Watching Mavs Film: Breaking Down Clippers’ Defensive Tactics

How Tyronn Lue disrupted Mavericks pick-and-roll actions

Photo by Sam Hodde / Getty Images

The Mavericks will face the Los Angeles Clippers tonight in the second game of their home-and-home series. Down their two stars, Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, Dallas dropped the first matchup on Thursday. (You can find game notes from that game here.)

Dončić remains out with a heel injury, but Irving is expected to return, which should make the Mavericks much more competitive this time around.

While the defensive effort was the bigger disappointment in the first matchup, the Mavericks also predictably struggled to score against a very good Clippers defense, which currently ranks 6th in the NBA.

So, instead of a preview (if you’re looking for one, you can revisit the one I wrote before the first game—it’s still relevant), I’ll break down some interesting defensive tactics Tyronn Lue used to disrupt the Mavericks’ pick-and-roll in the first game.

For these breakdowns, I’m collaborating with my X's and O's mentor, Luka Bassin. Luka is a former player, scout, and assistant for the Slovenian national team with an extensive background in player development and play analysis. His expertise—and his database of thousands of plays on Coachtube—help bring a sharper view into the strategic side of the game.

Clippers’ pick-and-roll defense and help schemes (🎞️VIDEO)

Last season, the Mavericks stormed the league with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford thriving as lob threats in pick-and-roll actions. Unsurprisingly, taking away the lob has become a top defensive priority for most opponents this year.

Without the high-level playmaking of Dončić and Irving, Tyronn Lue went all-in on this tactic, deploying aggressive help defense from areas of the floor we typically don’t see—such as the slot position (between the wing and the middle of the floor), the strong side, or one pass away. Here are some possessions showcasing the Clippers' defensive tactics, including deep bumps by defenders to slow down the roller and deep stunts (help from one pass away) to provide additional support for Ivica Zubac. These tactics allowed Zubac to remain comfortable in his drop coverage throughout the game (Croatian national team used similar tactic last summer with Zubac as the paint anchor in drop coverage).