Paul George and the Clippers take on DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls in a game between two teams hoping to round into shape before the postseason. Keep reading for a full preview of the Clippers’ game against the Bulls below.
Game Information
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
When: 5:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Nicolas Batum – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac
Bulls: Alex Caruso – Zach LaVine – Ayo Dosunmu – DeMar DeRozan – Nikola Vucevic
Injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Norm Powell Out (Foot), Jay Scrubb Out (Foot), Jason Preston Out (Foot)
Bulls: Lonzo Ball Out (Knee)
The Big Picture
The Clippers welcomed back one of their superstars on Tuesday, and the result was one of the best wins of the season. More importantly than the actual victory, Paul George looked fully healthy and played exceptional two-way basketball. He won’t play that well every game, or even most games, but if he is truly back and healthy, the Clippers should make the playoffs and at least make their opening round series competitive. It would take further reinforcements to go much beyond that, however – the Clippers still lack firepower and offensive versatility, and their key players are gassed. Still, George returning as he did was inspiring stuff, and it could help rally a flagging Clippers team to get some momentum heading into the postseason.
The Antagonist
The once East-leading Bulls have fall back to the pack. Currently tied for 5th with the surging Raptors, the Bulls are just a hair away from the play-in tournament. Injuries to Alex Caruso (recently returned) and Lonzo Ball (still out) have sapped the Bulls’ formerly stout defense, which now resembles the more sieve-like substance that preseason pundits predicted. DeMar DeRozan is still having an awesome season, but his March was decidedly less spectacular than his February, and that drop-off combined with the slipping defense and shaky depth has pushed the Bulls from contenders to “fine playoff team”. Unless they get Ball back and shape up quickly, they’re likely going to be a first round out. It’s progress, but not what was hoped for in December.
Notes
Hartaissance: After a down January marred by an ankle injury, Isaiah Hartenstein bounced back well in February and is having a torrid March. Across 13 games, Hart is averaging 10 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 21.6 minutes per contest on an incredible 71.5% True Shooting efficiency. He is, in essence, fully back to the player he was to start the season, if not better, and showed tons of chemistry with Paul George in the game yesterday. While Ivica Zubac is the locked in starter and the Clippers will lean on small ball in key moments, they will need Hartenstein to make any kind of postseason noise, and the guy they’ve had recently is more than up for the task. He was phenomenal against the Jazz down the stretch, and looks ready to rumble.
RoCo’s Minutes: Robert Covington has been excellent in his Clippers’ tenure. His standard per game numbers aren’t much to look at – 9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.6 minutes – but they bely his level of play. RoCo is somehow collecting 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in those minutes, incredible numbers for a perimeter player, and his defense is even better than those “stocks” numbers show. He’s also hit 41.4% of his threes on 4.1 attempts per game, and while his history says that number will regress, he’s more than willing to shoot, and that creates spacing on its own. In short, he’s been exceptionally good. However, his minutes don’t match his play – they would be, in fact, by far the lowest averages of his career since his seven-game rookie stint in Houston back in 2014. He has massively outplayed Marcus Morris, who has been fine, but doesn’t contribute much when his shot isn’t falling. RoCo is a much better defender, a better rebounder, and actually shoots *more* from three per 100 possessions than Morris. Morris can still start, but there’s no reason for Morris to be playing 29 minutes per game to RoCo’s 21.6. The Clippers are just better with Covington on the court, and his minutes need to start reflecting that.
That about does it for this preview of the Clippers’ game against the Bulls. Leave your comments below!
