How important is a point guard? For 35 minutes in Oakland on Wednesday night, Don Nelson actually fielded a team without one. He simply had Stephen Jackson bring the ball up and work it to the wing. Saturday’s Clippers-Jazz game features two teams playing without their starting point guards. With Deron Williams out, Ronnie Price and Brevin Knight split PG duties for Utah. The Clips start Jason Hart, but Dunleavy ultimately gives the bulk of the minutes to rookie Mike Taylor.
The contrast is stark — not so much because Price and Knight are more capable than Hart and Taylor, but because the players on Utah’s roster don’t need a point guard to facilitate good shots. Without Williams, the Jazz coughed the ball up all of four times. That’s it. Jerry Sloan’s flex offense requires a lot of its players — perfectly timed flare cuts, constant motion, smart reads on the defense, all kinds of crazy upscreens, etc. But as much as the Utah offense depends on off-the-ball movement, it requires that each guy on the floor be able to make the pass. What makes the current Utah squad such a tough team is its ability to do that. Take Carlos Boozer. At Duke? Big man of limited skill set — so much so that he dropped to the second round. Under Sloan’s tutelage? An efficient cog who not only posts, but can kick, slip, and curl.
So what about the Clippers? It’ll be interesting to see if Mike Dunleavy’s ostensible decision to slot Taylor ahead of Hart has longterm designs or merely a response to Utah’s game plan. Taylor enters the game with about four minutes left in the first period.
Taylor is wiry and short…and lightning quick. The first time he touches the ball is at [1st, 3:22] following a Utah make. After an off-the-ball foul on Ronnie Brewer, Taylor runs a S/R with Brian Skinner. He dribbles right of the screen, then swings the ball over to Skinner at the top of the circle. Standard NBA play. [The ball ultimately ends up in Tim Thomas' hands, and he converts two FTs after he's fouled on a drive].
The next time Taylor touches the rock, it’s out of a scrum beneath the Utah basket. The ball is tipped Taylor’s way. In under five seconds, Taylor weaves his way through Utah’s transitional defense and lays it up and in. Taylor, when he’s on, will draw some inevitable Monte Ellis comparisons.
In set situations, Taylor benefits from the matchup with the shorter Brevin Knight. Though Knight strips him on one occasional and forces a couple of bad passes, Taylor is able to make crisp entries into the post — as he does to Brian Skinner to start the 2nd. The next possession, Taylor initiates the break by zipping a pretty crosscourt pass in transition to Ricky Davis. He flubs a bounce pass the next time the Clips are on the break, but then floats a lob into Chris Kaman deep into the post. The next possession? Another coast-to-coast break.
Taylor’s ugliest offensive moment comes in the 3rd quarter out of a timeout. The Clips are still in the game — down four about halfway through the period. The Jazz are zoned up in a 2-3. Taylor exchanges cross-court passes with Cuttino Mobley while Kaman struggles to set up at the elbow against Mehmet Okur. Carlos Boozer is brutally shoving Thornton with his ass, depriving him of any space. Thornton has a rough night and will have to learn to cope with more physical defenders in halfcourt situations. It’s the NBA: If Al wants space off the ball, he’s going to have to work for it. Thornton eventually drifts back to the perimeter, where Taylor feeds him. The possession appears similar to an aforementioned one against the Lakers where the ball never actually crosses the arc. Thornton has nothing, so he dishes the ball back to Taylor. We’re at :11 now. Taylor’s instinct now is a smart one — penetrate. So he puts the ball on the floor and attacks — drawing Brewer away from Mobley. In general, this is something the Clips have been missing for some time: A PG who can scramble the defense with dribble-penetration. The only problem here is that Taylor is careless with his kickout — it tips off Brewers hands and into C.J. Miles’. Silver Lining? Taylor rushes all the way back on the break and manages to contest Miles shot. No good. About eight seconds later, Taylor misses an open 3PA — but it’s a shot he’s got to take. No demerit.
