859: Explode the 30 million inner line, the ultimate killing weapon is ready (4/5)

The Clippers' frontcourt was worth $30 million, yet what many could not imagine was that the interior was also the least efficient area of the Clippers' defense this season.

It was even less efficient than the defense of the declining Matt Barnes.

DeAndre Jordan still had the flaw of being easily faked out, of course, but saying his defense dragged down the entire team would definitely be an exaggeration.

There were two reasons for this. First, the wings leaked far too badly, forcing DeAndre Jordan to spend too much energy helping on defense. That often left his own assignment open for cuts to the basket or allowed opposing big men with range to pull him away.

Second, Hawes, the backup, was an awful defender. In a previous Kings-Clippers game, Cousins had drawn several fouls on DeAndre Jordan, and after that, he had been free to feast.

All of these factors greatly dragged down the Clippers' interior defensive efficiency.

When DeAndre Jordan defended the basket, opponents shot only 46.8% at the rim. But when Griffin and Hawes were defending, that figure skyrocketed to 57.7% and 59.0%, respectively.

It was not that DeAndre Jordan was a poor defender. The Clippers simply had too many holes, and he could no longer cover them all.

Therefore, there was only one way to solve the Clippers' interior defensive issues—pull DeAndre Jordan away from the paint, or make the center step out to shoot.

Gasol and Whiteside were undoubtedly perfect for that task. When Gasol drew DeAndre Jordan outside, Whiteside was completely unstoppable inside, while Griffin's rim protection was as feeble as the numbers suggested.

DeAndre Jordan became extremely hesitant in that situation. He wanted to pressure Gasol, but he was also worried about leaving the basket unprotected. Yet he did not possess the incredible defensive