The Clippers have a tough contest against the surging Orlando Magic as they reach the middle of their seven-game road trip.

Game Information

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kobe Sanders – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Magic: Jalen Suggs – Desmond Bane – Tristan da Silva – Franz Wagner – Wendell Carter Jr.

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring)

Magic: Paolo Banchero Out (Groin), Mo Wagner Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have upgraded their level of play over the past five games or so, moving from terms like “hideous”, “shameful”, and “embarrassing” all the way up to “frustrating”, “disappointing”, and “try-hard”. In that stretch, they have the 19^th ranked offense and 20^th ranked defense – not good, but a marked improvement from the 22^nd and 27^th ranked units they were at certain points. Effort goes a long way, and the Clippers are playing hard as well as more synchronously than they were a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, they are now so short on talent that said play is not really resulting in wins, but losing on two buzzer beaters on the road to competent teams are as close to moral victories as you get in the NBA. In short, things aren’t good, but they are looking up a bit.

The Antagonist

The Magic are in a similar boat. They started the year slowly as well, but have been able to turn things around. Unlike the Clippers, their turnaround is resulting in actual wins, as the Magic have climbed above .500 for the first time this year. The Magic’s defense, which like the Clippers’ was in disarray, has moved into 13^th, and they rank 4^th in defensive rating in the past five games. The Magic’s offense is still not great, but Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and at least some shooting has been enough to keep them afloat. The Magic are not fun to play due to their hard-nosed defense, but they play a style that should allow the Clippers to remain attached.

Notes

Kobe Sanders, Starter: Kobe Sanders’ rise has been meteoric, at least for Clippers’ fans. A second round rookie that seemed to be buried deep on the Clippers’ depth chart, Kobe moved into the rotation a few games ago, played well, and then started against the Sixers last game, turning in his best performance of the season. Kobe’s poise, ballhandling, and passing were all somewhat expected based on his college tape; what has been surprising has been his three-point shooting, which has come at decent volume and looked quite confident. There will be troughs, but Kobe seems to have won the trust of the coaching staff, and with Beal out for the year and DJJ out for at least 6 weeks, he will probably get an extended leash in the rotation. He’s already looked the best of any Clippers’ rookie since Terance Mann all the way back in 2019-2020, and if he keeps playing like this, he will surge beyond that.

Guarding Franz: Franz Wagner is a very difficult cover as a large forward that is quick off the dribble and can bully smaller defenders with his size. The two Clippers best suited to cover him, Kawhi Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr., are out, and a third (Nic Batum) comes off the bench. Kris Dunn normally covers the opposing team’s best perimeter defender, and I’m sure he’ll get a crack at Franz, but I do wonder if we see John Collins or Kobe Sanders get extended looks on Franz as well. Collins has been mostly bad on the perimeter this year, but he can match Franz better in terms of size and strength. Sanders has had issues off-ball, but has looked decent on-ball, and Franz would be a nice test for the youngster. I’m curious to see what the Clippers do against the Magic’s best player.

Clippers vs Magic Preview: Road Trip Continues
Robert Flom

The Clippers are playing on the second night of a back-to-back on the road against a good team and without several key players. Sounds all too familiar to Clippers fans, doesn’t it.

Game Information

Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kobe Sanders – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Sixers: Tyrese Maxey – VJ Edgecombe – Trendon Watford – Paul George – Andre Drummond

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Doubtful (Hamstring)

Sixers: Joel Embiid Out (Knee), Kelly Oubre Jr. Out (Knee), Adem Bona Out (Ankle), Paul George Questionable (Knee)

Notes

Injury Questions: Both Derrick Jones Jr. and Jordan Miller got injured against the Celtics, but we don’t know the extent of either injury. DJJ was on crutches and his knee injury looked quite severe, so I’m comfortable ruling him out of this one even without knowing what the injury is, exactly. Miller reaggravated a hamstring injury, and as hamstrings are very tricky, it would be pretty shocking if he played this one either. How long either guy will be out for is unknown right now, but if I had to guess for DJJ it would be a matter of months and for Miller a matter of weeks. Fingers crossed that the injuries aren’t as bad as they seem.

