The Clippers need to shrug off last nights’ loss to the Grizzlies, because this game against the Pelicans is the most important left on the calendar – and at this point, every game is critical.
Game Information
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
When: 5:30 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Russell Westbrook – Eric Gordon – Kawhi Leonard – Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac
Pelicans: CJ McCollum – Herb Jones – Trey Murphy – Brandon Ingram – Jonas Valanciuas
Injuries
Clippers: Paul George Out (Knee), Marcus Morris Out (Illness), Eric Gordon Questionable (Hip)
Pelicans: Zion Williamson Out (Hamstring), Jose Alvarado Out (Tibia)
The Big Picture
The Clippers got a mixed bag in the standings last night. The bottom of the picture shook out well for them, with the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Jazz all losing, further insulating the Clippers from falling out of the play-in entirely. Unfortunately, the Suns, Warriors, and Lakers all won, more or less shutting the door on the 4 seed, pushing them into a tie for 5, and giving them just a 1.5 game cushion over the Lakers and Pelicans at 7. The Clippers have what is just about a certain win left against the Blazers, so one more win should probably keep them safely out of the play-in. This game against the Pelicans is thus the most important left on the calendar outside of the Lakers game, as both of those teams are the top threats to catch the Clippers.
The Antagonist
The Pelicans have had an odd season. They got off to a very hot start, leading the West at one point a decent chunk into the season. Then Zion Williamson got injured, and the wheels came off, with the Pelicans sliding out of the play-in and looking dead in the water. And now, in the past few weeks, they’ve had a resurgence, climbing back into a tie for 7th and going 7-3 in their last 10. The Pelicans have made their gains on the defensive end, where they somewhat surprisingly rank 5th. Their offense is below average at 19th, but McCollum and Ingram are dangerous scorers, Murphy is a lights-out shooter, and Valanciuas can still dominate on certain nights. If Zion were healthy they’d be a true threat; without him, they’re still a tough team at home.
Notes
Mason Struggling: After a honeymoon period after the trade deadline where Clippers’ fans were just happy to see another competent 7-footer in the rotation, Mason has seen his reputation fall a bit of late. Plumlee is extremely valuable on the glass and is a good offensive player, but his defense has been really bad – it often seems as if the Clippers don’t have any rim protection at all with him in the game. It’s tough for the Clippers to get to their best small-ball units without George, and playing four guard units is no good, but I do wonder if Ty Lue tries to revert to small-ball again in the second unit at some point before the playoffs. The Pelicans, who play small-ish with Larry Nance Jr as their 2nd unit center, could be an interesting opponent for it.
Kawhi Active: Kawhi Leonard will apparently play in this one, his first appearance on both ends of a back-to-back this season. His absence in the second half last night remains extremely confusing, as his fellow players and maybe even the coaching staff (it’s unclear) were not aware he’d be sitting out the second half. He should have plenty in the tank after not playing on Wednesday and only playing 18 minutes yesterday, but I hope the vibes on the team aren’t thrown off by how odd that rest apparently was.
Rotation Decisions: As mentioned in the recap for yesterday’s game, it will be interesting to see what Ty Lue does with the bench. Does he roll out the full 10-man bench unit again? Does he drop RoCo and play three or four guards? Does he drop Bones and play a more traditional unit? Or does something else happen? I am still in favor of the full 10-man rotation, especially on the second night of a back to back, but the awful play of the four-guard unit sans RoCo last night would have me leaning towards Bones being out (or that’s what I’d do). On the other hand, Ty Lue has always gone away from RoCo as soon as possible this year, and there’s no reason now should be any different.