created a 0-2 reversal in two consecutive rounds, and after the fall of ace Kawhi Leonard, he continued his journey with 6 victories. The Clippers made the first Western Conference Finals last season. Today, the momentum continues to challenge the championship, but everything is delayed due to Leonard's injury time. In the face of competition from the Western powers, the Clippers are still a strong team that can not be ignored, but it is slightly insufficient to challenge the championship upwards. There is no draft pick on hand, and the bad deal is only cheap enough for the Thunder. Looking at the new season is like preparing for the game, everything is to lay the foundation for Leonard after returning to the team.
Looking at American mainstream media evaluations, the Clippers rank roughly between 10-20 in the league. ESPN, which gives the highest rating, is 10th, CBS is 11th, and BleacherReport clearly sees The decline was only given to the 18th place. Regardless of the rank, it is generally expected that the Clippers will still be a playoff team, and there will still be Paul George to support the strength, but how far can it go up? Can you defeat the Jazz and threaten the Sun in a seven-game four-win system?
"Retaining people" is the absolute core goal of the Clippers' reinforcement this summer. The most important thing is to complete the 4-year contract extension with Leonard. For whatever reason, I gave up fighting for the maximum salary and turned to seek a 4-year contract with the Clippers. The total income will even be slightly lower than the second brother George, but I can protect my treatment after injury and can do it at any time. Good preparation for playing, the team can also do all the trades with peace of mind. When Leonard can play next summer, he will be able to hit the championship with all his strength.
Under the hearts of the players, there is no need to use additional salary regulations and chips. The Clippers have left Jackson, Batum, and Ibaka , who chose to execute the contract, to ensure the previous playoffs. The combat power is intact.
Looking at next summer,I have to mention the only major deal for the Clippers, sending out Patrick Beverly, Rajon Rondo, Daniel Otulu, in exchange for the Pelicans' Eric Bledsoe_ span6span. From the perspective of combat power, this is a transaction with a high probability of "demotion". Beverly's defensive contribution to the Jazz and the Suns is not in doubt. In addition to clinging to the opponent's trump card and Hustle repeatedly Play and dirty work have motivated our morale. It can be said that I am the spiritual leader of the Clippers in recent years. He still has a three-point accuracy of more than 40% on the offensive end. Although Rondo was not used in the playoffs, he was still on the top. Important members of the end of the season's record, the effectiveness of the two people may not be able to make up for and Bledsoe alone.
The success or failure of the Bledsoe transaction should be placed at the same time next year. The Clippers first solved the list overload by 3 for 1 and saved a luxury tax, and then aimed at the protection of only 4 million in the second year The contract allows it to cooperate with Leonard's comeback time in the mid-season and off-season, and there is the possibility of a second transaction.
Take a step back and look a little optimistic. Bledsoe is not a terrible player for the starting guard who is on the edge and substitutes the number one position on the bench. He has the offensive ability that the Clippers lack, and is also the former best defensive first team. Members, according to the head coach Lu mentioned in the media day, the new season's tentative starting backcourt will be joined by Bledsoe and Jackson, which shows that the Clippers are still looking forward to Bledsoe in terms of combat power, not just trading. Bargaining chips.
The above trader can be regarded as the Clippers consolidating the "basic plate" to ensure that the team maintains a certain level of combat power. The next step is to explain the Clippers' "Taobao" ambition. What is important is to find usable soldiers in the new season, in the short-term hope to be included in the 2022-23 season, and in the long-term is to pave the way for the longer-term future.
part of the middle class signed Justis Winslow this universal tool man,It seems that last year's Batum suffered a sharp decline in combat power after being injured. Can he prove himself in NBA again? Winslow will be the Clippers’ "black horse on the bench" this season. If he can regain his all-around forward skills, he will not only be a defensive defender, but he can also share a bit of organization and possession. The two-year contract can be extended to 2022-23. Season, to increase the depth of the bench in the championship season, if it doesn’t come in handy? It is not difficult to clear 4 million contracts a year.
The more lucky draw also includes signing NBA contracts with 3 newcomers, which are rare. Judging from the performance of the summer league, they are all players with flaws in their skills that need to be considered. It is difficult to imagine anyone who can get a stable playing time in the middle of the season. Keane Johnson lacks a stable outside line Accuracy and ball-holding ability, Jason Preston's poor physical fitness, and Brandon Boston Jr.'s comprehensive skills are not up to professional level, I am afraid they will all run back and forth with the development league at the end of the bench, and strive for opportunities to play bit by bit. .
