Terance Mann got 10 minutes, but was pretty squarely marginalized from the rotation, not checking in until the 10-minute mark of the second quarter and collecting only 6 minutes before garbage time. Luke Kennard got only a few minutes of garbage time to close the game, and Daniel Oturu and Amir Coffey didn’t appear at all. Serge Ibaka and Jay Scrubb were both inactive with injuries.

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 Blazers Player Grades
Lucas Hann

The good guys got an easy tally in their column in the Battle of LA Sunday afternoon, as the Clippers got a lucky match-up against a Lakers team down both Anthony Davis and LeBron James and took advantage in expected fasion, 104-86. It was an uneventful contest that saw the Clippers jump out to an early lead and hold the offensively-deficient Lakers at bay for the remainder of the contest. Let’s take a peek at the individual performances with our Clippers and Lakers player grades!

Clippers Starter Grades

Reggie Jackson: B. The 2-8 shooting in the box score is kind of glaring, but I think it’s a little unfair to fixate on: two of his misses came on a play where he missed a contested driving layup in transition, and then got a fingertip on the rebound to attempt a putback. Another miss came on a drive where he pulled Marc Gasol out of position, Gasol technically blocked his shot, and Ivica Zubac was able to easily gobble up the offensive rebound and dunk it home. Overall, Reggie had a perfectly fine performance and deserves credit for his role in the team’s great defense as well–even though this Lakers crew is dismal offensively, it’s still a group of NBA players and this was LAC’s best DRTG game of the year and LAL’s worst ORTG game of the year, even significantly worse than their other games without Davis and James.

Paul George: B-. I didn’t get around to grading the Clippers’ loss to the Denver Nuggets due to a little injury of my own, but if I had, I would have given PG a pass on his bad night as he was clearly physically limited by his foot injury, and willed himself into the lineup despite being listed as out because it was a big game. That said, I didn’t feel the same type of mobility limitation coming from him in this game. It just felt like a quiet night for LAC’s second star, which is fine because the team had a healthy lead throughout and didn’t need him to shift into gear. But 16 points on 6-14 shooting, just 2 free throw attempts, and 3 assists to 5 turnovers is rather uninspiring. Bumped from a C+ to B- because of his contributions to the team’s overall defensive performance.

Kawhi Leonard: A-. Kawhi was similarly quiet offensively, but far more productive overall: his 19 points on 8-15 shooting is only marginally better than Paul’s marks, but Leonard also flirted with a triple double as he contributed 10 rebounds and 8 assists while committing just 2 turnovers. On the cusp of B+/A- before getting the nod due to the overall team defensive performance.

Marcus Morris: A. So, Paul and Kawhi only combined for 35 points? Well, the production had to come from somewhere to lift the Clippers to 104 points, and a radioactive Marcus Morris was just what LAC needed. Marcus had a super-efficient 22 points on 9-13 shooting and also grabbed 7 rebounds, tied for his season high. I don’t think the Clippers will win many playoff games when Marcus outscores Paul and Kawhi, but it’s a long season and you take games like these from your supporting cast where you can get them.

Ivica Zubac: A. There should be little doubt in the minds of anyone who watches the Clippers that Zubac is the team’s third most important player and absolutely instrumental to their success on the defensive end. While his stat line tonight wasn’t anything special (6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks), his presence on defense has meant everything to the Clippers in this recent stretch:

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Terance Mann: B-. It was an uncharactersitically inefficient outing for Terance, who mostly got the shots you’d want him to get but got blocked twice around the basket and had one missed putback dunk attempt. In fact, his only make around the basket was a really wild, flailing driving hook shot in the waning possessions of garbage time. Still, he was attracting a lot of attention on his drives, which is a good counterweight to the Clippers’ perimeter-oriented attack, and I really like that he had no hesitation on his four corner three attempts–he only made 1, but he’s shooting 41.2% from the corners this season. Those four 3PA mark a career high, and likely a good simulation of the shots he’s going to have to make to stay on the court in the playoffs.

