The LA Clippers host the Memphis Grizzlies for their first home contest of the 2021-22 season. Read on for a full game preview of the Clippers’ home opener against the Grizzlies:
Game Information
Where: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Grizzlies: Ja Morant — De’Anthony Melton — Desmond Bane — Jaren Jackson Jr. — Steven Adams
Clippers: Eric Bledsoe — Reggie Jackson — Paul George — Marcus Morris Sr. — Ivica Zubac
Injuries
Grizzlies: OUT — Dillon Brooks (hand)
Clippers: OUT — Kawhi Leonard (ACL); OUT — Serge Ibaka (back); OUT — Jason Preston (foot); QUESTIONABLE — Keon Johnson (non-COVID illness)
The Big Picture
. . . is that the Clippers’ competitive mindset didn’t dissipate over summer break.
The never-say-die Clippers gave the hosting Golden State Warriors everything they could handle on a national TV Thursday night. (Curry and company’s turnovers played a supporting role.) Eric Bledsoe brought much-needed juice. Rumors of his New Orleans demise were greatly exaggerated. Paul George is still a stud. Terance Mann is a goddamn menace.
All of these were things of reasonable offseason concern (to varying degrees), and it’s nice to have gotten real answers real quickly. It’s extra nice to not see Nicolas Batum on the injury report. Nice because he was worryingly absent for personal reasons that have hopefully been addressed or alleviated, and nice because the small-ball lineups Ty Lue relies upon work best with Draymond Batum manning the middle.
Welcome back, Clippers.
The Antagonist
. . . is different.
First, I mean they’re different than last season. (Duh, Tom, every team is.) Memphis swapped Jonas Valanciunas for Steven Adams in a challenge trade of bears. They also imported Jarrett Culver as a second-draft play. (Although notably, in handing the bag to Jaren Jackson Jr. on Monday they solidify their core for several seasons to come.)
Second, they present a different challenge than that of the mad bombers of San Francisco. Ja Morant and crew live life on a slope — they’re always going downhill. Last year’s leaders in points in the paint scored 70 there on Wednesday. The Grizzlies were fourth in offensive rebound rate last season and pulled down 13 in their opener. Perhaps we’ll see Isaiah Hartenstein’s debut.
Game Thread
Thanks for reading our preview of tonight’s contest between the Clippers and the Grizzlies that will serve as the Clippers’ first home game of the 2022 season. The comments for this post will be the live thread. Sign up for a free account and join the conversation!
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