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Clippers vs Kings Preview: The Second Cup Game
The Clippers will try to push their winning streak to four games as well as notch their first victory in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament this season.
Game Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Amir Coffey – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac
Kings: De’Aaron Fox – Kevin Huerter – DeMar DeRozan – Keegan Murray – Domantas Sabonis
Injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Norm Powell Out (Hamstring), PJ Tucker Out (Away From Team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)
Kings: DeMar DeRozan Probable (Back), Domantas Sabonis Questionable (Back), Malik Monk Questionable (Ankle)
The Big Picture
The Clippers just keep finding ways to win games, as they are now on another three-game winning streak that has put them back two games over .500. As has been the case most of the season, the Clippers’ defense has been their calling card, with stifling victories over the Warriors (impressive), Jazz (not so impressive), and Magic (a good win but the Magic’s offense is bad) showing their prowess. The Clippers beating the Magic without leading scorer Norm Powell was even more impressive, with Amir Coffey and Jordan Miller stepping up behind him as the replacement shooting guards to great effect. It certainly hasn’t been pretty most of the year, but the Clippers’ energy, effort, and fight have rarely been a question, which is nice to see after the 213 era.
The Antagonist
Unsurprisingly, the Kings have the 6th best
offense in the NBA. They are an offensively tilted team, with their three best
players – Sabonis, Fox, and DeRozan – all being significantly better offensive
players than defensive. DeRozan and Sabonis have been banged up recently, but
both were participants in practice yesterday and seem more likely than not to play.
With those guys out, Fox has exploded, reaching 60 points in one game and
clearing 40 in another, all on great efficiency. They are still working the chemistry
out, but the sheer talent is a lot to deal with on offense. The Kings’ defense
is not as good, but ranked at 16th, isn’t bad either. The Kings are
just a solid team, and while they’re not as dangerous away from their awesome crowd
in Sacramento, they have a lot of players who can quiet opposing crowds.
Notes
Mo’s Impact: Mo Bamba maybe hasn’t been great in his first three games as a Clipper, but what he has been is a hell of a lot better than Kai Jones. Per 36 minutes, Bamba is averaging 18.5 points and 13.6 rebounds, while Jones is at 9.4 and 8.6 respectively. That’s simply a massive gap in production, and the statistical gap is borne out by the eye test. Bamba is not a basketball savant, but he does know where to be on the court and can do basic things like set screens and box-out. Jones is simply not there yet, and considering he turns 24 in January, he might never get there. There’s a reason the Clippers are 3-0 since Bamba has returned – he’s been a solid fit in his limited minutes.
Jordan Miller’s Downhill Driving: If there were any questions about Jordan Miller’s ability to translate his G-League, Summer League, and Preseason scoring to the NBA, they are fading away game by game. He’s logged just 46 minutes on the season, but is getting to the free throw line more per game than every Clipper but Harden, Zu, and Norm. His uncanny knack for getting downhill into the teeth of the paint has been there even when playing against real rotation players, with his mix of footwork, length, and touch working well even with a just adequate handle. If he can just start getting his outside shot to drop, that would open up even more room for his drives. We are just one game into Miller being a rotation player, but there is every indication he can be a good piece for the Clippers when the minutes really matter, and that’s exciting.
Cup Standings Watch: The Clippers are in last place in their In-Season Tournament Group, West Group A, with a 0-1 record and a -21 point differential. They need to win this one and preferably win by a significant positive margin to have any chance of advancing in the tournament. If they go to 0-2 and have a severely negative point differential they will be more or less eliminated, which would be a shame. Hopefully they can get the W here.