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Clippers vs Sixers Preview: Revenge Games Galore
The Clippers will look to extend their winning streak to five games against the Philadelphia Sixers, with whom they share numerous former players and interesting storylines.
Game Information
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: 3:00 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Amir Coffey – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac
Sixers: Tyrese Maxey – Jared McCain – Kelly Oubre – Caleb Martin – Guerschon Yabusele
Injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Norm Powell Out (Hamstring), PJ Tucker Out (Away from Team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)
Sixers: Joel Embiid Out (Knee), Paul George Out (Knee), Kyle Lowry Out (Hip), Adem Bona Out (G-League), Jeff Dowtin Out (G-League), Justin Edwards Out (G-League), Lester Quinones Out (G-League)
The Big Picture
The Clippers have won four games in a row for the first time
this season, and has been the case all season, their defense has led the way.
The Clips are up to 5th in defense, trailing just the same teams
they have all season – Thunder, Magic, Rockets, and Warriors. Their offense has
fallen all the way to 24th, but they are getting just enough to
scrape by in low-scoring affairs. The Clippers have been committed to defense,
and the next step for them needs to be cutting down on those nasty turnovers
that get other teams out in transition and away from the Clippers’ suffocating
halfcourt defense. Not many people would have predicted the Clippers would be
three games over .500 this late into the season with zero games from Kawhi
Leonard. We will see if they can continue to prove the skeptics wrong.
The Antagonist
The Sixers’ season from hell has continued. Philadelphia is just 3-12, placing them 14th in the abysmal Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid is back out with knee swelling after playing just a handful of games. Paul George hyperextended the same knee he hurt in preseason and has not played at close to an All-Star level in the games he has appeared in. The good news for Philly is that Jared McCain, the 16th pick in the 2024 Draft, looks like not just a future star, but a star right now. That is exceptionally rare for a rookie, but McCain appears to be the real deal. He’s averaging 16.5 points per game on an absurd 62.8 True Shooting due to his high-volume, high-percentage three-point shooting and nearly perfect free throw marks (97.1%). Despite how bad the Sixers have been (28th in offense, 19th in defense, 26th in Net Rating), the East is so bad they are only a few games back of the play-in and only a couple more back of an actual postseason berth. They have plenty of time to turn things around, and if McCain is this legit, they have too much talent to not make their way up the standings.
Notes
So Many Connections: The Clippers and Sixers might have more overlap than any other team in the NBA. Even with Paul George out, the Sixers have three recent former Clippers in their rotation with Reggie Jackson, Eric Gordon, and KJ Martin. The Clippers, meanwhile, have James Harden, Nic Batum, and Mo Bamba, who were all on the Sixers last year. There are thus opportunities for revenge games galore, with Harden back in Philly being a chance for either a triumphant return or a disastrous outing – let’s hope for the former.
Slowing McCain and Maxey: With Embiid and PG out, the Sixers’ offense is heavily reliant on speedy guards Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. The Clippers have frequently been vulnerable to speedy and explosive guards in the past, but this is a new Clippers team, and they now have two defenders in Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. who can at least hang with such opponents. This will be a tough test for the Clippers’ defense, as even though the Sixers’ offense has been abysmal this season, Maxey and McCain are very difficult threats to manage. Dunn and DJJ have been up to the challenge so far this season, and this would just be another notch in their belt if they acquit themselves well.
Punishing the Sixers Inside: Conversely, with Embiid out, the only true big man in the Sixers rotation is Andre Drummond, who has been quite bad this season. In fact, he’s been so underwhelming that Nick Nurse benched him last game to start a small-ball unit with Guerschon Yabusele at center. If Nurse goes with that unit again, the Clippers should go to Ivica Zubac early and often. Yabusele is stout and a tough defender, but Zu has a major height advantage and should be able to get his hook shots off without issue. One of the things I really haven’t liked in recent games is the Clippers’ tendency to play Zu higher up on the perimeter and running dribble hand-offs behind the three-point line with him. He’s not comfortable with the ball out there and isn’t a threat from that far out – I’d love to see a game where he’s getting the ball deeper into the paint on a frequent basis.
Running more for Jordan: It’s been great to see Jordan Miller getting minutes with the Clippers’ second unit the past couple games with Norm Powell out, but I would really like to see the Clippers try to get him more involved in the offense instead of just having him watch Kevin Porter Jr dribble and shoot. Miller’s talent has popped off the screen whenever he’s gotten minutes, and it’s a waste of his downhill driving game to have him parked behind the three-point line. The Clippers should work in a couple pet actions for him to get him with momentum driving to the rim, as he’s a fantastic finisher and a phenomenal foul-drawer. Let’s see what the second-year guy can do.
Clippers vs Sixers Preview: Revenge Games Galore
Robert Flom