Looking at the Los Angeles Clippers’ First Two Weeks of the Season

With a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Clippers fell to 4-3 on the season. Still, there has been plenty to be positive about in Tinsel Town.

Just two weeks into the season, what has stood out about the team, what questions remain, and where could things go from here?

3 Observations

The Backcourt Defensive Looks Like a Major Strength

The Clippers, through the first two weeks of the season, boast one of the better defenses in the NBA; they are seventh in defensive rating, allowing 105.5 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com/stats.

That defensive effort has been, in large part, thanks to the backcourt. Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley have both proven stout defenders in the past, but the team has gotten solid contributions from rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others as well.

If Doc Rivers can get anything out of Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari, and the other front court pieces on the defensive end – something that has proven difficult for those players in the past – Los Angeles could find their defense near the top of the ranks for an extended period of time. The defensive intensity, at the very least, should make things easier on the Clippers as the season progresses.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Ready for the Big Time

Speaking of Gilgeous-Alexander, the rookie has been impressive with the ball in his hands.

The counting stats may not show it – in 25.9 minutes per game, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a steal on the season – but the kid has looked like he belongs. He has played with poise, determination, and rarely, if ever, looks lost with the ball in his hands.

He’ll struggle at times, as all rookies do. But the early returns on Gilgeous-Alexander have looked promising for Los Angeles.

Tobias Harris + Danilo Gallinari = Dynamic Duo

Harris and Gallinari have provided quite the punch for the Clippers offense.

Through seven games, the two have averaged a combined 40.9 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. The offense, as a whole, has looked good thus far, with the team eclipsing 100 points in six of seven games and 115 in four of those six.

2 Questions:

What do the Clippers Need to Add to the Roster?

No roster, aside from maybe the Golden State Warriors, is at its best at the start of the season. These are fluid things, prone to change for a number of different reasons. But what do the Clippers need to add, specifically?

An All-Star.

The Clippers should continue to see positive results in the regular season. But, as teams eventually bunker down for their playoff runs, Los Angeles will be left out in the cold if they can’t go out and get a high-level, impact performer.

A wide variety of options are or could be available for the right price. The disgruntled Jimmy Butler is one name that comes to mind. Or, perhaps, the likes of Harris or Gallinari could reach that level from within the organization.

Either way, it would be foolish for the front office to not at least consider consolidating some of their talented depth into a difference maker.

Is the Strong Defensive Start Fact or Fiction?

The Clippers do, in fact, rank among the top ten teams in defensive rating this season. But has their defensive performance thus far been the real deal or is it more of a mirage?

Yes, Los Angeles has faced some high-octane offenses to start the season: when they are at their best, the Thunder and the Houston Rockets have shown they are forces to be reckoned with.

However, those teams haven’t exactly been their best during these early-season matchups. And, when they have been, the Clippers haven’t looked great.

Los Angeles took down the Thunder without Russell Westbrook for their first win of the season, allowing just 92 points in the effort. Tuesday night, while the defense started strong, Westbrook and Oklahoma City took over in the second half and beat the Clippers by 18. The Clippers have twice taken down a Houston team that has looked discombobulated to start the season, even more so in the absence of James Harden, who has missed both matchups with a hamstring injury.

As the games pile up and teams get healthy, it will be interesting to see if the defense can hold against the tougher competition the Clippers will face out West.

1 Prediction

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Will Earn More Minutes Over the Coming Weeks

Again, Gilgeous-Alexander has been impressive in his early-season showing. As a rookie, some may think it risky to throw them to the fire. But it should be assumed that Rivers, a longtime veteran as both a player and coach, knows what he is doing to some degree.

And that he knows talent when he sees it.

Rivers hasn’t had problems with playing rookies heavy minutes in the past. Back during the 2006-07 season, a rookie Rajon Rondo saw his minutes steadily increase as the season continued. The same could be said for a number of rookies under Rivers’ watch with. And Gilgeous-Alexander may be one of the most talented of the bunch.

So, if Gilgeous-Alexander can continue to make an impact as he has thus far, Rivers will have no choice to give him more minutes.

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