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Clippers vs. Trail Blazers Game Preview: The Rematch
If this game preview seems a little familiar, it’s because the Clippers played the Trail Blazers just a few days ago, resulting in the Clippers’ first (and thus far only) win of the 2021-2022 NBA season. Keep reading for a preview of the Clippers’ second contest against their northern foes, the Trail Blazers.
Game Information
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
When: 7:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Eric Bledsoe – Reggie Jackson – Paul George
– Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac
Blazers: Damian Lillard – CJ McCollum – Nassir Little
– Robert Covington – Jusuf Nurkic
Injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Serge
Ibaka Out (Back), Jason Preston Out (Foot), Marcus Morris Out
(Knee), Brandon Boston Jr. Out (G-League), Keon Johnson Questionable
(Illness)
Blazers: Norman Powell Questionable (Knee),
Tony Snell Out (Foot)
The Big Picture
The Clippers have not had an ideal start to the season, as
they sit at 1-3 after a blowout loss at the hands of the upstart Cavaliers.
Their offense has been inconsistent, marred by poor shooting and spacing, while
the defense has mostly just been bad. Paul George was excellent until the Cavs
game, but in that one, when he was off, the Clippers looked utterly rudderless.
It’s not necessarily a shock that teams struggle when their best player has an
off game, but the extent to which the Clippers looked dependence on PG’s
excellence was a bit alarming. With no Kawhi, no Serge Ibaka, and no or a
hobbled Marcus Morris, the Clippers have needed Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe
to step up as creators, and neither has delivered. Both have suffered from poor
shot selection, with Reggie shooting far too much and Bledsoe taking the wrong kinds
of shots. If those guys play smarter on offense, the Clippers will look much
better.
The Antagonist
No team has been more inconsistent than the Blazers, who have alternated massive wins with bafflingly bad losses. Damian Lillard has gotten off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the season, but we all know Dame – he’s liable to bounce back in a huge way in any game. His backcourt partner, CJ McCollum, has been scorching hot, however, and Anfernee Simons has been hot off the bench as well. If the Clippers play like they did on Monday, and pressure the Blazers into turnovers, the Clippers can get out in transition and hopefully jolt their limp offense into some life. But if the Blazers get hot, and force the Clippers to play in the halfcourt, things could get ugly.
Notes
Positive Three Point Regression: Almost nobody on the
Clippers is shooting the ball well, and while the Clippers have their share of
poor (Eric Bledsoe) or non (Justise Winslow, the centers) shooters, guys like
Reggie Jackson, Paul George, and Nic Batum are going to shoot much better than
their current averages over the course of the regular season. That might be
cold comfort now, but any of those guys can get in any game (Nico already did a
bit against the Cavs), and that could spark a team-wide shooting explosion.
Once guys start seeing their shots go down, they get emboldened – and conversely,
when an entire team is cold, they feel every miss. Basketball is a simple game,
and when the Clippers’ shots go down, everything will look better.
Hot Hand Luke: The one Clipper who is shooting the
ball well is Luke “Nuke” Kennard, who is sizzling at 45.8% from deep on 6.0 attempts
per game. One wishes he would take more of the shots from deep, but that’s
still solid volume, and there’s no complaining when he’s hitting at that rate.
There are complaints on Twitter about Luke not getting more shots up and blaming
the team’s point guards, and while Bledsoe and Reggie have certainly taken some
ill-advised shots, part of the blame is on Luke, who is both hesitant at times and
also lacks the handle to create much for himself. The Clippers can stand to get
Luke more shots for sure, but it’s hard to have someone take a ton of shots
when most of their looks have to be created for them.
Better Rotations: As Cole outlined in his article yesterday, Ty Lue’s rotations have been a bit questionable to start the season. Whether going ultra small with four guards around Marcus Morris or Justise Winslow, or playing four below average shooters together with Bledsoe, Mann, Winslow, and Isaiah Hartenstein, Ty is in full tinkering mode. And, early in the season, that’s fine, as long as there’s an acknowledgment that such experimentation can lead to losses. The super small lineups offer no rebounding or rim protection while not being fully switchable, while the non-shooters unit can’t generate any offense. Both should be phased out sooner than later, though it is tough with so many Clippers already out.
That about does it for this preview of the Clippers’ game
against the Trail Blazers. Leave your comments on the game below!
Clippers vs. Trail Blazers Game Preview: The Rematch
Robert Flom