LA Clippers player grades for first 30 games of 2016-17 NBA season
Now that we are 30 games into the 2016-17 NBA season, let’s grade how each LA Clippers player has performed so far, from Blake Griffin to Marreese Speights.
Dec 14, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and teammates get pumped up before the game against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Initially, I was prepared to write up some player grades to evaluate the performance of each member of the LA Clippers after the first quarter of the 2016-17 NBA season, just over 20 games into the year. Alas, life comes at you fast, the games tick by in a flash at times, and I tried to actually be prepared for once and get some Christmas shopping done in advance this year during my spare time. So, as I’ve slightly missed the first quarter trend for early takes and analysis, I hope Clippers fans can cut me a little slack.
Anyway, let’s get straight to the point here and break down how things have gone after the first 30 games of the season.
After the Clippers’ first 30 games, they’re sitting 3rd in the Western Conference at 22-8 since cooling down from their franchise-best 14-2 start. The defensive intensity has slipped at times, leaving them searching for the same aggression, intensity and communication that allowed them to lead the NBA in defensive efficiency over the first couple of weeks.
With a 106-101 win against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, though, winning with no Blake Griffin and Chris Paul for less than three quarters due to a hamstring issue, the rest of the team showed some real resolve in a statement win.
Plus, even with their down spell, going 8-6 (CHECK) since their 14-2 start, they still rank 5th in both offensive and defensive efficiency, which makes them the only team to rank top five in both.
These LA Clippers are really good and they have more depth, so it’s time to break all that down and see who’s been playing best. Let’s start with the new additions from the summer and work our way through the roster (rookies will be excluded as Brice Johnson has been out injured and Diamond Stone played just 16 minutes before going to the NBA D-League. There’s hardly much to evaluate right now).
Nov 12, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; LA Clippers forward Brandon Bass (30) dribbles in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nemanja Bjelica (88) at Target Center. The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-105. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Bass: C
Brandon Bass was never going to have a major role with the LA Clippers after signing for the veteran’s minimum in free agency this summer, and that’s proven to be the case so far.
He’s only played in nine games and averaged 9.1 minutes a night in that handful of appearances, so the sample size we have for his impact is rather small. As the backup power forward behind Blake Griffin, when Doc Rivers also plays a lot of small ball with the bench using Wesley Johnson at the four, doesn’t leave much opportunity for Bass. But he’s played fairly well when given the chance.
With only 142 total minutes under his belt, we can’t take statistics for Bass too seriously when a few runs in a game or two could drastically throw off his averages. His 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per 36 minutes for the season are solid, though, and he’s done what was expected of him in the offense: roll hard off the occasional pick-and-roll, and pop whenever possible from 15 feet. He’s done that well and has shot 50 percent from the floor with the handful of attempts he’s had, while providing some solid defense at the other end.
By the numbers, the Clippers’ defense has actually been terrible with Bass on the floor. They’ve allowed an extortionate 128.3 points per 100 possessions with him in the game, a drastic increase of 26.4 points when he’s on the bench. However, it’s hard to take this number too seriously given how little he’s been used and how he’ll often be used with the bench in garbage time when other teams are still fighting hard to come back. The Clippers are going to be outscored in such instances.
With the eye test, you can see Bass plays hard and has done his job to switch against some smaller players, even though he can’t be relied upon to protect the rim. For being adequate in limited time, a C grade for Bass seems fair.
Next, some Mo’ Buckets.
Dec 14, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; LA Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) reacts after he made a three pointer against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. LA Clippers defeated the Orlando Magic 113-108. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Marreese Speights: B-
Marreese Speights. Mo’ Buckets. The former Golden State Warriors backup, capable of dropping 15 on any given night when he comes off the bench and looks to shoot, shoot, and, you guessed it, shoot.
It’s what he does, and so far the transition from Cole Aldrich‘s consistent hustle and defense at backup center to Speights’ offense has been exactly what should have been expected.
Speights has been cooler from three than the Clippers would have liked. He’s up to 33.3 percent with one make in his 15.7 minutes per game for the season, which, seeing as 42.4 percent of all his field goal attempts have come from beyond the arc, isn’t fantastic. Even still, he has helped space the floor and has shown the impact he can have in a hurry when he gets hot. 50 percent shooting between 16 feet and the arc is certainly better, and that range has given the Clippers’ backup guards a welcome pick-and-pop option to work with.
