The Clippers are still suffering from the same old problems
The Clippers are struggling in some of the same areas as in the past despite changing the roster.
The curious thing is that the flaws that are plaguing them now are similar to the ones that always caused them trouble in the past. All the offseason moves the team made have failed to answer the problems that have cut their postseasons short in previous years.
The small forward position is still a problem
The Clippers traded away Matt Barnes, hoping to get more production out of their wing spot. Lance Stephenson was the return in the transaction, and the front office also brought in Paul Pierce and Wesley Johnson to bolster the team's depth at small forward. So far, the decision has not panned out.
Pierce is averaging 4.9 points per game on 32 percent shooting from the floor and 24 percent from beyond the arc. He's been in and out of the starting lineup but hasn't found a role yet. Stephenson was the starter at the beginning of the season, but has also shot poorly and made mental mistakes that caused Doc Rivers lose faith in him as the long-term answer. That has left Wesley Johnson as the starter by default, which is far from ideal since he has been a fringe rotation player his entire career.
The problems don't stop on offense. Opposing small forwards have torched the Clippers. Gordon Hayward went off for 33 points on Wednesday. Before that, DeMarre Carroll and Harrison Barnes had 21 each and T.J. Warren 18. Matt Barnes was no stopper but he was a decent defender who had familiarity with his teammates, which meant cohesiveness on the defensive end. The Clippers don't have that crutch this year.
The supporting cast is not delivering on offense
The Clippers' problems on offense largely come down to the aforementioned shooting woes. Only J.J. Redick and Wesley Johnson are shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc, largely thanks to taking most of their three-pointers in catch-and-shoot situations. That's their role and they are performing it well. Other than those two, the rest of the supporting cast is struggling on offense.
Jamal Crawford is supposed to bring instant offense from the bench but is shooting just 37 percent from the field. His pull up jumper -- by far his best asset as a scorer -- has abandoned him so far, as he's shooting just 40 percent on two-point field goals and 26 percent on three-pointers off the dribble. It's the second season in a row in which Crawford has struggled to create for himself, so it might not be just a bad streak he's in.
Those are Crawford’s shot charts for the past three seasons. That’s not an encouraging trend for the 35-year-old gunner. He might actually be done as a high-usage shot creator.
The same applies to Paul Pierce, who has transitioned to a smaller role as a spot-up shooter who can occasionally get his own shot. Stephenson showed off-the-bounce creativity in Indiana but has been a mess ever since. And the less Josh Smith improvises on offense, the better. Even the backup point guards struggle to create much for themselves or others. That's how they get games like Wednesday's in which Blake Griffin and Chris Paul go a combined 28-for-38 from the floor while the rest of the team goes 10-for-37.
The defense is shaky and DeAndre Jordan can't hold it together
Griffin has clearly been the Clippers’ best player so far while Paul has remained a net positive despite battling injuries. The third star on the team is supposed to be DeAndre Jordan but he has actually taken a step back compared to last season. His individual rim protection numbers remain stellar but the Clippers actually do better on defense when he’s not on the court.
It’s not entirely Jordan’s fault, of course. Paul has missed time, there is no wing stopper and Griffin is never going to be an elite defender. Miscommunication is bound to happen with the new additions, as well. The problem is Jordan has been neither as focused nor light on his feet as he has been at times in the past, so he hasn’t been able to erase those mistakes. In fact, he’s making some of his own.
It’s hard to say if the stress of an eventful offseason is affecting Jordan or he’s simply struggling on defense just like his teammates. Yet his entire job consists of keeping the defense afloat and so far he’s not succeeding.
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The Clippers’ problems are similar to the ones they had last season: a weak bench with no shot creators, not enough shooting outside of J.J. Redick and a leaky defense. They were able to overcome those issues in the past thanks to a terrific offense orchestrated by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and a defense held together by DeAndre Jordan.
They could do it again because the talent at the top of the roster is elite. Yet it would be much better if instead of relying on their stars so heavily, team chemistry were to improve and players who are underperforming were to step up. The Clippers have tried riding Paul and Griffin to a championship and it hasn’t worked. This time, they need to try something different and come together as a team. That was the plan when building the roster in the offseason and if it fails, ultimately so will the Clippers.
