If The Clippers Make The Playoffs Name Your 9 Man Rotation

[esqtvd]

I think we have our rotation

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We can't use those comparisons for a proper analysis. the game has changed a lot.
Just a couple days ago I realized that the 7-seconds or less Suns team from 13 years ago had an offensive rating better than only 10 teams, if they had the same rating this season.

What it does tell us is that the units are working to some degree anyway. But let's see what Luc and Chandler have got left.


https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/la-sp-clippers-report-20190305-story.html

The return of Mbah a Moute and Chandler will provide the Clippers something they have not had in a month since trading forwards Tobias Harris and Mike Scott. That dearth of forwards was on display Monday during the Clippers’ 113-105 victory against the Lakers when 6-foot-1 guard Patrick Beverley asked for, and was given, the assignment to guard the 6-8, 250-pound LeBron James.

The matchup was “by default,” Rivers said. “We don’t have a ‘three.’ ”

Though the team envisions using JaMychal Green at center, power forward and small forward, Rivers acknowledged that Green has been least effective so far at the "three" since joining the team at the trade deadline.

[UKClipperfan]

Zubac might shrink in the playoffs. Green has a lot more experience, so Trez might find himself starting. If Chandler hasn't played at all to this point I doubt he takes part in the playoffs.

Zubac
Gallo
Shamet
SGA
Bev

Trez
Lou
Green
Temple

[Galloisdaman]

I'm still concerned about the lack of firepower on the first unit. If I'm a opposing coach I just focus on Gallo and say make the other guys beat us. At least on the second unit you have both Lou and Trezz. On the first unit they need someone else to step up. Maybe Sham? Maybe Zubac off pick and rolls?

The defense has seemed to improve a little bit since the big trade.

[Yogatti]

Aren’t the Clippers supposed to be out of he playoffs so the Celtics don’t get the pick?

Am I missing something here?

[esqtvd]

Aren’t the Clippers supposed to be out of he playoffs so the Celtics don’t get the pick?

Am I missing something here?

Ballmer don't tank

it'll be the 17th or worse pick
we'll survive

very attractive team for Kawhi to join

[madmaxmedia]

Aren’t the Clippers supposed to be out of he playoffs so the Celtics don’t get the pick?

Am I missing something here?

Yes you are, at least in the big picture. The Clippers are in the exact opposite situation as the Lakers, in the balance of things it's better that the Clippers play well through the rest of the year, draft pick or not.

1. Playing better will help attract free agents IMO, since a lot of the current team will be around next season.
2. Playing better means the young players are likely playing and developing better.
3. It probably helps Danilo Gallinari's trade value, if it comes to that (I'd be fine if he stays for next year though.)
4. Getting a mid-late 1st this year or next year won't make much difference in the long run, if we assume Clippers don't get lucky in the lottery.
5. Even if the Clippers lose this year's first, they will have a lot of trade options moving forward. They have 2 1st rounders in 2020 and 2 more in 2021, and 1 in 2022. They could trade 3 1st round picks over the next 2 years and still meet the Stepien rule.

[TheNewEra]

Lou Will

[50CalClips]

The way it turned out -- Clippers 2018-19 Playoffs Rotation:

Gallinari - 33.5 mins, 18.5 FGA (STARTER)
Pat Bev - 32.5 mins, 7.8 FGA (STARTER)
Lou Will - 29.3 mins, 17.3 FGA
Shamet - 29.0 mins, 6.3 FGA (STARTER)
Shai Gills - 28.8 mins, 10.0 FGA (STARTER)
Montrezl - 26.3 mins, 10.5 FGA
JaMychal - 23.5 mins, 7.2 FGA (STARTER, 3 GMs)
...
Chandler - 13.0 mins, 4.0 FGA (only played 4 GMs)
Temple - 10.5 mins, 1.8 FGA
Zubac - 9.8 mins, 4.5 FGA (STARTER, 3 GMs, only played 4 GMs)

[50CalClips]

Looking towards the 2020 Playoffs Clippers 8-Man(?) Rotation

(... work in progress...)

