Head coach Tyronn Lue and the LA Clippers have been trying to change the narrative by publicly displaying confidence in players like Bradley Beal’s ability to defend, as many believe the team made the offseason shift to an offensive-based game plan. On the contrary, Lue’s worst nightmare is ultimately one too many defensive breakdowns.
This was seen in the first opportunity of the season against the Guangzhou Loong-Lions. The offense performed well, but primarily in the first quarter, there were times when the rotation lacked what every championship team possesses on defense: communication.
Though Beal was not there, the rest of the lineup was.