Nicolas Batum: A-. It was a low-minutes outing for the Clippers’ second-unit veterans as the team pulled away in the second half, but Nic had a nice all-around performance in this game. I have been a bit disappointed that we’ve seen less of his playmaking chops as the season has gone on, so I was happy to see him come away with 4 assists in this game–nothing fancy, just making the extra pass to a corner shooter or driving a closeout and picking out the right pass to a teammate when help comes. With his three-point shooting regressing to expected levels in March after a red-hot opening half of the season, the ability and decision-making to aggressively drive against closeouts and create good looks for others is going to be more valuable than Nic taking high volumes of threes for himself.

Luke Kennard: B+. Luke had a really nice outing, but he doesn’t get full appreciation for it in this space because his contributions came almost exclusively with the Clippers holding a big lead in the second half. It was certainly still valuable, in a game that was hovering in the teens for the entire fourth quarter, that Luke led the effort to keep the Lakers at bay by scoring all 15 of his points in the final 13:04 of game time, but it’s just a little less meaningful than if he had put forward this kind of productivity in more intense moments. He did get some clean looks as a screener for Kawhi Leonard in their shared fourth quarter moments in an action that looks promising for continued future use by Ty Lue.

Patrick Patterson: B. The real problem with Patterson’s recent run of play isn’t really his fault–he’s just not a center, and nobody expects him to provide rim protection. It still really hurts the team when he’s in at center, because they then have no rim protection. He was fine in this game, doing his best to fill a role he isn’t suited for at a position he doesn’t play while his physical tools abandon him. The Clippers’ Patrick Patterson problem has more to do with what they aren’t getting from their two open roster spots than what they aren’t getting from him.

Rajon Rondo: NG. A mulligan here for the Clippers’ newest player (a title he won’t hold for very long, as DeMarcus Cousins should sign his contract today). It’s always a great and inspiring narrative when someone has an amazing debut–imagine if Rondo had like a 10-10-10 triple-double against his former team in his LAC debut? The reality is that adjusting to a new team and role mid-season while coming off an injury (and maybe picking up a new one?) is incredibly tough, so some rust and errors were to be expected today. We can, and will, have a ton of conversations about the strenghts and weaknesses that Rajon brings to the team once he gets going, but I don’t think fixating on 4 turnovers and 4 fouls in his 13-minute debut is useful when it’s unlikely to end up being meaningful.

No Grades

Daniel Oturu and Amir Coffey both got in the game for a few minutes of garbage time, while Patrick Beverley, Serge Ibaka, and Jay Scrubb are all sidelined with injuries. Beverley should hopefully return to the lineup relatively soon, while Ibaka might require a little more time, and Scrubb is unlikely to debut this season.

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. Lakers Player Grades
Lucas Hann

Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic was the fifth in seven nights for the Clippers, and it showed–the result is some poor player grades. The energy-depleted, and roster-depleted, Clippers fell to the Magic 103-96 for their only second game of a back-to-back loss all season. Let’s take a look at how the players performed.

Clippers Starter Grades

Reggie Jackson: C. Reggie provided a bit of the full Reggie Jackson experience. I thought he was mostly good, as providing much-needed scoring punches throughout three quarters. However, there was a lot of over-dribbling and some not-so-great shots taken given that sunk possessions. It certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort but as the game wore on he just couldn’t find the basket. 6/18 from the floor and 3/11 from distance, including a good look at the end to tie the game, is never good, but it’s hard to be too upset given the circumstances. Reggie ended the game a team-worst minus-13.

Luke Kennard: B-. This was a hard game to judge. As with Reggie, Luke shot pretty poorly from the field at just 6/16, including 3/8 from three, and failed to create much offense for anyone else. But he did have 17 points and probably would’ve closed this game if he didn’t foul out. Defensively, he wasn’t exposed by any means, but he wasn’t sharp — which is indicated in his foul totals. He got lost on off-ball screens and gave up and-1’s that were untimely. This game won’t go down as one of his better recent performances but it won’t be remembered as a bad one either. Just a “meh” game.