Who Steps Up: Kobe Sanders has played a lot of minutes the past couple games, and I have him penciled into the starting unit with DJJ and likely Miller out, though it could also be Bogdan Bogdanovic. With so many perimeter players out, I think Cam Christie and/or Kobe Brown minutes could happen – and it is even possible Chris Paul gets dusted off again. If the Clippers are able to stay afloat until Kawhi returns, they will need real, helpful minutes from multiple youngsters. Hopefully it happens, but if not, at least they will be getting useful developmental minutes.

PG’s Season Debut: Paul George has not played yet this season, but has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game. If he does play, he will not find very many recognizable faces on the Clippers’ roster: only Ivica Zubac, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Kobe Brown, and Jordan Miller remain from even the 2024 Clippers’ team that PG was on before he left for Philly. I’d imagine if PG does play that he will have a pretty strict minutes restriction, but we will see.

Clippers vs Sixers Preview: Hello Darkness My Old Friend
Robert Flom

The Clippers got a massive win on Friday night, but face a tough test today against a rested Celtics team playing in front of their raucous home crowd.

Game Information

Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

When: 12:30 PM PT

How to Watch: KTLA, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Celtics: Payton Pritchard – Derrick White – Jordan Walsh – Jaylen Brown – Neemias Queta

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

Celtics: Jayson Tatum Out (Achilles)

The Big Picture

The Clippers finally got a win on Friday night, breaking a six-game losing streak in epic fashion in a double-overtime win over the Mavericks. It was the kind of win that could be season-changing, much like the Pistons win was last season. The Clippers certainly didn’t play great for much of the night, but they got terrific performances from James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and the effort level was consistently better than it was a few weeks ago. Hopefully that kind of victory will help put some spirit back into these Clippers and help get the season back on track.

The Antagonist

The Celtics are having an odd season. They rank 7^th in defensive rating, 10^th in offensive rating, and 8^th in overall net rating – yet are just 6-7 in terms of actual wins and losses. That they are performing relatively well despite abysmal shooting (33.5% as a team, with Pritchard and White both under 30% on high volume) is even more impressive. The Celtics are having a season that is almost an inverse to the Clippers: they lost a ton of talent this summer, came into the season with questionable depth, and are receiving at least “competent” level performances from nearly everyone on the roster. Rookie Hugo Gonzalez, unheralded former Timberwolves Josh Minott and Luka Garza, previously bench-warming players like Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh are all giving the Celtics solid minutes. It is a fairly remarkable team that looks way better than the sum of its parts.

Notes

Bogi Shows Up: Perhaps the single most encouraging element of the Mavs win was the play of Bogdan Bogdanovic, who scored 21 points on 8-14 shooting (5-8 from three) and dished three assists to just one turnover in 37 minutes. The shooting was huge, and while he’s not a traditional ballhandler, he was able to bring the ball up the court enough to alleviate some of the pressure on Harden. Yes, the defense was pretty ugly at times, but the Clippers desperately need shooting, playmaking, and handling from someone outside of Harden, and Bogi is a guy who theoretically provides those elements. Him actually performing to that level in a big game was great to see. With Beal out for the season, Bogi really does have to play in the rotation – the real question is whether he should start, at least until Kawhi returns. The defense will be rough on some nights, but if Bogi can consistently provide even 80% of what he did on Friday night, it will be a godsend.

Defending the Three-Ball: The Celtics take the second-most threes in the NBA at 44.8 per game. Even though they have not been making those threes at a high clip this year, they have good shooters whose percentages will improve sooner or later. The Clippers, meanwhile, have been one of the very worst teams at defending the three-point line so far this season. If they allow the Celtics to get going from deep, this could be a long game for the good guys. It’s imperative for the Clippers to really defend the three-point line, running the Celtics off the arc and funneling them towards Ivica Zubac at the rim or into low-efficiency mid-range jumpers.

