Game Information
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
When: 12:30 PM PT
How to Watch/Listen: ABC, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Sixers: Shake Milton – Josh Richardson – Glenn Robinson III – Tobias Harris – Al Horford
Clippers: Patrick Beverley – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac
Injuries
Sixers: Joel Embiid Out (Shoulder), Ben Simmons Out (Back)
Clippers: None
The Big Picture
The Clippers have won three games in a row, balancing their three-game losing streak, and have played their best basketball in weeks along the way. The return of Pat Beverley and Paul George has rejuvenated the Clips, especially on the defensive end of the court. New addition Reggie Jackson has been fantastic, adding pace, shooting, slashing, and some defense to the Clippers’ reserve unit. Ivica Zubac continues to develop into an excellent defensive center, and is finally getting rewarded with additional minutes. And, of course, Kawhi Leonard is playing like an MVP candidate, demonstrating with each game played that he’s one of the top players in the NBA. The Clippers have not faced much a challenge the past few games, but their energy, execution, and effort has been impressive nonetheless.
The Antagonist
I predicted the Sixers would win the NBA Championship before the season. This was not an uncommon opinion amongst NBA fans and pundits (though not the most popular choice, certainly), but it sure looks rough 2/3 of the way through the season. They’re 5th in the East currently and would need a lot of things to go right to claim a top three seed. Making matters far, far worse, their two franchise cornerstones and best players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, will miss the several weeks with injuries. Their timelines do give Simmons and Embiid time to get healthy before the playoffs, but Simmons in particular has a more open-ended recovery timetable that could put the postseason in risk. If they aren’t healthy for a playoff run, the Sixers’ season will end much sooner than expected. The Sixers do have other talented players, but none of them are stars, and Al Horford has had an especially disappointing season. It’s just been a rollercoaster of a season, and the ride is only going to get crazier before the end.
Notes
Tobias Harris Returns: It’s been well over a year now since Tobias Harris was traded to Philadelphia. Since then he lived through the Sixers Jimmy Butler era, got his bag with a max contract, and seen the ups and downs of this season. Throughout it all, he’s played at a very nice clip, averaging 19.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on pretty good efficiency. His defense has noticeably stepped up, and he’s also made some improvements as a passer. Unfortunately, his inability to consistently create his own offense has not been resolved, and that deficiency has frustrated Sixers fans. He’s certainly not worth the max contract he received, but he’s a very good player. Harris was only a member of the Clippers for around a year, but he gave the team some memorable moments and excellent performances, and he should hopefully get a nice ovation this afternoon.
Struggling Al: Many Clippers fans wanted Al Horford last summer, and at the time he seemed like a wonderful fit. However, the Sixers got him instead, and it looks like the Clips dodged a bullet. Horford is averaging the lowest points per game average since his sophomore year, lowest rebounding numbers of his career, and by far a career worst in shooting percentage. Even his defense has taken a step back this year, though he’s still good on that end. More importantly, he’s immediately proven to be a poor fit with Simmons and Embiid, a very bad sign considering he’s signed for three years after this and is already 33 with a ton of miles. Horford has consistently torched the Clippers, but this appears to be a very different Al.
New Additions: The Clippers aren’t the only team with trade deadline additions. The Sixers made moves as well, bringing in Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III, who did face off against the Clippers a couple weeks ago in the previous meeting. Neither has adapted to their new team well, with Robinson not hitting a single three so far (which means he probably hits several today) while Burks is shooting under 40% from the field and 30% from three. Those two were brought in to shoot and score, and neither has done so well thus far. There is time for them to sort things out, but it has not been a good start.
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