Kawhi Leonard: C+. One of the last times I graded the players was when the Clippers played their second road game against the Grizzlies. I recapped Kawhi’s performance by stating that from the opening tip he put the team on his back and energized the guys while doing everything he needed to do to get the Clippers a victory. Last night wasn’t that. After an efficient but nonchalant first half, Kawhi tried to rev it up as the Magic hung around midway through the second half, but there wasn’t much gas left in the tank in his fifth game in seven nights. It was quite easy to see how his night was going to unfold once he pulled up for a fourth-quarter middy and left it about two feet short of the rim. With not many other scoring threats available to close the game, the double-teams came and forced Kawhi into some ugly live-ball turnovers down the stretch.

Nic Batum: C. Nic started this game off amazingly and was well on his way to an A-performance, but then the wheels came off in the second half. Uncharacteristically, Nic gave away a lot of possessions. He had four pretty sloppy turnovers with two of them coming directly after timeouts. He also made just one shot in this game despite playing 34 minutes. Speaking of those 34 minutes, I do credit him for being able to be on the court for that long while essentially being the only available 4-man and having to be the backup 5 as well. For what it’s worth, the 10 rebounds and 5 assists were fantastic, but the late turnover and missed three hurt.

Ivica Zubac: B+. The Clippers’ best player tonight was Ivica Zubac. He battled on both ends of the floor to the best of his abilities. Zu went into halftime with 10 points on 4/4 shooting from the field — all dunks, while completely dominating the offensive glass. He did his usual stellar job on the defensive end and protected the paint although some foul concerns zapped him of a few important minutes. The second half wasn’t quite as productive — the offense was a mess, guys couldn’t create any looks, and the Magic fought a little harder to keep Zu away from the offensive glass. Still, Zu had more impact than any other Clipper, which has become a regularity. 14 points and 13 rebounds is alright with me.

Clippers Bench Player Grades

Terance Mann: B. It was certainly a step backward last night in terms of Terance’s scoring. The long-armed Orlando Magic bigs met him time and time again at the rim to erase all of the easy looks that he’d grown accustomed to converting. So when you take his strongest asset away from him you’ll find shooting stats like this one: 3/12 for 9 points. The great thing about Terance, though, is that he’s learned how to impact the game in many ways. The scoring dipped, but the rebounds (7) and assists (6) were big, and he continued to be one of the few Clippers players who can get downhill and create looks for others. So yes, while the numbers were mediocre Terance probably was the second or third best Clipper last night.

Patrick Patterson. C+: Like most of the guys last night, PatPat had his best moments during the first half. He was surprisingly pretty good on defense, which is always going to be more important than his offense when he’s on the court — he contained dribble drives, made all of the correct reads and rotations, and even came over from the weakside to block a shot at the rim. Just by the way that the second half played out for the Clippers, it was hard to notice PatPat in his minutes. It seemed like he was just out there, which I guess is fine on a night like this? Anyways, 2/5 from three and not a whole else is what we call a typical Patrick Patterson night. 

Amir Coffey: B. The box score won’t show it, but Amir has made many strides in his second season in L.A. You can see the growing confidence he has in his jump shot as he isn’t afraid to shoot open threes or to even create middies off the dribble. Amir’s defense has always been ahead of the other parts of his game, but it was still nice to see him locked in and fighting to keep Terrence Ross uncomfortable. He only managed 5 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes of play, but the fact that he is playable is a huge victory for a two-way player. I’m at the point where I’m fairly confident he will at minimum be a net-neutral whenever he’s out there.

No Grades

Daniel Oturu received a healthy DNP. Rajon Rondo, Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris Sr., Serge Ibaka, and Paul George all were in street clothes for this game as they recover from injuries. To help handle their lack of healthy bodies, the Clippers are reportedly considering a 10-day tryout for veteran center DeMarcus Cousins.

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. Magic Player Grades
Cole Huff

Despite a rash of injuries to important players, LAC put their best foot forward tonight and rode a wave of three pointers to their sixth straight victory. Check out a full Clippers vs. Bucks game recap and player grades below.