Clippers vs Celtics Preview: Keeping the Good Vibes Going
Robert Flom

The Clippers take on the Dallas Mavericks in a battle between two of the worst and most miserable teams in the NBA so far this season.

Game Information

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

When: 5:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Mavericks: Brandon Williams – Klay Thompson – Max Christie – Cooper Flagg – Daniel Gafford

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving Out (Knee), Dante Exum Out (Knee), Anthony Davis Questionable (Calf), PJ Washington Questionable (Shoulder), Dereck Lively Questionable (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have dropped six games in a row, pushing them to 12^th in the Western Conference and giving them the second-longest active losing streak of any team in the NBA, ahead of only the hapless Wizards. They played a pretty good first half against the Nuggets on Wednesday before falling apart completely in the 3^rd quarter, not the first time that has happened this year. The Clippers have made at least a couple of strides in their past few games, with the main one being cutting down on their turnovers: they now rank 29^th in the NBA in turnover percentage, ahead of Charlotte and in a virtual tie with Houston. However, the Clippers’ defense remains broken, sitting at 26^th in the league at that end despite that being their biggest strength last year. The longer their defense remains this bad, the more likely it is that last season’s defense won’t return.

The Antagonist

The Mavericks are one of the few teams that can be credibly argued as having a more miserable start to the season than the Clippers. They’re just below the Clippers in the standings at 3-9, and while their expectations weren’t quite as high, they certainly thought they’d be a decent team. The Mavs’ prized rookie, Cooper Flagg, has been quite good for the most part, but has been miscast as a lead ballhandler and playmaker. The Mavs have been beset by injuries, with guys up and down their roster missing time. Oh, and their general manager, Nico Harrison, was fired a few days ago because of how bad everything has been. The vibes are not good in Dallas, though with Nico gone and some of the injured players returning soon things could improve quickly. Still, it’s been a dismal few weeks for Mavs’ fans.

Notes

Enter the Young Guys: After Cam Christie and Kobe Brown played against the Hawks on Monday, Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders got extended reps against the Nuggets on Wednesday. Ty Lue said after the Nuggets’ game that he expects all of the young guys will be in the rotation going forward. I’m not really sure how that’s possible consider the positional overlap there, but it sure does seem as though the youngsters (if you can even call Miller and Brown that) will get chances in the coming weeks, especially until Kawhi returns. Jordan looked fantastic against the Nuggets, Kobe Sanders made a few shots (though his defense was dreadful), and Christie has had some moments in his stints as well. If I had to pick two of them to play it would be Christie and Miller, I think, but if the Clippers go all in on these young guys I’m not sure the actual quality of play will improve, even if the viewing experience does. We will just have to see how the young fellas perform – if even one of them truly separates themselves as a real rotation player, that would be a legitimate win.

Will Small Ball Return: Of all the Clippers’ disappointments, perhaps none has been so surprising to me as Brook Lopez. Even though Brook is very old by NBA standards, he was quite good last season for Milwaukee and seemed like a ready-made fit for the Clippers. While Brook has made some shots, his offense hasn’t been super effective, as teams just put smaller guys on him, take away the pick and pop, and that’s about it. It’s on defense, however, where Brook has been a huge let-down, as he’s just too slow to make rotations, quick decisions, or step up to guys. Considering his vet status and how much the Clippers are paying him (the full taxpayer MLE), I don’t think Ty Lue will bench him just yet, but if he doesn’t turn things around soon I can imagine a small-ball second unit happening at some point with Collins at center. And, honestly, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but small-ball can’t be much worse than what the Clippers are getting now.

