All Clippers

LA Clippers Player Grades for the 2020-21 Regular Season

The LA Clippers' 2020-21 regular season has officially come to an end. How did each player perform this year?

Garrett Chorpenning

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a long time coming, but the LA Clippers have finally finished their 2020-21 regular season. 

It was an impressive year, all things considered. Even though LA finished with a worse record than they did in 2019-20, this team appears better built for the postseason, which is now only a few days away. Once again, the Clippers will take on the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

But rather than focus on what's ahead, we're taking a quick look back at how the Clippers got here and evaluating the performance of each player currently on the roster.

With that said, players that are no longer on the team will not show up here. That includes Malik Fitts, Mfiondu Kabengele and Lou Williams. Their contributions were certainly worthwhile, but we won't be seeing them in the playoffs. 

As for the grading criteria, we'll be looking at how well each player lived up to individual expectations and how well they played with the team. These grades are not relative to the rest of the NBA. 

Without further ado, let's dive in.

Nicolas Batum: A

2020-21 statistics: 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 61.7 TS%

When the Clippers picked up Nicolas Batum in the offseason, the expectation was that he'd be a solid vet who would fill a reserve role off the bench. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who not only predicted that Batum would start in close to 40 games, but would also be one of the most important players on the roster by year's end — but that's exactly who he is.

Batum made his presence felt from day one, filling the stat sheet through his first handful of performances and carving out an important role in the starting rotation. However, it wasn't until he sank a game-saving three-pointer against the Phoenix Suns in early January that he reached legend status among Clippers fans.

LA was on the verge of blowing a 31-point lead late in the fourth quarter, up 107-104 with less than 30 seconds to play. Batum was stationed in the left corner and had the defense sagging off of him. Paul George saw Batum all alone, attacked the paint and slung the ball in his direction. He nailed the shot.

Not only did Batum greatly exceed all expectations, but he established himself as a reliable, heady veteran and managed to gain the trust of every player on the team. He's the preeminent glue guy. Every championship team needs a player like him, and he just might help the Clippers earn their first title.

Patrick Beverley: C

2020-21 statistics: 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 37 games played

Patrick Beverley was important to the Clippers this season, but his availability issues made him anything but reliable. The 32-year-old guard missed 35 games this year — almost as many as he played — and appeared in just eight of LA's final 33 contests. 

Beverley was still a leader off the floor, as several players praised him for staying involved with the team on the sidelines and over text while he was away, but there were more than a few games this season where the Clippers could have benefitted from his on-court energy.

With that said, intangibles are the only thing dragging Beverley's grade down. When he was on the floor, the veteran guard was his usual scrappy self, pestering opponents on the defensive end of the floor and making them pay for leaving him open on offense. Beverley sank nearly 40% of his three-point attempts on the year and was especially efficient from the corners, where he connected on 49% of his looks per Cleaning the Glass. 

Beverley's postseason health is paramount. If he can stay on the floor down the stretch, it'll be easy to forget about how often he wasn't during the regular season.

Amir Coffey: B-

2020-21 statistics: 3.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 41.1 3PT%

Amir Coffey didn't earn meaningful minutes all that often this season, but he tended to make his mark when he did. 

The 23-year-old swingman logged 12+ minutes in 14 of his 44 appearances this season. In those 14 games, Coffey scored in double-figures five times, grabbed three or more rebounds seven times, picked up a couple of assists and steals along the way and got red-hot from three-point range on more than a few occasions. 

Coffey's best game of the season came against the Miami Heat in mid-February. Down four starters, the Clippers desperately needed their role players to step up. Coffey answered the call, scoring a season-high 15 points in 32 minutes off the bench and sinking five of his six attempts from beyond the arc. With his help, the Clippers overcame a Jimmy Butler triple-double and downed the Heat, 125-118. 

The more he played this season, the more obvious it became that Coffey has a future in this league as a two-way wing who can provide quick scoring and defense off the bench. We probably won't see him much in the postseason, but he could be useful in certain scenarios.

DeMarcus Cousins: N/A

2020-21 statistics (with LAC): 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 16 games played

DeMarcus Cousins was a late addition to this Clippers team, joining the roster in early April after being released by the Houston Rockets in February. The former All-Star looked solid in a limited role, providing the team with floor-spacing, rebounding and passing. 

