Following a 2-1 start to the season, the Los Angeles Clippers (3-7) have found themselves in a slump. Dropping six of their last seven games, the Clippers are looking for answers.
While it’s still early, Los Angeles wants to figure things out before falling too far behind in a loaded Western Conference.
A big part of the Clippers’inconsistency to begin the year has been their inability to develop chemistry, which isn’t surprising given how many new faces they have. Less than 15 games in, head coach Tyronn Lue is still figuring out his rotations, and guys are still getting used to playing alongside each other.
Player absences have made matters worse. James Harden missed Saturday’s loss against the Phoenix Suns due to personal reasons, and Kawhi Leonard has been dealing with a strained right ankle and will miss the next few games.
Leonard has been a catalyst for the Clippers offense and their most reliable scorer. In the first three games of the season, Leonard averaged 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game — his absence won’t make it easy for Los Angeles to crawl out of this slump.
To pull themselves out of this slump, the Clippers should lean on center Ivica Zubac and forward John Collins, who have both been bright spots for Los Angeles. Zubac averages 15 points and 10 rebounds per game for Los Angeles, and Collins has been a steady contributor off the bench, shooting 46% from three and 57% from the field.
These two guys play well, but the problem is, they’re not usually on the court together. Looking for a spark on offense, the Clippers took a step in the right direction Monday night by starting Collins. Having these two out there at the same time alongside Harden may be the Clippers’ best way to take advantage.
Against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, the Clippers’ offense and defense showed strong flashes out of the gate. It looked like Los Angeles had finally figured things out, but the Clippers’ woes reappeared, and the Hawks were able to take advantage, winning 105-102. Plagued with inconsistent play all season long, Lue’s squad will hope to do a better job of keeping their foot on the pedal.
In addition to looking for better consistency and depth, Los Angeles needs to do a better job of limiting turnovers. Ten games in, the Clippers are towards the bottom of the league, averaging 16 turnovers a game.
Lastly, better perimeter defense will play a big role in helping the Clippers turn this tough start around. Los Angeles allows an average of 40 3-point attempts per game and one of the highest 3-point percentages in the league at 40%.
While these are not easy changes, striving towards them will help the Clippers take a step in the right direction.
The task doesn’t get any easier for Los Angeles as they host the Denver Nuggets at home on Wednesday night before heading on an eight game road trip. As one of the top offenses in the NBA, Denver leads the league with 124 points per game.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m at Intuit Dome.