Clippers vs Mavericks Preview: Battle of the Miseries
Robert Flom

The Clippers have lost five games in a row and while face no respite tonight when they face off against their old playoff foes, the formidable Denver Nuggets.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Nuggets: Jamal Murray – Cam Johnson – Christian Braun – Aaron Gordon – Nikola Jokic

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Nuggets: Jamal Murray Probable (Calf), Aaron Gordon Probable (Hamstring)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

The Big Picture

The Clippers dropped their fifth game in a row on Monday night, and while that loss was probably the most “encouraging” of their defeats this year due to an improved starting lineup and more consistent defense, it was still a loss. The Clippers have started slow the past couple years and worked their way back into things, but have looked much worse this season than those recent years, and the West is even better. Sooner or later, they’re going to have to start winning games or their hopes of a playoff berth will slip away before we even get to the holiday season.

The Antagonist

Denver is having none of those issues. The Nuggets are 7-2 so far, and boast the 3^rd ranked offense and 2^nd ranked defense in the NBA, good for the 2^nd best overall net rating just behind OKC. Nikola Jokic is bonkers good, as we all knew, but the Nuggets are also getting terrific starts from Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and most of their bench. The Nuggets’ summer has paid off in spades so far even though their biggest acquisition, Cam Johnson, has had a forgettable start to his Nuggets tenure. Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown have bolstered the bench lineup significantly, no longer enabling teams to easily win the minutes Jokic is off the floor. Unlike the Clippers, the Nuggets certainly look ready for business.

Notes

The Bench Unit Rotation: Cam Christie now seems to be a permanent part of the Clippers’ rotation (at least while Beal and Kawhi are now), and has played well. However, somewhat shockingly, instead of Chris Paul or Bogdan Bogdanovic getting a chance to return to the rotation on Monday with Beal ruled out, Ty Lue went with Kobe Brown. A unit of Kris Dunn, Christie, Brown, Nic Batum, and Brook Lopez played in the late 1^st, early 2^nd, late 3^rd, and early 4^th quarters, and that unit just does not have close to enough offensive juice to be legit in today’s NBA. Staggering Kris as a ballhandler with Harden out makes sense, but adding Bogi to that unit instead of Brown seems logical to put in more playmaking and shooting. With Beal out, I just think Bogi has to be given another chance – the Clippers are desperate for anyone who can crack 12 points in a game.

Transition Defense: The Clippers’ halfcourt defense has not been great so far this season; certainly not to the level set by last year’s team. However, it’s been their transition defense that has really let the team down. This is all the more ironic (and aggravating) considering the infamous shirts the Clippers’ coaching staff had in training camp emphasizing transition defense and it being a major reason for their defeat at the hands of the Nuggets in the playoffs last year. The Clippers routinely fail to get back, match up properly, or stop the ball, and it has bled them dry. They need to shore that stuff up, and soon.

Clippers vs Nuggets Preview: Playoffs Rematch
Robert Flom

The Clippers have lost four games in a row in increasingly depressing fashion, and will try to right the ship tonight against a solid Hawks team.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks: Dyson Daniels – Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Zaccharie Risacher – Jalen Johnson – Kristaps Porzingis

Clippers: James Harden – Bradley Beal – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Hawks: Trae Young Out (Knee), Jalen Johnson Questionable (Quad), Nickeil Alexander-Walker Questionable (Back), Kristaps Porzingis Questionable (Illness), Luke Kennard Questionable (Illness), Nikola Durisic Questionable (Elbow),

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Bradley Beal Questionable (Hip), Jordan Miller Questionable (Hamstring), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (G-League), Jahmyl Telfort Out (G-League)

The Big Picture

Through nine games, the Clippers have been one of the worst teams in the NBA. They rank a pitiful 27^th on defense and a merely bad 21^st on offense, putting them in a quadrant of teams like the Wizards, Nets, and Pelicans to be abysmal on both sides of the ball. They can’t take care of the basketball, they don’t rebound, they don’t make effort plays, and they don’t get enough shots up from three. Other than that? They’re doing great! Some individual players have been fine to decent, but the whole is less than the sum of its parts, and a lot of the parts have been bad to awful. It’s been a rough, rough watch for Clippers’ fans.

