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The LA Clippers are a team that will always be on the radar because of the stars they have. After winning 22 of their 31 games they’re 2.5 games behind the conference leaders, Utah Jazz. With a win percentage of .710 they are showing that they’ve taken previous season’s upset very seriously. The LA Clippers roster means business and they are showing it on court.
Some of the notable additions they’ve made are Serge Ibaka from the Toronto Raptors, Nicolas Batum from the Charlotte Hornets and Luke Kennard from Detroit Pistons. Losing Montrezl Harrell to their rivals, LA Lakers, may have been a tough pill to swallow, but his replacement Ibaka has been contributing well enough.
Let's have a look at how the LA Clippers roster has performed so far this season and for the purposes of this article, we have taken those that have played more than 10 games or 10 minutes per game and therefore are having a significant impact on the team.
Grading the LA Clippers starters after 31 games of the 2020-21 season
Kawhi Leonard: A+
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 34.6 PPG: 26.8 AST: 5.0 REB: 5.8
Being an elite defender means it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Kawhi Leonard lead the LA Clippers' roster in the steals category with 41 of them. Offensively, he has been scoring on a consistent basis, as he’s had only two below 20 point performances until now. He has also been named as an All-Star starter for the upcoming All-Star weekend in Atlanta.
Paul George: A
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 33.7 PPG: 23.9 AST: 5.4 REB: 6.2
Paul George has silenced the noise about him being on a decline after the disappointment in the playoffs last season. He has put in hard work and has brought himself back in the discussion with a 61.4% effective FG and also leads the team in assists per game. If not anything else, he has been reliable with the ball this season. But we all know we can expect more from PG-13.
Serge Ibaka: B+
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 24.1 PPG: 11.7 AST: 1.8 REB: 6.7
Despite his age, Serge Ibaka proved to be very useful for the Toronto Raptors in his previous seasons, one of which ended in a Championship. The veteran coming into the LA Clippers roster benefits the likes of Ivica Zubac who is still young and has a long way to go.
Ibaka’s presence also puts the LA Clippers in a position to manage the paint against teams like LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets. He hasn’t been a rim protector like he used to be in this OKC Thunder days but definitely slows down opposition offenses.
Patrick Beverley: B
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 24.2 PPG: 8.7 AST: 2.1 REB: 4.1
Known for his ‘bulldog mentality’, Patrick Beverley is someone who contributes on both ends of the court. The LA Clippers need him to keep up his typically high level of defense on an everyday basis. Having not played 10 games this season mainly due to COVID-19 safety protocols, I’d say he hasn’t hit his peak for the season yet. You can count on him to be effective and make a difference as they go deeper in the season.
Nicolas Batum: B+
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 29.9 PPG: 9.4 AST: 2.3 REB: 4.8
Nicolas Batum has easily fit in to the LA Clippers squad rotation ever since he got signed by them in the offseason. He’s Tyronn Lue’s third most used player after Kawhi and PG, starting in all the fixtures he’s played in. His experience in the league is helpful in terms of keeping the offense going with smart floor spacing and ball rotation, something the LA Clippers struggled with in the playoffs last year. He also has a high eFG at 64.1%.
Grading the LA Clippers supporting cast after opening 31 games
LA Clippers' Roster Performance (contd.)
Marcus Morris: B
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 25.0 PPG: 13.4 AST: 0.9 REB: 4.0
After missing his first eight games and slowly being brought back into the starting lineup, Marcus Morris went off for 32 points against the Miami Heat, scoring an astounding 75% from downtown. The LA Clippers will hope that this effectiveness comes in handy in the playoffs.
Lou Williams: B+
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 22.4 PPG: 12.6 AST: 3.9 REB: 2.4
After losing reigning 6th man of the year, Montrezl Harrell, most of the second unit duties came back in the hands of Lou Williams. He is yet to get to the best he can provide this season but has managed to get the LA Clippers offense going in tough parts of the games.
Lou Williams has been effective in drawing fouls to win free throws. However, a lot more scoring will be required from him in the second unit as they go deeper in the season.
Luke Kennard: B
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 22.0 PPG: 8.0 AST: 1.8 REB: 2.9
Luke Kennard coming in from Detroit Pistons as part of a three team deal with the Brooklyn Nets has proven to be a great value add in the LA Clippers rotation. Over his three seasons with the Pistons, he has made himself a role player. He has been working hard on the defensive end and spacing the floor well on offense. As a bonus, he can shoot 3 pointers pretty well.
Reggie Jackson: C+
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 20.6 PPG: 8.4 AST: 3.2 REB: 2.6
Reggie Jackson’s numbers have dropped since the previous season. The veteran shooting guard is expected to come in and fuel runs for the second unit and he does that well. Once he finds his form in the current season, he will be pivotal in taking the load off the duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The LA Clippers need him to be on his top performance and they need it soon.
Ivica Zubac: B
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 19.5 PPG: 8.2 AST: 1.1 REB: 6.6
Ivica Zubac is still young and learning from the talented guys around him. In the current season there has been a marginal dip in his performance, but the 7 foot center has great potential. He leads the LA Clippers in rebounds with 206 of them, even though he has started in only one game.
Terance Mann: C
2020-21 Season Record – MPG: 15.0 PPG: 4.2 AST: 1.1 REB: 3.3
Terance Mann of the LA Clippers has had an average season so far. In his second year in the league he has seen an uptick in his number of minutes but is yet to showcase his effectiveness. For a youngster like him, having all-stars like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to look at and learn from is a great advantage.
Patrick Patterson, Amir Coffey, Daniel Oturu and Mfiondu Kabengele:
Completing the rest of the LA Clippers roster, these players have thus far played insufficient games or minutes per game to warrant a realistic grade.
Guess the Lakers players!
