When "superteams" don't work 

Lack of ball movement was def killing these guys. Russ deciding to come off the bench really helps to establish the 2 primary creators and kinda even out the offense.

3 weeks later, they have been the absolute best team in the league. ngl, it's kinda unfair to judge this team immediately and not give them enough time to gel and get chemistry. The Ty Lue system works and it shows in their 9 game winning streak.

This era of basketball we're in has really put a premium on coaching talent because of the importance of modern basketball strategy, teams with subpar coaching that don't implement said strategy like the clippers, last years 76ers or the pistons perform worse than expected almost exclusively because of coaching issues

I feel like the current Suns are in a similar place. They spent all their resources getting 3 elite scorers and pretending that they can just have 3 balls to iso with at the same time and that they don't have to worry about any other aspect of basketball. Some of these super teams really seem like they were made by some kid on 2k who just put all their favorite players on the same team

9-0 since this video was released.

Might want to make an updated version

Paul George hit a game winner moments before this video was published lmao

Since this video the clippers have gone on a 6 game win streak. Idk why people were so quick to write the team off but it was stupid to. Harden & the Clippers have been playing great.

Still waiting for the apology video as Harden continues his Problem Tour

They are now 9-3 in the last 12

Always love thinking back to the 2004 Finals between the Lakers with Kobe, Shaq, GP and Malone getting swept the MOST blue collar NBA champions ever, by a mile. Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, Chauncy Billups and Rip Hamilton. Incredible group of guys with little to show for career accolades yet were completely dominant because they played outstanding team ball.

5 game win streak after this video was posted and 10-3 in their last 13 games 😹😹😹

New video on "the clippers super team is working"?

Can we get an updated take on the Clippers? 🌝

You guys were too eager to release this garbage. You need to come out and admit that you were wrong. That's what a fair analyst does.

You need to update this. Them boys are ballin.

Update?

This didn't age well.

EYOOOO where's the follow up of I jumped to conclusions after 5 games?

So when are you gonna make the new version of this? Lol

They’re quite working now Ben. 😅🤣

Never has a video aged worse lmao

Clippers on a 6 game winstreak since this vid haha 😂

You fake analyst, clippers are 14-2 in their last 16 games now 😂😂😂.

OR and hear me out. They just started playing together and retooling your entire playbook midseason for as big a talent as Harden on the fly game to game is not an easy thing to do regardless of who you have on your team.

This type of take is no better than what ESPN puts out.

Might’ve dropped this one too early bud

I'd like to see them run two separate lineups. Harden and kawhi get a lineup, and russ and PG get a lineup. Play PG Kawhi and Harden 30 minutes a game. You always have top-level scoring on the floor, solve the one ball problem, and should keep the guys fresher by playing less minutes.

This is why great playmakers like Magic, Lebron and Jokic are essential to teams that have multiple stars/ good role players.

Man, I really hope someone rescues PG from this team. Could still be beneficial if the Clipps get some shooters in return. There are just too many people that need the ball on that team. A selfmade issue that nearly every fan seemed to spot even before they traded for Harden, but somehow the clips front office/ Ballmer dont get it.

Harden's inability to catch and shoot is legitimately baffling. It was kind of cute with the Rockets, when he'd pass up a catch and shoot and then make a Step back, but this isn't 2017 anymore. He needs to take these shots and work on his role for the benefit of the team, because the Clippers are screwed if they don't. They've gone from looking like the beneficiaries of a super trade for PG and Kawhi to clowns that gave away Shai and their future.

Harden has been letting those catch and shoots fly the past few games and it's helped a ton. He's really good at them too it makes no sense why he isn't comfortable shooting them

This is why the Warriors were so unique and insane during that 2017-19 stretch, because all of the players could play-make, and they were pretty much a team of primary scorers (minus Dray, the generational defender and menace). However, if you were to make a big three super-team, you need two big time scorers, of which one would be willing to sacrifice for the other to play-make or spot up, and (at least) one defensive menace. This has worked really well in the past (Bulls 1996, Miami 2012, Celtics 2008, and more).

idk if the stats support this but I feel like harden dramatically slowed the pace aswell. In the half court, I like the pick and roll but not providing rim pressure like Russ was before the trade seems to make a dramatic difference.