The Antagonist

The Hawks have been much the same this season as they have the past few years: thoroughly mediocre. Currently ranking 17^th in Net Rating, the Hawks are 10^th on defense (pretty good) and 22^nd on offense (just below the Clippers, i.e. bad). Star Trae Young will be out a while with a knee injury, which boosts the Hawks’ defense but harms their offense significantly. The Hawks have real talent, especially with burgeoning star Jalen Johnson, but have a number of injury-prone players on their roster (including Johnson) and have not really coalesced at this point in the season. All that said, they still look leagues better and more organized than the disheveled Clippers.

Notes

Cam Christie Time: Clippers’ second-year guard Cam Christie played the second half of the first Suns’ loss on Thursday over a couple of the Clippers’ veterans, and was then fully in the rotation over Chris Paul and Bogdan Bogdanovic on Saturday. Christie is only 20 and basically a rookie in the NBA given how little he played last season, but has looked like he belongs. His point-of-attack defense has been solid enough, his shot still looks great, and he’s been active on the court. It’s not like he’s been dazzling, but he’s played significantly better than CP3, Bogi, or Bradley Beal, and it sure seems as though he will continue to get rotation minutes at least until Kawhi returns. Hopefully he remains a bright spot and helps the Clippers maybe win some basketball games.

The Starting Lineup Question: Ty Lue has continued to adjust his rotations amidst the Clippers’ malaise, returning to the Kris Dunn-Derrick Jones Jr. pairing on Saturday in an effort to boost the Clippers’ defense. That attempt largely failed, even though both players had their moments in the loss. The question that’s looming over the team right now is when does John Collins get his chance to start? Yes, Collins has gotten lost on defense at times and has had some sloppy plays on offense when asked to do too much. But his scoring, energy, and sheer athleticism have been boons for the Clippers, and he really should get at least a fair shake at a starting role.

Clippers vs Hawks Preview: Stopping the Bleeding
Robert Flom

The Clippers got embarrassed by the Suns on Thursday night, but will be back home and with James Harden tonight, so hopefully the result is very different.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: ESPN, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Suns: Jalen Green – Devin Booker – Grayson Allen – Royce O’Neale – Mark Williams

Clippers: James Harden – Bradley Beal – Derrick Jones Jr. – Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Kobe Sanders Out (Knee)

Suns: Dillon Brooks Questionable (Groin)

Notes

The Power Forward Starting Spot: We all love Nic Batum. He’s a beloved role player and is someone the coaching staff and everyone on the team trusts. Nico is still a positive defender, and even though the shots haven’t been falling so far this season, they will at some point. However, the Clippers just desperately need more juice, especially with Kawhi out. Collins has been a bit of a mixed bag, but he adds scoring, size, and athleticism that the Clippers could really use, and I think he should start with Kawhi out.

Get Zu Going: Among all of the players who have disappointed to start the season, perhaps the most puzzling is Ivica Zubac. His numbers are down across the board so far and his defense has also been significantly worse than it was last season. Zu is healthy, in his prime, and is the longest player on the team, so continuity is no excuse. It’s not like Zu has been awful, but when the Clippers had injuries or issues last year, Zu was always there to pick the team up on his back – and that has not been the case early this year. I’d love to see the Clippers feed Zu early, get him going, and push him to a dominant performance against a Suns team that should not be able to guard him inside.

Play with More Force: I think one of the main differences between this season and last season is that you don’t feel the Clippers on either end of the floor, and especially on defense. Last year’s Clippers squad had a toughness and a physicality that made them a difficult opponent almost every night. This year’s group has just not mustered that same approach even with a relatively similar roster. The Suns are not a big team, nor are they all that physical or athletic (even compared to the ancient Clippers). It would be great if the Clippers came out tonight and set a ton on the defensive end with pressure and real force instead of letting the game come to them.

Clippers vs Suns Preview: Let’s Try That Again
Robert Flom

The Clippers have lost two games in a row and now face a feisty Suns team without their two star players, as both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are out tonight.

