After the Los Angeles Clippers’ 127-95 Monday rout of the Brooklyn Nets, it’s clear the team has the “singular focus” Chris Paul referenced after the game.
''No excuses, we said we're going to come out the same way every night,” he said. “It's all about playing the right way. We got to keep building.''
Eleven games normally isn’t a large enough sample size to pass judgment on an NBA team. But the Clippers haven’t just been good, they’ve been really good to start the season. And it’s their defense, anchored by DeAndre Jordan, that’s setting the tone.
Inside-Outside D
At a league-best 10-1 record, Los Angeles is blowing teams out of the water by an average of 16.6 points per game, more than double that of Golden State (plus-8.2), Cleveland (plus-7.4), and San Antonio (plus-5.1).
Last season, the Clippers allowed 100.9 points per 100 possessions. In 2014-15, they allowed 103. Through 11 games this season, the same Clips team boasts a defensive rating of 93 points per 100 possessions. (For reference, the Spurs defensive rating is 99.9, the Cavaliers 101.7, the Warriors 104.6, and the Knicks are dead last at 107.5.)
The Clippers are holding opponents to a league-best 40.9 percent shooting, a lesser percentage than what Jordan shoots from the foul line (45.5 percent). That’s because DJ is one of the NBA’s best rim protectors.
Players attacking the rim while Jordan is manning the middle have made only 32-of-79 shots (40.5 percent), and his 20 blocks on the season are good for fifth-best in the NBA. That inside presence allows the Clippers to aggressively defend the perimeter, limiting opponents to just 22.6 three-point attempts per game, fourth-fewest in the NBA.
Defense leading to offense
“The defense is so good right now our offense is allowed easy baskets,” coach Doc Rivers said. “They're angry when the other team scores.”
Los Angeles’ two-pronged defense makes it the second-best team in transition, behind only the Warriors in points per fast break play (1.25). The Clippers have six players shooting 50 percent or better in transition, and they’re even deadlier when they get into their halfcourt offense.
Jordan and Blake Griffin combine for 55 points off of pick-and-roll opportunities. And Chris Paul’s 8.5 assists per game still rank in the league’s top five, despite playing less than 30 minutes per game. Throw in the J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford’s sharp-shooting, and the Clippers have an all-around offense-defense attack that’s taking the NBA by storm.
It’s unclear if they can keep it up, but if they stay healthy continue building on their 10-1 start, the Clippers could be the team to challenge Golden State in the Western Conference Finals.
