players = { {getObject("player1"), -0.4}, {getObject("player2"), -2} } -- table structure is {object, speed}

which is exactly the same.

With the getClone example, after having created the cloneList, we could have done exactly as in the first example:

object = getObject("object")
cloneList = {}

for j=1, 3 do
    table.insert(cloneList, #cloneList + 1, getClone(object)) 
end

player = {
objs = {cloneList[1], cloneList[2]}, 
speed = {-0.4, -2},
}

In fact it is the complexity and versatility that dictates the best solution.
With experience you will easily find it.
Don't try to rigidly replicate some piece of code. Understand the logic and translate it into some code that makes sense for you (clear and customizable).

in your first example the objects and speed parameter list were created inside the player list,using commas at the end and you must use the point access to each parameter

player = {
objs = {getObject("player1"), getObject("player2")},
speed = {-0.4, -2},
}

for j=1, #player.objs do
        translate(player.objs[j], {0,player.speed[j],0}, "local")
        if player.speed[j] > 3 then player.speed[j] = 3 end
    end

which is quite different from the getClone example
is there any difference between choosing to use one of these methods?

So if life is sharable between enemie & turrets, you just have to declare it once before using it. You can declare it anywhere as long as it is before using its content.

If life is a different parameter for enemies & turrets or if the number of parameters is different (for example number of turrets and number of enemies are not necessarily the same), then you should create a new table for each set of parameters. Again, you can declare this set anywhere before using its content.

What links tables is not the way they are coded but the way they are used :

rotate(cloneList[j], {0, 0, 1}, rotationSpeedList [j], "local") -- use rotationSpeedList parameters with clones
rotate(turretList[j], {0, 0, 1}, rotationSpeedList [j], "local") -- use rotationSpeedList parameters with turrets

enemy = getObject("enemy")
enemyCloneList = {}
life = {100,100,100}
for j=1, 3 do
    table.insert(enemyCloneList, #enemyCloneList + 1, getClone(enemy))
end

turret = getObject("turret")
turretCloneList = {}
life = {100,100,100}
for k=1, 3 do
    table.insert(turretCloneList, #turretCloneList + 1, getClone(turret))
end

is this parameter with the same name associated with the "correct" corresponding cloneList just for being right below it?

object = getObject("object")
cloneList = {}
 
for j=1, 3 do
    table.insert(cloneList, #cloneList + 1, getClone(object))
end

   for j=1, #cloneList do
       rotate(cloneList[j], {0, 0, 1}, 1, "local")
   end

      objs = {getObject("ball1"),getObject("ball2"),getObject("ball3")},
      speed = {-0.4, -2 ,3}

And if you comment speed then remove the comma as there's only one value (objs)  in the player table.

      objs = {getObject("ball1"),getObject("ball2"),getObject("ball3")}
      --speed = {-0.4, -2, 3}

what if you put a space between , and 3 ?

Spaces, tabulations, returns... are not relevant in lua, you can use them as much as you want to organise your code.

but the 3 balls only rotates when I turn off the speed property

Turning off the speed property has not effect, as you don't use this variable in your script

The balls rotate because that's what you ask them to do!
You used the "rotate" function. If you want to translate them then you can use the "translate" function for example.

You will find the function that suits your needs here. 

Were you getting any errors with it uncommented ? I thought I'd weight in on this, having no idea how long com3d might be offline, etc.

cu
nl