Why does Xiaoka need Collins when he hits 4? How on earth did the Clippers get scuttled by the Western Conference Vice-President Jazz?

The Jazz defeated the Clippers 129-108, leading the Clippers by up to 37 points in the game!

The Clippers were a playoff team with 50 wins last season. This summer they have introduced Paul, Bill, Da Luo, and Collins to support them, aiming to compete for the championship. The Jazz went 17-65 last season and were last in the Western Conference.

In theory, the match between these two teams should be "a big victory for the Clippers when they wake up", but the Clippers actually broke into pieces at the first touch. I believe that no one has ever imagined the result of such a "rebellion against Tiangang".

Why on earth were the Clippers, who were so powerful on paper, so bloodbathed by the Jazz?

The Jazz started with three players in the frontcourt, but the Clippers still used last season's regular starting logic, which led to the inside being overwhelmed. This was a major failure of Lu's guidance in the opening game.

Before the start of this season, the NBA officially updated the height, weight and other data of each team's players. According to the latest data (APP): Kessler is 218 centimeters, Markkanen is 216 centimeters, Filipovsky is 211 centimeters, Mykhailiuk is 201 centimeters, and George is 193 centimeters. On the other hand, in the Clippers' three frontcourts, Zubac is 213 centimeters, Kazek is 198 centimeters, and Jones is 198 centimeters, all shorter than the Jazz.

When Kazekko/Jones faced off against Markkanen/Filipovsky respectively, Markkanen relied on a high degree of control many times to ignore Kazekko’s strength. The scene was too bloody. Referring to the Clippers' first round VS Nuggets series of this year's playoffs, Gordon can also eat Kazakhstan, Jones, and Batum raw. That is to say, the Clippers did not have a standard-sized pure 4th position last season. Mini 4th positions such as Kazakhstan, Jones, and Batum are really difficult on the defensive end when they meet full-size 4th positions.

The significance of the Clippers sending away Powell in exchange for Collins is naturally to improve the chronic problems at the 4th position. The management's recruitment work is obviously targeted. But Lu coached Collins to be a waste of money. On the one hand, Collins received a salary of 26.58 million this season. He has started 410 of the past 472 games, so he definitely has the ability to start. On the other hand, Collins averaged 39.9% three-point shooting last season (1.5/3.7). He not only has excellent athletic ability, but also has shooting ability. His height of 206 centimeters is a standard No. 4 figure.

The Clippers worked hard to acquire Collins in the summer, and Lu directed the starting-level No. 4 to serve as a substitute. This directly caused the Clippers' starting No. 3 and 4 to be passed and cut by the Jazz to break into the penalty area due to their huge height disadvantage.

Lu directed the use of five up and five down in the transition period. The Clippers do have this capital, but the formation and running-in effect are not ideal.

The Clippers use the five-man substitute Luo + Collins + Batum + Dunn + Paul. On paper, the lineup looks luxurious. Luo, Collins, and Batum also all have three-point range, but the core problem is that this "five-substitute" offense relies too much on Paul. The other four are all pie-eating scoring points. This lineup is very harmful to Paul's destructive effect on the defensive formation, but Paul at this age is obviously unable to do what he wants.

Dunn is strong in defense and weak in offense. His long-range shots are always completely missed by the Jazz. The backcourt combination of Paul + Dunn is relatively lacking in explosive scoring power. The Jazz also targeted the Clippers' second team, leaving Dunn open and freeing up manpower to flank Paul in the pick-and-roll. The firepower of the second team relied heavily on the three-point draw of Luo Luo and Batum.

Dallo, Collins, Batum, Dunn, and Paul are all excellent puzzle players. The most intuitive problem caused by their combination is undoubtedly the lack of one-on-one hard-solving ability, and there is no strong point to change the opponent's defensive formation through singles. After all, Luo and Paul are indeed too old, and Dunn has no basket. In addition, the tacit understanding is not enough in the first show of the season. Three consecutive mistakes were counterattacked by the Jazz, which directly led to the collapse of the transition period.

The most ideal formation method should be for Beal/Kazi to join the second team in the transitional period after an early break, ensuring that the second team has at least one difficult attack point. The effect of Paul + Beal/Kazi in the transitional period must be better than Paul + Dunn without a basket.

The Jazz are the team that performs better. The Clippers' coaching staff has not yet figured out the best lineup and rotation plan.

I believe everyone is watching Kessler's performance. He made 2 of 2 three-pointers in the first quarter. With his goal increase in the fourth year of his rookie contract, the Jazz actually have a starting lineup with five players.

In addition to Kessler's three-pointers, I believe everyone has also noticed Filipovski's excellent support ability. The Jazz's three high players in the frontcourt are not only outstanding in height, but also have flexibility and range, which is indeed difficult to guard against.

The height of positions 3 and 4 also allows the Jazz to deal with Harden/Paul pick-and-rolls with ease. They can aggressively attack the ball holder on the upper line. Even if Kessler comes out, Markkanen and Filipovsky have enough height and flexibility to deal with Zubac/Dallo who are matched down the line.

We don’t need to worry about the Clippers. “Self-destruction tactics” has always been Lu’s coaching style.

That is to say, the Buddha system first took the initiative to expose problems, and then made adjustments to solve them one by one. I believe that everyone will not forget that when Harden first joined the Clippers, the team suffered a five-game losing streak, and finally successfully got on the right track.

The Clippers' most ideal starting lineup must be Zubac + 206-cm Collins + Kazi brother + Beal + Harden. In this way, Kazi brother can return to the relatively most comfortable 3 position. Against some teams with heavy 4 positions, such as the Nuggets, Collins will do the dirty work. No matter who plays the 4 position, Kazi brother or Jones will definitely suffer in the high-end game due to their small size against the real No. 4 position.

There are Luo, Jones, Dunn, Paul, and Batum available in the transition period. Since Dunn has no basket at this point, and the second lineup lacks attackers with explosive ability, it is obviously more reasonable for Bill/Kazi to eat part of Dunn in the transition period after an early break. Referring to Bill's current state, the mixed lineup of Da Luo + Jones + Batum + Kazhi + Paul is more powerful..

It must be admitted that Harden and Kazakhstan are currently the two best ball-handlers of the Clippers. Matching the lineup around these two brothers is obviously the optimal solution: Harden can be used in the pick-and-roll to activate Zubac in the starting lineup, and Kaziger/Beal can be used as a secondary attacker; during the rotation period, Kaziger/Beal can be used as the main attacker with De Luo, Jones/Dunn, Paul, and Batum. Jones/Dunn, whose shooting is relatively unstable, take turns on the court, and the entire rotation logic will be smooth.

The strength of the Clippers' lineup is obvious to all, and the formation and running-in effect during this period is indeed poor. Considering that the head coach is Lu, who likes to let the team expose its problems, there is no need to panic at all.

source:livescore 7m cn