PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – The Clippers scored 109 points one preseason game and 75 another. They allowed 89 points in the finale, but only after giving up 104 the night prior.
Head coach Doc Rivers said he was happy overall with much of what the Clippers did this preseason, and he likes the way the team is trending, but there were also inconsistencies he wants to change as the Clippers enter a week-long gap between the end of the preseason and the start of the regular season.
“We weren’t consistent on anything,” Rivers said. “I would say if there was one thing that stood out, it’s that we still have to learn to be more consistent game-to-game, quarter-to-quarter. Hopefully, that’ll come.”
In the preseason finale, for example, the Clippers put together a dominant second quarter, scoring 30 points and allowing just 13; but that occurred only after allowing 30 points in the first quarter. Then, the Clippers scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter, nearly letting the Kings come back.
“That game was pretty much over, and it’s hard to judge those last eight minutes,” Rivers said. “But still, to me, even in that, be consistent… that’s what we have to do.”
That applies not just to offense, but to everything on the court. And it applies not just to a second unit featuring plenty of newcomers, but also to a first unit whose core has been together for years.
When things went well, Rivers said, they went very well.
“But, then we go in and out at times,” Rivers said.
Of course, with new rotations and combinations, some unpredictability is inevitable. Still, Wesley Johnson said the second unit needs to run the offense earlier and get a better understanding of where to be. There’s also a focus on rebounding, particularly on the defensive end.
Chris Paul added that cuts can be sharper and passes can be better, and even the first unit needs to clean things up.
“Just like any professional team or any team in general, it’s about consistency,” Paul said. “That’s the things I’m sure Coach (Rivers) is going to harp on – the fact that we show, in spurts, that we can do it. But, it’s about who does it the longest, the right way.”
So, with this week off, Rivers hopes to gain more continuity in an attempt to quell the preseason inconsistencies.
He said he may give the Clippers one day off during this time period before flying to Portland for the Oct. 27 season opener. Other than that, they’ll use this time to practice nearly every day with the season a week away.
“When it comes down to it, we’ve all got to be ready whenever the season starts,” Johnson said. “So that’s these eight days to get back right and get on the right path.”
Injury Update: Rivers said Luc Mbah a Moute won’t practice Thursday with a right knee contusion, after going knee-to-knee in the preseason finale. It’s not expected to be serious, and Rivers said Mbah a Moute should return to practice this week…Paul Pierce also will miss Thursday’s practice with an ankle sprain that occurred pregame in Sacramento after stepping on a sideline reporter.