However, the rookie symbolizes the Clippers’ second goal outside of this season’s combat power. Bledsoe and Luke Kennard, who have not yet secured their rotation, may be the members who will be replaced, and even face When wounded, rookies also have a chance to perform. Although there is no substantial help in the past two years, patient cultivation is expected to gradually see gains in the next 3-4 years, especially Johnson, Jr. Brandon ·Boston . All of them are high-ceiling types and have many potentials.
fans need to realize that the Clippers are destined to be a "downgraded version" next season. It is not that Bledsoe casts a vote of no confidence, but that no one can fill the offensive and defensive gap of Kawhi Leonard. The current team still shows that Leonard's return time is still unknown, but from the reinforcement of the trader, it is clear that the "championship hope" has not been suppressed this season. Although it is a downgrade version? But don’t forget, they still beat the Jazz two consecutive games to qualify for the Western Conference Championship.In the Western Conference finals when facing the sun, he was able to score two victories.
Since the main core has hardly changed, the Clippers will continue the offensive and defensive system Lu directed last season. The offense emphasizes a large number of rotations and patiently creates outside space. No Leonard can dismantle bombs at a critical moment. The Clippers still have quality shooters such as Jackson, Kennard, and Max Morris. The high-level outside quality and constant flow of offense will continue the Clippers’ offensive style last season. Even if there is a stalemate, there are still two arrows in the formation, such as George and Jackson, breaking the stalemate. The new addition of Bledsoe and Terrence Mann, who has gained more playing time, will be a brand-new chemical factor that will slightly change the Clippers. Preference in the offensive area, but the overall estimate is that the Clippers can maintain the scoring firepower in the first half of the league in the regular season.
On the defensive end, don’t expect the Clippers to play 82 small goals. The most solid defensive cornerstone for returning to the regular season is still Zubac. Although not a new generation center in line with the trend, Zubac is already there. In the past 3 years, he has proven himself to be a top goalkeeper in the penalty zone. Last season's 6-foot defensive difference (DIFF%) was as high as -11.8%, ranking 9th in the league (with more than 30 games), which is the same as letter brother , Lopez and others Level of defensive deterrence. In the absence of Ibaka's playing time, letting Zubac retreat from the defense with a high-mobility striker in the mid-range will be the most popular defensive trap for the Clippers in the new season. If Ibaka can play steadily. , The Clippers can also make a more aggressive 5 Out formation in response to the situation.
The "strike sea" with Zubac's defense is still the advantage of the Clippers. Without the versatile Leonard , there are still Morris, Batum, George, Mann, etc. A striker with height, speed and strength, and even the newly added Winslow, Johnson, and Bledsoe are players who can perform on the defensive end.
Three Questions
The Clippers have an excellent basic set, and through a lottery draw, the team’s strength ceiling is raised. There are still three questions facing the new season.
The first question is who can share the scoring pressure for Paul George? Last season, he refurbished the "Playoff P" signboard. In the eight playoff games where Leonard fell, he averaged 29.6 points, 11 rebounds, 5.6 assists, plus/minus +36. Among them, he scored 37 in the fifth game with the Jazz. Facing the Suns, he even broke a career record of 41 points in a single game. The dominance on both offensive and defensive ends can be seen. However, in the sixth game facing elimination, and even the entire Western Conference Championship, Paul, who averaged more than 40 minutes per game. George couldn't hide his fatigue, he was really exhausted.
In addition to avoiding injury in the new season, George has to carry the Clippers’ scoring arrow. With the previous shooter tactics, the defender will naturally focus without Leonard’s attraction. Although it is believed that George can have a performance level close to that of MVP in the regular season, who should carry the second scoring arrow for the Clippers?
Good friend Jackson would be the best candidate, with an average of 17.8 points in the playoffs, and his overkill shooting percentage seems to be the best of his career. Only in the long regular season, can he have enough stable performance? In terms of performance in recent years, the playoffs are far beyond the average. If Jackson can't do it, can the Clippers, which are turned into a single-core team, use their excellent team firepower to make up for the star power, or even take the responsibility in turn? I believe it will be intuitively reflected in the Clutch Time of the regular season.
What the Clippers still need to worry about is the deep decline of the bench and the deduction of Leonard who needs to recover. Regardless of the newcomers, the old team of the Clippers has a complete eight-man rotation, which will be the core lineup. Lesotho and Winslow can also share part of the time,The combat power is basically sufficient. The problem is that at the end, we abandoned Cousins, Ferrer, Patterson and other veterans. Although the combat power of the three is very limited, they are more clear than the newcomers with doubtful availability. The instruction manual should be provided temporarily for more sufficient experience.
