Clippers could go with ‘scrappy’ three-guard lineup against the Heat
When the Clippers went to their three-guard starting lineup of Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and Austin Rivers on Wednesday night at Orlando, they all knew they would have to “scrap” to survive in that game.
But that’s the way it has been all season whenever Clippers Coach Doc Rivers has used his three-guard lineup. They have to “scrap,” as Chris Paul and Raymond Felton put it, because the Clippers become a much smaller team.
As they prepared to play the Miami Heat on Friday night at American Airlines Center, the Clippers found out that they may be forced to use that three-guard lineup again because small forward Luc Mbah Moute was listed as out for the second straight game with a bruised right shoulder.
Whatever the case, Paul likes what the three-guard lineup provides for the Clippers.
“I think it gives us the ability to play at a different pace,” Paul said. “We get a chance to play a little faster. It’s just mean we have to scrap. We may give up a little bit on the rebounding. But when we’re all small like that, we have to scrap.”
Paul, the point guard, is listed at 6-feet-0. J.J. Redick, the shooting guard, is listed at 6-4, Austin Rivers, who started in place of Mbah a Moute at Orlando, is listed at 6-4, and Raymond Felton, another key reserve, is listed at 6-1.
“We have a lot of ballhandlers and a lot of playmakers,” Felton said. “We have guys that can still score and can guard multiple positions. So it’s really just a thing where we’re just out there scrapping. It’s a scrappy team.”
The biggest concern when the three-guard lineup is on the court is rebounding.
But against the Magic, the Clippers outrebounded Orlando, 42-39.
Now that hasn’t always been the case when the Clippers go small, but rebounding is something they are aware of.
“It puts a lot of pressure on DJ [DeAndre Jordan] and Blake [Griffin] and those guys,” Paul said. “But we try to get in there and scrap and help as much as possible.”
But Felton doesn’t see the Clippers at a complete disadvantage using the three-guard group.
“I don’t see none,” Felton said, smiling. “It’s fun when it happens. We’ve got an amazing guy like Luc, who in my opinion is the defensive player of the year with the way he’s playing. When you have a guy like that, it’s kind of hard to play with that lineup a lot. And you got J.J., who is a great shooter, one of the best this season, so it’s hard to play that small three-guard lineup. But when we do have a chance to play that three-guard lineup, it’s fun. We enjoy it.”
Etc.
Mbah a Moute sat out practice Thursday at Americans Airlines Arena with his right shoulder wrapped in ice. He was injured in Monday’s game against Portland in Los Angeles.
UP NEXT
CLIPPERS AT MIAMI HEAT
When: Friday, 5 p.m. PST.
Where: American Airlines Center.
On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 570.
Records: Clippers 19-7, Heat 9-17.
Record vs. Heat (2015-16): 2-0.
Update: The Clippers have defeated the Heat three of their last four meetings. Heat center Hassan Whiteside is first in the NBA in rebounds (14.7) and fourth in blocked shots (2.35). The Heat average just 97.3 points per game, the third-lowest mark in the NBA, and give up 100.1 points per game, the sixth-best mark in the league
Follow Broderick Turner on Twitter @BA_Turner
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