Defense is what head coach Ty Lue has been preaching for this Los Angeles Clippers team during training camp back in early October, and it has shown in the first eight games of the season.
This team knew that the setback by superstar Kawhi Leonard before the season began that would keep him out for the foreseeable future meant they were going to be missing a lot of offensive production, but coach Lue knew they didn’t have to take a step back defensively.
So far this season, they have been one of the better defensive teams.
Los Angeles Clippers Defense Playing At A High Level
They sit currently 4th in the league in points allowed per game (107.8/gm) and have faced quality competition through the eight games: Phoenix (twice), Denver, Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia.
“We wanted to come out aggressive defensively [in the 3rd quarter],” coach Lue said after LA’s 110-98 win over Philly. That win got LA back to .500 and was their 2nd win in a row.
It was the first time the Los Angeles Clippers held a team under 100 points this season, but they’ve only allowed one game in regulation over 106 points and that was on the second night of a back-to-back against a Phoenix team that currently sits atop the Western conference at 7-1.
Also Read: Los Angeles Clippers Star Profile: Kawhi Leonard
“We have really good pieces defensively and that’s what we hang our hats on,” James Harden said after scoring 18 points against his former team. “Our coaches instill that. They preach it and they’re on us game by game and our coaching staff has given us that confidence to go out there with structure, to be free, play hard, and our goal is to go out there and be a top-5 defense in this league.”
This team has athletic perimeter players who get after it defensively and have bought in on that end. Whether it’s Kris Dunn, Amir Coffey, Kevin Porter Jr., or Nicolas Batum, coach Lue believes in all of these guys to get it done on the defensive end.
“We got a lot of fight,” Norman Powell said after leading the Los Angeles Clippers in scoring for the 5th time this season with 26 points on 8-10 from the field. “We’ve got underdogs and guys that want it.”
They will be tested over the next five games as they will play against four teams that have offenses that are in the top half of the league and those will all come on the road; at Sacramento, at Oklahoma City, and at Houston (twice).
It’s only four wins so far this season, but this team seems to be hitting their stride despite their close losses.
Chrys Henderson is a writer for LAFB. You can follow him on X @ChrysNBA.