The Miami Heat won the trade deadline as they added perimeter defense and shooting in players like Andre Iguodala and Danilo Gallinari. The Los Angeles Clippers are the team that has quietly won the trade deadline though. The Clippers are the favorites to come out of the West as they have beaten the Los Angeles Lakers twice. Once at home to start the season and once away. Now they have added more depth to a team that already was already a great bench scoring team and had two superstars in the starting lineup in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
LA traded for Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Morris. Both players are tough and they can create their own shot. Now with the best sixth man in the league in Lou Williams and superstars in their starting lineup, they have added two more players to complement what they already had. The Clippers are the best team in the West now with the resume of wins they compiled and the moves they have made during the trade deadline.
Los Angeles Clippers are the Winners of the Trade Deadline
Marcus Morris
Marcus Morris is having the best season of his career but he was doing it on a bad New York Knicks team. Now he is on a contender and he will start. He averages 19.6 points per game which is good for third on the team behind Leonard and George. Mo Harkless was occupying the four spot but he was just averaging 5.5 points per game. In the trade for Morris, the Clippers now have a third option to go to. Morris is a power forward that can create his own shot.
At the rim, only 40.6 percent of his shots are assisted. From three feet to less than 10 feet 20.0 percent of his shots are assisted. When he shoots from 16 feet to less than three-point range 31.4 percent of his shots are assisted.
The Clippers have a player that can stretch the floor but also get easy tough points down low. All while doing it efficiently. Morris shoots 44.2 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from the three-point line. The question about the Clippers was who would score in the starting lineup besides George and Leonard. Now we know the answer to the question.
Isaiah Thomas
The Clippers already have two studs coming off the bench in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell but now they have added Isaiah Thomas to the mix. In the second unit, the Clippers can go with two offensive-minded guards that will cause nightmares for other teams. Thomas was rebuilding his career with the Washington Wizards. He was a player that in his prime could take over games with his superior scoring ability. During the 2016-17 season when he was with the Boston Celtics he averaged 28.9 points per game.
Now he will go from playing for a non-playoff team in the East to playing for the best team in the West. Thomas averages 12.2 points per game this season. The Clippers have four players averaging double figures coming off the bench (Williams, Harrell, Thomas and Landry Shamet). This is the deepest team in the league as they have a legit third option in the starting lineup and on the bench.
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