Five Questions the Clippers Will Have to Answer This Season

In what will be a pivotal season for the LA Clippers, they have plenty of questions they'll need to address before it's over.

(Photo by Justin Russo, Russo Writes)

The LA Clippers are entering Year 5 of the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era, and Year 4 under the stewardship of coach Tyronn Lue. After reaching the organization’s first-ever Conference Finals in 2021, the collection of talent has not been able to continue to keep the good times rolling. Last season saw the Clippers, who were without George for the entire postseason and Leonard for the final three games, end up being bounced in the opening round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.

But if the Clippers want to enjoy a fruitful season in 2023-24, they’ll need to answer some key questions as they look to embark on what they hope is the organization’s first-ever championship. We’re going to look at just five of the key questions the Clippers need to find answers to.

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1.) Where does the 3-point shooting come from?

In the last eight months, the LA Clippers have — through trades and roster decisions — lost Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, and Eric Gordon. Last season with the Clippers, those three players combined to make 183 three-pointers on 39.5 percent shooting. Put another way: In 2020-21, Paul George made 171 three-pointers on 41 percent shooting which means the Clippers, essentially, have lost the equivalent of George just as a shooter due to decisions made over the last eight months.

This leaves the Clippers with a rather large conundrum: Where does the three-point shooting come from?

The Clippers have never finished lower than third in three-point percentage in any of the previous three seasons under coach Tyronn Lue. In 2020-21, the Clippers led the NBA with a blistering 41.1 percent conversion rate on such shots. They finished both 2021-22 and 2022-23 in third. But considering the lack of tangible shooting due to the trimming of the roster, can they at all prevent a downturn from beyond the arc?

On paper, this is the worst three-point shooting team Lue has had during his tenure with the Clippers. The team’s starting lineup of Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Terance Mann, and Ivica Zubac features two non-spacing threats in Westbrook and Zubac, as well as Mann who has never averaged 3.0 three-point attempts in a single season.

To his credit, Leonard had the second-best three-point shooting season of his career in 2022-23, converting 41.6 percent of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game. George, meanwhile, attempted 7.6 per game and knocked down 37.1 percent of them. Considering the Clippers live by a ‘Drive, Kick, Swing’ mantra, there will be plenty of open shots for players, but they’ll have to make a respectable amount to keep defenses honest so as to not have them suffocate the spaces that both Leonard and George will try to occupy.

The Clippers also added Kenyon Martin Jr. to the fold this offseason. While Martin is an athletic marvel, the 22-year-old is only a career 34 percent three-point shooter and, like Mann, has yet to average 3.0 attempts per game in a season.

Players will need to step up and not only make the shots they take, but they must be willing shooters. If there’s one thing that Lue and his coaching staff can’t stand, it’s players being unwilling to shoot when presented with the opportunity to do so. Just ask Luke Kennard.

2.) Will Russell Westbrook stay rejuvenated?

The Russell Westbrook signing back in February wasn’t particularly bad for the Clippers.

Paul George openly campaigned for Westbrook, who it should be mentioned hadn’t even been bought out by the Utah Jazz at that time, in the locker room following the team’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 10. Both George and Leonard, as well as Lue, had talked for a while about having the ball-handling and playmaking burden eased from the shoulders of the two stars. Westbrook supplied that.

Westbrook averaged 15.8 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in his 21 regular season games with the Clippers before adding 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in the team's five-game first-round series loss to the Phoenix Suns. Westbrook shot 48.9 percent with the Clippers, a mark that would have been a career-high had it stretched across a full season. He also shot 35.6 percent on three-pointers which likewise would have been a career-best mark over a full season. But there were some caveats in the underlying numbers.

Westbrook's 35.6 percent three-point shooting was heavily buoyed by a 5-for-5 outing against the Memphis Grizzlies on Mar. 29. If you removed that, which I know doesn't seem fair but just roll with it for the time being, Westbrook would have finished his Clippers stint by connecting on just 30.9 percent of his long-range tries which would have been much more in line with his 30.5 percent career average.