Game Summary

With Patrick Beverley and Serge Ibaka still out with their respective injuries (and Rajon Rondo, but since he has yet to debut it doesn’t feel like the team misses him in the same way), the Clippers were already going to be a bit undermanned against an elite Milwaukee Bucks squad that went out of their way to rest their key players in their last game as they geared up for this contest. When the news came that Paul George was a late scratch with foot soreness? Well, you could have hardly blamed Clippers fans for feeling like this contest was a bit of a lost cause. With Reggie Jackson continuing to start in place of Beverley and Ivica Zubac in place of Ibaka, Luke Kennard joined the makeshift starting unit in place of George.

The Clippers actually got out to a strong start with their unusual starting crew, leading on and off through the first half of the opening frame. But as is so often the case when you’re shorthanded, the absence of quality rotation players on the second unit was felt more severely than the downgrade in talent on the first unit. The level of play dropped off noticeably with Patrick Patterson and Amir Coffey on the floor to end the period, and the Clippers didn’t get away with it as Milwaukee hit a string of clean looks to take the lead and extend it to 12 by the end of the frame, sparking pessimism about the Clippers’ hopes in this matchup without so many key players.

But if that Bucks run damaged LAC’s optimism as much as it did for those of us watching at home, the team didn’t show it. After a scoreless opening frame, Terance Mann took over the game, with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in the second quarter as the Clippers climbed back into the game and eventually took a narrow lead into halftime. The story of this quarter–and the game, really–was Mann’s continued excellence in breaking down an elite defense off the dribble to create paint opportunities for himself as well as wide open looks for his teammates. But he didn’t achieve this result on his own. Marcus Morris also had a really strong night, making some difficult shots in response to being asked to shoulder a greater offensive load with George sidelined. Eight of his 25 points on the night came in the second period.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the Clippers took control of the game coming out of halftime, jumping from a 57-57 tie in the opening seconds of the half to a 68-59 lead. While Milwaukee would remain competitive throughout the second half, they never challenged their hosts’ lead again, in large part because Reggie Jackson went on a scoring tear in the third quarter, scoring on three drives within a minute at one point as part of his massive 15-point period. Leonard made a healthy contribution with 8 of his own, Mann continued attacking and found a couple more assists, and well-rounded contributions–two Morris jumpers, a pair of Batum threes, a couple of Zubac finishes–made for a 39-point third quarter outburst from the Clippers that would give them a strong 10-point buffer heading into the final frame.

The Bucks, led by reigning NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo, weren’t going to let a 10-point deficit scare them away. The two teams exchanged scoring possessions early in the fourth, flirting with the double-digit threshold. And then, it was over. After a Nicolas Batum offensive rebound, some smart passing found Luke Kennard for an open three that pushed the Clippers’ lead back to 10 with 7:11 to play. Then, after a Milwaukee basket, Kennard came back down and hit a stepback three to reset the lead to 11. Then, after steal by Leonard, Kennard hit another three–his third in as many possessions–to push the lead to 14. And then, just two possessions later, Kennard hit another three to give LAC a 17-point advantage with 5:12 to play–4/4 from beyond the arc in 5 possessions in 1:59 of game time. Not bad for a guy who has found playing time hard to come by in recent weeks.

It was a fitting bit of parallelism to end the game for the Clippers, with each of their three fringe rotational guards dominating one of the contest’s quarters to lift them to a surprising, shorthanded victory. Mann’s downhill playmaking in the second, Jackson’s three-level scoring in the third, and Kennard’s red-hot shooting in the fourth each catalyzed a run that swung the game about 10 points in the Clippers’ favor–from down 10 to tied, from tied to up 10, and from up 10 to up 20, turning a game LAC really had no business winning into a blowout in their favor.

Clippers vs Bucks Player Grades

Reggie Jackson: A. For the reasons I mentioned above, there’s little doubt that Jackson deserves flying colors for his performance tonight. He had an efficient 20 points in a game where LAC needed some scoring help (on paper, though so many guys stepped up in George’s absence that it was actually fine), and–pinch me I must be dreaming–took over the game offensively to help the Clippers pull ahead in the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Luke Kennard: A. Man, Ty Lue is going to have difficult decisions to make when Beverley, George, and to a lesser extent Rondo are all available to play. Kennard has been simply fantastic in recent weeks, and it isn’t just his blistering shooting–he’s been sharper on the ball, decisive and aggressive, and it’s even fueled some good defensive engagement too.

