Coming off their second win of the season, the L.A. Clippers (2-4) hope to keep up their momentum and snatch victory from the jaws of the Minnesota Timberwolves (3-3).
Clippers vs. Timberwolves Game Information
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
When: 5:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports, NBA League Pass
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Eric Bledsoe – Reggie Jackson – Paul George – Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac
Timberwolves: D’Angelo Russell – Anthony Edwards – Jaden McDaniels – Jarred Vanderbilt – Karl-Anthony Towns
Injuries
Clippers: Serge Ibaka – OUT (Low Back – Injury Recovery), Keon Johnson – OUT (G League – On Assignment), Kawhi Leonard – OUT (Right Knee; ACL – Injury Recovery), Marcus Morris Sr. – OUT (Left Knee – Injury Maintenance), Jason Preston – OUT (Right Foot – Injury Recovery)
Timberwolves: D’Angelo Russell Day-to-Day (Questionable-Ankle), Patrick Beverley Questionable (Calf)
The Big Picture
The Clippers haven’t been great this season. In fact, the Clippers have largely been atrocious, especially these past few games. Defensively, they are sound in the half court but an absolute train wreck in transition. Offensively, they lead the league in open looks, but all the space on the court is meaningless if they can’t put the ball through the hoop. Up until this point in the season, the only consistency to be found on offense has been with Paul George and Luke Kennard, and while it’s not unreasonable to expect a significant amount of the offensive load fall on their shoulders with the team’s long list of injuries, the rest of the team simply can’t be as bad as they have been. Reggie Jackson has been chipping in 14 PPG on a paltry 31/29/77 shooting splits. Eric Bledsoe, after a stellar season opener, has looked atrocious with 35/15(!)/75 shooting splits. Unsurprisingly, the eye test shows all the bad habits of the starting guards—uncalled for heat checks, early-in-the-shot-clock threes, and overall bad decision making. The main bright spot the team can draw inspiration from came in the closing minutes of their win against OKC, where they finished off a nice comeback led by Paul George’s heroics. The Timberwolves are a much better team than the Thunder, so the Clippers need to be much sharper to have a chance at stealing one in Minnesota.
The Antagonist
The Timberwolves are coming into this game after their worst loss of the season (an 18 point loss to the Orlando Magic), but in general, they appear to be a much improved team from last year. They have racked up 3 wins this season—an accomplishment that took them 10 games last season as opposed to 4 this season. Karl-Anthony Towns continues to be one of the most dominant centers in the league averaging 25/9/4 and nearly 2 blocks a game on a highly efficient 52/50/84 shooting split. Last year’s number one pick, Anthony Edwards, is also looking more confident and consistent averaging 23/8/3. One of the biggest differences in these Wolves, however, can be attributed to Clipper fan favorite, Patrick Beverley. The 33 year old veteran point guard was traded to the Timberwolves after the Clippers sent him to Memphis for Eric Bledsoe. While he isn’t filling up the statsheet, it’s clear that the defensive intensity he is known for has followed him to Minnesota and spread to the rest of the team. While it’s impossible to predict who will come out of the game with a win, one thing is for certain: Beverley will not make it an easy night for the Clippers.
Clippers vs. Timberwolves Game Notes
- Wilsooooooooon: Now a few weeks into the season, league shooting percentages are at a 4 year low for starts to the season. There are some theories behind offensive players adjusting to new officiating guidelines, but Paul George offered his own suggestion: “Not to make an excuse or anything, it’s just a different basketball. It doesn’t have the same touch or softness as the Spalding ball had.” While Paul George is shooting similar splits as last year, the problem of a new basketball is not necessarily a new one. In the mid 2000s, the NBA changed their basketball and it caused quite a bit of frustration and controversy league wide.
- Nard Dog: After the Clippers’ not so great loss to the Blazers, there were some discussions about changing starting lineups. Although Ty Lue decided to keep his same starting 5 against the Thunder, it’s becoming more and more apparent that Reggie and Bledsoe are really struggling whereas Kennard is starting to play like the sniper we had hoped for. This season, he is shooting nearly twice as many 3 pointers a game (3.6 —> 7.2) while maintaining roughly the same 3 point shooting percentage (44%).
- Minnesota’s 3 Point Defense: If the Clippers shooting woes weren’t concerning enough on their own, then the Minnesota Timberwolves should probably leave you a bit worried. Although early on in the season, Minnesota is a top 3 team when it comes to defending the three-ball; they are sitting at 29.9% for opponent three point percentages. Let’s hope the Clippers don’t shoot any worse than they have been.