In a little over 15 minutes a night, Speights is now averaging 9.3 points and five rebounds (an impressive 1.4 offensive, seeing as he’s often quite far away from the basket), equating to 20.9 points and a career-high 11.3 rebounds per 36 minutes. That’s not bad at all, and he’s already helped the Clippers win a couple of games by heating up and providing bursts of scoring to fire up the bench. The issue, of course, is defense. It hasn’t been too atrocious and the second unit, especially at the start of the season, was far better than excepted defensively, but Speights is still a major weakness whenever he’s drawn away from the basket, attacked in pick-and-rolls, and he can’t protect the rim like Aldrich.
When he’s hot, Speights can be huge. Even when he’s cool, the threat of his shot helps space the floor. However, him making a major impact is going to come more inconsistently than Aldrich’s reliable defense night in and night out.
A B- seems fair.
Oct 18, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; LA Clippers guard Alan Anderson (9) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Alan Anderson: N/A (but an A+ as the hype man)
I’m not trying to cop out of providing a grade here, but it’s hard to assess the actual performance of Alan Anderson rather than the idea of him at this point. With only six appearances and Doc Rivers playing other wings (including Paul Pierce… yikes) over Anderson most of the time, we had to wait until December 1st for Anderson to clock his second performance and reach the 10 total minutes played mark for the season.
With just 86 total minutes under his belt now, Anderson only ranks ahead of rookie Diamond Stone (now in the D-League) in minutes played. Anderson being used less than Pierce is the major frustration for Clippers fans that have seen how bad The Truth has become now, and when he’s received time (a season-high 18 on December 10 against the New Orleans Pelicans, tallying seven points, a rebound, an assist and a steal), he’s shown his energy and effort to contribute.
He can attack fairly well off the dribble when he gets the chance and he’s good enough defensively as an option behind Wesley Johnson at the three, so there’s still reason to believe Anderson can be a contributor in the right, limited circumstances.
Alan Anderson gives the #Clippers more penetration. One of few good things from the preseason opener. https://t.co/W2uVqLLRGk
— Tom West (@TomWestNBA) October 5, 2016
While he’s been limited, though, the LA Clippers have still been thoroughly appreciate of the mentality and support Anderson brings to the team. Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com reported that Doc called Anderson “the best teammate in the world,” and Chris Paul called him the high-spirit glue guy that every team needs:
“Double-A brings a spirit. Like we keep talking about it, having the right spirit, the right energy every night – Double-A is one of those glue guys that every team needs, and he’s been a big part of our team. As you can see, every night he’s the one that’s sort of rallying guys.”
On the court, it’s hard to judge Anderson. On the sideline? The exuberant cheering and high fives give him an easy A+.
Nov 12, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; LA Clippers guard Raymond Felton (2) dribbles in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Raymond Felton: B+
Raymond Felton was possibly the LA Clippers’ most overlooked signing in free agency this summer. As one of a handful of solid players that Doc Rivers bought in on veteran’s minimum contracts, Felton was never mentioned in conversations of the best additions without Marreese Speights stealing the limelight.
That’s ok, because Felton was never going to be (and never needed to be) a complete game changer. The Clippers simply needed a third point guard to add to their rotation after parting with Pablo Prigioni. But what Felton can bring to the table never received much attention, and he’s been helping L.A. from the get go when setting up the offense or applying his full-court pressure on defense.
The miles Felton racks up to do the latter have certainly helped him burn off the fat and negative reputation (both literally and figuratively) he had in some of the earlier years of his career. He brings energy to defend and he’s physical, which allows him to partner with Austin Rivers to form a capable defensive duo to take some of that pressure away from Chris Paul.
Offensively, there’s a limited role for Felton, though he’s done his job well so far. Shooting a current career-high of 43.9 percent from three (albeit with only 18 makes so far) is a welcome surprise, and so long as he can move the ball and provide his driving ability to balance out the sometimes trigger-happy shooters around him, Felton will continue to be a real bonus. His sturdy, confident drives to the rim are particularly valuable.
