The Clippers and Suns are both on a roll, which means we should be in for a good game as opposing star perimeter players face off in the desert.
Game Information
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
When: 6:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac
Suns: Devin Booker – Bradley Beal – Grayson Allen – Kevin Durant – Jusuf Nurkic
Injuries
Clippers: None
Suns: Kevin Durant Out (Hamstring), Damion Lee Out (Knee)
The Big Picture
The Clippers are firmly back on their winning ways, boasting a three-game win streak nestled in between a 12-2 record in their last 14 games and 17-5 record in their last 22. Those streaks have pushed the Clippers up to 4th place in the West, though they’re still a ways behind the top three teams and have just a narrow edge on the Kings and Pelicans. Both their offense and defensive ratings slipped during Kawhi Leonard’s four-game absence, but they are still top 10 in both and boast the 7th best net rating in the NBA. In short, with around 40% of the season done, the Clippers bear all the hallmarks of a contender though possibly not an inner-circle favorite.
The Antagonist
The Suns, conversely, were projected to be such an inner-circle contender with a full offseason of Kevin Durant and the Bradley Beal trade. But the Suns have largely disappointed, with Beal missing most of the season to this point and many of their other signings underwhelming. However, the Suns have won four games in a row, with that streak coinciding uncoincidentally with Beal’s return. The Suns rank 13th in offense and 14th in defense, with the first ranking slightly concerning given their talent and the other being promising considering their seeming lack of plus defenders. Still, their top-end talent is there, and when all of their Big 3 is on the court their offense can feel overwhelming. They seem like a team that will rise up the standings given better health in the second third of the season.
Notes
Attacking the Rim: The Suns are a fine defensive team, but Jusuf Nurkic should not strike fear into anyone on the Clippers as a back-line defender. His replacement, Drew Eubanks, has been awful this year, and behind him is the putrid Bol Bol. The Suns sometimes go small with Chimezie Metu at the 5, and while those lineups could be tough to stop Metu has no chance at protecting the rim. In short, the Clippers should continue to go to the hoop all night long. The Suns should not be able to prevent the Clippers from entering the paint and finishing around the rim, so the Clippers can’t get too jump shot happy – driving and kicking is great, but driving and scoring is even better.
Defending the Suns: The Suns assembled their Big 3 with offense in mind, and specifically a “you will have to put your 3rd best perimeter defender on Bradley Beal” issue for opposing teams. The Clippers are one of the rare teams who should not be daunted by the Suns’ trio, as they have the right personnel on defense to matchup. Sure, any one of those Suns’ guys can cook against even the best defenders in the league, but Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Terance Mann are around as good a group as you could ask for to throw at the Suns. Expect lots of switching on actions between the Suns’ perimeter players, as the Clippers should be comfortable putting any of those guys (or even Norm, Russ, or Coffey off the bench) on any of the Suns’ stars. With Durant out, that gets easier, as one of the Clippers’ better perimeter players can take Metu or Grayson Allen.