In case of an unfortunate outbreak of injuries, the Clippers' lineup depth is obviously not as good as last season, and even after entering the playoffs, Cousins could have been sent as a surprise team. This year, Lu will guide the available soldiers. Significantly reduced, the Clippers are bound to pay part of the price of record in order to cultivate newcomers.
Finally, I pay attention to the development of young players. I personally think that the focus will be on Terence Mann and Kennard. The former has a good chance of getting stuck in the starting position. He will be a major breakthrough for the Clippers this year. The key point is that the Jazz scored 39 points to create a surprise, but the series against the Suns disappeared and failed to give the team further help. The Clippers not only need Mann’s vitality on the defensive end, but also look forward to seeing more offenses. End performance, such as liberating George and Jackson’s organizational responsibilities, or a more efficient and stable scoring method, will hope that he can deliver an average double-digit score card this year.
shooter Luke Kennard began to execute a 4-year 64 million contract. As a universal bag that the Clippers will appear on every trade rumors, Kennard is not a bad player, even The function is also very clear. With a certain ability to organize and hold the ball, coupled with high-quality three-point shooting, the problem is that it cannot adapt to the Clippers' defensive system. Jackson's defense is just as bad. In the 19-20 season, it became Doncic Kennard’s lore background until this season successfully covered his own weaknesses with appropriate defensive awareness. This is what Kennard has been unable to achieve last season, and this is what he needs to prove next season.
left with Rondo and Beverly,Coupled with Bledsoe, who is more impulsive in playing style, Kennard should be the player that Lu will be more willing to put on the offensive end. As he said before the pre-season media, last season was like a roller coaster, from a fixed rotation To sit on the bench, Kennard still needs to prove that he is a usable soldier in the playoffs, otherwise it will not only become a bad deal that the Clippers can't handle, but it may also be difficult for the career to go on for a long time.
5. Key figures: PG13
Despite his impressive results last season, fans of "Playoff P" will not let George go, but when the goal turns to the whole season, "Regular P" It's quite reassuring. In the 18-19 season, he averaged 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.2 steals, and was the best performance of his career. He was ranked third in the MVP vote. Last season, he scored only 23.3 points in the Clippers, but he had a career-high 46.7% shooting percentage. And 5.2 assists. The 30-year-old Paul George is still at his peak with his explosive power and physical fitness decline.
Next season will be one of the few years that Paul George has led independently in recent years. There is no Leonard, or Westbrook by his side. The last time there was such a situation has to go back to the Pacers era of the 2016-17 season. That year only scored 42 wins and 40 losses, slightly more than 50%. Without Leonard’s help to attract defenses, George’s pure shooter tactics’ ratio and space will fall as expected, and he will encounter more targeted defenses by his opponents. The ship needs Paul George as the first ace to support the scene.
For a long time, George has not been regarded as a superstar. Whether it is due to depression in the 18-19 season, he has a very bad performance in the Orlando bubble circle, and he is also a representative of the long-term playoff soft hand. I re-proved myself last season, but for the acid people, a season of outbreaks is not enough. Currently, as the star with the largest contract held by the Clippers,Although his status is still the second elder brother, there is now a chance for Paul George to elevate himself to the same level as Leonard. Not only does the Clippers need him to be the basis for the team to win, but also the best time to personally impact historical achievements
There is a stable trump card, definitely better than various reinforcements, and Paul George will be that one?
Season goal: In the second round of the playoffs, Johnson (or any newcomer) has been on the court for more than 10 minutes
As mentioned above, the new season is a slightly awkward year for the Clippers , It is difficult to make the playoffs, but it is unable to tank down, so there are two main pieces to talk about the goal of success.
First of all, in terms of the simplest record, entering the playoffs is only the most basic 60 points. Although it is generally expected that the Clippers will not be able to make the first half of the Western Conference, there is a chance to stand between 3-6 and need to show What's the toughness of the two consecutive rounds of reversal from the previous season, it is best to enter the second round of events, and even into the Western Conference Championship, which can be said to be an extremely successful season.
On the other hand, he has gained something in the "training". From the simplest example, just letting Justis Winslow become a fixed rotation team, the contract can be extended to the 22-23 season, which can be the way to win the championship. Laying a solid foundation, the more difficult is like the cultivation of newcomers, considering the completion of the three, if Johnson can get a certain number of games defensively, and have at least a 30% three-point line shooting rate, etc., it is already It was a successful season and was able to set up a farther future for the Clippers.
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