In the modern NBA, role players are more important than ever given the fluidity of the game, the emphasis on versatility, and three point shooting being so important. The days of two or three great players getting you a chip are long over.

I wish this included some stats on the different offensive looks of the clippers. How good is Harden pick and roll compared to PG and Kawaii iso? How healthy is the Harden System?

Ironically they would have been a lot better off just trading Mann and keeping Covington and Batum. They're a very undersized team now when before they had multiple playable wings who could make up for that. Also think they'll be better when Plumlee gets back since he's a lot better in the short roll situations you mentioned

Having an ISO heavy team is one thing, but ISO heavy with your best player taking 15 shots? No way. When they move the ball you start to see it really working, but when they hesitate and let Russ or Harden get into ISO, it stagnates everything

This needs to be updated. 9 game winning streak as we speak.

Aged like milk :)

Love your videos. Listened all the time at work

How much better would they be if they just shot with confidence once they're open? I see all 4 of these guys pass on open shots by waiting for something (it's not clear what most of the time). I think Ty Lue is a great coach. I wonder what the adjustments will be off ball going forward

Apology video with tears now!!!!

This aged well 😂

SCARY HOURS BOY

aged like milk

Why are your videos sooo good. Such detail, in so many clips. . . great work 👏🏽

clippers on an 8 game winning streak since this video was uploaded

Seems like they should run some kind of triangle offense, keeps their big 3 in motion and puts pressure on the defense to keep up.

CRAZY TIMING

"And when nothing does, he throws a hot potato to Westbrook who's open for a reason" - That joke floored me well written video

Agree. The clippers team before the trade was balanced. They just needed a better center. But front office is simply too dumb, they gave up their 2 best role players and great defenders in batum and roco for another redundant ball handler that plays poor defense is useless offball.

who else came back here after the clippers winstreak 😂

Ty Lue's offenses have NEVER featured cutting or motion PG and Kawhi are iso players while Harden isn't a spot-up shooter. Its ironic that Harden wanted to leave the best coach he's had since D'Antoni, just to go for another glorified legacy coach of Lebron's success

Definition of a knee-jerk video when you could've just let the whole season play out.

I’ll be honest. This offense looks disgusting 🤢

its working now

Posting any video talking about the clippers is dangerous. if you talk about them being good they lose the next game and if you criticize them they make some miraculous play and win the next game. pure whiplash

any updates on the clippers brosky?

This team did better with Russ starting before Harden came along. Harden needs to take the ego hit and come off the bench to the tune of 25mins a game and also be the 3rd option behind PG and Kawhi. That duo can work really well together and PG has shown his playmaking abilities in these last couple years so I think the keys should go to him and have Russ, PG, Kawhi, Mann and Zu as their main lineup. Sure, the spacing goes a bit, but if they can put Russ in short roll situations it stops teams from loading up off of him and having Harden off the bench and being a 3rd option gives them (hopefully) more of a burst off the bench and a guy who can be the sole creator when PG and Kawhi hit the bench together.

7-0 since this video lol

Damn, exposed within the fortnight. Not very bright to make such a grand thesis based on a small sample size of games eh Ben?

Now they are on 7 game winning streak. You present yourself as a "professional" and "knowledgeable" in social media, which seems to be working for masses, you may even sell your patreon program for some kids. But not giving this team an adjustment period more than ~10 games really speaks volumes for your lack of understanding in professional sports and how much there really is different pieces and obstacles in team sports. And if I had to guess, you haven't studied the theory of coaching, or even better, you haven't coahced a professional team ever in your life, but ofcourse you know better from your home sofa than Tyron Lue...

Update???

Not too late to delete this 😮‍💨

“Don’t work”

I think the best example of integrating a lot of offensive talent together was the earlier bird Celtics. You essentially had three high scoring bigs on the team but it just worked. It was hard to deal with the lakers super offense but the Celtics basically had 4 guys who could all play the same position but found ways to have a great offense none the less.

And the same LA quartet came back from a 22 pt deficit against GSW tonight 12/2 . This Vid still will age well

Harden by eye test makes the offense more "static", and every team is playing "motion" offense now.

