By locking completely Steph Curry during the victory against the Warriors (108-101), the Clippers proved that they knew how to be truly hellish in defense. Here is the secret of their strength to put the Chef in check.
So certainly this season the Clippers have suffered a real defensive shipwreck against the Mavericks on December 27, with a difference of 51 points (73-124). But despite this misstep, the group has raised the bar by winning 4 of its last 6 games – including a very good Nicolas Batum.
Above all, the band Kawhi Leonard and Paul George raised the bar defensively. And it looks like the Los Angeles franchise has a miracle recipe for keeping full-backs and pointers from scoring. This Wednesday, January 6, Pat Beverley and his family held Steph Curry just 13 points. Smallest total of the season for the Warriors point guard.
Before this match, other superstars had broken their teeth on the ramparts of the Clippers: Damian Lillard (3/14 shoot), Donovan Mitchell (6/14 shoot), and Devin Booker (7/13 shoot) all underwent shock treatment. Steph ended the game with a sad 5/17 shooting.
So what is the method of the Clippers’ technical staff to defeat the league’s elite scorers? Asked at a press conference before the meeting against Golden State, head coach Tyronn Lue revealed some secrets that allow his training to make life impossible for opposing attackers:
Steph is a great player, you have to try to get him to take different shots. I say it all the time, facing a great player, you have to vary your defense, switch to screens, trap him, make two-man holds, alternate zone defense and individual marking. Everything must be done to destabilize it. You can’t give him the same treatment all the time.
Our philosophy is to take care of the best player opposite because we know that Steph can put 60 like the other day. You have to stay on it, play physical and let the other players find solutions. The others will surely be able to take advantage of these opportunities to make good matches.
Let the other players find the solution, a winning bet. Vary the defense, stay aggressive, do not give Curry space, this is a recipe that has paid off perfectly in the game against the Warriors. It must be said that there is no lack of quality defenders among the Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Pat Beverley to name a few, have made life impossible for more than one superstar.
The Clippers will have to continue on this beautiful dynamic if they want to forget the debacle suffered in the Orlando bubble during the 2020 playoffs. Led 3-1 against the Nuggets, they had left their opponent to win the series after a scenario improbable.
The players of the Clippers have the knife between the teeth, the rest of the league is warned. We will have to work to bypass the defense of Los Angeles. Steph Curry had the bitter experience …