Kawhi - 36 mins, 19 FGA
George - 35 mins, 18 FGA
Shamet - 31 mins, 11 FGA (<-- J.J. Redick-type usage)
Pat Bev - 29 mins, 6 FGA
Montrezl - 28 mins, 12 FGA
Lou Will - 24 mins, 13 FGA
Zubac - 23 mins, 8 FGA
JaMychal - 19 mins, 5 FGA



--- For Reference ---

2019 Playoffs - Starters and other select Players (listed in order of Mins per Game):

Gallinari - 33.5 mins, 18.5 FGA - 6 gms
Pat Bev - 32.5 mins, 7.8 FGA - 6 gms
Lou Will - 29.3 mins, 17.3 FGA - 6 gms (<-- non-Starter)
Shamet - 29.0 mins, 6.3 FGA - 6 gms
Shai Gills - 28.8 mins, 10.0 FGA - 6 gms
Montrezl - 26.3 mins, 10.5 FGA - 6 gms (<-- non-Starter, but 3rd in FGA)
JaMychal - 23.5 mins, 7.2 FGA - 6 gms (<-- 3 Starts)
Zubac - 9.8 mins, 4.5 FGA - 4 gms (<-- 3 Starts, but 10th in mins)
---
Kawhi - 39.1 mins, 20.7 FGA - 24 gms
Lowry - 37.5 mins, 11.6 FGA - 24 gms
Siakam - 37.1 mins, 16.0 FGA - 24 gms
M Gasol - 30.6 mins, 7.5 FGA - 24 gms
D Green - 28.5 mins, 6.5 FGA - 24 gms
---
Klay - 39.0 mins, 17.1 FGA - 21 gms
Green - 38.7 mins, 10.4 FGA - 22 gms
Curry - 38.5 mins, 19.6 FGA - 22 gms
Durant - 36.8 mins, 20.3 FGA - 12 gms
Iguodala - 30.0 mins, 7.9 FGA - 21 gms
Looney - 20.6 mins, 4.4 FGA - 21 gms (<-- non-Starter, top injury-replacement in Mins)
Cousins - 16.6 mins - 6.6 FGA - 8 gms (<-- 5 Starts)
---
Lillard - 40.6 mins, 20.6 FGA - 16 gms
McCollum - 39.7 mins, 21.9 FGA - 16 gms
Enes Kanter - 28.8 mins, 9.1 FGA - 16 gms
Al-Faroug - 24.9 mins, 6.8 FGA - 16 gms
Harkless - 24.3 mins, 6.8 FGA - 16 gms
^... most top-heavy team in Mins; significant drop-off after Lillard/McCollum, also in FGA
---
Giannis - 34.3 mins, 17.5 FGA - 15 gms (<-- load-managed in Playoffs? relatively low mins & FGA)
Middleton - 34.3 mins, 13.4 FGA - 15 gms
Brook Lopez - 29.2 mins, 8.9 FGA - 15 gms
Brogdon - 28.3 mins, 11.1 FGA - 7 gms
Bledsoe - 28.2 mins, 12.3 FGA - 15 gms
N Mirotic - 21.3 mins, 8.4 FGA - 14 gms (<-- 8th in mins, but 8 Starts)
---
Jokic - 39.8 mins, 18.6 FGA - 14 gms
G Harris - 36.9 mins, 11.3 FGA - 14 gms
J Murray - 36.3 mins, 18.0 FGA - 14 gms
Milsap - 33.5 mins, 11.2 FGA - 14 gms
T Craig - 23.6 mins, 4.9 FGA - 14 gms (<-- 11 Starts)
W Barton - 23.4 mins, 9.6 FGA - 14 gms (<-- 3 Starts)
---
Tobias - 36.9 mins, 13.9 FGA - 12 gms
Butler - 35.1 mins, 14.6 FGA - 12 gms
Simmons - 35.1 mins, 9.7 FGA - 12 gms
JJ Redick - 31.4 mins, 10.3 FGA - 12 gms
Embiid - 30.4 mins, 14.5 FGA - 11 gms
^... most well-distributed team?; only 6.5 and 4.9 in difference between 1st and 5th
---
PJ Tucker - 38.7 mins, 8.0 FGA - 11 gms
Harden - 38.5 mins, 24.0 FGA - 11 gms
E Gordan - 37.3 mins, 13.6 FGA - 11 gms (<-- largest drop-off in FGA from 1st to 2nd on a team)
C Paul - 36.1 mins, 13.5 FGA - 11 gms
Capela - 30.1 mins, 7.5 FGA - 11 gms
---
Kyrie - 36.7 mins, 19.9 FGA - 9 gms
Horford - 34.4 mins, 12.2 FGA - 9 gms
Tatum - 32.8 mins, 12.4 FGA - 9 gms
J Brown - 30.4 mins, 9.7 FGA - 9 gms
Hayward - 29.7 mins, 7.8 FGA - 9 gms (<-- non-Starter, but 5th in mins)
M Morris - 28.2 mins, 8.8 FGA - 9 gms (<-- 4 Starts)
---
P George - 40.8 mins, 20.2 FGA - 5 gms
Westbrook - 39.4 mins, 22.2 FGA - 5 gms
J Grant - 35.2 mins, 8.0 FGA - 5 gms
S Adams - 31.8 mins, 8.4 FGA - 5 gms
Schroder - 30.2 mins, 11.0 FGA - 5 gms (<-- non-Starter, but 3rd in FGA)
Ferguson - 25.6 mins, 5.0 FGA - 5 gms (<-- Starter)
^... most top-heavy team in FGA; significant drop-off after PG/Russ
---
Mitchell - 38.6 mins, 22.4 FGA - 5 gms
Rubio - 33.6 mins, 13.2 FGA - 5 gms
Gobert - 30.4 mins, 6.4 FGA - 5 gms
J Ingles - 30.2 mins, 7.4 FGA - 5 gms
Royce O - 27.4 mins, 9.0 FGA - 5 gms (<-- non-Starter, but 5th in mins)
Crowder - 26.0 mins, 9.2 FGA - 5 gms (<-- 3 Starts)
---------

