PLAYA VISTA — If it’s broke, hole it.
Coach Tyronn Lue suggested earlier signifier Sunday that the Clippers’ 1-4 commencement has shown him capable to cognize he’s got to commencement tinkering, possibly arsenic soon arsenic Monday’s crippled against the 1-5 Oklahoma City Thunder astatine Staples Center.
“If you’re playing good and you’re getting the shots you privation to get and you’re not making them, does that telephone for change?” Lue asked. “That’s the biggest happening you spell backmost and distant with. Just continuing to messiness with the rotations and effort to instrumentality distant those stints wherever we spell four, five, six minutes without scoring erstwhile PG is disconnected the floor. We person to bash thing astir that. So we’ve got thing we’ll effort tomorrow.”
For the astir part, Paul George has been the Clippers’ lone existent reliable root discourtesy aboriginal on, averaging 27.6 points per crippled connected 50% shooting from the field.
When he’s been connected the court, they person an violative standing (or however galore points they people per 100 possessions) of 104.5 — hardly blistering, but amended than the 96.0 violative rating they person erstwhile he’s disconnected the floor.
Here’s an illustration of what that looked similar successful Friday’s 116-92 nonaccomplishment successful Portland: George got his archetypal breather with 2:51 to spell successful the archetypal play having scored 9 points and with his broadside starring 21-18. When helium checked backmost successful with 8:05 to spell successful the 2nd period, the Clippers had scored lone six much points and trailed by nine.
Lue wasn’t going to stock what rotation adjustments helium mightiness person successful mind, but possibly helium rethinks the stagger that has Reggie Jackson connected the level operating arsenic the superior shot handler with the 2nd portion for the bulk of the minutes that George is out? On Friday, Jackson played 11 of the 13 minutes that George sat.
Or possibly Terance Mann (who is shooting 41.0%) and/or Luke Kennard (44.0%) get promoted to the starting lineup successful spot of Jackson (31.3%) and Eric Bledsoe (37.5%)?
“I can’t archer you,” Lue said, “but I’ve got to bash a amended occupation of making definite we’ve got the close combinations connected the level and making definite we’re doing the close thing.
“It’s not conscionable our squad making shots, due to the fact that we are getting bully shots, but I’ve got to bash a amended occupation of making definite that guys are successful the close spot, playing existent good unneurotic and everyone meshes.
“We’re inactive searching and trying to find that, but I deliberation we’re beauteous close.”
He’s not incorrect astir the tantalizing, high-definition looks the Clippers support clanging.
They pb the NBA successful “open” shots, taking 28.4 per crippled with the closest defender betwixt 4 and 6 feet away. The occupation is that they’re making those conscionable 35.2% of the clip truthful far.
It’s a akin plight from agelong distance: The Clippers person averaged 19.0 unfastened 3-point attempts per contest this season, second-best successful the league. But they’re converting those aureate opportunities lone 30.5% of the time.
That’s thing of a crippled twist for a squad that made 42.5% of its 24.9 unfastened shots per crippled past season, and 40.9% of its 14.3 unfastened 3s.
“That’s conscionable what it is close now, we gotta marque our shots,” said Mann, noting that portion the Clippers mightiness beryllium letting opponents disconnected the hook by failing to people capable to support up, they’re not precisely hemorrhaging points, with a 102.3 antiaircraft standing that’s ninth-best successful the league entering Sunday.
“I mean, we’re getting bully looks, and we’re getting stops, it’s not similar we’re not getting stops,” Mann said. “We conscionable gotta marque our shots, truthful that’s wherefore we’re not worried. It’s conscionable a substance of marque and miss.
“Everybody’s been determination before. Where you’re not making capable shots to triumph games, truthful conscionable support moving connected your game, support your aforesaid routine, support getting your reps up and they’ll fall, for sure.”
Especially, perhaps, if Lue tin find a lever oregon 2 to propulsion that volition assistance tee them up a small much comfortably.
THUNDER (1-5) astatine CLIPPERS (1-4)
When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Staples Center
TV: Bally Sports SoCal
Terance Mann connected Paul George’s play: “It’s truly inspiring to spot what helium does for america successful a nightly basis.” pic.twitter.com/FY1iiud8qd
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) October 31, 2021