The Clippers’ bench is blooming.
It’s a different arrangement this season, of course, without the star-bright pairing of Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams overwhelming opposing reserves and dominating Sixth Man of the Year voting.
But it’s what Marcus Morris Sr. envisioned when he volunteered to come off the bench before playing his first game this season, planting the seed for what he thought could become a special second unit.
Because when you sprinkle in a couple of former first options, a starting-caliber center and some promising young players, provide regular watering, adequate light and, in time – maybe even right on time – up off the bench springs hope, even with superstar Paul George sidelined.
The Clippers led the league in bench scoring the past two seasons – averaging 50.3 and 53.2 points per game, respectively. That’s production that’s difficult to replicate, but the Clippers’ current reserves – who are averaging a fourth-best 39.5 points per game for the season – are coming on strong.
In their past 10 games, they’re averaging 42.9 points. And in the four that George has been sidelined with a swollen bone in a right toe, they’ve really picked it up, putting up 52.3 per contest.
“We definitely getting our rhythm,” Morris Sr. said after Friday’s 125-106 victory in Chicago, to which he contributed 20 points – 15 via 3-point splashes in the fourth quarter.
Feelin’ good and lettin’ it fly.
FIVE fourth quarter triples for @MookMorris2. pic.twitter.com/hfZX0vXHmx
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 13, 2021
Morris’ clutch late-game effort complemented Williams’ 17 points, 11 of which came in a three-minute barrage early in that final period.
It’s the type of output one might expect from veterans who’ve proved capable of carrying the bulk of a team’s offensive load, and who are starting better to sync their rhythms as the season grows longer.
“Just building that chemistry,” Morris said. “Me and him both coming off has gotta be (one of) if not the best bench in the league. Both of us are proven scorers in this league and have been scoring for a while so I think it’s just our camaraderie and us being really good friends. I think that actually helps us on the court. And not just scoring, but being vets and being able to talk and being able to lead the team, lead our unit, has definitely helped.”
So has Terance Mann, the hustling second-year player who is blossoming under the close watch of Patrick Beverley. Mann is making key plays and logging big minutes off the bench, including checking in first Friday when Kawhi Leonard left the game for a few minutes after he, as Lue put it, “got hit in the you-know.”
Much as Beverley has “stayed on” Mann, Williams has tended to Ivica Zubac, the starting center for his entire Clippers tenure until this season, aware of how crucial their developing partnership is to whether the second unit flourishes or wilts.
“You see Lou is always on Zu,” Lue said. “In shootarounds, in practice time we do, get just working with Zu, telling him where he wants him to be, where he’s going to hit him at with the rolls and the passes. And their chemistry is becoming better and better every game.”
Zubac said Williams’ words resonate: “Be more aggressive. Just go up stronger. Try to dunk it every time … He wants me to be more aggressive. I gotta be better at that, I gotta be more consistent.”
Williams has played parts of four seasons with Zubac, including part of the 2016-17 schedule as Lakers. But unlike the countless hours he and Harrell logged in pro-ams prior even to their time together as Clippers, rarely have Zubac and Williams shared the floor before this season.
So, Williams said, “it is a work in progress.”
“In years past, I am used to a certain way that I like the bigs to play off of me,” said Williams, noting that Zubac’s continued development – in the past five games, he’s averaging 10.2 points and 9.4 rebounds – will benefit them both.
“The better that Zu plays, the more he continues to do his job, the game will continue to be easier for him with playing with me,” Williams said. “I am just in a space where I want Zu to be great. I want to push him, I want to challenge him to be the best player that he can be and at the same time, we can feed off each other’s success and continue to build … I get on him about things that I think should be easy for him and that will help him in the long run.”
CAVALIERS (10-17) at CLIPPERS (19-8)
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Staples Center
TV: Fox Sports Prime Ticket, NBA TV
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