So it’s a mixed bag for Taylor. He finishes 5-12 from the field with four dimes and three turns. But he demonstrates a freaky ability to go end-to-end on the break, and he’s capable of working the ball into the post. He needs to be more selective with his long-range shot — and that need to be selective can be mitigated if he can hit a higher percentage of them. And though Taylor will never be as protective of the rock as a Brevin Knight, he needs to be less careless.
Sort of got off the main point here, which is that it isn’t until you watch a team like Utah or the Lakers that you realize how offensively impoverished the Clippers are. Camby, while no scorer, will give the Clippers some flexibility because he knows how to hit a cutter and time a pass to a spot-up shooter coming off a curl. Baron can do amazing things with the ball — but there have to be soft hands on the receiving end. So overall, the Clippers will always be prone to the 3-20 shooting slump, simply because their personnel — particularly on the wings — doesn’t have the skill set to manufacture high-percentage shots. A speedy PG can generate a little offense, and if Baron is healthy, he’ll have nights when he carries the team, and there will be nights Kaman has it working in the post. But unless a team has an infallible offensive option — and few teams do — they have to devise opportunities. And for teams that don’t excel in transition, those opportunities tend to come when good passers are hitting guys who know how to fill space.
12 Responses
Great post breakin down Taylor’s game. For the 55th pick, I ain’t mad at the Dunce. The only thing I’m concerned about is Gordon’s playing time, or lack thereof. When down by twenty, why not try a Taylor, Gordon, Mobley, Thornton, Thomas run and gun lineup? What’s the worse that can happen, we extend the defecit by 30??! I’m convinced that the Clippers are the absolute WORSE 3RD QUARTER team in the NBA. This makes me believe that there needs to be some serious work done in the locker room during half time.
My Laker buddy called me late last night and asked, “do the Clippers even know how to lose by single digits anymore?”
0/5 here we come.
I’m tuning out until Baron returns, F*ck watching this garbage basketball.
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 9:20 am
I knew we could’nt keep up with the jazz. Cat was on fire in the first half and he basically kept it close but eventually someone else had to step up. That person had to be thornton. Im glad taylor got some good minutes hopefully he gets to start next game (assuming davis aint back). The biggest problem was there was barely any ball movement. Cat just posted up and was able to knock it down. Kaman just got a bunch of foul shots while tim thomas was a bit of both. We had something like 7 assists in the entire game which baron gets in one. Hart is annoying. He never ever goes for the fast break bucket. He just slows down and waits to set up again. Kaman is playing like garbage so this wont work. (he finally dunked it though) Why is it that dunleavy doesnt make plays for steve novak ? He played ricky davis who has been useless and doesnt even play gordon who as we all know can score when hes hot. DJ got his dunk of the night. When we need a bucket like we desperately needed in those 7 minutes in denver. Bring in steve novak and eric gordon al thornton kaman and taylor. Maybe not the best defensive team but who cares about defense when youre sinking to hell with no buckets in 7 minutes. This team is truly going as far as baron davis takes it.
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 9:49 am
Its amazing that the clips were only able to force 4 turnovers the whole night when the other team is missing their point guard. Granted Utahs offense is so smooth and the players run it great. We need to pick up the intensity on D. Im just not impressed by Thomas and Kaman down low. I think Camby will help but we need to get more active and physical on D. Kaman was no match for Boozer who just outsmarted and out hustled Kaman. In the first haf the clips had some solid possesions on Offense, With nice spacing for cuttino to take his guy off the dribble. But Utah made some adjustments and the clips missed some open shots(Ricky and Al) which led to the huge run. The clips just need to concentrate on getting better and not pay attention to the standings. The wins will come if we can get healthy and acquainted. Utahs guys have been in that system a while and you can see it.
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Good call breaking down Taylor here, it was definitely the biggest game of his young career last night and it’s pretty clear that he needs to be playing over Jason Hart right now. Dunleavy has to be quicker to pull him after a couple bad plays in a row…I think he made it up to about six (6) in a row or more in the 3rd quarter last night which obviously affected his confidence and aggressiveness to where he needed to come out.
The next order of business is to get Eric Gordon out on the floor more.
