Breaking Down LA Clippers' Shooting Guard Position for 2014-15 Season
The Los Angeles Clippers have talent at almost every position up and down their roster. Shooting guard isn’t top-heavy with top-10-caliber dominance, but it’s arguably the team’s deepest spot, with a pair of skilled veterans capable of scoring points from all over the floor and an "old" rookie looking to forge his way.
Here’s a look at how the shooting guards on this year’s Clippers squad differ from last year’s, the current group’s strengths and weaknesses and how they can help Los Angeles become a champion in 2014-15.
A look back in time
Los Angeles began the 2013-14 season with a healthy J.J. Redick in the starting lineup, eventual Sixth Man of the Year award winner Jamal Crawford offering an unparalleled punch off the bench and several other fill-in role players who drifted in and out of Doc Rivers’ rotation.
When Redick suffered a fracture in the small bone of his right hand and a tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament against the Sacramento Kings only a few weeks into the season, the suddenly deep off-guard spot looked rather thin.
For the next seven games, journeyman Willie Green found himself in the starting lineup, but the team went 3-4 during that stretch, and Rivers finally succumbed by replacing him with Crawford. Doing so threatened to hurt Los Angeles’ scoring power off the bench and ruin its solid rotations, but it still went 10-4 during those remaining games before Redick returned to the starting lineup on Jan. 10.
That didn’t take for long, though. Doctors discovered a bulging disc in the three-point marksman’s back in early February, the effects of which kept him sidelined through April, into Los Angeles’ late-season run for a No. 1 or 2 seed in the playoffs.
In only 34 starts, Redick still did his job, shooting 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and averaging a career-best 15.2 points per game with a career-high 16.6 player efficiency rating. Already boasting the best offense in basketball throughout the regular season, the Clippers outdid themselves with Redick on the floor, averaging 113.1 points per 100 possessions (as opposed to a still-very-good 108.2 with him on the bench).
Here’s Redick’s shot chart from last year.
Crawford held things down nicely, too, even at 33 years old. He shot 36.1 percent from deep while attempting the most threes per 36 minutes in his 14-year career. Crawford also added a different dimension to Los Angeles’ offense.
Apart from Chris Paul, the team had nobody who could create for themselves on the perimeter. Owner of perhaps the most impressive handles in the league, Crawford got where he wanted, when he wanted, and was always a threat with the ball in his hands.
Who’s the new guy?
As long as everyone can stay healthy, most of the on-court offensive success Redick, Crawford and the team had with that pair manning the 2 spot last season should carry over into 2014-15.
There’s a new face, too: C.J. Wilcox, selected with the 28th overall pick in June’s draft. The 23-year-old shooting guard is obviously old for a rookie (he turns 24 on Dec. 30), but that may actually turn into a good thing for a basketball team that clearly wants to win right away. Should Crawford or Redick go down again, having a more mature player step in rather than a wide-eyed 19-year-old isn’t a bad thing.
From his Draft Express scouting report, Wilcox could handle minutes early on if he’s called upon.
"Wilcox is one of the best shooters in this draft class, as he made 43% of his catch and shoot jumpers on the season, which is second best among prospects in our Top-100 rankings. More than just a one-dimensional shooter with his feet set, he is excellent coming off screens (40%, 6th best in Top-100), and also makes a solid 35% of his pull-up attempts (8th best in Top-100).
While not a crafty ball-handler or an overly prolific shot-creator, Wilcox has improved his ability to operate in transition, pick and roll and isolation situations this season, which was sorely needed on a Washington team that was lacking for talent this season in the very deep Pac-12.
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Wilcox ended his four-year career at the University of Washington shooting an impressive 38.9 percent from behind the three-point line. He was above 40 percent in his freshman and sophomore seasons, too, and his scoring average rose each year he was in school, which is obviously a good sign.
Redick and Crawford will fill the bulk of Rivers' minutes at this position, but Wilcox's game could be a seamless fit.
Some glaring weaknesses
The main worry about the entire trio comes on the other end, where neither Redick nor Crawford are considered lockdown defenders. Redick’s work as a small piece in a larger pie is solid, but chucking a pick-and-roll and sticking with James Harden on an island are two very different things.
Crawford is poor in both areas, to the point where outside of those quick hands, he’s a downright liability. Wilcox has a solid wingspan nearly stretching to 6’10”, but he’s still a rookie who needs to learn Rivers’ complex system and adjust to guarding the very best of the very best.
The Clippers have DeAndre Jordan patrolling the back line and helping with pick-and-roll coverage, but the lack of athleticism on the perimeter is still a problem. Last season, they were better on defense when both players took a seat, allowing just 101.3 points per 100 possessions with J.J. Redick on the bench and 100.6 with Crawford right beside him. The latter number was good for a top-five defense.
The Clippers’ clear strengths are at point guard and power forward, where Paul and Blake Griffin may both finish the 2014-15 season as the best players at their respective positions. No matter how well Redick, Crawford and Wilcox play, this team can’t win it all unless its two best players are at the top of their game.
But shooting guard is still important for a team that needs spacing on offense via respectable to entirely deadly three-point accuracy. All three of these guys provide that, but they can’t produce if they’re hurt. Staying healthy is key, and if that happens (along with Wilcox emerging as a solid two-way contributor), this group could give Los Angeles the firepower it needs to finally win it all.
All statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com or NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
Michael Pina covers the NBA for Bleacher Report, Sports on Earth, FOX Sports, ESPN, Grantland and elsewhere. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelVPina.
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