3 Areas where the Los Angeles Clippers need to improve in the 2nd half of the NBA season
The Los Angeles Clippers were considered the pre-season favorites for the championship this season. They managed to add two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to a core that had reached the first round of the playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard, coming off a Finals MVP and an NBA Championship run with the Toronto Raptors, is considered the best player in the NBA by plenty of people. He hasn't disappointed with the Clippers and has easily been the best player of the team. He has improved his offensive game drastically and is one of the best offensive players in the league.
Paul George has been injured for most of the season but will be raring to go in the 2nd half of the season. Lou Williams has looked great and is a leading contender for another sixth man of the year award. Montrezl Harrell has also been great coming off the bench for the Clippers. The Clippers are the only team in the NBA with four players averaging 19+ PPG. They have a 33-14 record and are the 2nd best team in the NBA.
Having said that, they are still behind their city and title rivals Los Angeles Lakers. There are still some aspects of their play that they can work on. Having said that, here are the 3 areas they need to improve in the 2nd half of the season.
#3 Foul trouble
The Clippers are great at initiating contact on the offensive end and getting to the free-throw line. On the other hand, they also concede a lot of fouls on the defensive end. The Clippers have been very poor when it comes to fouling on the defensive end. They haven't been the same defensive team that they were advertised at the start of the season.
While they guard the ball well, they tend to overcommit a lot of times and as such commit an unnecessarily high number of fouls. The Clippers are committing 22.2 fouls per game which is the 5th highest in the league. This could result in letting teams off the hook down the clutch as more fouls mean more free throws for opponents.
#2 Offensive rebounds allowed
The Clippers are a great rebounding team. Kawhi Leonard leads the team in rebounds per game. He averages around 7.6 rebounds per game. Montrezl Harrell is the second-best rebounder in the team. He is averaging 7 rebounds per game for the Clippers.
They are the second-ranked team in the league with around 48.2 rebounds per game. Despite the high number, the Clippers need to put in more effort on their defensive boards as they are allowing their opposition a whopping 11.1 offensive rebounds per game, the 4th highest in the league.
Anything other than a championship ring will be considered a bust season for the Clippers. They have done a tremendous job in the offseason to form a team that was considered by majority as the best team in the league. They need to show more energy on defensive boards to compete for a title.
#1 Turnovers
The Clippers lack a primary playmaker and ball handler in their team. Their starting point guard is Pat Beverley and he is known for his defensive displays and was never a good offensive option.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are also capable of handling the ball. But they are not going to always make the plays and need to rely on their point guard. Lou Williams is a great scorer but not a great playmaker.
The Clippers commit a lot of turnovers as they don't have any true point guard in the lineup. They turn the ball more than 15 times per game and are ranked 22nd in the league in this department.
The Clippers should test the market during the trade deadline to get some point guards for the second half of the season. Darren Collison is already being linked to the Clippers and the Lakers. Collison was great for the Pacers last season and can be a great pick up for the Clippers. Derrick Rose can also be a great option for the Clippers. He has been sensational for the Pistons and is gaining attention in the trade market.