The Los Angeles Clippers are winning games, and they won their fifth straight on May 31 as they beat Utah 105-96. Their opponents are not necessarily the best teams in the league, and some of the recent wins have not exactly been impressive. However, a win is a win, and at this point in the year Los Angeles needs to keep pace with the Lakers and strengthen their playoff position. Can this winning streak continue?
Getting into a flow
As a fan, one thing I have noticed is that Vinny Del Negro has had some different rotations over the last couple of weeks. One player that I think may be a key asset for the Clippers is Randy Foye. It almost seems like Foye has never really been given the chance to fully take over the shooting guard position. This isn't to say that Foye is dependable every night, but I think he could be a consistent offensive threat behind Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Nick Young can also be an effective scorer, but once he gets the ball, he usually doesn't give it back.
Offensive scheme
Another concern for the Clippers is their offensive scheme. I am seeing too much isolation to Blake Griffin in the post. Griffin is a freakish athlete, but I don't think backing guys down should be a key part of the offense. He is better when he can run the floor and move without the ball. It would be different if Griffin was shooting 80-90% from the line and could count on two points when he draws a foul in the paint. However, Blake is shooting 54% from the line, which means that you have to put him in a position where he gets high percentage shots. Like dunks.
Stops
It is good to get five straight wins, but the defense is not necessarily improving and I worry about this team in the playoffs. Their defensive schemes are, well, not really existent. The Clippers do not have a lot of great individual defenders and oftentimes they seem very unsure on the defensive end as a team. They can't play run-and-gun basketball with everyone.
Next up, Dallas. After that, the final chapter of the battle for Los Angeles in 2012.
Sources:
http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?id=320331012
The author grew up in Seattle and now lives in Los Angeles, where he waits patiently for the Sonics to return to the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, he roots for the Clippers to become a winning franchise, and perhaps even the most popular team in their own city. You can follow him on Twitter @tpheifer.
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