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 11:28 am
Can someone please tell me why in a game where we needed offense our 1st round offensive minded draft pick only played 4 minutes while our second round draft pick was on the floor for the majority of the game? FUcking Dunce. we’re losing, might as well try something and get a scoring rookie out there to knock down some shots!
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I think Gordon pissed Dunleavy off somehow. It’s really funny how Taylor is getting mins and Gordon isn’t. I guess you could say he was injured during the preseason. Maybe you can ask Jermain O’neil or Sheed. Mayo and Rose are looking real good.
On a side note, I saw Brian Skinner at a bar last night in santa monica, guess he had to get a drink as soon as he got off the plane.
Imran Quidwai Reply:
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 am
u saw him on saturday night after the game?
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
At this point of the season I won’t dog any one guy. Well, maybe one….But first, Kaman is right at his post contract year level, lead footed and stone hands.Big men command respect, when they earn it and not just by lacing them up. Elden Campbell anyone? I’ve seen Kaman when he is on and if he decides to attack the basket again, he will have a strategic place in scouting reports.Looks like Germany is a not such a good” summer trip” for USA BB rejects. Thomas is playing down to mid season form. Not entirely his fault though, when he came here I think he expected to have an offense around him, ran through a true all-star point guard, sit out just behind the Arc, checkout the finish on his nails. Defense, rebounds and hustle oh my! . Toto, your not in Phoenix anymore!
As a matter of fact, you are not in a place that has or ever will have, as long as the G.M.sticks with his headcoach, and that is a SYSTEM ! I used to think that the offense was just getting out-played, confused and took too many panic shots and then got their asses kicked chasing the other team down court. Now I know they do!! Taylor, Gordon, Hart, they are in Mikeys world now and their games/minutes will never be the same. At this point as a 2, give me back Brevin and Dan Dickau. Ouch!
Back to “one guy” . I have heard and seen more of his “doghouse” then his ability to bring a baller into his system, work on it, perfect it and in then run it down every other teams throat! That’s because it doesn’t exist!!!
The Jazz probably won’t cherish that record of 5 turnovers since you normally have a defense playing in the same game.
From preperation, rotation/subsitution patterns to having any type of offensive system is not up to Taylor, Gordon or Clipper Darryl. One F’ing Guy!
Kaman’s comment after the Jazz game was that “we seem to play hard in the first half,but we can’t keep thing up. We are trying to figure that out”. I have a suggestion, Don’t let Mikey D talk to the team at halftime! If there is a rally killer in the house, it’s Mikey. Or are they paying tribute to D.Miles with the Blunts ?
Other than Dunleavy needing to relieve himself of himself as the coach, these “pros” need to do their part and being in the best condition possible is a great place to start. Hitting open shots and free throws would be nice. How about setting a pick or better yet, helping a brutha out on defense by calling them out. Basics, pick up game stuff.
Show me this team 100% healthy and I know that we will be a stronger and competitive force. They will also be fishing during the playoffs. Show me the same team with a coach that has a plan and knows how get the most out of his team and we have Western division champs and bring on the east !!
Later
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 8:31 pm
This is my first time at this blog, and I enjoy your analysis as you can break down basketball plays better than most. It’s helped me get a feel for where Taylor is as a player right now, which is part of the purpose of my own blog.
I’ve been wondering since the summer, do you see Camby filling a bench role when he does come back? I think he’s hitting the age where limited minutes will probably do him some good, and that he’s starting the year with a painful heel injury probably pushes him in that direction.
Kevin Arnovitz Reply:
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:08 am
Given the trouble the Clippers are having defensively, I can’t imagine Camby won’t be in the game when the opponent’s best offensive attack is on the floor. Having said that, I think you’re correct — Camby’s age will require Dunleavy to be vigilant about monitoring his minutes. To that end, I see Paul Davis and Brian Skinner logging lots of garbage — and even semi-garbage — time.
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Real 2k – I see Camby as a starter more in title than anything, MDsr always gives starting position to seniority, however I think we will see Camby play less minutes.
Posted on November 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
This was a terrific article, as are the rest I’ve flipped through so far. Keep up the good work, I’ll be visiting often.
PS: Agree 100% on Eric Gordon.
Posted on November 5th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Trackbacks