In Serge Ibaka's absence, Cousins did what he was asked to do and didn't play outside his role. Moreover, he made a strong impression on the rest of the team, who referred to him as an excellent teammate.

The sample size for Cousins is too small to truly assess his performance with the team, but he did enough to have his contract extended through the end of the season. 

Now that Ibaka is back, we probably won't see Cousins all that often in the playoffs. His limited speed makes him a defensive liability, and the Clippers won't want to take minutes away from their other, more capable bigs.  

Yogi Ferrell: N/A

2020-21 statistics (with LAC): 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 8 games played

Like Cousins, Yogi Ferrell was also a late addition to this year's Clippers squad. The 28-year-old guard made his debut on April 21 and has since appeared in seven games, though none were as electric as his first.

In a comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Ferrell logged eight points and seven assists in 20 minutes off the bench, including a highlight-worthy alley-oop to Terance Mann:

Ferrell's sample size with the Clippers is too small to draw conclusions from, but he played solid basketball when he saw time on the floor. He signed a non-guaranteed deal with LA last month, so perhaps we'll see a bit more of him next season. 

Paul George: A

2020-21 statistics: 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 59.8 TS%

After a lackluster finish to his debut season with the LA Clippers, Paul George returned in 2020-21 with a vengeance. 

Through the first two months of the season, George played at a 50/40/90 pace and sinking more than 47% of his three-point attempts. He struggled to stay available near the middle of the season thanks to a toe injury that still hasn't gone away, but he did enough in the early going to earn his seventh All-Star selection in March.

Brushing aside his injury, George caught fire in April. From the 6th to the 23rd, George averaged 32.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists and sank roughly 45% of his three-point attempts. He scored 30+ points in the first five games of the stretch and seven of eight overall before cooling back off to close the season.

Outside of his increased turnover rate and availability issues, there's hardly anything bad to say about his season. At 31, George posted new career-high marks in assists (5.2 per game), field goal percentage (46.7%) and true shooting percentage (59.8%) and showed more of a willingness to get downhill and attack the basket.

It remains to be seen if George can keep this up into the postseason, but it doesn't seem wise to bet against him.  

Serge Ibaka: C+

2020-21 statistics: 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 41 games played

Like Beverley, Serge Ibaka is another day-one starter who struggled to stay on the floor this season. LA's prized offseason signing appeared in 41 of the team's 72 games this season and missed 30 consecutive games from March 15 to May 13. He's looked solid since returning, but it'll clearly take some time to get him back up to speed.

The problem? Ibaka was dealing with a nerve issue in his back throughout the season. Last week, he said the pain became too much to deal with shortly after the All-Star break, which was when the team decided to shut him down for the foreseeable future. 

With that said, Ibaka looked the part of a reliable contributor when he was available to play. The veteran big man was an effective scorer, rebounder and passer in his debut season with the Clippers, and while he isn't what he used to be on defense, he still managed to average more than a block per game. However, he struggled to score beyond the arc, connecting on just 33.9% of his three-point attempts on the year.

Ibaka will have to continue tuning himself up in the playoffs, but his size, basketball IQ and two-way ability will help solidify a second unit that looks much better-equipped for postseason play than last year's group. 

Reggie Jackson: A-

2020-21 statistics: 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 43 starts 

Reggie Jackson had a notably rough ending to his debut season with the LA Clippers. After seeing consistent minutes in the team's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Jackson fell out of the rotation in the second round and was hardly seen against the Denver Nuggets. Still, the Clippers brought him back in the offseason on a minimum contract.

It was an excellent decision.

Jackson looked like a different player in 2020-21, establishing himself as a reliable offensive guard who can play solid team defense on the other end of the floor. He was hyperefficient from three-point range, sinking 45% of his attempts above the break and 43.3% overall. And while he wasn't as effective inside the arc, Jackson did well as a playmaker.

However, the main reason Jackson received such a high grade has to do with how well he — and the Clippers — performed in Beverley's absence.

As a starter, Jackson averaged 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 27.3 minutes per game. LA went 26-17 (60.4 win percentage) with him in the starting rotation, which overlapped with 17 combined absences from Kawhi Leonard and George. In a late-season meeting with the Detroit Pistons, Jackson even scored a season-high 29 points and sank the game-winning jumper just before the buzzer, capping off a 10-point fourth quarter. 

