Every time head coach Ty Lue talks about the team’s offense, he says they need to touch the paint. Those paint touches usually lead to kickouts for threes, a system that has worked very well for the team with the best 3-point shooting percentage in the league.
What those paint touches don’t necessarily lead to are shots at the rim, or even free throws when those shots are taken through contact. The Clippers are 29th in the frequency of field goals they take within four feet of the basket. They’re 10th in free-throw rate, however, even though they’re 25th in the league in the number of foul shots they take per game.