After the Clippers lost to the Cavaliers, who ranked second in the league in defensive efficiency in the last 10 games, Clippers reporter Farbod Esnasari tweeted about the game, "The Clippers fought hard in the last minute, but still lost to the Cavaliers. There was no one in the starting line-up to help the team, and the team should have lost, and they couldn't win every game. ”
It's a fact that no one can help Xiaoka and can't win every game! But is it accidental? Looking back at the several tough battles the Clippers have fought since December, what shortcomings can be found from them, and some internal logic can be found?
On December 22 and 24, the Clippers played against the Thunder and Celtics twice, Leonard was absent, and the Clippers were both miserable defeats, allowing the opponent to score 134 and 145 points respectively, not to mention anything else, the Clippers' defensive system can be said to have collapsed!
Leonard returned to play hard, and the Clippers lost to the Timberwolves and Cavaliers, allowing opponents to score 109 and 118 points, respectively, and the Timberwolves averaged 113 per game1 point, the Cavaliers have averaged 124 points per game in the last 10 games after returning to normal. From this, it can be seen that the Clippers' defense is relatively good, and if they lose, they lose on the offensive end. From the perspective of the three main players, Leonard's performance in these two games is relatively stable, the problem is George and Harden, Harden has a total of 7 of 22 shots in the two games, 4 of 14 three-pointers, George is 8 of 30 and 4 of 18 respectively, and the two shooting rates of the two are far lower than the season average!
It can be seen that when Harden and George encounter a tall and strong defensive team, the offensive end is more struggling! Looking at the Clippers' loss to the Lakers, who have stronger wing defensive resources, and the victory over the Celtics, who are more efficient in defense, Harden shot 6 of 22 in the two games, and George shot 13 of 29, which can also be understood. The Lakers and Celtics scored just 106 and 96 points, 10 and 23 fewer than average, respectively7 points, what can it mean?
In the end, it is not difficult to find that Leonard is absent, and even if the Clippers have Zubac, the defensive efficiency of playing a tough game is miserable; Zubac was absent, and the Clippers' defensive efficiency when Leonard entered the game was remarkable! On the offensive end, only Leonard can stabilize the output of a tough game, and Harden and George, at least for now, can't provide enough support! That said, the Clippers are already mired in Leonard dependency! I'm afraid this problem will become more and more prominent as the season progresses!
What's more, there is another worry, in the last 10 games (excluding the Cavaliers), the Clippers' defensive efficiency is only ranked 16th in the league! NBA Spit Conference