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Clippers vs Lakers Preview: Chance for a Turn-Around
The Clippers will return home to square off against the rival Lakers in a game that seems more lopsided by standings than it is on paper. Maybe the Clippers can turn their season around with a win? Yeah, probably not.
Game
Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: NBA TV, KTLA, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Lakers: Luka Doncic – Marcus Smart – Rui Hachimura – LeBron James – Jaxson Hayes
Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac
Injuries
Lakers: Austin Reaves Out (Calf), DeAndre Ayton Out (Elbow), Gabe Vincent Out (Back), Rui Hachimura Questionable (Groin)
Clippers: Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Chris Paul Out (Not with team), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (Knee), Cam Christie Questionable (Foot)
The Big
Picture
The Clippers
are just one loss ahead of the surging Pelicans for the worst record in the
Western Conference. They have continued to tease in recent weeks, putting
together strong quarters and even halves before collapsing in the rest of the
game. Such was the case against the Thunder on Thursday, where an excellent
first quarter and decent starter stints in the 2nd and 3rd
quarters were undermined by horrid bench units that saw the Thunder run away
with the game late in the 3rd. The Clippers’ starting unit might be
starting to play a bit better, but it’s not good enough, and certainly not
enough to overcome a bench that right now is just lacking in NBA rotation-level
talent.
The
Antagonist
The Lakers continue to win at a remarkable clip despite advanced metrics saying they aren’t *that good* of a team. The evil empire is 19-7, the 4th best record in the West and 5th best in the entire league, but are just 12th in Net Rating with a +1.7. They are therefore winning a lot because they are coming out victorious in all of their crunch-time games. That might regress at some point, but having three creators and playmakers like Luka, Reaves, and LeBron does make end-of-game situations a plus for the Lakers. It makes sense that the Lakers are excellent (6th) on offense and pretty bad (22nd) on defense. They are getting just enough from supporting players like Smart, Ayton, and Hachimura to keep afloat when one of their “Big 3” is out. The Lakers maybe aren’t world beaters, but they are a very good team that has a chance in any game due to their high-end talent.
Notes
A Real Chance: Look, the Lakers are a lot better than the Clippers. No
game is an easy win for the Clippers right now, not even close. But the Lakers
without Reaves and Ayton, and possibly without Hachimura, are a team that the
Clippers should at least have a true shot at beating. The Lakers don’t have two
perimeter defenders to match up with Kawhi and Harden, and Zu should
(theoretically) be able to outplay Hayes. If the Clippers can get a big night
from any of the Bogi-Collins-Dunn trio of rotation players (the only non
Harden-Zu-Kawhi guys who have had remotely impactful games recently), they
could really win this. The Clippers are so far below the ground that one win won’t
be enough to turn the season around, but a victory over the Lakers could at
least temporarily cure the vibes.
Clippers vs Lakers Preview: Chance for a Turn-Around
Robert Flom