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Clippers vs Mavs Preview: Taking on Luka on the Road
The Clippers will look to win their league-leading 9th game in a row in a tough contest on the road against Luka and the Mavs.
Game Information
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
When: 5:30 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac
Mavs: Luka Doncic – Dante Exum – Derrick Jones Jr. – Grant Williams – Dwight Powell
Injuries
Clippers: Paul George Questionable (Illness), Bones Hyland Questionable (Knee), Mason Plumlee Out (Knee), Moussa Diabate Out (Hip)
Mavs: Kyrie Irving Out (Heel), Derrick Lively Out (Ankle), Josh Green Out (Elbow), Maxi Kleber Out (Toe)
The Big Picture
The Clippers’ eight-game winning streak is the talk of the NBA, and for once that talk is positive. The Clippers are rolling in just about all facets of the game right now, and have now entered the top 10 on both ends of the court, with the 8th ranked offense and 7th ranked defense. That gives them the 5th best net rating in the NBA, behind only the Sixers, Celtics, Wolves, and Thunder. In short, the Clippers are playing like the championship contenders they are supposed to be. It’s still early, and while for the Clippers that means there’s plenty of time for things to go wrong, in a glass half full approach it also mean the Clippers can get better as they continue to hammer out the chemistry of their roster.
The Antagonist
The Mavs are somewhat shockingly 16-10. I say shockingly
because, well, look at that starting group up above (I understand the Mavs are
dealing with several injuries). I say somewhat because the Mavs have Luka Doncic,
one of the seven or so best players in the NBA, and who has been on a
ridiculous tear this season. The Mavs are 5th in offense despite having
only three players scoring in double digits – Luka, Kyrie, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
off the bench. That speaks to Luka’s brilliance as well as the fit of the role
players around him, who are either catch-and-shooting wings or rim-running
bigs. However, the Mavs are 23rd in defense, despite adding defense-first
players such as Grant Williams, Derrick Jones, and Dante Exum in free agency.
The Mavs can score with anyone, but they bleed points on the other end, especially
when Lively isn’t around to patrol the rim.
Notes
Get the Ball Out of Luka’s Hands: With Kyrie Irving out and the threat of Derrick Lively rolling to the rim also not present, the Clippers should be content to let almost anyone else on the Mavs (outside of Tim Hardaway) beat them outside of Luka. Grant Williams, Derrick Jones, Seth Curry, and Exum are all solid to very good three point shooters, but none are great at attacking or making plays for others. The Clippers will probably start out with normal defensive coverage on Luka, but as soon as he starts getting going I’d be trapping him and sending hard doubles his way to make him get rid of the ball. If the Clippers can keep Luka from running wild and don’t get an absurd Hardaway game, there’s no reason they can’t win this one, even on the road.
Attack the Rim: The Mavs have some decent perimeter defenders to throw at the Clips’ stars – my guess would be Williams on Kawhi, Jones on PG, and Exum on Harden – but Powell is not a rim protector, nor is Richaun Holmes. The Clippers should have zero fear of attacking the rim over and over again, and can’t settle for jumpers, despite their proficiency at shooting them. Additionally, the Clippers should really look to feed Zu in this one in the post, as he has a massive size advantage over anyone the Mavs have healthy in this game. Zu could really have another monster 18 and 16 night like he did against the Pacers without Myles Turner – the Clippers just need to look for him and give him the ball and he can do the rest.
Clippers vs Mavs Preview: Taking on Luka on the Road
Robert Flom