He's returned to the bench now that Beverley is back in the rotation, but Jackson did a lot to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches this season. Surely, he's earned a sizable role in the postseason. 

Luke Kennard: B

2020-21 statistics: 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 44.6 3PT%

Luke Kennard was the victim of a backcourt logjam this season. The 24-year-old sharpshooter was never first in line for anything and instead spent most of his season playing behind other guards, including Beverley, Williams, Jackson and Rajon Rondo. However, whenever he did get the chance to take on a larger role, he usually ran with it.

Kennard was one of LA's most efficient shooters all year, sinking 44.6% of his three-point attempts and 47.6% overall. It did take him some time to build his confidence up, but that was to be expected after Kennard missed almost all of the 2019-20 season with knee injuries. But once Kennard started being more aggressive with his shot and less passive with the ball, he really started to shine. 

Kennard was especially impactful after the All-Star break and almost single-handedly won a game for the Clippers in late March, scoring 20 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting in a come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Kennard's playoff minutes may be spotty now that the team is almost back to full health, but even if he doesn't see much time in the postseason, Clippers fans have to feel good about Kennard's trajectory going into 2021-22. 

Kawhi Leonard: A

2020-21 statistics: 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 62.2 TS%

Kawhi Leonard continues to prove that he's only getting better with age. After posting career-high figures in points and assists per game in 2019-20, Leonard stepped up his efficiency in 2020-21 and further improved his passing game, reaching another career-high mark of 5.2 per game. 

Like George, Leonard also struggled with his own availability issues this season. He missed 20 games throughout the course of the year, most of which came on account of injury. Most of his games missed were spread out, but Leonard did have a stretch where he missed nine out of 10 consecutive games with a foot injury.

Otherwise, though, this was another terrific year for Leonard. The All-Star forward impressed as a facilitator and nearly put together a 50/40/90 season, finishing just shy with .512/.398/.885 shooting splits. 

Averages aside, Leonard looked much healthier in 2020-21. He caught opponents off guard with his speed off the dribble, dunked 60+ times for the first time since 2016-17 and punished defenses with his always consistent mid-range game.

Expect great things from Leonard once the playoffs begin. 

Terance Mann: A-

2020-21 statistics: 7.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 41.8 3PT%

After a solid rookie season in 2019-20, Terance Mann dramatically improved his game in 2020-21. The 24-year-old swingman (who is thankfully no longer recognized as a point guard) found a way to make an impact just about every time he was on the floor and became a reliable option to go to whenever the team needed a spark.

Mann has improved nearly every aspect of his game compared to last season, but perhaps the biggest leap came from beyond the arc. After going 7-for-20 from deep as a rookie, Mann went 38-for-91 (41.8%) this year. 

It wasn't just that they were going in, though. Mann looked far more confident in his shot this year and rarely hesitated to fire away when he was left open from range. 

When his outside shot was taken away, Mann had no problem getting to and scoring at the rim. There, he made 70.8% of his attempts (92-of-130 overall) and threw down 32 dunks. 

On defense, Mann took a page out of the Patrick Beverley Book of Rebounding and played well above his size on the glass. He averaged 3.6 per game on the year but collected four or more in 32 games. 

Like Kennard, Mann may not earn a lot of minutes in the postseason, but his energy, understanding of his role and his ability should allow him to help the Clippers in their run to the title. Regardless, it's clear that Mann is a key part of LA's future. 

Marcus Morris Sr.: A

2020-21 statistics: 13.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 47.3 3PT%

Marcus Morris Sr. was one made three-pointer away from leading the NBA in three-point percentage in 2020-21. He finished the year shooting 47.3% from deep — 140 makes on 296 attempts — second only to Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris, who converted 47.5% of his looks. 

Considering Morris connected on just 31% of his threes after he was traded to the Clippers last season, that's quite an improvement.

With that said, boiling Morris' season down to make it look as though he was nothing more than a three-point specialist would be misleading. The truth is that he was an excellent third option to go to for scoring, and when one of Leonard or George was out, he consistently stepped up and impressed in a larger role.

Morris also proved to be a great teammate in 2020-21, accepting whatever role was given to him and playing it to perfection. When Morris returned from an injury early in the season and came off the bench behind Batum, he didn't bat an eye. And when he was eventually moved back to the starting lineup, he praised Batum for the job he had done while he rolled with the second unit. 

So long as Morris still has the hot hand in the playoffs, he'll be a huge help.

