Los Angeles Clippers Breakdown: Despite Win Over Knicks, Clips Are Still Losers

The Knicks-Clippers game Wednesday night was proof that just because a game is close, or has a lot of points, doesn’t mean that it is particularly exciting. 

In fact, the contest—one that the Clippers won in overtime, 128-124—may have been one of the worst basketball exhibitions of the year.

And just because the Clippers prevailed with a victory, doesn’t mean they showed anything to displace the notion that they are one of, if not the very worst teams in the league.

By my unofficial count, in set situations (excluding early transition opportunities, fast breaks, and offensive rebounds), the Clippers culminated 11 possessions in which they didn’t make a single pass once the ball crossed halfcourt before they attempted a shot (6-11).

They ended 30 possessions with one pass (17-30) and then a shot, 18 possessions with two passes (9-18), 15 possessions with three passes (8-15), seven possessions with four passes (0-7), and only two possessions with five passes (1-2) before an attempt.

Their main offensive motion was to have a ball handler set up on the wing or in the post where a cutter would suck the defense into the lane, and a player would pop out to the wing to fill the void by the cutter.

Usually the player popping out was semi-open and took the shot—a crude system used by crude players who don’t want to do anything more complex.

Aside from that motion, the Clips ran numerous isolations, post ups, the occasional cross-screen for Zach Randolph, and a handful of curls for Steve Novak and Eric Gordon.

Baron Davis supposedly is the ringleader, but for someone with sparkling numbers (13 PTS, 20 AST, six REB), he hardly showed any exuberance or bounce in his step.

For the most part, Davis looked to cross the timeline, wait for a cutter to sag the Knicks defense, and then find an open shooter—while exerting as little of himself as possible. If that wasn’t available, he’d drive, suck in New York’s defense on his own, and kick out. 

Davis showed no explosion at the rim and missed the majority of his layups, yet for some reason (reputation?), the Knicks always put maximum attention on Davis’ attempts to penetrate, giving him wide open passing lanes to deliver assist passes.

When Davis wasn’t allowed an easy assist, he’d often commit a careless turnover, like a cross-court pass straight into the back of Nate Robinson. Davis committed five turnovers for the game.

Davis made few attempts at running set plays, electing instead to make simple passes to open players, or allow teammates to operate one-on-one.

When Davis didn’t see a wide open man the Clippers offense would generate, he’d dribble aimlessly with the ball draining the shot clock before delivering a pass to teammates with about 10 seconds on the shot clock. 

Often, since his teammates would have no set play run and little time to do anything with the ball, passes would be swung back around to Davis with just a handful of seconds on the shot clock.

Coincidentally, most of the Clippers’ shot attempts after making four passes weren’t high percentage ones early in the shot clock, but were desperation heaves by Davis because he completely destroyed the Clippers’ offensive rhythm.

When Davis looked to, or was forced to score, his numbers were abysmal—5-17 FG, 2-9 3FG. He was off-balance on nearly all his jumpshots, and made no primal, or clever attempts at finishing at the rim.

Defensively, Davis executed a handful of effective double teams leading to a steal, and a near-steal. He also came out of nowhere to block a Jared Jeffries’ layup at the rim. Other than that, Davis made no effort to defend screen/rolls properly, and was in no-mans land when offering help.

Essentially, he played effective defense when he relied on the element of surprise instead of when he was supposed to prepare and anticipate the offense’s maneuvers.

In fact, offensively or defensively, the only aggression Davis showed were in diving for a loose ball early in the first half, and playing exemplary, physical post defense on al Harrington in key situations.

Aside from those instances, and despite his gaudy numbers, Davis’ mind appeared to be on shooting his next short film than playing winning basketball. Which, considering Davis’ history, wouldn’t surprise NBA aficionados in the least.

Davis wasn’t the least of the Clippers’ problems.

With Marcus Camby out with a migraine (did he suffer it from watching his team’s film sessions?), the Clippers had no shot-blocking presence, and comparably, had no interior presence on defense at all. That’s why the Knicks scored 60 points in the paint.

Aside from Fred Jones, nobody on the Clippers made any attempt to play anticipatory defense.

Ricky Davis made extra passes, but only because he‘s completely lost his ability to score.

Given that Davis has spent his entire career averse to playing defense, functioning in a structured offense, giving maximum effort, passing the ball, and playing with any physicality, this season will surely mark the end of Davis’ long, irrelevant NBA career.

Eric Gordon doesn’t curl tightly off of screens, limiting his chances of getting extra advantages against defenses. A rookie problem that can easily be corrected with drills.

Al Thornton surely is a dynamite scorer, but he appears to be soft and has difficulty making decisions under pressure.

Zach Randolph was repeatedly torched by David Lee off the dribble.

Steve Novak is no Andrea Bargnani, but he is a candidate for the All-No Defense team.

Aside from Randolph, nobody on the Clippers bothered to box out. Help was often late or non-existent.

Positioning on both sides of the ball was sloppy, and adjustments were lacking—for example, the Knicks shot the gap on the Clippers’ off ball curls involving Eric Gordon, yet only in the final minute of overtime did Mike Dunleavy have Gordon stop halfway up the screen and bump to the baseline with Davis dribbling in his direction for an easier pass. 

It’s clear that the team has tuned out Mike Dunleavy—if they ever bought into him at all.

So how did the Clippers prevail?

·         With Chris Duhon out, the Knicks were without their primary offensive playmaker. Without Duhon and Quentin Richardson, the Knicks were also without their best backcourt defenders.

·         Al Harrington lost his composure—and the game.

·         Zach Randolph forced the Knicks to double team him in the post, leading to open jumpers, or penetrations against scrambling defenders. Randolph also had the shoulders, and the hunger, to rebound (15 REB).

·         Steve Novak had the game of his life—8-10 FG, 6-8 3FG, 23 PTS.

·         Fred Jones is a versatile, underrated player. For example, he was the only player who quickly drove the ball after a swing pass found him, continuing to put pressure on Knicks defenders instead of settling for jumpers.

·         Eric Gordon can shoot, drive, and fly.

·         Al Thornton cuts hard without the ball, and along the baseline.

·         The Clippers’ simplistic offense was better than the Knicks’ completely non-existent defense.

·         The real moral of the Clippers’ victory is that while good defenses will always beat good offenses, bad offenses usually trump bad defenses.

But with the lack of coaching, the complete disinterest by the veterans, and the long expensive salaries owed B-Diddy, Randolph, and Chris Kaman, combining with the franchise’s completely disinterest in doing the work necessary to field a winning basketball team, it’s hard to envision the Clippers achieving anything the next few years.

In fact, it was fitting that the Clippers’ opponents in the ball game were the New York Knicks because the dysfunctional problems the Knicks had when James Dolan, Isaiah Thomas, and Stephon Marbury were running the asylum are similar to the problems the Clippers are facing now.

So NBA fans, meet the new Clippers. Same as the old Knicks.