Turnovers Turn Toxic: How the Clippers Offense Is Destroying Their Defense
With Kris Dunn, Brook Lopez, Derrick Jones Jr., Nic Batum, Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac all known for defensive discipline, it would be fair to expect this team to suffocate opponents night after night. Instead, the defense has been shockingly porous through the early part of the season. The issue isn’t necessarily individual effort or defensive talent. Yet, it’s the way the Clippers are playing on the other end of the floor.
Turnovers have become the silent killer of this defense. A year ago, the Clippers ranked 15th in points allowed off turnovers, giving up a manageable 17.4 per game. This season, that number has exploded to 25, dead last in the league. Those extra eight points per game are a massive swing, nearly mirroring the difference in defensive rating between this year and last. Every careless pass and isolation misfire turns into an easy bucket for the other team, undoing the defensive stops that players like Leonard and Dunn work so hard to create. The team’s identity as a gritty, defensive-minded unit has been buried under self-inflicted mistakes.
Adding to the frustration, the Clippers are also surrendering far more second-chance points. Once one of the league’s best rebounding and rotation teams, they’ve slipped from second to 16th in limiting opponents’ put-backs. That shift shows a lack of focus and effort on the glass, an area that used to define their toughness. Combined with their slow pace, the Clippers’ struggles feel magnified. Every possession carries weight when you play deliberately, and turning the ball over 18 times per game makes it nearly impossible to find rhythm on either end.
Coach Ty Lue faces a challenging task: fixing the problem without overhauling the team’s entire identity. Surprisingly, one of the best solutions might come from the offensive side. Increased ball movement could be the key to reducing turnovers and reestablishing defensive control. The Clippers currently hold the ball longer than any team in the NBA, an average of three seconds per touch, while taking the third-most dribbles per possession. That style of play makes the offense stagnant, predictable, and easy to defend. More movement would not only create better looks but would also help limit the live-ball turnovers that are killing their defensive transition.
Isolation basketball has long been the comfort zone for the Clippers’ stars, but it’s time for a shift. The team has more shooters and finishers now than ever before, and relying on individual heroics is doing more harm than good. A faster, more fluid offense could reignite the defense that once made this group dangerous. The talent is still there, what’s missing is cohesion. Until the Clippers learn to trust the pass as much as they trust the shot, their defensive numbers will continue to suffer, and their season could spiral faster than anyone expected.
