Uneven defensive results might offer insight into how the Clippers might try to deal with elite offensive teams like the new triple-threat Brooklyn Nets.
The Beard is in Brooklyn and the whole league is abuzz. Well, sorta: “That ain’t have nothing to do with us,” the Clippers’ Paul George said Wednesday night, inclined in this case to stick to the expected script. Not yet, it doesn’t. But by adding three-time NBA scoring champion James Harden to a lineup that also features Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets figure to be an offensive juggernaut of epic proportions, a combustible handful for any opposing defense they meet in their budding championship pursuit. Including, conceivably, the Clippers, who have title aspirations of their own – and who happen also to boast a collection of award-winning perimeter defenders. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a six-time All-Defensive Team pick; George is a four-time All-Defensive Team selection; Patrick Beverley is a three-time pick. The new guy, Nicolas Batum, is a savvy defensive disruptor who is averaging a career-high 1.2 steals per game 12 games into his Clippers tenure. Together, that unit has prompted a season-worst 23.4% (3-for-14) shooting night from Portland star Damian Lillard, a 44.2% shooter on the season. They did a decent job on Jamal Murray, limiting the Nuggets guard who averaged 34.2 points in the bubble to a pedestrian 23 on Christmas. They even tightened the spigot on the Warriors’ Steph Curry, holding one of the game’s all-time great shooters to 13 points on 5-for-17 shooting.
