Three Things Clippers Must Improve After 2-8 Start This Season

The Los Angeles Clippers have enough shooting to be more competitive. Through a 2-8 start, turnovers, poor rebounding and inconsistent defense have kept that strength from translating into wins.

The Clippers average 112.2 points, ranking 19th in the NBA, while being outscored by 5.9 points per game. They are shooting 38.1% from three, but that efficiency has been undermined by 18.5 turnovers per game, the league’s second-worst mark.

Improvement starts with getting more shots out of their possessions and finishing defensive stops. Here are three areas Los Angeles needs to address.

Only Charlotte, averaging 19.0 turnovers, gives the ball away more frequently than the Clippers. That is a significant disadvantage for an offense capable of punishing opponents from outside.

Los Angeles makes 14.1 threes per game but averages just 85.1 field-goal attempts, the fourth-fewest in the league. Turnovers help explain why its shooting has not produced a more effective scoring attack.

The Clippers need cleaner passes, better spacing and quicker decisions when the defense shifts. Teammates must provide useful outlets instead of leaving ballhandlers to force difficult plays.

Their 26.7 assists per game show an ability to create opportunities for one another. Maintaining that movement while reducing mistakes would give their shooters more chances to influence games.

The priority should be making the straightforward play consistently. Each possession that ends without a shot wastes an opportunity for one of the team’s strengths to matter.

The Clippers rank 26th with 40.5 rebounds per game and average just 29.9 defensive boards. Those numbers point to another area where they need more consistent contributions.

Rebounding averages depend partly on pace and available misses, but Los Angeles still needs to finish defensive possessions more reliably. Forcing a difficult shot means little if the opponent retrieves it.

Guards and wings must help when their big men contest shots or defend away from the basket. Finding a body early gives the Clippers a better chance of controlling the rebound.

Lineup decisions should account for that responsibility. A group needs enough rebounding around its shooting and playmaking to avoid repeatedly defending extra possessions.

Securing the ball also creates opportunities to attack before the opposing defense gets organized. Better work on the glass could help both ends.

The Clippers rank fifth with 9.9 steals per game, showing they can disrupt opponents. However, they are allowing approximately 118.1 points per game.

That gap makes their defense between takeaways an important concern. Los Angeles needs better containment, communication through screens and coordinated rotations when the initial matchup breaks down.

Gambling for a steal can leave teammates covering multiple threats. Pressure becomes more useful when defenders remain connected and understand where help is coming from.

The Clippers also average 4.0 blocks, tied for the fourth-lowest mark. Preventing clean penetration matters because they have limited room to rely on shot blocking to erase mistakes.

Their shooting provides a foundation. Protecting the ball, securing rebounds and defending consistently would give Los Angeles a better chance to turn competitive stretches into complete performances.