The big three substitutes broke out! The Clippers beat the Kings 109-91. In this battle, I was completely convinced by these 5 people.

On October 16, the NBA preseason game ushered in the Clippers and Kings game. The Clippers' offseason lineup restructuring was amazing: they sent away Powell, who was in a contract year, and successively signed Lopez, Beal and Paul, and introduced Collins through trade. A lineup with both offensive and defensive hardness and organizational connection capabilities was thus formed, and the team's depth jumped directly to the first echelon of the league. In the preseason, Harden's performance attracted the attention of some fans - he did not exert much offensive power for two consecutive games, and his personal scoring was mediocre but his assists remained efficient. In fact, there is no need to worry. In the preseason games of the past three seasons, Harden has always focused on "holding back and playing". Now at this stage of his career, he is more inclined to prioritize driving his teammates. What's more, the Clippers never lack for finishing points, so this style of play can maximize the team's overall combat effectiveness. In addition, Kawhi's defensive pressure will be greatly reduced in the new season: Jones and Collins in the starting lineup, and Dunn on the bench, can become his right-hand assistants and jointly build a solid defensive system. Tyronn Lue is also constantly experimenting with the lineup, even letting Harden and Paul appear on the court at the same time to run in. The subsequent core task is to determine a stable 9-10-man rotation lineup for the new season. At the same time, he hopes that Bill and Bogdan can return from injury as soon as possible.

On the other hand, the Kings are in a bad situation. In February this year, they decided to rebuild when they sent Fox away, but they have not been able to find a home for Monk throughout the summer. In the end, they traded Varan for Saric in the summer, signed Schroeder for 44.4 million in three years, and today signed Westbrook with a basic salary of 3.5 million US dollars. At the same time, they gave young player Murray a five-year US$140 million contract. Although there are LaVine, DeRozan, Sasha, Monk and others on the books, there is a certain conflict in the distribution of ball rights, and the core Big Three have no defense. To sum up the Kings' new season outlook in one sentence, that is: Play well in the play-off team, but not in the Kings Supermarket! In the last game, the Kings, who had a full lineup, lost to the Trail Blazers by 1 point, and they also allowed Chinese player Yang Hansen to show off. It can be said that they lost the game and their reputation.

Game review: The game fell into a rare outside shooting shortage at the beginning. Both sides made 10 consecutive outside shots. The Clippers' main lineup was in slow shape, and the Kings seized the opportunity to seize the initiative on the court. At the critical moment, Lopez, Batum and Paul worked hard one after another. The three of them teamed up to score 5 three-pointers, helping the Clippers achieve a lead in the first quarter and establish an 8-point advantage. In the second quarter, the game completely turned against the Clippers. Paul continued to connect his teammates with precise passing, and Collins continued to contribute points with sudden outside shots. The team quickly widened the point difference to more than 20 points. On the Kings side, LaVine used a combination of three-pointers and mid-range shots to stop the bleeding, but Leonard immediately scored consecutive points, helping the Clippers enter the halftime break with a 20-point lead.

After changing sides and fighting again, Sabonis frequently attacked the inside and led the Kings to launch a point-chasing offensive. The Clippers immediately responded with consecutive three-pointers, and then Collins continued his hot streak and continued to score points, widening the point difference to nearly 30 points, basically sealing the victory. In the final quarter, both sides sent out their substitute lineups. Although the Kings substitutes struggled to chase points, the point difference was too large to reverse. In the end, the Clippers easily defeated the Kings 109-91 and won the preseason victory.

Although Harden's performance was average in this battle, with 4 of 10 shots, 0 of 6 3-pointers, 8 points, 3 baskets and 3 assists, with a plus-minus of 0, the five Clippers players performed amazingly:

1. Chris Paul had 9 assists in the first half, which once again demonstrated the strength of the "court control ceiling". In the game, he had 3 points, 4 assists and 2, and scored 8 points and 10 assists, with a plus-minus of +24. As the rhythm operator of the Clippers' new lineup, his precise passing is like a scalpel tearing apart the opponent's defense. Whether it is lightning conduction in fast breaks or delicate feeds in positional battles, he can accurately find teammates in the best position and easily activate the entire team's offense. Even if Harden is out of form, Paul becomes another connection point that can be relied on. He not only uses assists to connect the offense, but also relies on his rich experience to control the rhythm of the game. His steady control at critical moments makes the Clippers' offense more layered. This control that transcends age is an important source of confidence for the Clippers to compete for the championship in the new season.

2. Brook Lopez made 4 of 5 3-pointers in the first half and 6 of 8 in the game. He scored 16 points and 4 rebounds. With his amazing 3-point performance, he proved that he is a "natural match" for the Clippers system. As the top representative of the space center, his outside firepower completely opened up the opponent's inside defense, creating sufficient space for core players such as Kawhi Kawhi and Harden to break through and finish. His three-pointers are not only accurate and efficient, but also have tactical deterrence, forcing the opponent's center to expand their defense, directly revitalizing the Clippers' internal and external linkage. At the same time, Luo's rim protection ability and inside position also laid a solid foundation for the Clippers' defensive system. Providing dual value on both ends of the offense and defense, even if Zubac is in trouble, he can become the Clippers' inside support and is a key variable for the Clippers to hit the championship in the new season. Such a new aid is really good.

3. Collins efficiently integrated into the Clippers system. He made 7 of 8 in the game and 2 of 2 three-pointers. He scored 24 points and 6 rebounds, perfectly demonstrating his compatibility with the Clippers system. As a frontline firepower, his finishing accuracy and outside shooting ability have further improved the Clippers' offensive level. He can not only receive precise passes from Paul and Harden to score easily, but he can also create shooting opportunities by running without the ball, opening up offensive space for the team. At the same time, his impact and rebound protection ability in transition between offense and defense have also added key shortcomings to the Clippers' system. This plug-and-play and efficient performance makes him an important firepower support for the Clippers' forward line, and also makes the team's championship-winning lineup more complete. It was his outstanding performance with Luo and Paul that allowed the Clippers to score 63 points off the bench!

4. Leonard continued his fiery state of stable output in every preseason game. He scored 15 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists at halftime against the Kings. He demonstrated the absolute value of the "Clippers core" with his efficient performance.. As the team's offensive and defensive hub, his scoring efficiency is always online. Whether it is a mid-range pull-up or a breakthrough finish, he can stabilize the team's situation at critical moments. His presence can not only directly contribute to scoring, but also attract multiple opponents to defend with his strong containment, creating sufficient space for Paul and Harden's passes as well as Daluo and Collins' outside shots. At the same time, his defensive skills are still an important barrier for the Clippers' defense. The forward defensive network formed with Jones and Collins further enhances the team's overall defensive strength. This kind of stable performance on both ends of the offense and defense is the Clippers' greatest confidence in hitting the championship in the new season.

5. Although Jordan Miller is not the core star of the Clippers, he has become an indispensable puzzle piece in the lineup with his distinct role positioning. On the defensive end, with his excellent movement speed and positive fighting attitude, he is capable of defensive tasks in multiple positions, effectively sharing Leonard's defensive pressure and injecting vitality into the Clippers' outside defense. On the offensive end, he has scored 24+ data for two consecutive seasons. His precise outside shooting and flexible running without the ball perfectly adapt to the passing system led by Paul and Harden. He can often open up situations for the team through catching and shooting. Tyronn Lue made him the starting shooting guard to improve the team's age structure and enhance the vitality of the starting lineup. In this campaign, Miller scored 7 points and 5 rebounds.