Clippers warm-up match: "Five strikers" lineup announced, John Wall's debut

Text / Ken

The Los Angeles Clippers’ warm-up match entered the third game, not only worried about Kawhi Leonard’s recovery, but the most interesting thing is that coach Ty Lue has often tested the lineup, putting John Wall in the starting position for the first half, and fielded a formation of five strikers, Polish the insignia of the “Fighting Sea” of the team.

We haven’t seen you in long, John Wall

In the previous media day interview, Ty Lue pointed out that the starting position has been roughly determined: the two protagonists will be Leonard and Paul George with Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris Sr., and only the point guard will be Wall and Reggie Jackson. Different styles of play, the latter was once the signature sniper of speedboats.How much to the more famous Wall, who took the field only after a long absence, how much can he play? At least from a heating point of view, you don’t need to worry too much.

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In the previous game, Wall’s performance was relatively subdued, and he was protected as the main starting force.He did not stay in the starting position until the third game, and he won 20 minutes of play and many ball rights in one stroke. alone. Although the shooting speed is only 5 out of 11 and there are some concerns about the accuracy of the outside line, Wall can enter the penalty area with super fast acceleration capability, promoting pace and organizational prowess is obvious to everyone. Bringing unprecedented offensive mode, standing on the free throw line 9 times in total, scoring 20 points and 3 assists, put on an excellent resurrection show.

Wall’s defensive prowess is generally overlooked. In addition to better judgment and IQ in basketball than Jackson, it can also be seen that he hasn’t neglected to maintain his posture, maintain some degree of confrontation and fitness, and can bypass the screen and chase defense. important key to the official Ty Lue draw for the holder in the sequel.

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We can also see Wall and Leonard’s pick-and-roll cooperation. Instead of the traditional 4th and 5th positions like Roll-Man, Zubac retreats to Dunker Spot to clear the mid-range space, and Morris and George are the corner shooters. The first was the screen manager. When Wall launched the attack with the ball, given his cutting threat, once the defensive side did not prepare in advance, he would give Leonard a chance to penetrate the middle range. , he can also use Zubac to score points on the edge, or as in the video above, attract defenders and then find corner shooters.

Pat Riley’s prophecy comes true

Former Heat director Pat Riley mentioned many years ago that basketball could become a “positionless” game in the future, with a group of five players who are 6-8 to 6-10 in attack and defense. . The prophecy came true in today’s speedboat.

When Isaiah Hartenstein went to the New York Knicks, Zubac was the only qualified leader left on the Clippers team. As expected, the ball was often used in the warm-up game. First, Zubac’s playing field was changed in this game, and he was replaced after just 4 minutes in the first quarter. Subsequently, he entered Batum early to play the 2021 playoff aces combo. Ty Lue previously announced that Zubac will be placed more often in the second team, hoping to use Leonard and George to solidify rebounds in the small formation, while Zubac is responsible for the backup.

What about the future core lineup? Ty Lue played in Kawhi Leonard’s “five strikers”, Paul George, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris and Robert Covington. After moving to the field in the second quarter, the score was once raised to nearly 20 points.

The five forwards gave the Clippers the long-awaited “sense of space” and each player could stand off the three-point line and shoot, enough to make room for Leonard and George for singles. The most interesting point to keep an eye on is the defensive end, which realizes full changes and physical advantages in every position.In front of the guards who cut into the penalty area, Leonard and George, who are the defenders of the second row, have enough body to suppress them By attacking in height, he will wait for the opportunity to start the double game or intercept the pass early. While the Timberwolves have yet to show off the twin towers of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, the rebounding and defensive capabilities of this combination are yet to be tested, but with Covington’s renewal, perhaps starting this season, the Clippers will have really the capital to create “The Sea of Frontier”.

Having too many soldiers is also a problem

With the addition of Wall and the return of Leonard, the Clippers have incredible depth in the lineup, but who should play at the critical moment? This is probably the luxury problem that Ty Lue is dealing with. For the past couple of years, the Clippers have been trying to make a surprising move in the playoffs and playoffs: it went into effect in 2021 and entered the Western league in one fell swoop, but it also hit the iron plate in 2022 and played. a tragically reversed three-back.

The first is the addition of Wall. Whether as a substitute or a starter, he must have a certain amount of ball to be effective. If there are five forwards, will combining him with Jackson create a defensive loophole? And Zubac, who will appear alongside the substitute, will change the original offensive and defensive modes. How to find time for Norman Powell? And what about Terance Mann and Luke Kennard? These are all questions that the speedboat cannot answer in the short-term warm-up match.

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