Coaching gap or strength gap? The Clippers only scored 79 points and were defeated by the Warriors. Who should take the blame?

In the focus battle, the Clippers were defeated by the Warriors 79-98, with less than 80 points in the game, which was jaw-dropping.

The Clippers have a luxurious lineup on paper, with two stars in Harden and Kawhi Kawhi. In theory, this should never be the result.

Lu’s hiring is definitely the biggest failure of this focus game. Bogdan’s starting lineup is completely unable to match the offensive and defensive intensity of this level of competition. His three-pointers from wide open spaces are ridiculous, and the connection between Paul + Dunn + Jones + Collins + Luo in the third quarter is even more ridiculous. They were directly beaten to the point of collapse by the Warriors - I believe everyone can see that the Clippers' bench was not led by Harden/Kazi, and had no offensive ability to break the Warriors' defense. Director Lu watched helplessly as the Warriors bled the Clippers with one knife after another, and did not call a timeout until the blood was gone.

The Warriors' defense is the key to their victory. Kuminga's first line of defense caused a lot of trouble for Harden/Kazi in the one-on-one defense. Dream Chaser/Butler's assisting defense was even more timely. The Warriors were very successful in cutting and rotating the pass line from Harden to Zubac to the weak-side open space. They took one step to see three steps and completely calculated to get in front of the Clippers.

From formation to technique and tactics, Director Lu was truly blown away.

Bogdan was in poor condition and missed three open three-pointers. The starting intensity of the two teams is inconsistent. The Clippers' starting lineup with Bogdan on the court is indeed 4-on-5.

The logic of Lu's guidance is not difficult to understand. According to normal circumstances, the starting No. 2 position should be Bill. The Clippers use Beal/Bogdan at the starting 2 position with the same idea to ensure the integrity of the starting tactical system. Beal/Bogdan are both space points. The Clippers attach great importance to the off-ball function of the 2 position after the Harden + Zubac pick-and-roll. When Bill cannot play, using Bogdan to play Bill's role is the only choice that does not change the starting tactical logic.

The Warriors put the space-type Post in the starting lineup, and the five-out space lineup made Zubac very uncomfortable. Curry called Zubac infinitely in the pick-and-roll and played a very targeted role. Post and Dream Chaser combined for 3 three-pointers in the first quarter, which had a remarkable effect. Once the Clippers flanked Curry in the pick-and-roll, the Warriors used the ultimate space created by the five-out lineup to carry out flowing passes and shots. The Warriors got a perfect start through changes in formation.

The Clippers' starting difficulty was due to lack of space. Both Jones and Bogdan were targeted by the Warriors for three-pointers. Kerr even used Post to carry Zubac as the first line of defense, and Dream Chaser used Jones to release three-pointers as the second line of defense. That is to encircle and suppress the pick-and-roll connection of Harden + Zubac, and appropriately leave Jones and Bogdan empty.

Bogdan's shooting performance at this point is extremely stretched. He shoots three-pointers from a wide open space and directly sends the Warriors to counterattack. It is no exaggeration that the Clippers' collapse started with Bogdan. What is even more ironic is that Batum immediately hit an open fixed-point three-pointer after replacing Bogdan.

There is nothing wrong with Coach Lu using Bogdan’s decision to start against ordinary opponents, but against opponents of the Warriors’ level, there is no room or opportunity for trial and error.

The Warriors always piled people on the strong side and in the middle, resolutely testing the Clippers' weak-side three-point firepower, and paying close attention to the Clippers' lineup configuration shortcomings.

The Clippers' shortcomings of insufficient three-point firepower on the weak side are infinitely amplified by the Warriors. After all, Bogdan, Dunn, and Jones can all be released, freeing up manpower to pile people in the faces of Harden, Zubac, and Kazek, making the Clippers' three-point attack more difficult.

Harden single-handedly carries the team forward. In 2025, he is still fighting bravely, with 20 points and 0 assists in the half, and he fought bravely one-on-one. This is also the only solution for the Clippers when the three-pointers are inaccurate (only 5 of 27 three-pointers were made in the first three quarters). If the Clippers want to break the game, Harden, Kazi, and Zubac must show strong offensive performance.

Zubac can't hit Post/Horford, which results in the Warriors always being able to counter Zubac with comfortable five-out space basketball. Kuminga's defense is full of vitality. Regardless of whether he is defending against Harden or Kazi, it is extremely difficult for the two Clippers stars to get past the first line of defense, which greatly consumes the Clippers' positional battle start-up time.

The Warriors limited Harden by expanding their defense and flanking, and the weak side quickly took turns to compensate for Zubac. In the third quarter, they directly stole Zubac's pass twice. The Warriors' defensive rotation and oppressive defense set the tone of the game, and they fully responded to Harden → Zubac → others' pick-and-roll connections. This was the key to the Warriors gradually controlling the rhythm of the game.

Harden and Zubac were frequently double-teamed, and the Clippers' weak-side corner was ambushed by Jones/Dunn, especially Jones who made 1 of 6 three-pointers. The Clippers' positional battle naturally fell into a state of semi-paralysis.

Lu guided him to constantly experiment with lineups in the second half. The lineup of Paul + Dunn + Jones + Collins + Da Luo was directly defeated during the time on the court.

The Clippers' pure bench lineup has limited scoring ability, Paul has almost no offensive ability at the bottom of his fuel tank, Dunn and Jones have no stable shooting threats, and neither Collins nor Da Luo is good at attacking with the ball facing the basket. The scene in this game that best reflects the Clippers' bench offensive struggles: Luo hit Hield with the ball from behind the three-point line and hit a difficult jumper with difficulty. The Warriors are not afraid of the Clippers' attack at all.

The Clippers' lineup without Harden and Kawhi in the transition period collapsed. The Warriors always had Curry and Butler take turns in the transition period. It must be admitted that the formation Lu guided this campaign was completely blown away by Cole.

The Warriors' rotation system and tactical system have taken shape, while the Clippers are still in the running-in and exploratory period, and there is indeed a gap in the level of head coaches.

The Warriors used Post as the starter and Horford as the substitute, which had an effect. They adopted an 11-man rotation before garbage time. Everyone performs their own duties, knows their position, and their playing style is relatively clear.

Looking back at the Clippers, Bogdan's starting lineup was undoubtedly a failure. The lineup without Harden and without Kawhi in the transition period directly ruined the game. Lu’s guidance on the formation and employment logic is not clear. The winning lineup is not used, but the scoring lineup is on the field for a long time. It is incredible..

One general's futility exhausted an army, and this is how the Clippers were beaten to death by head coach Tyronn Lue's trial lineup!