Say they have a full season together to learn, scheme, and mesh. How good would they be in their second season?
I am assuming that Pop would do a better job of reigning in all the iso play that the Clippers currently live and die by. He would also be better at finding which rotations work.
I would also hope that the stars respond better to his coaching? Either they will play as a team or they will implode. I suppose both possibilities are likely considering the players.
Are they a playoff team? A contender? Would everyone clash with his coaching style and end up rebuilding by the end of the season?
Nothing will fix the offense of the Clippers. When you pour so much into ISO heavy guys you’re going to have to run an ISO offense.
This is actually the first time I’ve seen the “there’s only one ball” problem really come to fruition because every single one of these guys needs time to get into rhythm. That’s why you get streaks of just one of them shooting for 5 possessions straight. But it doesn’t work because no one is ever in rhythm right now.
In theory, Harden and Westbrook SHOULD be the guys to get the offense going. They both play an iso-style where they kick the ball to someone with 2 seconds left on the shot clock, so it isnt great, but they are supposed to be good at running an offense.
Leonard and George have played the way they do now for the last 10+ years, so I wouldnt expect them to change. I would, however, expect them to play better defense. They used to be known for their defense. Im sure age and injuries have impacted how well they can defend, but they may also be wearing themselves out playing iso.