Nov 18, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; LA Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. The Clippers defeated the Kings 121-115. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Paul Pierce: F
I’ll get Paul Pierce out the way quickly, because there really isn’t much to say here. At least, nothing positive.
Unfortunately for both The Truth himself and his LA Clippers, Pierce is terrible now. He was last season, and while some fans may have been hopeful that he could have found some revitalized sense of youth this year and bounce back somewhat, we’ve seen nothing of the sort so far. He’s been exactly the same, which means he’s a liability at both ends and is only slowing down as he draws closer to 40 at 39 years old.
He’s only played in seven games after dealing with injury early on and has been a wavering element of the rotation, but he’s still played in seven games and was used instead of Wesley Johnson by Doc Rivers in several games due to “defense”. What Doc sees, we have no idea, but Pierce certainly can’t be relied upon on defense.
He’s too slow to cover wings at the perimeter and avoid getting beat off the dribble, and he lacks the bounce, size or toughness to hold his own inside or on the boards as the small-ball power forward that he is now.
To make matters even worse, he’s shooting 33.3 percent from three and a woeful 32.1 percent overall (as if last year wasn’t bad enough).
As you can tell, I don’t have many positive things to say about Pierce, seeing as the Clippers are majorly worse whenever he’s on the floor (a +9.9 point differential without him, and -10.7 with him).
He receives a F grade, and it’s time to move onto his younger small forward teammate, Wesley Johnson.
Nov 29, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; LA Clippers small forward Wesley Johnson (33) warms up before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Wesley Johnson: C
If you just looked at his basic numbers and shooting efficiency, it would be far easier to give Wesley Johnson a far lower grade. He’s struggled to find his shot all year, currently sitting at 36.1 percent for the season and only 28 percent from three with 0.6 makes in his 13 minutes per game. His percentage from three is only good enough for the worst on the entire team, ahead of just Blake Griffin (only 22 attempts) and, you guessed it, the non-shooting DeAndre Jordan.
For someone the Clippers’ want to operate as a 3-and-D guy off the bench, that’s not good enough. However, there is plenty of reason to believe that percentage will climb up. Which is also why I’m not cutting his grade too much at this relatively early stage of the season (he’s only played in 20 games).
The real reason why Johnson deserves a decent passing grade is his defense. It’s the most important strength of his game that the Clippers miss whenever Doc gives playing time to Pierce instead, and Johnson playing hard has helped him be a real contributor.
Even though the team has experienced some defensive decline as of late, Johnson’s help defense, energy, timely switching, length, positioning, and ability to guard a couple of positions on the wing has made a real difference on the second unit. The Clippers allowing just 98 points per 100 possessions when Johnson is on the floor and him tying with Luc Mbah a Moute for the second highest Defensive Box/Plus Minus (2.2) on the team says a lot.
When the shots starts falling, that C grade will definitely go up.
Dec 7, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) drives against Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) in the fourth quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Austin Rivers: B
After tying his career-high with seven made threes against the Orlando Magic on December 14th, Austin Rivers crept up to a new career-high of 40.4 percent from three-point range. Which, in a season where Rivers has put together a handful of big performances off the bench, is encouraging for the LA Clippers and their fans to see.
For me, it was the biggest area Rivers needed to improve in. As important as it was for him to start honing his skills as a passer and ability to keep the ball moving well among the bench, his limited role with the ball in his hands makes the need to shoot effectively from three essential (at least better than the 33.5 percent he managed last year).
In fact, if we date back a little way to December of 2015, Rivers has attempted 215 threes and made them at an impressive 39 percent of them. That’s certainly a good enough sample size to see how he’s come along.
There’s more than that, though. His defense has improved over the last couple of seasons and he continues to be a solid presence at the wing, contesting shooters well outside and shifting his feet and arms effectively to cover drives to the basket. And outside of the three-point shooting uptick, Rivers impresses whenever he’s aggressive and drives to the basket. He occasionally suffers from wild shot selection, but he can burst past players off the dribble and can create penetration to support the bench.
Overall, with some nice development and two-way impact, a B is appropriate.