Daniel Oturu: N/A

2020-21 statistics: 1.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 30 games played

The sample size on Daniel Oturu's rookie season is pretty small. The 21-year-old big man averaged just 5.4 minutes per game in 30 appearances, and before the final two games of the season, that number sat at 4.1 minutes per game. 

It's hard to blame him for being unable to get on the floor. The Clippers have two very capable big men in Ivica Zubac and Ibaka, and when the latter went down, LA replaced him in the rotation with Cousins. Not many 21-year-olds can compete with those guys.

However, Oturu didn't look particularly great in the minutes he did get. He was fine in garbage time, but the few meaningful minutes he saw weren't all that impressive. 

He's got potential, and he was never expected to play any sort of significant role this season, but the Clippers will need to see some more from him before he can earn consistent minutes on the floor.

Patrick Patterson: D+

2020-21 statistics: 5.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 35.7 3PT%

Save for a few bright spots, Patrick Patterson's season was largely disappointing. Despite playing more minutes this season than last, Patterson regressed as a scorer and rebounder and had difficulty staying consistent from beyond the arc. 

The veteran forward sank just 35.7% of his looks from deep this season — the second-lowest mark of his career — and had it not been for Ibaka's lengthy absence, Patterson likely would've fallen completely out of the rotation.

He's still a solid role player, but it's hard to see Patterson earning regular minutes in the postseason with Batum and Ibaka in the second unit.

Rajon Rondo: A-

2020-21 statistics (with LAC): 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 43.2 3PT%

Joining the team by way of the Lou Williams trade, Rajon Rondo was a late addition to this Clippers roster. He made his debut on April 4 and appeared in 18 games altogether, establishing himself as LA's primary playmaker off the bench. 

With that said, Rondo has never looked like one of the most recent additions to the roster. The veteran point guard clearly spent plenty of time getting familiar with the team's playbook shortly after being traded, and now he plays as if he's been there all year. As a facilitator, he's been everything the Clippers could have hoped for.

Rondo has also been impressive when it comes to scoring the ball, shooting 48.6% from the field and 43.2% from deep through his first 18 appearances.

He hasn't been perfect, but it's hard to find negatives in what Rondo has done without nitpicking. So far, it looks as though the Clippers were right to pursue him. Expect him to play a significant role in the playoffs.

Jay Scrubb: N/A

2020-21 statistics: 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 4 games played

The 55th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, JUCO standout Jay Scrubb made his long-awaited debut on May 11. He appeared in LA's last four games of the season, playing four minutes apiece in the first two and 36+ in the last two. 

Scrubb looked solid enough in those last two games, but it's not like he was on the floor with LA's best players. After all, he started in the Clippers' final game of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 20-year-old still has a long way to go, but it was encouraging to see him on the floor after dealing with a foot injury almost all year. 

Ivica Zubac: A-

2020-21 statistics: 9.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 72 games played

Ivica Zubac appeared poised for a breakout season in 2020-21. Not only would he be another year older, but the Clippers' decision to promote Tyronn Lue to head coach looked like it would work in his favor as well. 

Although his season wasn't as breakout-y as some may have hoped, Zubac still put together the best season of his career in 2020-21, posting averages of 9.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in a career-high 22.3 minutes per game. Zubac also made strides as a passer this season and consistently made great reads out of the pick-and-roll.

The 24-year-old was a force on both ends of the floor, limiting shot attempts in the paint on defense and wreaking havoc at the rim on the other end. His 139 dunks ranked fourth in the league, placing him behind only Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Clint Capela. 

Zubac also did a terrific job of stepping up this season, taking on a starting role after Ibaka was sidelined with his back injury. Whether it was his play, Ibaka's health or a combination of both, the team decided that sticking with Zubac as the full-time starter was the best option, and he's expected to keep that role as the team enters into the postseason.

The only major concern with Zubac's game is how often he picks up fouls. He may not get the friendliest whistle, but if he wants to play more minutes each night, the Clippers will need him to play a cleaner game on defense. 

Related Stories

Luka Doncic Reveals Thoughts About Facing LA Clippers in Playoffs Again

Tyronn Lue Discusses Strategy for Playoff Matchup vs. Dallas Mavericks

Clippers - Mavericks Game 1 Set for Saturday

Published
Garrett Chorpenning
GARRETT CHORPENNING

Home/News