Los Angeles Clippers: Playoffs First Round Preview
The Los Angeles Clippers come into the 2015 playoffs playing extremely well. Winners of 14 out of their last 15 regular season games, the Clips finished the season trending in the right direction.
Some concerns are still present.
More from LA Sports Hub
- Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
- LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
- LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
- Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
- LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month
Although Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will surely be reliable, the list after that gets thin.
Depth looks to be a major concern in this series as it has been all season. Matching up with the reigning champ Spurs, it will be crucial that Doc Rivers find some sort of production off the bench not named Jamal Crawford. As I’ve stated previously, Crawford shouldn’t be relied on for big minutes due to his lackluster defensive play (unless he’s on fire of course), L.A. simply can’t afford to risk giving up space to Danny Green or Marco Belinelli.
While Spencer Hawes and Glen Davis are useful offensive tools, having both on the floor together has not boded well for Doc Rivers‘ defense. With Tim Duncan on the block for San Antonio, defensive big-men will be a must. Unfortunately for L.A., their best chance at stopping Duncan is DeAndre Jordan. He shoots 40 percent from the free-throw line and won’t always be on the floor down the stretch. While Blake Griffin is a good defender, he isn’t the defensive force that Jordan is. Duncan could be a major thorn in the Clippers’ side throughout this series.
Live Feed
Betsided
Besides the potential match-up issues down low, San Antonio’s motion offense will likely be a bigger concern for the Clippers’ defense, which finished the regular season ranked 15th in defensive efficiency. San Antonio’s ability to move the ball quickly and shoot with proficiency will undoubtedly put this L.A. defense to the test. I would expect more than a few high-scoring affairs in this series, as the Clippers will have to put points on the board at a high rate if they want to keep pace.
Another concern for the Clippers: San Antonio’s individual defensive talent. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green will likely be bearing down on Chris Paul and J.J. Redick all series long. While Paul will surely still produce, Redick might have a short self-life in some games, as he will be constantly fighting to get open off of the ball. One idea: compliment Redick with Jamal Crawford rather than Matt Barnes some in the first half to keep the scoring punch where it needs to be. This could present a defensive nightmare, as neither Redick or Crawford can contain Leonard, but the offense might be worth it for a few choice stretches.
Enough with the negatives. The Clippers have a good chance in this series, despite all of the problems I’ve stated.
It all starts with the transition game. San Antonio is very much a half-court team. Although Danny Green is one of the league’s premier transition defenders, I doubt he can stop the fast-breaks of Paul and Griffin/Jordan. The Clippers will need to establish a fast pace early on in each game of this series if they’re to have a chance. A strong transition game and pace can mask San Antonio’s defense by simply being faster, and could allow Matt Barnes to be on the floor more to defend Leonard.
More from Los Angeles Clippers
- LA Clippers: Ty Lue promoted to head coach
- Los Angeles Clippers: Doc Rivers shockingly out as head coach
- LA Clippers: Where does the team go from here?
- LA Clippers: 2019-20 Season has been a huge failure
- LA Clippers: The hype was real but the execution wasn’t
Another strong point: three-point shooting. Despite the fact that San Antonio is also an excellent three-point shooting team, it may help L.A. to be hitting from long-range more than it will the Spurs. If the three-pointers are sinking, less emphasis will be placed on Griffin’s post-game and Jordan’s athletic finishing ability, which could allow for a Stan Van Gundy-style of offense in which the bigs can kick out to open shooters should the defense collapse on them.
While the Spurs’ defense is likely good enough to prevent L.A. from catching fire too often, there’s really just no defense for lights-out three-point shooting. Look for the Clippers to rely on the long-ranged bomb on several occasions this series.
There you have it: the good, the bad, and everything in between for this first-round playoff series.
The Clippers have got to like their chances to advance. Home-court advantage and a red-hot finish to the regular season might have this squad playing in the second round.