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Clippers vs Lakers Preview: Homeward Bound
The Clippers return home to face off against their hated rivals, the cross-town Lakers.
Game
Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Prime Video, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Lakers: Luka Doncic – Marcus Smart – Jake LaRavia – LeBron James – Deandre Ayton
Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kobe Sanders – John Collins – Ivica Zubac
Injuries
Lakers: Austin Reaves Out (Calf), Adou Thiero Out (Knee), DeAndre Ayton Questionable (Eye)
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Knee), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hamstring), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)
The Big
Picture
The Clippers’ win streak was snapped on Tuesday against the Bulls, but the loss was one of those schedule losses that don’t change my opinion on the team much at all. The Clippers have been traveling a lot in January, were playing without Kawhi Leonard, and ran into a Bulls team that was lights out from three. Yes, the Clippers were sloppy on both ends, but it was a perfectly excusable loss. However, with where the Clippers are at in the standings, even excusable losses hurt, especially with the teams around them in the Western Conference all playing pretty well too.
The
Antagonist
The Lakers have won their last two games to improve to 26-16, but it’s not sunshine and roses in Lakerland. A big article came out on their ownership squabbles over the years on Wednesday (worth a read), Austin Reaves is still out (though back soon), and the Lakers’ supporting cast remains underwhelming. Incredibly, despite being 10 games over .500, the Lakers have a negative net rating, largely due to an abysmal defense. Still, they have a high-powered offense, and Luka, Reaves, and LeBron are clutch-game gods, which makes their record in the clutch somewhat less fluky. They aren’t a title contender, but they’re a decent team nonetheless, and Luka is still Luka.
Notes
Attack, Attack: The Lakers defense is very bad. The Lakers, much like the
Clippers, are old, and slow, especially on the perimeter, and are suspect to
giving up big games to opponents on the regular. While the Clippers do not have
quick-twitch attacking guards that give the Lakers (and the Clippers
themselves) so much trouble, they do have guys who can get downhill in James
Harden and Jordan Miller. While the Clippers should be able to generate open
looks from deep, I’d like to see those shots come as a result of consistent penetration
and putting the Lakers in rotation. The Clippers have had a good offense for
most of the season, and even if Kawhi Leonard doesn’t play I think they can
have a strong showing against the Lakers if they come out with the right
mindset.