[TheNewEra]

If healthy I don’t see how we don’t go a full ten man rotation in the playoffs.

[50CalClips]

If healthy I don’t see how we don’t go a full ten man rotation in the playoffs.

But what does that mean? Does it mean ten players getting at least 20 minutes per game?

Which team do we most resemble -- comparing the 2020 Clips like with the 2019 teams?
We have two clear-cut star, like the Blazers and Thunder... but could we be like the 76ers, having five guys average 30 mins and at least about 10 FGA each.

And if the Clips get Iguodala, he'll definitely get playoff minutes.

[TheNewEra]

If healthy I don’t see how we don’t go a full ten man rotation in the playoffs.

But what does that mean? Does it mean ten players getting at least 20 minutes per game?

Which team do we most resemble -- comparing the 2020 Clips like with the 2019 teams?
We have two clear-cut star, like the Blazers and Thunder... but could we be like the 76ers, having five guys average 30 mins and at least about 10 FGA each.

And if the Clips get Iguodala, he'll definitely get playoff minutes.

Everyone seems like a need to me on the bench. If the starters are Bev/PG/KL/Green/Zubac then you need Lou/Harrell for obvious reasons and Shamet for spacing. Harkless is the only other player with legit wing size and mobility and everyone believes we will make one more move at some point to add experience

[nickhx2]

i think it'll be around 8-9. i imagine green and zubac's minutes will get eaten up quite a bit and harkless has to prove himself to be a really strong contributor to overtake some of these guys.

[50CalClips]

i think it'll be around 8-9. i imagine green and zubac's minutes will get eaten up quite a bit and harkless has to prove himself to be a really strong contributor to overtake some of these guys.

I imagine Zubac arching 3's like Dirk...

[nickhx2]

i mean i'm sure we'd all like to see that but at the end of the day he needs to prove he can handle playoff-level defensive rotations.

i get that last year he was still very green, having only played meaningless basketball with the lakers for most of his career. and also that he had a hurt hand. but regardless of the reasons he wasn't playoff-ready, he's got a lot of gap to close to be a player doc rivers will rely upon in the postseason.

[50CalClips]

@nickhx2

[speaking in hushed tones:]Are you thinking trade? What's the best you think we can get for Zubac+Harkless?

[nickhx2]

no i wasn't implying we should trade, or even thinking it.

the team is pretty much set as it is with the right parts, and it just needs to actually play games to see where it stands. championship teams aren't built on paper and there shouldn't be any rush for the team to go get XYZ pieces as of this moment.

i think trading both those guys for one piece would be pretty awful in most circumstances because they're cost controlled and young and able to improve. but my comment was more that zubac has a lot to prove before he gets those playoff minutes. and it's very easy to see him lose his RS minutes because doc will play his best players way more in the postseason (KL, PG, PB, LS, LW, MH). he's going to have to step up his game quite a bit because those main guys are going to be giving their best minutes to the team already.

that said, if it becomes clear he's not going to amount to much come playoff time then i think we can consider looking for help.