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Clippers vs Nuggets Preview: Playoffs Rematch
The Clippers have lost five games in a row and while face no respite tonight when they face off against their old playoff foes, the formidable Denver Nuggets.
Game
Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Nuggets: Jamal Murray – Cam Johnson – Christian Braun – Aaron Gordon – Nikola Jokic
Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – John Collins – Ivica Zubac
Injuries
Nuggets: Jamal Murray Probable (Calf), Aaron Gordon Probable (Hamstring)
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)
The Big
Picture
The Clippers
dropped their fifth game in a row on Monday night, and while that loss was
probably the most “encouraging” of their defeats this year due to an improved
starting lineup and more consistent defense, it was still a loss. The Clippers
have started slow the past couple years and worked their way back into things,
but have looked much worse this season than those recent years, and the West is
even better. Sooner or later, they’re going to have to start winning games or
their hopes of a playoff berth will slip away before we even get to the holiday
season.
The
Antagonist
Denver is having none of those issues. The Nuggets are 7-2 so far, and boast the 3rd ranked offense and 2nd ranked defense in the NBA, good for the 2nd best overall net rating just behind OKC. Nikola Jokic is bonkers good, as we all knew, but the Nuggets are also getting terrific starts from Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and most of their bench. The Nuggets’ summer has paid off in spades so far even though their biggest acquisition, Cam Johnson, has had a forgettable start to his Nuggets tenure. Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown have bolstered the bench lineup significantly, no longer enabling teams to easily win the minutes Jokic is off the floor. Unlike the Clippers, the Nuggets certainly look ready for business.
Notes
The Bench Unit Rotation: Cam Christie now seems to be a permanent part of the Clippers’ rotation (at least while Beal and Kawhi are now), and has played well. However, somewhat shockingly, instead of Chris Paul or Bogdan Bogdanovic getting a chance to return to the rotation on Monday with Beal ruled out, Ty Lue went with Kobe Brown. A unit of Kris Dunn, Christie, Brown, Nic Batum, and Brook Lopez played in the late 1st, early 2nd, late 3rd, and early 4th quarters, and that unit just does not have close to enough offensive juice to be legit in today’s NBA. Staggering Kris as a ballhandler with Harden out makes sense, but adding Bogi to that unit instead of Brown seems logical to put in more playmaking and shooting. With Beal out, I just think Bogi has to be given another chance – the Clippers are desperate for anyone who can crack 12 points in a game.
Transition Defense: The Clippers’ halfcourt defense has not been great so far this season; certainly not to the level set by last year’s team. However, it’s been their transition defense that has really let the team down. This is all the more ironic (and aggravating) considering the infamous shirts the Clippers’ coaching staff had in training camp emphasizing transition defense and it being a major reason for their defeat at the hands of the Nuggets in the playoffs last year. The Clippers routinely fail to get back, match up properly, or stop the ball, and it has bled them dry. They need to shore that stuff up, and soon.