Yet there were some positive signs with the 34-year-old. After all, Westbrook did shoot 61.6 percent inside the restricted area with the Clippers, an area of the floor that saw the veteran guard attempt roughly 38 percent of his total field goals with the Clippers. For reference, 41 percent of Westbrook’s total field goal attempts with the Lakers last season took place inside the restricted area and he converted 57.7 percent of them. An uptick in efficiency even at the slight cost of frequency was a positive development.

In preseason, Westbrook only attempted five shots in his 33 minutes. Three of those five shots were three-pointers while the other two were inside the restricted area. There’s nothing to glean from that sample size, but the Clippers would surely like to see Westbrook attack the rim more as opposed to settling for jumpers.

Westbrook turns 35 in early November and is on a minimum deal with the Clippers after he re-signed to a two-year deal with the second year as a player option. This is probably his last go-around in the league in a high-impact role and he’ll need to keep the good times rolling to maximize not only his value but that of the team as well. A Westbrook who continues to buy into his role and not venture too far outside of it can be a positive. The Clippers just have to hope last year wasn’t an aberration.

3.) Can Bones Hyland take the crucial next step?

After arriving to the Clippers via trade in February, Bones Hyland averaged 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 14 games off the bench. Hyland shot 40.1 percent from the field in that time and also attempted 5.3 three-pointers per game while sinking 35.1 percent of them. The numbers weren't bad. But the Clippers will surely be hoping he can build on what he showed last season and this preseason.

Hyland led the Clippers in scoring this preseason, notching 15.5 per game on 51.1 percent shooting. However, it was how Hyland did his damage that was impressive. The guard managed to make just one of his 15 three-point attempts, yet turned around to make 23 of his 28 tries inside the paint. It was a dramatic turn of events for the 23-year-old.

The young guard is going to see an increased role this season with the Clippers as he's slated to be the team's backup point guard when the regular season opens up on Wednesday, but Hyland is also now recovering from a left ankle sprain that he suffered during the preseason finale against his former team, the Denver Nuggets. Hyland tallied 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals on 10-for-15 shooting in 24 minutes before the injury.

The Clippers will entrust Hyland to run their second unit in staggered lineups alongside either Paul George or Kawhi Leonard, so there will be more space for Hyland to operate than he's likely been accustomed to. Hyland has made it known throughout the preseason that he is a natural passer, and the stats and play did show that during preseason where he registered 16 assists to eight turnovers.

Should Hyland be able to answer the backup point guard call by being a willing decision-maker and combine that with an increased ability to get into the paint by using his quickness and initial burst, the Clippers could have something here going forward. They traded for Hyland by sending just two future second-round picks to Denver, a minuscule price to pay to get a look at someone who possesses loads of talent at a lead guard position.

Yet, there are some questions surrounding Hyland’s ability to make the leap the Clippers are hoping he can make, specifically on the defensive end.

Hyland isn’t the type of player who can spearhead a defense at the point of attack and that can lead to problems on the back end as a defense can get caught in rotation just from the initial breakdown. It’ll be up to Hyland to prove he can handle what will be the biggest workload of his career and show that he can bring the goods defensively when asked. If not, the Clippers could be scampering for a backup point guard during the season.

4.) What can you get from the veteran forwards?

The Clippers are returning their three veteran forwards from last season — Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr., and Robert Covington. The trio combined to log 4,313 minutes last season with Morris leading the way by tallying 1,825. But Morris fell out of the rotation towards the end of the season due to what the team listed as illness and low back spasms. That opened the way for Batum to take over the starting role down the stretch.

However, Batum isn’t keeping that starting spot. That final starting spot alongside Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac is going to Terance Mann, as coach Tyronn Lue announced on Friday. That means the three veteran forwards are going to have to be comfortable logging minutes off the bench, at least early on should no changes arise via trade or injury.

