The Clippers have had a nice rest, but their road to turning their season around doesn’t get any easier against the bruising and tough Rockets.
Game Information
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
When: 5:00 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac
Rockets: Amen Thompson – Josh Okogie – Kevin Durant – Jabari Smith Jr. – Alperen Sengun
Injuries
Clippers: Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)
Rockets: Fred VanVleet Out (Knee), Tari Eason Out (Oblique), Dorian Finney-Smith Out (Ankle)
The Big Picture
The Clippers have had four full days off since their last game, and need every bit of it. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Jordan Miller are now healthy, meaning that Derrick Jones Jr. is the only player the Clippers are still waiting on. The time off also means the Clippers have had time to practice, and boy do they need it. Their last three games have been at least semi-encouraging, but not getting a win in either the Grizzlies or Timberwolves games hurts when the Clippers are already so far behind in the standings. Maybe this long break can revitalize the Clippers season, but it’s more likely that not a ton will really change going forward. We will just have to see.
The Antagonist
The Rockets, conversely, have had an extremely strong first quarter of the season despite dealing with the loss of starting point guard Fred VanVleet before the year even began. The15-6 Rockets rank 4th in the West in the standings, but are actually 2nd in the entire NBA in net rating (behind only the Thunder) with the 2nd ranked defense and 5th ranked offense. The Rockets are a unique presence in the NBA, dominating teams in an old-fashioned style through muscle, physicality, and rebounding. They rank 1st in offensive rebounding rate by a massive margin, getting nearly 41% of their misses, an astonishing figure. They are a miserable team to play against due to their toughness and bruising play, and have had great success so far without a ton in the way of counters.
Notes
Does the Rotation Change: The Clippers have gone through a ton of different rotations this year both due to injuries and overall lack of on-court success. After being out of the rotation for several weeks, Brook Lopez made his return against the Timberwolves, a move that made sense due to their size. Considering how big the Rockets are, Brook playing tonight feels pretty likely as well. The question is whether Ty Lue keeps his rotation at nine (Lopez, Nic Batum, Kobe Sanders, Bogdan off the bench with usual starters) or adds in Jordan Miller now that he’s healthy. I’d like to see Miller get a shot, as the Clippers need any sort of juice that they can find, and he’s at least someone who will attack and try to get downhill. Still, its possible they want Jordan to get more reps before he’s back in the rotation.