The Clippers have lost four games in a row, and will have to try to end their losing streak on the road against their Pacific Division rivals, the Golden State Warriors.
Game Information
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
When: 5:30 PM PT
How to Watch: Clippervision, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Darius Garland – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Rui Hachimura – Isaiah Jackson
Warriors: Brandon Williams – Brandin Podziemski – Gui Santos – Yaxel Lendeborg – Graham Ike
Injuries
Clippers: Brandon Ingram Out (Heel), Max Strus Out (Foot), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (Foot), Jordan Miller Out (Calf), Bradley Beal Out (Knee)
Warriors: Steph Curry Out (Injury Management), Draymond Green Out (Injury Management), Jimmy Butler Out (Knee), Kristaps Porzingis Out (Illness), Moses Moody Out (Knee)
The Big Picture
While it’s still early on in the season, we are five games in, which means numbers and stats are gradually starting to take on more importance. The 1-4 Clippers rank 12th in defense (surprisingly good) and 29th in offense (yikes), placing them at 22nd in Net Rating ahead of mostly just the dregs of the league (Bulls, Bucks, Nets, Kings). Coming into the season, I thought the Clippers would have a good offense and a bad defense; the inverse has been true, largely because of their injuries. No Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, and Brad Beal to start the season has meant a whole lot more Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kobe Sanders, which has boosted the Clippers’ defense but harmed their offense. Most significantly, the Clippers rank dead last in turnover ratio, nearly 3 whole points behind the Hornets – and there’s really no reason for them to be that bad at taking care of the ball.
What’s made the start of the season even more odd is that most of the rotation players on the Clippers have played well considering expectations – or just flat out. DJ, Dunn, Brook Lopez, and Kobe Sanders have all been excellent, Keaton Wagler has mostly been pretty good, especially considering his age and physical limitations, and Gradey Dick and Isaiah Jackson have been fine for their expectations. The issue is that the two remaining players not mentioned so far, Darius Garland and Rui Hachimura, have been mostly dreadful, and those were the two players that were supposed to carry the offense with the injured guys out. As long as Garland is giving the ball away every third possession and not getting to the rim on offense, and as long as Rui can’t figure out any way to create his own shot, the Clippers’ offense in the halfcourt is going to be dreadful.
The Antagonist
After looking horrific their first three games of the season, the Warriors have rallied to win their last three, including coming from 25 points down to beat the Lakers on Friday night. That the Warriors are 3-3 with a positive point differential is impressive considering who has not played for them this season – three of their theoretical top 7 players. The Warriors have the 7th ranked offense and 22nd ranked defense in the league, which makes sense looking at their roster. Steph Curry has been incandescent to start the season, and has gotten a big boost on offense from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who has been mostly excellent offensively despite some turnover issues. Brandin Podziemski has been a solid third wheel, while veterans like De’Anthony Melton and Georges Niang are contributing decent minutes as well. As long as Steph is healthy and has even a modicum of supporting talent, the Warriors will be dangerous, even with their horrible big man rotation that undermines their defense.
Notes
Can Wagler Bounce Back: Keaton Wagler had his first bad game of his NBA career, shooting 2-11 from the field and finishing as a team-worst -24 in plus/minus. Five games into his rookie season, the scouting report seems to be out on Keaton: pressure his handle up the court, be physical, and don’t let him get to his step back jumper. Wagler still got to the line, rebounded the ball, and made some nice passes, but the scoring was rough. The Warriors are a much softer defense than the Wolves, so I’d love to see him get a truly efficient offensive night against them. Keaton’s ability to draw fouls is already the best on the team (remarkable for a rookie), so I want him to be aggressive and drive, but also leverage those drives more for passes than for wilder shots at the rim. I’ve been very impressed with Keaton, and I’m curious to see how he responds to his first off night.
Must Win: It’s kind of crazy to label the 6th game of the season as a must-win, but the Warriors without Steph, Draymond, Butler, Porzingis, and Moody would be the least talented team in the NBA. The Clippers are on the road and missing a ton of players themselves, but Garland should be the best player in the game and the Clippers have better depth than Golden State. If they want to even try to be competitive this year this is a game they need to win.