Though coach Tyronn Lue stated that Kawhi Leonard’s recuperation from a hip injury was “day-to-day,” the Clippers star was not in the team on Tuesday.
However, the Clippers are also hoping to improve their defence, which has been lacking for the past three games.
Certain things never seem to change: The Clippers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 113-104 at Crypto.com Arena, their 14th straight home victory over the Hornets since 2009. Los Angeles went from 18-12 to 1-2 when Leonard wasn’t playing.
More recently, other things have changed significantly. The Clippers’ defence has been improving recently as it has kept the team afloat during a difficult November. However, several veterans have pointed out that a strong defence is not built on a single defender, not even one as good as Leonard, whom Lue has likened to a shutdown cornerback. Rather, it is built on the game plan and the effort of five interconnected teammates carrying it out, which is why maintaining a strong defence could be so challenging over 82 games.
However, given that the Clippers’ defence allows 13 fewer points per 100 possessions when Leonard plays compared to when he sits this season, the defensive collapse in the team’s two successive pre-Christmas defeats to Oklahoma City and Boston was too linked to be just accidental. The opposition shot 55% overall, with 47% of their three-pointers and 72% of their shots made at the rim.
Before Tuesday’s tip, Lue said, “We didn’t do a good job defensively the last couple of games.”
