Los Angeles Clippers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Los Angeles Clippers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
After starting the season with a 4-0 record the Clippers have lost 5 of their last 6. However, the Clippers have seen some great stuff from the newcomers.
After starting the season with a 4-0 record the Clippers have lost 5 of their last 6. However, the Clippers have seen some great stuff from the newcomers.
After starting the season with a 4-0 record the Clippers have lost 5 of their last 6. However, the Clippers have seen some great stuff from the newcomers.
The Good
Lou Williams
Since being thrust into a significant role once Milos Teodosic went down Lou has relished in his role as a scorer, shooting 43% from the field. His 14.8 points are good for 2nd on the team, despite playing the 6th most minutes. Many consider his role similar to Jamal Crawford's last year. However, Lou Williams is more capable of being a catch and shoot player than Crawford. Last season Crawford had a 51.8% aFG, while Williams is sporting a 58.8% aFG. While the Clippers have been saddled with injuries Lou Williams has proved that he can step up and provide some much-needed scoring off the very young bench of the Clippers.
Danilo Gallinari
The major issue with the Clippers over the past few years was a lack of a small forward that poses an offensive threat. It seems that they've found their guy in Danilo Gallinari. Scoring has never been an issue for Gallinari but this season he has shown the versatility in his game. Averaging 4.6 rebounds may not be up to his standards, it can't be understated that your rebounds per game are not likely to go up when you have DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin on your team. He's averaging 3 assists per game which have provided the team with some versatility that has not been seen since Eric Gordon in 2011.
Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverly has never been one to fill up the box score and this season is no exception. Despite this, he's still putting up 12 pts, 3 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. What Patrick Beverley does is irritating to opponents. His 4 rebounds are remarkable when you consider you have DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin clogging up the paint. While only 4 rebounds are listed, there are countless times where he challenges a bigger player and makes them work for the rebound, tiring them out. When working for the rebound the opponent often times has trouble handling the ball which results in an offensive rebound and easy putback for Blake or DeAndre. This is made evident by the Clippers leading the league in Offensive Rebounds with 12.6 and second in 2nd chance points with 15.8.
The Bad
Their Losses are Bad (kinda)
I understand all losses are bad to some extent but, they include getting blown out by Golden State (141-113), losing to Detroit (95-87), losing to Memphis (113-104), losing to Miami (104-101), and a loss to San Antonio (120-107). When these losses occurred the ones that stuck out the most to me was Detroit, Memphis, and Miami. In retrospect, none of these teams were as bad as people predicted them to be. Detroit is 2nd in the East at 8-3, Memphis is tied at 3rd in the West at 7-4, and Miami is 5-6, tied for 7th in the East. The only truly bad loss was to Miami. However, it can be deemed acceptable as the entire gameplan shifted once Gallinari went down. The big positive to come out of that game was the way the team showed resilience. Despite being down by 25 pts rather late in the game, the team showed heart and made it much more respectable. If the Clippers want to have a chance at making the playoffs and go deep they should never be in that hole in the first place.
The Ugly
The Injuries
If you're a Clippers fan this is an all too familiar story. The team does well, things are clicking, everyone's having fun. Then, like the morning after Thanksgiving dinner, reality sets in. Everything was too good to be true, all that turkey and pie wasn't gonna magically disappear from your stomach. Just like the Clippers will never magically disappear from the injury bug. As of right now there are only two injuries, Gallinari (Strained Left Glute/Butthurt) and Teodosic (Plantar Fascia). Gallinari looks to be coming back soon, but there is still no timetable for Teodosic. Welp, add two more to the list of those listed as questionable. Patrick Beverley was sent home from the road trip with a sore right knee and Austin Rivers is questionable for the game against the Thunder with a mild left ankle sprain.
After starting the season with a 4-0 record the Clippers have lost 5 of their last 6. However, the Clippers have seen some great stuff from the newcomers.
The Good
Lou Williams
Since being thrust into a significant role once Milos Teodosic went down Lou has relished in his role as a scorer, shooting 43% from the field. His 14.8 points are good for 2nd on the team, despite playing the 6th most minutes. Many consider his role similar to Jamal Crawford's last year. However, Lou Williams is more capable of being a catch and shoot player than Crawford. Last season Crawford had a 51.8% aFG, while Williams is sporting a 58.8% aFG. While the Clippers have been saddled with injuries Lou Williams has proved that he can step up and provide some much-needed scoring off the very young bench of the Clippers.
Danilo Gallinari
The major issue with the Clippers over the past few years was a lack of a small forward that poses an offensive threat. It seems that they've found their guy in Danilo Gallinari. Scoring has never been an issue for Gallinari but this season he has shown the versatility in his game. Averaging 4.6 rebounds may not be up to his standards, it can't be understated that your rebounds per game are not likely to go up when you have DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin on your team. He's averaging 3 assists per game which have provided the team with some versatility that has not been seen since Eric Gordon in 2011.
Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverly has never been one to fill up the box score and this season is no exception. Despite this, he's still putting up 12 pts, 3 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. What Patrick Beverley does is irritating to opponents. His 4 rebounds are remarkable when you consider you have DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin clogging up the paint. While only 4 rebounds are listed, there are countless times where he challenges a bigger player and makes them work for the rebound, tiring them out. When working for the rebound the opponent often times has trouble handling the ball which results in an offensive rebound and easy putback for Blake or DeAndre. This is made evident by the Clippers leading the league in Offensive Rebounds with 12.6 and second in 2nd chance points with 15.8.
The Bad
Their Losses are Bad (kinda)
I understand all losses are bad to some extent but, they include getting blown out by Golden State (141-113), losing to Detroit (95-87), losing to Memphis (113-104), losing to Miami (104-101), and a loss to San Antonio (120-107). When these losses occurred the ones that stuck out the most to me was Detroit, Memphis, and Miami. In retrospect, none of these teams were as bad as people predicted them to be. Detroit is 2nd in the East at 8-3, Memphis is tied at 3rd in the West at 7-4, and Miami is 5-6, tied for 7th in the East. The only truly bad loss was to Miami. However, it can be deemed acceptable as the entire gameplan shifted once Gallinari went down. The big positive to come out of that game was the way the team showed resilience. Despite being down by 25 pts rather late in the game, the team showed heart and made it much more respectable. If the Clippers want to have a chance at making the playoffs and go deep they should never be in that hole in the first place.
The Ugly
The Injuries
If you're a Clippers fan this is an all too familiar story. The team does well, things are clicking, everyone's having fun. Then, like the morning after Thanksgiving dinner, reality sets in. Everything was too good to be true, all that turkey and pie wasn't gonna magically disappear from your stomach. Just like the Clippers will never magically disappear from the injury bug. As of right now there are only two injuries, Gallinari (Strained Left Glute/Butthurt) and Teodosic (Plantar Fascia). Gallinari looks to be coming back soon, but there is still no timetable for Teodosic. Welp, add two more to the list of those listed as questionable. Patrick Beverley was sent home from the road trip with a sore right knee and Austin Rivers is questionable for the game against the Thunder with a mild left ankle sprain.