Implementing a new system for a team with nine new players isn't easy by any means, and this offseason, LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has had his work cut out for him.
The team had their training camp in Hawaii this season, where they got to take part in a number of team-bonding events while playing two preseason games against the Toronto Raptors. In their first practice since returning from their training camp in Hawaii, Rivers highlighted some of the things he noticed against the Raptors that his ball club will focus on to close out the preseason and start the regular season.
“Just kind of brush up on what we've put in. We're going to put in some defensive stuff that we haven't put in because we have to start catching up there, but offensively, just try to keep with the same philosophy of running and getting the floor spaced.
And then running, really, when things aren't going well. I think that's the one area that in both games you can see, we had a couple bad possessions offensively or defensively, and we tend to slow down. We just gotta keep that philosophy of the spacing and then the attacks.”
In Game 1 of the preseason, LA fell to the Raptors 113-121 in a game which they turned the ball over 19 times couldn't get anything going in the fast break. Game 2 told a different story, and although they turned the ball over an obscene 24 times, the Clippers got out in transition and got easy buckets after forcing Raptors to make just 38% of their shots.
So far, the Clippers have known defensive aces in Patrick Beverley and DeAndre Jordan, but haven't displayed the quality team defense it's going to take to win an a competitive Western Conference.
“The defensive philosophy changes some every year. Its just more guys, and when you're putting both offensive and defensive phils in and you've got that many new guys, you gotta get your offensive stuff just to get them to play right first, and then you start working on your defensive stuff.
“I think we can be a good defensive team. I think we have some good individual defensive players, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're a good defensive team. I mean Pat Beverley made the all defensive team last year but their team wasn't necessarily a good defensive team. You can be a good defensive player individually, we have DeAndre Jordan and Pat, but we want to be a great defensive team, so we have to put it together.”
The Clippers will have three more attempts at working out the kinks in their defense before the regular season tips off in less than two weeks on October 19th.
Follow Us
Subscribe