After a pretty interesting two-game schedule between the Phoenix Suns and the Clippers, the teams split back-to-back home and road games, leaving the Clippers severely undermanned. I had a fun question and answer session with Robert Fromm. 213 Hoops and The Rob, The Jam Podcast.
Please feel free to check out his works. Follow him on Twitter For solid, in-depth coverage of the Los Angeles Clippers, I would certainly co-sign!
Enjoy the conversation!
Stephen Pridgeon Garner: A team that once felt like a powerhouse feels worse than before after the All-Star break. What do you think about the Clippers' standings heading into the playoffs?
Robert Fromm: If you had asked me this question three weeks ago, I would have been in a much worse position with the Clippers. They've won seven of their last eight games, some of them against lower-ranked teams, but the Clippers' defense and overall attitude has taken steps forward.
That being said, they very likely lose to the Mavs in the first round. I don't know if this team can protect Luka, Kyrie, and the blend of role players the Mavs have. And even beyond that, they don't match up well with the Timberwolves and Nuggets, who are likely second-round opponents.
So while I think the teams I've seen recently have a chance of making it to the top, their chances of winning even the conference finals are still slim.
SP-G: In your eyes, who is most important to the Clippers' postseason hopes other than Kawhi?
RF: James Harden.
Paul George's performance in the playoffs has been spotty, but he's been better than people think and has been playing well over the past month. Harden's hope is that being the third option on offense will take some pressure off of him and make him more comfortable. But he needs to score, and there will be games where the Clippers need him to score 25 or even 30 points.
If he can't get there at all, the Clippers' ceiling is limited.
SP-G: If you had to choose one option to optimize for Harden in the playoffs — shooting, playmaking/table setting, self-creation — which skill would it be and why?
RF: This is the most difficult question you've sent me. Honestly, I'm not sure, but I'd like to lean toward shooting.
In the playoffs, the ball will be in Kawhi and PG's hands more often, meaning Harden's table-setting and self-creation will be less important. If he can at least make and hit more threes, he could still provide immense value as a floor spacer on the Clippers' wings. But I'm still thinking about this.
SP-G: What is the Clippers' biggest weakness heading into the playoffs (other than injuries)? And which team do you think can take advantage of it the most?
RF: size. Ivica Zubac is the only reliable center and Kawhi Leonard is the only reliable forward. Paul George is tall, but he doesn't have the weight of a true forward. PJ Tucker is only available in very small amounts against certain teams. That said, the Clippers are undersized on the perimeter against most opponents, and are vulnerable on offense (which can be stifled by bigger teams), on the glass (obviously), and defensively (which can be bullied at times). ) means to cause damage.
The Timberwolves, Nuggets, and even the Lakers are teams that can truly take advantage of the Clippers' lack of size.
SP-G: This is a team that plays effective small ball multiple times, which unit is your favorite? How did you feel about Coach Lu's use (or confidence) of that unit?
RF: The Clippers' small-ball unit has been somewhat functional this year, but the lack of playable forwards has made it feel more gimmicky and less sustainable than in previous years. The Clippers' best small ball unit is probably Harden-Noem-Amir/Man-PG-Kawhi, with incredible firepower and decent perimeter defense, but not much rebounding and no rim protection. .
I think Ty Lue has gone too small too often, and while he relies on those units, I think the center situation (more on that below) has forced him into it at times.
SP-G: Kawhi tends to take his defense to another level in postseason play. Do you think having him more permanent will solve most of the issues with the Clippers defense post-All-Star?
RF: “The key word here is “almost” and the answer is “yes.” The Clippers still aren't great on offense and don't have a big forward defender other than Kawhi (P.J. Tucker can only be used sparingly in my opinion), but they have played great defense with Kawhi on the court. Ta. . I think his combination of rebounding, help defense, and on-ball tenacity is unparalleled on the Clippers and could elevate the Clippers to at least a “great” defense.
SP-G: What do you think about the center room heading into the postseason?
RF: The situation is unstable. Ivica Zubac is a solid starting center, but he has weaknesses and may not play as much in some games. Daniel Theis then continued to play well all year, but has slumped recently, with minimal rim protection and rebounding. Mason Plumlee is good at those things, but bad at everything else. I think in many series it will be Zoo and Kodama.
SP-G: What do you think about it? phoenix suns What about this season? What are the biggest highlights and biggest question marks?
RF: The Suns were disappointing. I didn't expect them to be unstoppable, but I expected them to win more and play better than this. And that responsibility extends from the front office to the coaching staff to the players.
The most outstanding one is KD. He's not the MVP-caliber guy he is anymore, but the season he had at his age is still very impressive. The biggest question mark for me is the layer thickness. Outside of Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neal, few of the Suns' fringe deals or trades have really paid off. Those two, the big three, and Jusuf Nurkic are all playoff-caliber players.
After that…Eric Gordon was OK, Bol Bol got better but had some issues, and it's all downhill from there. More than injuries or disappointing star players, the lack of playable talent killed the Suns.
SP-G: How do you view this iteration of the Suns from a playoff-specific perspective?
RF: This has probably been said a lot by Suns fans and other NBA writers, and I agree with you. The Suns can beat any team in the West (except maybe Denver) in one series, but they are inconsistent. Or the depth to actually make a deep playoff run. If the Suns can stay healthy and their shooters can hit, they could win a series, maybe even two, but beyond that I don't see it.
The Suns and Clippers won't play each other in the first round, which is probably a good thing. Thank you to Robert Fromm for taking the time to discuss the Sands.