Coming off the bench hasn’t been a problem for Batum in particular as he’s more accustomed to being a substitute in recent years when the stars have been able to play. Covington played just 779 minutes last season himself, but he did shoot 39.7 percent on three-pointers during that limited action — it’s a number that’s buoyed a bit by Covington going 7-for-7 in a Mar. 29 game against the Memphis Grizzlies; if you remove that game, Covington shot 36.4 from deep which is more in line with his career 36.2 percent mark.

The wild card is Morris. Last season, Morris began the year well by making 37.9 percent of his three-point attempts before a rib injury against the Los Angeles Lakers in late January. After that injury, Morris managed to only convert 30.8 percent of his long-range efforts. There’s also the trade chatter going on with Morris in large part due to his salary and how that would help somewhat bridge the gap in a potential James Harden trade.

This leads to the Clippers having to ask themselves: Can the veteran forwards keep Father Time held back for just one more season?

Should the team have to deal with injuries to either, or even both, of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, this group is going to have to step up and play a larger role than they’re likely comfortable with. That’s just the nature of the business. In those 4,313 minutes last season, this trio of forwards combined to shoot 38.1 percent on three-pointers which is a solid enough mark to keep the team afloat. Yet, is it replicable?

The Clippers will need this collection of veteran forwards to show up massively. Despite there being a lot of lingering questions surrounding each player — especially with Covington as the youngest of the trio at 32 years old; Covington turns 33 in December — there is some hope that each player, thanks to a reduced role, can find their niche and provide the Clippers with solid minutes when called upon. Whether that happens remains to be seen.

5.) Can the stars finally stay healthy?

This is the eternal question. It’s the one the front office, coaching staff, and even players themselves have been asking ever since Kawhi Leonard and Paul George came aboard.

Of the 308 possible regular season games that both Leonard and George could have been available for, Leonard has only played 161 while George has fared a tad better, seeing time in 189. It’s hard to get a top return on investment when the stars are only playing in 52 and 61 percent of games, respectively.

Last season, George played 56 games while Leonard played 52. The Clippers were 24-14 (.632) in the 38 games that George and Leonard played together last season. But that’s not nearly enough time on the floor. Stretching over the four seasons that the pair have spent together, George and Leonard have only suited up as a duo in the same game on 118 occasions. That’s only 38.3 percent of the time. They’ve won 70.3 of those.

And therein lies the problem. They’ve been great. When the two of them are on the floor, the Clippers have been a damn good basketball team. They just haven’t been able to deliver the goods as far as health is concerned. And, no, it’s not all of Leonard and George’s fault. Things have been out of their control that have hampered both them and the team.

Late in Game 4 of the 2021 second-round series against the Utah Jazz, Kawhi Leonard tore his right anterior cruciate ligament after an awkward collision with Joe Ingles. He would miss the rest of that postseason and the following regular season. Last season, Leonard missed time due to a clean-up procedure on his right knee and a sprained right ankle. Leonard then suffered a torn right meniscus in the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. Those types of injuries are hard to avoid. They happen.

Same with Paul George in a lot of ways. When he arrived to the Clippers, George was dealing with multiple shoulder surgeries that caused him to miss the first three weeks of his inaugural season. Since then, George has dealt with a myriad of ailments: a torn UCL in his right elbow after Jusuf Nurkic fell on him; bone edema in a toe; hamstring issues; and, finally, a right knee injury after colliding with Luguentz Dort on a rebound towards the end of this past regular season that caused George to miss the entirety of the postseason.

The stars have to stay healthy. But, as mentioned, it hasn’t been their fault that the injuries have happened. Freak occurrences happen. They’ve just been happening far too frequently for the Clippers, and if the team and organization want to get to the mountaintop, they’ll need some better injury luck when it comes to their stars. Maybe Year 5 will yield a better result.