Ivica Zubac Puts Teammates on Notice by Identifying Clippers' Biggest Problem

It has been the same old story for the Los Angeles Clippers all season.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

There is plenty of blame to go around in Los Angeles after the Clippers' 3-7 start. Ty Lue's decisions, Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal's absences, and the underperformance of several veterans have all contributed to five straight losses. Some of these will certainly be harder to fix, but the Clippers have a few low-hanging fruit that they have to clean up right away, and Ivica Zubac identified them perfectly after Monday's loss to the Hawks.

Zubac said, "We've got to score more, we've got to rebound the ball, we've got to get back in transition. We've been saying it year after year," per Clippers insider Farbod Esnaashari, before adding that they keep making the same mistakes, and this won't "magically" change when Leonard and Beal return.

Transition Defense Is the Biggest Problem for the Clippers

The most important part of this is the emphasis on transition. The Clippers are getting destroyed night in and night out in transition. Last night, the Hawks scored 20 fast-break points, compared to LA's four. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Clippers give up a whopping 152.3 points per 100 transition possessions, easily the worst mark in the NBA.

This is the main reason the Clippers currently have the fifth-worst defensive rating in the league, despite starting elite defenders like Kris Dunn, Zubac, and Derrick Jones Jr.. Nicolas Batum and Brook Lopez, off the bench, may be old, but they are also solid defenders. This personnel should be way better defensively than they have been this season.

When they are in the half-court, the Clippers are an average defensive unit. They have enough size, strength, and rim protection. Any time they turn the ball over or it's a live rebound, it's a whole other story. The Clippers struggle to get back and are overwhelmed by their opponent's speed and athleticism.

Some of this is obviously due to the fact that the Clippers are the oldest team in NBA history. Today's NBA is much more reliant on speed, tempo, and athleticism. Teams pressure the ball more and have more aggressive defensive schemes. This is especially a problem for the Clippers, who make blitzing and double-teaming James Harden very easy due to their lack of other offensive threats. This results in turnovers and missed shots, which end up in quick baskets for the opposing team on the other end.

Getting back in transition at all costs should be the No. 1 priority for the Clippers. Forget about crashing the offensive glass or going for loose balls. The Clippers need to go back to the basics and get back on defense before they can start talking about anything else.