Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Statistics that show they are better than the Clippers
Block Percentage
Davis and McGee each ranked in the top-15 in the NBA in block percentage last season.
- JaVale McGee: 7.3 BLK% (9th in the NBA)
- Anthony Davis: 6 BLK% (14th in the NBA)
The Clippers are small at the center position. LA’s other team only has two players in the top-100 in block percentage from last year’s rankings.
- Harrell: 4 BLK% (50th in the NBA)
- Zubac: 4 BLK% (51st in the NBA)
The five best defensive teams in the league last season (according to defensive rating) were the Bucks, Jazz, Pacers, Thunder, and Raptors.
Each squad starred two great shot-blocking bigs.
- Bucks: Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Jazz: Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors
- Pacers: Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis
- Thunder: Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel
- Raptors: Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka
Those five squads featured great defensive coaches and excellent perimeter defenders. Most importantly, each team incorporated two shot-blocking bigs who were able to erase their teammates’ mistakes by meeting opposing players at the rim and either blocking or altering their shots.
Last season no team had the type of perimeter defenders that the Clippers will suit up this year. Leonard, George, and Green will form into the best trio of perimeter defenders the league has seen in a long time.
That triad is long, sturdy, and they all take pride in shutting down their assignments.
They are going to have to be perfect next season, especially when the Clippers only valid center, Zubac, is off the court because if they allow their man to get past them, he’ll face little resistance at the rack.
Last season George and Leonard were special on defense. One of the reasons they were dominating was because they each had an excellent shot-blocker behind them. They each felt confident crowding their man outside. Sometimes their assignment blew past them, and when he did, he hit a wall at the rim.
This season George and Leonard won’t have that same luxury. They’ll have to lay off their man just a little bit. In today’s NBA, where the rules are designed to help offenses, players feast off of those couple inches.
The Lakers have two of the best shot blockers in the NBA; Davis and McGee. Both men offer up the type of backline rim protection that the best defensive teams over the past couple of seasons have utilized.
With McGee and Davis protecting the rim this season Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Caruso and the rest of the Lakers perimeter defenders will be able to body up their assignment and take away passing lanes and quick-release jumpers.
When the Lakers face the Clippers, Leonard, George, and their teammates will have to shut down James, Davis, and Kyle Kuzma from the outside. If they can’t contain them, the Clippers will have to deal with three of the best finishers in the league dribbling downhill towards a minimally protected rim.