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Clippers vs. Raptors Preview: Keeping the Good Times Rolling
The Clippers have won three games in a row and have a solid opportunity to get that winning streak to four against a Raptors squad that is young and feisty but also very bad on defense.
Game Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports SoCal
Projected Starting Lineups
Raptors: Immanuel Quickley – RJ Barrett – Gradey Dick – Ochai Agbaji – Jakob Poeltl
Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac
Injuries
Raptors: Scottie Barnes Out (Face), Bruce Brown Out (Knee), Kelly Olynyk Out (Back), Ja’Kobe Walter Out (Shoulder), Garrett Temple Doubtful (Back), Immanuel Quickley Probable (Pelvis), Jonathan Mogbo Probable (Hip)
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)
The Big Picture
The Clippers are coming off one of their best wins of the
season last night, where they slowly strangled the life out of the Sacramento
Kings with suffocating defense. Their offense, has it has so many times this
year, nearly cost them down the stretch with awful turnovers and
decision-making, but ultimately got just enough shots to hold onto the win.
Norm Powell continued to light things up, Ivica Zubac put in a great two-way
performance, Amir Coffey and Derrick Jones Jr. filled the gaps, and Harden had
his now standard game of one great quarter with three middling-to-bad quarters
that still ends up being a net positive. The Clippers are up to 4th
in defensive rating and are just a hair behind the Warriors and Magic, which is
the driving factor behind their surprising 5-4 start to the season. As long as
their defense continues to function at this level, they will be in a lot of
games.
The Antagonist
The Raptors are 2-7, but a lot of their games have been
close and they’ve been a frisky team so far that plays with a lot of energy.
Their offense (13th in the NBA) is surprisingly good, while their
defense (tied for 30th) is a trainwreck. It’s not shocking their
defense is so bad considering how young their rotation is – the only two
players in their rotation over the age of 26 are Jakob Poeltl and Chris Boucher.
Second-year guard Gradey Dick and third-year wing Ochai Agbaji have taken big
steps forward to start this season, which is really all the Raptors can hope
for as they continue their rebuild. Keep an eye on the pesky Jamal Shead and
Jonathan Mogbo off the bench, two rookies who might already be among the best defenders
on the Raptors.
Notes
Slowing RJ Barrett: I’ve never been an RJ Barrett fan, but he seems to have turned a corner since being traded to the Raptors last season. He’s averaging 25.7 points per game to start the season, and while his efficiency of 54.1% True Shooting isn’t great, for a lead option without much help it’s not shabby either. He’s also up to 7 assists per game to 3.2 turnovers, again, not bad for a wing who’s not the world’s greatest ballhandler. Barrett is taking a lot of threes and making them at a decent clip without forgetting his real strength as a downhill driving bully. If the Clippers can keep him out of the paint and force him to settle for jumpers, they’ll be in a good spot to limit the Raptors’ offense and their drive-and-kick approach.
Unsung Hero, Derrick Jones Jr.: Amidst all of the talk of Norm Powell and Ivica Zubac stepping up, of Harden carrying a heavy load, of the struggles of Terance Mann, Kevin Porter Jr., and Kai Jones, and of Jordan Miller and Bones Hyland not playing, one name has gone under the radar. That name is Derrick Jones Jr., the Clippers’ biggest offseason addition and starting wing who has gotten less discussion then any other rotation player on the team. And that lack of conversation is a good thing, because 3 and D wings are not guys who generate much buzz when they are doing their jobs well. Jones is, in fact, doing his job excellently. He’s shooting 44.1% from three (albeit on just 3.8 attempts per game), is defending at a high level, and is providing his above-the-rim athleticism to good use as a cutter in the halfcourt and as a finisher in transition. The Clippers have a lot of flashier players, but DJJ has fit snugly on this roster and has given the Clippers positive contributions in nearly every game to this point. It’s been a lot of fun to watch him play, too.
Clippers vs. Raptors Preview: Keeping the Good Times Rolling
Robert Flom