Nov 29, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; LA Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford (11) shoots against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jamal Crawford: B-
What is there to say about Jamal Crawford? He’s pretty much the same player he’s always been for the LA Clippers, providing sparks of offensive creation off the bench as their record-breaking three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year. That’s what he does, and he does little else.
Defense is the weakness along with wise shot selection, as there’s one thing on Crawford’s mind when he enters the game: unless someone is open and the ball is really moving fluidly, go get buckets.
He still does that well. There are few players with better handles than Crawford, and the skill he has as a gunner can’t be understated. There’s value in having someone who can create a bucket off the dribble when the team can’t get anything going and you need to put some points on the boards. Crawford still does that awfully well at times, and there’s no doubt he’s one of the league’s best terrible shot makers. The Clippers appreciate that.
As always, efficiency is the issue. When those terrible shots aren’t falling, he can hurt the offense and can easily be a culprit of the Clippers’ bench not moving the ball enough, thus leading to too many isolation plays at times. He’s shooting one percent higher than last year overall at 41.8 for the season and 33.6 percent from three, with the second lowest PER he’s ever had (partly due to a slightly decreased role).
There are big games and there are clutch shots that scream the value of Crawford’s seemingly never ageing shot making. Then, there are defensive lapses and ugly clangers that hurt. For the good and the bad that comes with Crawford, and how he can bail the team out at times, B- seems fair. Especially as he’s likely set for some bigger performances again in the absence of Griffin.
Now, onto the stellar starters.
Nov 11, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson (21) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Luc Mbah a Moute: A
Is Luc Mbah a Moute the perfect small forward that the LA Clippers have been waiting for all these years? No. But he’s a pretty damn good one at what he does. And with the way he’s started doing more offensive to be less of a liability and command a little more respect from defenses, thus helping leave more space inside for everyone else and less double teams for Blake Griffin, Luc has been a vital contributor this season.
His defense, as you’ll know if you’ve been watching this season, has been All-Defense worthy. He’s often defended the best opposing guard to lighten the load on Chris Paul, and routinely guards every position from one to four (centers on switches if need be). Luc can do so much, using his constant motor to get the most out of his strong, 6’8″ frame and long reach. Outside of DeAndre Jordan, he’s been the Clippers’ defensive MVP this season.
There’s more than that, though, which has really been the defining positive element of Luc’s season so far. His improvement offensively stands out.
While he’s still the weakness in the starting lineup, Luc has made strides to stop hurting the starting five’s spacing as much. Defenders are starting to realize that he can hit corner threes and drive past them off pump fakes better than before. He’s now at a major new career-high of 41.9 percent from three for the year, with 18 made threes so far (well past last season’s total of 13 already).
If he can keep this up and maintain that three-point threat at a reasonable level in playoff time, the Clippers will have more space to operate in against top defenses in an instant.
Nov 16, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers guard J.J. Redick (4) reacts after a three point basket in the second half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. Grizzlies won 111-107. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
J.J. Redick: A
J.J. Redick has been red-hot this season. Who’d have thought it?
Everyone did after his career year last season, although whether he could come close to replicating such shooting (a league-best 47.5 percent from three, for instance) was the question that had to be asked. However, for someone who’s skill set is deadly shooting with the highly conditioned body to keep running around screens non stop, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Redick has been terrific this season.
Right now, Redick is averaging 15.3 points on 46.6 percent shooting with a 45.1 percent stroke from three, including 2.6 makes a night. He’s the perfect shooting guard for the Clippers’ pick-and-roll heavy offense revolving around Paul and Griffin, always darting in and out of screens, trailing in transition, burying jumpers from high hand-offs with Griffin, or catching and shooting whenever possible, either with his feet set or while turning mid release. Redick is the best shooter outside of Golden State, and there’s not much reason to delve further into why that gives him a good grade.
He makes the most of his limited physical tools on defense by always running hard, sticking to his man, and being in the right spots as a reliable team defender. He can pass better than he gets credit for as well, always moving the ball well if he doesn’t have space or even running the odd pick-and-roll play in the rare instance that one of the team’s superstars isn’t doing so.
Redick opens up space for the entire offense and simply makes the LA Clippers’ click. With Griffin out, we’ll see even more from him J.J. he as helps pick up the loss of scoring.
