Why the Clippers’ defense is good for the 24-25 seasons, and their outlook for the upcoming season

The Los Angeles Clippers' defensive performance in the 2024-2025 season was top in the league. The system construction and tactical execution showed significant progress and distinctive characteristics, which can be combined into the following four core characteristics:

1. Overall transformation of the defensive system: Van Gundy's unlimited defense replacement system dominates

1. Jump from sinking to elite level

Last season, the Clippers' defensive efficiency ranked 16th in the league, and jumped to 5th place this season (it rose to 3rd place later in the regular season). This qualitative change stems from the offseason targeted signings by the management: In addition to retaining Zubac as the core of the inside, defensive players such as Derek Jones and Chris Dunn were added, and Jeff Van Gundy was invited to serve as defensive assistant coaches to build a three-dimensional defense switching system covering the defender to the forward.

2. Unlimited switches and rotations are coordinated with

Van Gundy's defensive strategy is centered on Switch-Everything, requiring players to make up for the misalignment disadvantage through fast rotations. For example, Zubac usually sinks and retreats to protect the frame, while the flanks (Leonard, Dunn, Jones, etc.) are responsible for outside pressure and assisting in sweeping. The whole team has extremely strong elasticity in the replacement, which can effectively cut the opponent's pick-and-roll tactics, and suppress the opponent's offensive efficiency to 108.5 (lower than the season's average of 113.2).

2. Inside defensive pillars: Zubac's frame protection and single defense evolution

1. Improved dominance in the penalty area

Zubac averaged 12.6 rebounds (4th in the league) and 1.2 blocks this season, with a backcourt rebounding rate of 27.1% ranking among the top 10 in the league, becoming the guarantee of the Clippers' defensive lower limit. Its frame protection efficiency is particularly impressive: the opponent's shooting percentage at the basket is only 52% (top five levels in the league) under his defense. When facing MVP-level insiders such as Jokic and Embiid, he can suppress the opponent's average shooting percentage to a decrease of 12.3%.

2. Refinement of defensive skills

Zubac showed rare flexibility when switching to the outside, and could limit the opponent's shooting percentage to 33%. Its defensive strategy focuses on "sticky follow-up": first interfere with the breakthrough path, then cover it straight up and down, avoiding fouls and maximizing the effect of the frame protection. Jokic once publicly praised: "He made me start questioning my shot."

3. Flank defense group: elastic consumption and multi-position lock defense

1. The "three locks" structure led by Leonard

Although Leonard was absent due to a knee injury at the beginning of the season, he quickly became the defensive center after his comeback, averaging 2.1 steals + 1.2 blocks per game, and the top three in the league in defense coverage. He and Dunn (leader’s defense arrow) and Jones (the first lock of the rotation group) form an outside "three lock" system, which can take turns to consume the opponent's core guard/forward line. For example, in the Nuggets series, Leonard's main defense of Murray reduced his three-point shooting percentage from 39.2% to 32.1%.

2. Deep rotation to achieve physical suppression

For the ball-holding cores such as Jokic and Doncic, the Clippers adopted the "wheel battle consumption" strategy: Leonard, Batum, and Kofi competed against core players in the time period, forcing the opponent's singles to increase and the efficiency of the last quarter plummeted (Jokic's shooting percentage dropped by 8.7% in the last quarter). Powell, Coffey and others on the bench also have qualified defense replacement capabilities, making the Clippers' second-team defensive efficiency still ranks among the top in the league.

4. System Challenges and Future Concerns

1. New Agents Integration and Defensive Compatibility

Although Collins, introduced in the offseason, raised the inside height, the real positive and negative values of defense are only ranked 41st in power forwards, and the opponent's shooting percentage at the basket reached 64.3%. The Clippers need to optimize their timing of defense swaps through special training, otherwise it may destroy the coherence of the original system.

2. Over-reliance on veteran core

Harden and Leonard are both over 35 years old, and their attendance rates in the past three years are less than 60%. Although Harden has been transformed into a "heavy defensive fulcrum" (using weight to delay the inside line), the single defense efficiency is only 112.5 (middle and lower reaches of the league), and its value depends more on the system to make up for. If the core player suffers from injury in the playoffs, the defensive intensity may decline significantly.

Summary

The Clippers' defense this season is based on Van Gundy's infinite defense replacement system, Zubac's frame protection as the cornerstone, and flanking group rotation consumption as the core weapon, and successfully transformed into the league's top defensive team. Its characteristics can be summarized as: elastic replacement and protection cover the entire area, single protection and toughness of the inside line, and consumption of external wheels. However, the running-in and core health of new players are still key variables to hit the championship. If Collins can integrate quickly and keeps healthy by logging in, this system is expected to further unleash its power in the playoffs.