(Photo by Glenn James / NBAE via Getty Images)
Early on in the season, Kevin Garnett was seen at the Clippers training facility working with Blake Griffin on positioning in the post. The videos showed an instruction of using the body to back a defender deep below the basket.
That’s not exactly what has been reflected in recent games.
Once again, a Clippers game comes down to a late game possession down by one. And once again, as Blake turns and posts some fifteen-plus feet from the basket, the result does not work out in the team’s favor.
To put this wholly on Blake would be unfair, and credit the Mavericks defense for the blitzing and double-teaming that contributed to his rough night. The inconsistency of the team, best evidenced by the polar differences in the finishes to the first and second halves, is clearly the greater concern.
Still — and this might be recency bias speaking — one gets a sense that these post ups are appearing more often, and at the cost of the stellar face-to-the-basket play evidenced in more recent years.
X-Factor: The Clippers had 17 turnovers last night, leading to 21 Mavericks points off of those turnovers. The giveaways have been a issue for LA this season more than in any previous year in the Chris Paul era.
Clippers record when turning it over 15+ times, CP3 era
16-17: 6-15
15-16: 11-6
14-15: 8-7
13-14: 22-7
12-13: 20-13
11-12: 8-5 https://t.co/UOvkshJGZ4— Law Murray ℹ (@LawMurrayTheNU) March 24, 2017
Major Moment: With 0.9 seconds left in the game, Chris Paul sent the inbounds pass to a running J.J. Redick, who found the space to quickly turn and launch for a three-pointer from the right corner. It was an open look and a well designed play to get the shot, but it ended up just a bit long.
The Definition: Given the closeness in the ever-changing standings, some considered this game a must-win. Others, pointing out the weak remaining schedule as compared to other teams fighting for playoff seeding, feel more confident about the chances to earn the 4th seed.
The outcome is likely neither as dire as the former nor as inconsequential as the latter, but it does make the chances of taking the season series against the Utah Jazz on Saturday all the more important.
