The Los Angeles Clippers, who lack Leonard, made it 1-3 in the opening round. The two-time NBA Finals MVP suffered a mild anterior cruciate ligament injury and has yet to make a specific comeback. Yet there are a lot of Clippers fans blaming each other, but there's no reason to panic so early. Yes, 1 win and 3 losses is not a good start. But we can still draw some positives from the first four regular season games.
[1] With Bledsoe and George's Clippers, the defense remains solid
In the absence of the best offensive and defensive players in NBA history, everyone will expect serious problems in the Clippers' defense. Indeed, but to a limited extent. Let's not forget that they also have Paul George, whose reading ability and defensive awareness of the game is still at the top level. In addition to fulfilling his duties, George often communicates with his teammates on the defensive end, telling them to speed up the pace of changing defenses.
In addition to George, there is also the new addition of Eric Bledsoe, who is also a great defender, and has been selected for the 2019 Defensive First Team and the 2020 NBA Defensive Second Team. Bledsoe is bound to prove himself this season. To recall, he played for Milwaukee for three seasons, helping the Bucks jump to the top of the Eastern Conference. After the Bucks traded him away, the team suddenly won the championship. Some commentators immediately dismissed him as a black sheep. The pressure he's carrying may help him become the X-factor for the Clippers, who are still strong without Leonard.
[2] Rebounding problem
Another Clippers will miss is Kawhi Leonard's rebounding, and there's no doubt that Leonard follows his motto: "Whoever gets the rebound, gets the reward." Without Leonard, the Clippers struggled to grab rebounds. Even if Leonard doesn't directly protect the rebound, he will struggle to jam his opponent. In Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Clippers had far fewer rebounds than their opponents (36-57).
This can be said to be unavoidable. After all, knights are a tall team of seven-foot long men. These include Jarrett Allen, Laurie Markkanen and Evan Mobley. Who will forget Kevin Love? He's definitely a beast when it comes to grabbing rebounds. However, in the Clippers' 113-115 loss to the Warriors, there were also fewer rebounds than their opponents (39-53).
Not only will the Clippers miss Leonard, but center Ibaka has also been absent for a while due to a back injury. The latter is much better than Zubac in both protection rebounding and defense. In addition to this, Ibaka is more comprehensive on the offensive end. Zubac usually finishes under the basket or scores a second time on the basket. Ibaka can do the same thing; in addition, he can shoot on his own, shooting three-pointers and mid-range jump shots.
[3] The Clippers are still a great team
The season has only just begun, and it is not wise to underestimate the Clippers because of Leonard's absence. Simply put, they also possess a lot of weapons that have the ability to fill the void left by Leonard. Luke Kennard has demonstrated his ability as an organizer. Terrance Mann will continue to evolve towards an all-rounder. Reggie Jackson may have struggled, but that didn't dampen his influence on the offensive end. And, of course, the team also has Nicholas Batum, who is not only a veteran leader, but also an extremely good defender.
We must not forget that after sending away two key guards in the former Clippers' core lineup, Lu Wei and Patrick Beverley, the Clippers may still be solidifying the new traits of the team. It will take some time, and it's too early to predict the team's performance. Once Leonard returns and the team plays more games, we'll see things go in a good direction.
【Fan Survey】
According to the SBNation Clippers community survey, 88 percent of Clippers fans believe Tyrone-Lou should adjust the starting lineup.
When asked which player should be brought up in the starting line-up, 47 percent of fans answered Nicholas Batum, followed by Terrance Mann with 36 percent of the vote, and Kennard backed by 12 percent of fans.
In addition to the rotation, Batum – the jewel of last year's free market – is once again a fan favourite.
While the Clippers struggled with their performances in the new season, at least the league's overall performance has risen. The new rules were implemented to curb foul play by offensive players, with 87% of fans believing the game would get better and better as a result.