Kawhi Leonard: A-. Kawhi was good tonight, but perhaps not the kind of special you’d expect him to have to be in order for the Clippers to beat, let alone crush, the Bucks without PG. He had 23 points on 10-21 shooting, hitting some timely shots in the mid-range, and came close to a triple-double with 9 rebounds and 8 assists in his 36 minutes. Milwaukee brought extra defenders, he made the right play, and his teammates converted.

Marcus Morris: A. Marcus had a really nice presence tonight, both converting the good shots that the Clippers created within the flow of their offense and bailing them out in some key moments where they got a little stuck to keep the momentum flowing. He finished with a very efficient 25 points on 9-16 shooting, including 4-7 from beyond the arc, and also added 5 rebounds and 3 assists. In his normal role, he can dial back the forced post-up/mid-range looks a bit–and he won’t hit them at this rate over a larger sample size–but man, it’s a luxury to have a guy like this who can play that role comfortable when needed.

Ivica Zubac: A-. Zu wasn’t quite as dominant with his finishing tonight, but he continues to take advantage of his nightly opportunity in the starting lineup to prove that he should keep playing heavy minutes as the Clippers’ primary center when Serge Ibaka returns. He’s far and away the team’s best option against Giannis, in addition to already having established himself as the team’s best option against Jokic. Is he their best option against Anthony Davis, too? It wouldn’t surprise me. Even without a key match-up, he’s the backbone of everything good that happens defensively, and his offensive rebounding might be the most undervalued skill of any Clipper–not only does he win the team extra possessions, but he competes on the offensive glass so tirelessly that even when he doesn’t end up with the ball, he is constantly forcing extra defensive rebounders back into the paint to secure the ball, stalling opposing transition offenses.

Terance Mann: A. Despite not joining the 20-point club with Reggie and Luke, Terance was in my estimation the most important of this trio in tonight’s game. His downhill attack set the tone for the Clippers earlier in the game when they were still struggling, and it truly changed the dynamic of what LAC could do offensively and how the Bucks were forced to guard them. In addition to his 14 points on 6-12 shooting, he had 6 rebounds and 6 assists, and his court vision was phenomenal in this game. I honestly have no idea if we’re in the midst of a host streak for Terance that will eventually subside, or if we’re just scratching the surface for a guy who might actually be becoming a star.

Nicolas Batum: A-. He didn’t have the explosive impact of some of his teammates, but Nic was still really good in this contest. His 8 points on 2-5 from three were of course important, but it was defensively where he added the most value. It’s understandably hard for him to play small-ball center against Giannis-led lineups, but aside from those moments he continues to be an essential, switchy, gluey teammate for the Clippers on the defensive end of the court. A chasedown block followed up by a putback dunk? Who is this guy that Robert Flom was calling washed?

Patrick Patterson: B-. If PatPat’s job is to come in and hit his shots, he did that tonight, going 3-3 from deep in 12 minutes (one came in garbage time, but the other two were still with the game very much in play). And he even earned a nod from C+ to B- because he was much more competitive on the defensive end in the second half, playing with a bit of pride and even moving his feet well to take a good charge against a Giannis drive. But it’s always troubling to me when Patterson has a night where he can’t miss, and yet his minutes are still a disaster, and that was the case in the first half tonight. The rest of the Clippers were good enough tonight that it didn’t matter, but if you played tonight’s 2nd half 100 times, the Clippers probably lose most of the time and that 5 minute, -12 first half shift for Patterson would be harped on. The good news is that their buyout market activity indicates that the Clippers know they need a new backup big man and will look to add one soon.

Amir Coffey: B. I don’t think Coffey did anything really spectacular to stand out in this game, but for a guy on a two-way contract pressed into some rotation minutes, that’s a good thing in and of itself. I’d like to see more of Amir–not in the normal rotation of course, but I’m 100% ready to prioritize increasing his minutes when shorthanded to keep Patterson off the floor.

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. Bucks Recap and Grades: LA Cruises, 129-105
Lucas Hann