The Los Angeles Clippers have managed to sort themselves out after a rough post-All-Star break stretch, but that aforementioned brutal stretch where they played mediocre basketball courtesy of a soft defense took them out of the running for the first three seeds in the Western Conference. As a result, what awaits them is another date with the Dallas Mavericks, a familiar matchup that will undoubtedly raise the collective pulse of both fanbases.
At the very least, the Clippers know how to handle business against the Mavericks. After all, in 2020 and 2021, despite Luka Doncic and the Mavericks’ best efforts, the Clippers overcame. Nevertheless, this isn’t the Mavericks team of yesteryear. Dallas now has Kyrie Irving to stress defenses even further, while they’re also more resolute defensively thanks to PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II.
Thus, the Clippers shouldn’t take anything lightly. In fact, head coach Tyronn Lue’s mind is already churning, planning for the inevitably difficult task Doncic and the Mavericks will impose upon an LA team that’s looking to mount another deep playoff run.
“I’ve already started,” Lue said as an answer to a reporter’s question of when he’s going to start preparing for their first round matchup against the Mavs, per Tomer Azarly, Clippers beat reporter for ClutchPoints.
Tyronn Lue is the master of mid-series adjustments, so it’s not like the plan he’s cooking up now won’t change depending on how the Mavericks respond. In 2021, the Clippers head coach had to pull some adjustments deep in his bag, benching Ivica Zubac and Patrick Beverley after being the subject of some torching from Luka Doncic.
Being the fourth-seed isn’t exactly ideal; only one fourth-seeded team in NBA history has won the championship, and that came way back in 1969, when there were only 14 teams in the association. But the advantage for the Clippers here is that they already know which team they’ll be matching up against, giving them more time to design a game plan to prevent the Mavericks, yet again, from advancing to the second round.
Clippers’ potential playoff rotation, strategies vs. Mavericks
Tyronn Lue will be giving as many minutes to Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden as they can handle. Terance Mann will be a swing guy for this series; if he can’t hit his shots, Lue might be more inclined to give heavy minutes to Norman Powell or Russell Westbrook, depending on whether the team needs more spacing or two-way energy.
The Clippers, this time around, may be able to give more minutes to Ivica Zubac; not only do they not have the option to trot out Nicolas Batum as a small-ball five, the Mavericks also have a few players the Clippers won’t have to stress too much about on the perimeter. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II are athletic marvels, but their range is limited to the dunker’s spot, while LA will live with Derrick Jones Jr. (and to a lesser degree, Dante Exum) three-point attempts.
In 2021, the Mavericks tried to adjust to their inability contain the Clippers’ perimeter-based attack by utilizing a 2-3 zone, going super huge in the frontcourt with Boban Marjanovic and Kristaps Porzingis. This time around, the Mavs can hang with the Clippers much better on the perimeter due to improved defensive personnel, but LA still has Kyrie Irving to target on pick-and-rolls.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Mavericks match up against the Clippers. PJ Washington or Jones will take on the Kawhi Leonard matchup, leaving the other to take on George. One of Doncic or Irving have to take on James Harden, thus making it imperative that Harden be at his best.
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