NBA

Los Angeles Clippers Stat Monkey Brief: Clippers/Pistons (3/10/13)

Yulian Fedulov Mar 10th, 2013
The downfall of Lob City? Play like they did against Denver, and they could be a 5 seed quickly.

Lob City Highlight of the Night

Lob City got posterized on this one:

With no rest, the Clippers’ defense did not show up to play. They allowed Denver to shoot 55.8 percent from the field, including 47.8 percent from long range. Throw in dunks like the one above, and the Clippers got run out of the building. The Clippers should be concerned that they have been dominated by the last three Western Conference playoff teams that they have faced.

Quick Look Ahead

Tonight, the Clippers kick off a three game homestand that will feature two games against playoff teams. First, however, the Clippers must play the 23-41 Detroit Pistons who are just 2-8 in their last 10 games. The Pistons are ranked 22nd and 19th in offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively, and yet somehow still have a 0.1 percent chance of making the playoffs according to our algorithm. It would be impressive if they make the playoffs, to say the least.

The Clippers have dropped to being seventh in efficiency on both ends of the floor and haven’t beaten a quality playoff team since beating Memphis back on January 14. They have also dropped to fourth in the West and with Denver just two games back, they could easily drop to fifth if they don’t start playing better. The Clippers should be able to put the Pistons away early and use this game as a tune up for their matchup on Wednesday against the Grizzlies. This stretch is really where we starting seeing if the Clippers are actually better this year, or if they will fall back in the same old routine.