Nov 29, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
DeAndre Jordan: A
DeAndre Jordan, the LA Clippers’ defensive anchor, devastating pick-and-roll threat and vertical floor spacer, has been playing just as you’d expect this season. His rebounding has dipped slightly with the return of Griffin, but with 11.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, Jordan has still been a force to be reckoned with.
He controls the paint at both ends of the floor with the threat of him catching a lob on offense opening up space outside for others, while covering so much space at the other end of the floor to anchor the Clippers’ 5th-ranked defense. He can send shots into the stands or simply contest to put opponents of attacking inside altogether, which really shows his value to limit points in the paint. With his athleticism and agility, he’s fairly switchy, too.
Another welcome improvement from Jordan has been the increase in his free throw percentage, hitting a new career-high of 55 percent. His form looks a little smoother and more consistent, resulting in less shots that randomly hit either side of the rim.
Even though he’s limited offensive, the threat of his pick-and-roll play is huge, as Pau Gasol found out on Thursday as the victim of a vicious poster dunk. Jordan’s defense helps hold the Clippers together, and if they hope to go far in the payoffs and establish a tough defensive identity, he’ll be at the heart of it.
Dec 16, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) dribbles the ball up court during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Paul: A+
Now Chris Paul is hurt. His LA Clippers’ bench fought on without him for their 106-101 win against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, but right after losing Griffin the Clippers now have the worry of whether Paul (listed as day-to-day) will miss much time after straining a hamstring.
Let’s not let that concern cloud over the rest of his season, though. Which, despite a few weaker performances among the Clippers’ disappointing losses with a few extra turnovers, has been exceptional.
His play has naturally cooled off slightly from an unbelievable start, but he’s still averaging 17.6 points, 9.6 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game, also shooting a career-high 40.4 percent from three with a 27.1 PER, the third best mark of his career.
Chris Paul literally stole this ball back from Kawhi Leonard like a goalie. He was not getting beat in a 2-on-1 break #Clippers pic.twitter.com/H6Bm6uNrIA
— Tom West (@TomWestNBA) December 23, 2016
Then, as you’ll all know, there was his 20-20 game against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 10th. Paul became the first player in NBA history to record 20 points, 20 assists and ZERO turnovers. If that’s not a breathtaking combination of playmaking and efficiency, nothing is.
There isn’t much else to say about Paul if you’ve been watching him play. He’s still held perfect control of the Clippers’ offense, and as much as I’d like to see Griffin get more responsibility and be staggered with the second unit, Paul helps the team score 11.1 more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.
He’s totally poised and has been shooting better than ever, continuing to put on a masterclass of Point God skills while providing typically great defense. There were some slips in the middle of the first 30 games, but throughout almost the entire season so far, Paul has deserved an A+.
Dec 14, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) prior to the game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Blake Griffin: A
If it wasn’t for arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and a terrible game against the Golden State Warriors (which we can now see was impacted by that knee), Blake Griffin would be receiving far more praise this season. He’s been brilliant, scoring 21.2 points per game to go along with 4.7 assists and increased rebounding at 8.8. Until he started struggling with his knee before finally undergoing surgery, he was playing the best defense of his career, too.
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Heightened awareness and activity allowed Griffin to be a key part of the Clippers’ defense that started at overwhelmingly dominant levels. He can comfortably switch to the perimeter and use his quickness against smaller players, and if it wasn’t for injury, we’d be hearing more about how Griffin has improved even more as a highly skilled two-way player.
He’s always progressed his game, and now he’ll be subject to the tiresome claims that the Clippers are better without him, because apparently spacing with Paul Pierce at the four is really an upgrade over Griffin. Right… Good one.
We know how integral Griffin is to the success of this team, and his point-forward play and scoring was as good as we’ve ever seen it before his injury. The Clippers aren’t as successful without Griffin operating as a secondary playmaker to anchor the offense, and they can’t let everything hinge on Chris Paul (hopefully, we’ll see more staggering to enhance this when Griffin returns).
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In the meantime, we’ll have to see how he recovers and how he looks when he returns. The injury is concerning, especially as it’s to his knee. But, to stay positive, I’ll grade Blake Griffin for the season he put together beforehand, which certainly deserved an A.
