The Clippers play the second game of this back-to-back in Cleveland after beating the Hawks in Atlanta to increase their win steak to five. Today, they will try to get to six with a win over the Cavaliers. Check out our preview below:
Game Information
Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
When: 4:00 PM PT
How to Watch: ClipperVision, Bally Sports SoCal
How to Listen: AM 570 KLAC
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Terance Mann – Luke Kennard – Paul George – Nicolas Batum – Ivica Zubac
Cavaliers: Darius Garland – Caris LeVert – Isaac Okoro – Evan Mobley – Jarrett Allen
Injuries
Clippers:
QUESTIONABLE – Marcus Morris, Sr. (ribs); Robert Covington (personal)
OUT – Kawhi Leonard (rest); John Wall (abdominal); Brandon Boston Jr (G-League); Moses Brown (G-League); Jason Preston Out (G-League)
Cavaliers:
QUESTIONABLE – Donovan Mitchell (groin); Kevin Love (back)
OUT – Dylan Windler (ankle)
The Big Picture
Although the Cavaliers will have home court and rest advantages, they are coming off of a three-game, three-state road trip, so those advantages will be somewhat blunted. Donovan Mitchell may be out once again as well, as he has missed five of the last six games for the Cavs and is listed as questionable.
In respect to matchups, the Cavs will have the upper hand in the front court (which we’ll discuss more below), but the Clippers have superior wings and can hold their own at the guard spots. Terance Mann will try to stick Darius Garland, while the Cavs will struggle to find someone to take on Paul George.
The Antagonist
On the other hand, the Cavs’ front court is among the best in the league. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are All Star caliber bigs who are effective on both ends. Of course, one of the Clippers’ greatest weaknesses is their lack of big-man depth. Ivica Zubac will have his hands full on the boards and trying to defend pick-and-roll actions. This disadvantage will be amplified if Covington, Morris, and Kawhi are not available.
Cleveland also has the second best plus-minus in the league, the second best defensive rating, and are a league best in points allowed. If Kawhi sits as expected, the Clippers will have their hands full, even if Mitchell is unavailable.
Notes
Paul George’s Big Run: Over the last five games, Paul George is averaging 24.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 35 minutes on 55.6/43.8/90 splits. He has looked explosive and aggressive. Really, if he could lower his 2.2 turnovers per game, he would see his 12.8 plus-minus swell, given that so many of his turnovers are live-ball giveaways that lead to fast breaks for opposing teams.
Moussa Diabate Check-In: With Moses Brown pushing up against his 50-game cap, Diabate has been getting spot minutes on the main roster. Sometimes they do not come until garbage time, but he has been given a few opportunities with the core rotation. So far, this month, he has appeared in five games, playing an average of 8.3 minutes. He is shooting 28.6% from the field, is only grabbing 1.4 rebounds, and is a -4.8 plus-minus. His defense has also been an issue, prompting Ty Lue to sit him in the second half against the Hawks after giving him first half minutes. Diabate has a future with this team, but these last few games has quelled the notion that he could be the Clippers’ fix for the backup center position right now.
That about does it for this preview of the Clippers’ upcoming game against the Cavs. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!