Always solid content! Even if i dont comment im always tuning in

Great vid

The ending of this video really reminded me of a radio show called "Under the Influence" by Terry O'Reilly.

This video aged bad...

Clippers slowly but surely IMPROVE their CHEMISTRY & 6 W STRAIGHT NOW

This gives me hope actually. Creating advantages and not capitalizing is a solvable problem as they get more comfortable. It would be way worse if they weren't generating advantages in the first place. They are 500 right now after 20 games, and the West is pretty open. I still think they have a chance to put it together and become a dangerous playoff team. They probably need one more forward to play well off the bench though.

actual peak basketball content

This aged horribly

Basketball strategy has gained so much depth in the last 10 years and the biggest problem is that coaches aren't allowed to coach in all seriousness.

Too early to say. We saw flashes of success with them winning 4 straight games but also the 5 game losing streak early on did have a significant impact

please do one on the magic :) love the content

You spoke about this waaaay too early.

Love the channel, but this aged poorly very quickly

....while he plays footsies in the corner ... Cold but true. The problem is if players need the ball to be effective, it is not an easy transition to make if the team demands it. I also see some foundation issues, not looking up when dribbling results in missed opportunities, repeatedly. A lot of holes and problems but it's the NBA. These guys can adjust but again, the superteams don't always work. Good luck to the clippers.

The 2004 Lakers wasn't a SuperTeam. It was still just Shaq & Kobe with 2 Name Brand Role players. Pierce-KG-Allen was a low profile SuperTeam.

8 years ago the clippers would be crazy PG, Westbrook, Harden, Kawhi

This aged like piss

You make a lot of great points. Great video once again! What do you think if the Clippers ran more PnR action with their best players (ex: Harden-Kawhi PnR / Russ-PG PnR), and not with Harden and Zubac? That way they can stagger Harden and Russ, which they realized is for the best it could create more opportunities for their best players. You can argue that Steph and KD should have more PnR when they were playing together. Sometimes a big wing in ball screen action is pretty dangerous still. That being said, the clippers need to move without the ball more and that would fix a lot of their problems as well. Doesn't seem like a lot of intelligent cutting.

“….Westbrook, who’s open for a reason” lol

Time to remake

follow up?

it's a great video. thanks for putting this together. i am left wondering something though. it seemed like this video skirted around the suggestion of Harden being a catch and shoot 3 player, spotting up around the line and spacing the floor. you said in the video that defenses feel like they dont need to guard him, and that his catch and shoot % was only slightly higher than his off-dribble one. but isnt harden's off dribble one pretty good? like wouldnt his catch and shoot accuracy from down town be good enough to warrant him playing that way? i was left wondering that by this video. i think you certainly have many of the other issues you mentioned in the video, like feeling like paying a lot for him to do nothing, but putting harden there, to me at least, feels like you're sacrificing the least because it capitalizes on what is probably the best part remaining of the aging talent of him, and maximizing the talent in PG and Kawhi who are still relatively effective compared to their peaks as players with on-ball opportunities

Ty lou is from the doc rivers school of offense which is to say he doesn't call anything. It's basically just "get the ball to the good player"

Update

This is a big problem with youtube sports media and analysts, since you have to keep your channel constantly on peoples faces so you'll get paid, there's no time for natural development on things, so everything seems like the end of the world, or you guys make it out to be, when in reality, 9 out of 10 times is just an overreaction, the Timberwolves last season and this season is also a perfect example.

I feel like they should be suitors for Poeltl if possible. A good rim protector who can pass well in the short roll and finish would suit Harden more

The footage of them having WIDE open shots and just waiting for the defense to recover so they can work the iso are wild.

LAC starting lineup Harden/Mann/PG/Kawhi/Zubac (+21.5) 4th Best Lineup in league How is it not working ?

Honestly, I think they will figure it out. All these guys have the motivation to win the ring. They are still in that phase of trying to figure each other out and not one of them is trying to take the next step up. Russ took a step back to make this job easier for the big 3 but they just have to make the magic on the court.

im shocked you didn't mention the celtics early on in this video (KG,Allen,Pierce).

I want a follow up video