There’s something strange and fascinating going on in Los Angeles Clippers Land. If you’ve looked at the box scores of the team’s games over the last couple of weeks then you’ve seen that several of the team’s best players have been playing less than 30 minutes per game. If you’ve actually watched the games then you know it has been common for several of the starters to sit for all of the fourth quarter or the majority of it. Taking a quick glance at the Clippers’ stats shows that Chris Paul is averaging 32.8 minutes per game, Blake Griffin is averaging 32.4, and DeAndre Jordan is averaging 25.7. According to Basketball Reference, their respective averages were 36.4, 36.2, and 27.2 minutes per game for the 2011-2012 season. If the Clippers continue to win and coach Vinny Del Negro continues to sit his starters during the fourth quarter, the gap between last year’s numbers and this year’s will get even bigger.
For teams with older superstars (hello San Antonio Spurs), this practice is common. Older legs need more rest. While Paul’s surgically reconstructed knees need to be managed carefully, it’s highly unusual for two young, blossoming stars like Griffin and Jordan to be restricted. This is a testament to how well the Clippers have been playing and the uncommon roster depth the team enjoys. Limiting the starters’ minutes could help avoid injuries and limit the usual wear-and-tear of the NBA season. Come playoff time, the Clippers could very well be the freshest team in the playoffs.
In the decades that I’ve watched NBA basketball, I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve never seen a team give so much rest to three young — two very young — starters this often and this early in the season. It’s a fascinating tactic and I’m looking forward to seeing if it pays dividends in the playoffs.
Do any of you recall any teams that were so liberal about resting young players this early? Do you recall a team resting its starters for most of the fourth quarter for long stretches of games?
It still hurts to see him in that uniform.
Agreed. We got some good players in return though.
#sarcasm
I can only imagine. Living in LA, it has been such a pleasure to watch him play. He reminds me of Isiah in so many ways.
… worse than seeing him in a “Heat” jersey?
(yuk, yuk)
-M
Forgot to mention that another reason that the Clippers are so endearing is that the second unit calls themselves A Tribe Called Bench. As a big Quest fan, that cracks me up.
While I don’t really follow west coast basketball, I can’t really comment on how effective the strategy is since I’ve never seen it. By the way you are describing it however, it sounds #$%@ stupid.
If anything, I could see it implemented as a “rule of thumb”, but you’d have to be a retard to adamantly stick to that strategy “no matter what”. Conventional wisdom states that you leave a hot player out on the court. If a guy is on fire, why would you bench him? Because “his time is up?” To keep him rested? Screw that. A good coach knows his players and knows when it’s time to give them rest. Arbitrarily setting a time limit for your players may not be the optimal way to rotate them in and out. That’s just my two cents, but hey, if it works for the Clippers, more power to them. It’ll be fun to watch the Heat wipe the floor with them in the Finals.
… even though I’d really like a rematch with Dallas. Also, I’d like to play The Spurs.
-M
It’s not really a “time limit.” In a lot of games in December, the Clippers have had big leads going into the fourth quarter, so coach Del Negro let his starters rest. Part of it is that the regular season is unusually long for a fast, high-impact sport. Coach Popovich has been pretty bold with resting his older starters, sometimes allowing them to fly home during long road trips. His perspective is that the regular season is largely meaningless if you’re set for the playoffs. He rather have his starters as fresh as possible instead of risking injury or wear to get a better seed.
Wow! Did anybody here witness the Clippers-Heat game on Friday or Lakers game on Sunday?
For those of you who missed it, the “vaunted” Clippers were absolutely destroyed by the Heat. (Insert your “yeah-but-Chris-Paul-is-injured” excuses here). What a joke. See, this is the reason that I don’t follow the NBA’s west coast. They all suck (with the exception of the Thunder and the Spurs). I’ll put up Miami, New York, Indiana, Chicago, and yes, even the Celtics up against anyone.
I can’t wait until the playoffs again this year. I’m hoping we can get the Spurs this time. I think that will make for a great series.
-M
CP3 clowns the Heat. He clowned them with the Hornets.
Yeah, how are them Hornets doing this year? Since they are in the Western conference, I’m going to assume that they suck as well… unless, of course, you tell me otherwise.
-M
It’s a rebuilding phase. New blood. I still stand by my clowning. CP3 is amazing and the Heat had nothing for the guy. I think Rose being hurt last year allowed them to win their championship. :)
Yeah, of course. It was because of Rose not playing that the Heat were able to go to the finals and not, you know… all their talent.
-M
I won’t deny that the Heat have a guy who is trying to get on Kobe’s level, but their team struggled vs great point guards.
Personally, I believe the Heat won because they had a Filipino-American coach…but that’s just my theory.
I’ll drink to that! Here’s hoping Spoelstra (and Pat) get us to the Finals again this year.
-M
Think you can get me a job as Spo’s video intern?
The Knicks are frauds. I’m surprised you listed them. Carmelo is the most talented loser in the NBA — he has not heart, the wrong attitude, and a poor work ethic. The team is lucky to have two great locker room guys like Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd. That aside, Shumpert’s flat top rules.
Well, I am obviously no fan of Carmelo, but I have to give the Knicks some credit for at least playing well. Overall, I think they are a good team and I stand by my statement. I also think that Chandler is the “glue” for the Knicks. I think that if anything happens to him, the team may unravel. Jason is way too old to be playing basketball, in my opinion, but hey, the Heat had a whole bunch of old people on their championship team, so I guess there is some value in retaining an “old seasoned veteran,” but I really think that basketball is a game for 20-something year-olds, not people pushing 40… I mean, really, man. He should just try out to be a coach or something.
-M
I agree that Chandler is the glue, just like he was for the Mavericks. Despite Kidd’s drunk driving and Rasheed’s technicals, they’re great guys to have in the locker room. That said, I think Carmelo’s loser-dom will win out. Are they good? Sure. Will they win a championship? No way. I’d also take the Clippers over them any day of the week.