Clippers’ rebounding woes add up to trouble

2 years ago 316

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers person a mathematics occupation

Professor Paul George laid it retired succinctly aft people Monday night: “You springiness a squad 30 much shots than us, I mean, you’re not going to triumph that game.”

The Clippers had conscionable been schooled connected the boards again, outclassed successful the rebounding section 67-43 by the San Antonio Spurs, who won the astir important metric going distant too. The last score: 116-92.

That singular accumulation of rebounds – 23 of them violative – registered arsenic the astir the Clippers person allowed since Nov. 16, 1993, erstwhile they mislaid to the Lakers 116-114 – successful treble overtime.

Otherwise, nary Clippers hostile had recorded truthful galore rebounds successful a regularisation crippled since Jan. 6, 1989, erstwhile they mislaid 123-88 to Indiana.

Do the arithmetic connected that and you’ll get 32 – arsenic you’d person to spell backmost 32 years to find a squad propulsion down that galore rebounds successful a crippled against the Clippers.

In related news, Gregg Popovich’s squad took 114 shots Monday, the astir against the Clippers since that double-overtime nonaccomplishment to the Lakers successful 1993, erstwhile their intracity rivals went 46 for 117 from the floor. No hostile had gotten disconnected truthful galore shots successful a regularisation crippled since 1991, erstwhile the Denver Nuggets changeable 43 for 119 successful a crippled the Clippers won 129-112.

Only doubly this play person teams collected much rebounds: Utah and Memphis some finished with 68 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings – whom the Clippers look Wednesday connected the road.

To perceive George, Coach Tyronn Lue and starting halfway Ivica Zubac archer it Monday night, the correction is comparatively elementary: Try harder.

“We gotta person much effort,” Zubac said. “That’s the No. 1 thing, we got to beryllium assertive … We got to cognize we can’t conscionable travel into the crippled and deliberation we’re gonna win. We’re not that talented, particularly with immoderate guys missing, truthful we got to play hard. That’s the lone mode we’re going to person a accidental to triumph it.”

In that regard, Zubac and George raised their hands to invited accountability – but besides to stock it.

“I mean rebounding is simply a squad job, got to rebound if you privation to triumph games,” said Zubac, who had 12 of his team’s 43 rebounds Monday to spell with 12 points for his ninth double-double this season.

“I thought contiguous we did a unspeakable occupation aft each shot. We would each get successful the paint, and determination was nary 1 retired determination connected the elbow oregon the free-throw enactment to get those agelong rebounds. I consciousness similar we got to get amended astatine that. Contest a shot, enactment a manus connected your guy, and we got to beryllium astatine those elbow areas. And we got to prime those up. Those are the ones that wounded america tonight.”

That deficiency of absorption combined with a suboptimal effort, well, it hurt.

“Rebounding is ever astir effort, and we didn’t person it tonight,” said Zubac, who is averaging a career-high 8.0 rebounds per game. “But we got to beryllium smarter astir our positioning, due to the fact that I’m down successful the paint. There’s ever different guys. Low antheral is successful the paint, but we got to beryllium smarter astir the guys who are taking a shot. We can’t conscionable contention it and tally into the paint, oregon leak out. We got to container them out, someone’s got to screen the elbows, and I got to bash a amended occupation controlling the paint. And that’s however we get antiaircraft boards.”

Giving up truthful galore rebounds, particularly erstwhile they truthful often pb to 2nd and 3rd chances, takes a cumulative toll, Zubac said.

“It conscionable kills your vigor arsenic a team,” helium said. “It’s conscionable hard watching each those rebounds and each those shots. It’s hard to support similar 2 oregon 3 shots successful a row. You bash a bully occupation for 20 seconds, you unit a pugnacious shot, and past they conscionable get it backmost and … frustrating.”

And that vexation sapped the Clippers’ foodstuff offensively. In George’s archetypal crippled backmost aft his missed 5 consecutive with a close elbow sprain, the Clippers had 1 of their worst shooting displays of the play – going 34 for 88 (38.6%) from the tract and 9 for 32 (28.1%) from 3-point range.

Luke Kennard had an particularly quiescent evening. After entering Monday having scored successful treble figures successful 9 consecutive games – including a season-high 27-point effort Saturday — successful his 2nd commencement beside George, Kennard finished with conscionable 5 points, shooting conscionable 2 for 8 (and 1 for 5 from deep).

So though Lue said helium thought George “moved well” connected his mode to 25 points, the manager said “now we person to learning however to play with him connected the floor, which I thought we struggled with tonight.”

But that didn’t adhd up either, George thought.

“They shouldn’t,” helium said. “I thought it was honestly a blessing that I was retired and they got to jell and play and find themselves. I thought a batch of them looked assertive with the extended minutes and extended roles. Nothing should alteration erstwhile I travel back.

“I cognize (how) I play with them connected the floor, they should cognize however to play and inactive beryllium themselves. I privation them to beryllium aggressive, I privation them to attack, person the aforesaid mentality if I’m successful oregon out. We’re retired determination to win, and that’s what it’s gonna take. Everybody’s gotta beryllium themselves for america to win.”

CLIPPERS ADD MOSES WRIGHT

The Clippers reportedly volition motion guardant Moses Wright to a 10-day hardship deal, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The 22-year-old Wright is averaging 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per crippled successful G League play for the Agua Caliente Clippers. The 6-foot-8, 226-pounder was a standout astatine Georgia Tech, earning ACC Player of the Year arsenic a senior. He was the 21st subordinate successful programme past to eclipse 1,000 points (1,130) and 500 rebounds (614) successful his career.

The Clippers were capable to motion a subordinate to a hardship woody due to the fact that guardant Marcus Morris Sr. is presently successful COVID-19 wellness and information protocols, having entered into them Saturday.