Clippers' Questionable Offseason Approach Has Come Back to Bite Them

The Los Angeles Clippers are off to a slower-than-expected start. Clippers fans began the season hoping for another 50-win season and a deep playoff run, but the team hasn't looked on par with the other Western Conference contenders. Worse than their 3-5 record is their -4.8 net rating that puts them as the 24th-best team in the league. They are the 20th-best offense and the 25th-best defense in the NBA through the first two and a half weeks, per basketball-reference.com.

The defensive regression is obviously noteworthy, but the Clippers' questionable offseason decisions may be the main reason the team is struggling on both ends of the floor.

Building an Old Roster Is Already Hurting the Clippers

The Clippers built the oldest roster in NBA history this summer, with 33.2 average age, according to Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine's numbers. This was in large part due to Chris Paul and Brook Lopez's signings. The 32-year-old Bradley Beal somehow lowered the team's average age upon signing with the Clippers in free agency.

This has made LA into one of the slowest teams in the league. The Clippers are getting destroyed in transition on both ends. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Clippers only run on 14.2% of their offensive possessions, the fourth-lowest mark in the NBA. On defense, they give up the most points per transition possession, a whopping 150.5 defensive rating.

This is the downside of zigging when the rest of the league has been zagging. After seeing the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Finals runs last season on the back of pace and pressure, teams have begun to copy them. Teams are now much more aggressive, intense, and high-tempo. This requires a younger and more dynamic rotation.

The Clippers' rotation couldn't be further from that. Lopez is arguably the slowest player in the league. CP3 is the only 40-year-old guard in the NBA. As good as Ivica Zubac is, he is a slow-footed, traditional center. James Harden has never played with much intensity, even in his prime. Besides Derrick Jones Jr. and John Collins, there is not a single player with above-average athleticism for his position on this roster.

This makes pressuring the ball virtually impossible, which means you can't force turnovers and get out in transition. This results in playing most of your possessions in the half-court, where it's harder to score. It also means that the Clippers will not outrun teams when getting back on defense.

A math problem arises in this situation. When you give up easy transition points on one end but can't score them on the other, it caps your ceiling. And if you have championship aspirations, that is a serious concern.