20+4 for nothing! It’s time for Collins to start, Zubac shows off Tyronn Lue, and Harden makes it clear

Not long ago, the Clippers lost to the Warriors 79-98. The game had ups and downs. The Warriors only led by 8 points in the first quarter. The Clippers won by 11 points in the second quarter. However, the Clippers suddenly lost power in the third quarter and actually lost 18 points in a single quarter. The Clippers' offense still did not improve in the final quarter. The Warriors gradually widened the point difference and sealed the victory. In terms of statistics, Leonard had 18 points and 6 rebounds, Harden had 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 turnovers, Zubac had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 turnovers, Jones Jr. had 3 points and 2 rebounds, Bogdan had 2 points, Collins had 5 points and 7 rebounds, Dunn had 5 points and 4 rebounds, Batum had 3 points and 6 rebounds, and Paul had 2 assists and 3 steals.

The Clippers played an ugly game in this game, especially in the third quarter when they lost by 18 points and were directly taken away by the Warriors. The Clippers' current record is 2 wins and 2 losses. Although the regular season has just begun, the Clippers' prospects are undoubtedly not optimistic because they have exposed too many problems, and Tyronn Lue seems to be unable to find a solution. For example, the core players are older, and the Warriors are also older, but the Clippers can obviously not outrun the Warriors. Of course, age is an irreversible factor, and the Clippers can accept it, but since they are all old arms and legs, they have to find their own advantages in terms of lineup matching and tactical execution. Unfortunately, Tyronn Lue is a bit stubborn in both aspects.

First of all, in terms of lineup matching, Bill played in the first two games. As a result, Bill was out of tune with the team. He was basically sleepwalking on the court. After losing to the Jazz in the first game, even the Clippers team reporters complained that Bill should be put on the bench. The reason is that Bill does not match Harden and Leonard. Put in the bench lineup, Bill paired with Paul may have miraculous effects.

In the second game against the Suns, Bill started again and only scored 6 points, and 5 points in the first game. Frankly speaking, even if Bill can recover after his comeback, there is a high probability that it will not reach the level expected by the Clippers. The data will not exceed Powell last season. Bill is at this level now, so we can't expect too much.

Bogdan also caused a headache for Clippers fans. He started instead of the injured Bill. We have all seen the results. He scored 0 points and 2 points respectively in the two games, a total of 1 for 9. Bogdan's problem is that he has lost his confidence, hesitates all the time when taking action, and feels like he is going to strike as soon as he takes action. Furthermore, Bogdan's dribbling is unstable, his passes are easily intercepted by opponents, and he makes frequent mistakes. It is no exaggeration to say that Bogdan really has no effect, but Tyronn Lue insists on letting him start. In addition to the two problematic figures of Bill and Bogdan, Paul was unable to perform well after returning to the Clippers. He only scored 10 points in four games, and his appearance could only have a negative effect.

According to NBA big data statistics, so far this season, the Clippers have Harden (averaging 21.3 points per game), Leonard (averaging 21.3 points per game), Zubac (averaging 15.5 points per game) and Collins (averaging 11.3 points per game) averaging double figures per game. Harden has become the Clippers scoring leader + assist leader. In addition, the team with Harden on the court wins by 3.5 points per 100 possessions, while the team without Harden loses by 12.9 points per 100 possessions. Where's Leonard? When the team was on the court, the team lost by 15.9 points per 100 possessions, but when not on the court, they won by 26.9 points per 100 possessions. Yes, Leonard actually became a negative effect when he was on the court. These two statistics are enough to prove that the Clippers' current starting lineup is unreasonable, making Leonard unable to truly lead the team, and Tyronn Lue needs to change his formation.

As for the solution, there is only one solution at the moment, which is to let Collins start and set up a lineup of Harden + Leonard + Jones Jr. + Collins + Zubac. This will reduce the pressure on Leonard on both ends of the offense and defense. With Harden here, there is a high probability that Collins can be fully activated. This lineup will significantly improve the Clippers' offense and defense. As for Bill, he will also be placed on the bench after his comeback. Si is definitely more suitable to start than him, and more importantly, this is also recognized by the Clippers players, such as Zubac. After losing to the Warriors, he said: "I have always liked to play side by side with the tall fourth position. It feels very good and natural to play with Collins." Then there is Harden. The bearded man said: "We have been practicing the cooperation between Zubac and Collins. This is a tactic we have been honing in the training camp." Obviously, Harden also made his words clear. He also believes that Zubac and Collins should play together. To sum up, Tyronn Lue can no longer be stubborn. In theory, the Clippers' lineup is not weak in depth, but a good hand is poorly played. Tyronn Lue's coaching level may not be as good as assistant coach Brian Shaw. If they continue to use the current lineup, the Clippers' upper limit may be the play-off level.