NBA fans are anticipating the debut of the new-look Los Angeles Clippers, as the organization added the likes of Bradley Beal, John Collins, Chris Paul, and Brook Lopez this offseason.
The issue is Paul and Lopez may underperform due to their age, while Beal's success is largely dependent on how L.A.'s coaching staff decides to utilize him.
Contract drama and injuries certainly played a role in Beal's shortcomings with the Phoenix Suns, but he also requires the ball in his hands a generous amount to thrive. This was impossible with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant leading the charge in Phoenix. There are a ton of mouths to feed on the Clippers, so the same problem could arise.
Looking to the other end of the floor, there were never concerns about Beal on defense because he was often guarding the opponent's worst scorer. And at times, he was still a liability. Surprisingly, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue views this much differently than Frank Vogel or Mike Budenholzer did.
"Defensively, he's always been good. But you gotta challenge him every night. If he's on bad players, he's not as good. But when he's guarding a guy that can play, he's a really good defender," Lue said on 'Club Shay Shay.'
This is undoubtedly alarming for Clippers fans to hear ahead of the regular season. Beal was not brought in to slow down the league's top guards, but instead, for veteran leadership and efficient scoring. Not to mention, Beal is a bit undersized to defend other shooting guards at 6-foot-4.
Lockdown guard Kris Dunn is likely to back up Beal, but if the two are sharing the floor, there should never be a time the latter is guarding the stronger scorer.
It was concerning enough from a defensive perspective to know James Harden and Beal are sharing the floor on a routine basis, but Lue expressing such high expectations for the three-time All-Star makes it even more likely to backfire.
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