Game Information

Where: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ

When: 6:00 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Chris Paul – Bradley Beal – Derrick Jones Jr. – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Heat: Jalen Green – Devin Booker – Ryan Dunn – Dillon Brooks – Mark Williams

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Ankle), James Harden Out (Personal), Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Kobe Sanders Out (Knee)

Suns: Jalen Green Questionable (Hamstring), Dillon Brooks Questionable (Groin)

The Big Picture

Well, things seem a whole lot bleaker now than what I wrote the last game preview three days ago. The Clippers have dropped their last two games, with a brutal loss to the Heat on Monday and a blowout at the hands of the Thunder on Tuesday. Combine those defeats with Kawhi Leonard’s turned ankle against the Heat and subsequent absence Tuesday and tonight and you have a grim mood. Add on top of that Harden being out tonight for personal reasons (hopefully positive, like birth of a child or something) and its even worse. Even though the Suns aren’t very good, it’s tough to see the Clippers beating almost anyone without both Kawhi and Harden. The hope will be that their absences will not stretch long, and they can return for the home game against Phoenix on Saturday.

The Antagonist

The Suns have not been awful to start the season. They’re 3-5 and have been competitive in most of their games. They’re slightly better on offense (22^nd in the NBA) compared to defense (24^th), but not really good at anything. Still, they have Devin Booker and relatively competent veterans around him, and that’s enough to not be awful. Against a Clippers’ team without Kawhi and Harden, and playing at home, they should be favorites to win. Most importantly for the Clippers, the Suns have generally played hard all year, and that’s something the Clippers have not shown as consistently.

Notes

Beal Boos: This will be Bradley Beal’s first game in Phoenix since the Suns waived him this summer, and I think we can expect a lot of boos for Beal, who did not have a very positive tenure in Phoenix. Hopefully Beal can take those boos as inspiration, as he will be the Clippers’ best perimeter creator in this one and will probably be asked to do a lot of scoring and playmaking. Even though the Clippers will miss Harden and Kawhi very badly, a possible silver lining is the increased reps for Beal, Chris Paul, and Bogi could theoretically get those guys going – something the Clips need in the worst way if they are to do anything this year.

Defense Bad: After boasting a top-five defense just about all of last season and winning most of their games on the defensive end, the Clippers have been shockingly shoddy on that side of the ball this year. The Clips rank 26^th in defensive rating through seven games (not a large sample size, but not tiny either) ahead of such teams as the Kings, Pelicans, Nets, and Wizards. The eye test backs up the numbers: the Clippers look slow, not forceful, and discombobulated. As good as Kris Dunn is on defense, the difference between starting him and not starting him should not be the difference between the 3^rd and 26^th defense. The Clippers need to get it together on that end, or this season will not turn out as we all predicted.  

Turnovers also Bad: The Clippers rank dead last in the NBA in turnover percentage, turning the ball over an astonishing 18.4% of their possessions. The next lowest is the Utah Jazz at 17.4%, and after that is Houston at 16.9%. The Clippers have added in a bunch of new pieces and are dealing with some injuries, but that level of giving the ball away is simply inexcusable for a team with this many seasoned vets. Just be less careless!

Clippers vs Suns Preview: No Kawhi or Harden
Robert Flom

The Clippers have had an up-and-down start to their season, and now face off against the West-leading Thunder on the second night of a back-to-back. It’s probably going to be a tough one.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 8:00

How to Watch: NBC, Peacock, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Cason Wallace – Lu Dort – Chet Holmgren – Isaiah Hartenstein

Clippers: James Harden – Bradley Beal – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Thunder: Chet Holmgren Questionable (Back), Lu Dort Questionable (Illness), Ousmane Dieng Questionable (Calf), Jalen Williams Out (Wrist), Kenrich Williams Out (Knee), Nikola Topic Out (Cancer), Thomas Sorber Out (Knee)

Clippers: Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Kobe Sanders Out (Knee)

The Clippers are playing at home and are much healthier than the Thunder, but the Thunder are 7-0 for a reason: they have the best defense in the league and boast a clear top-five player in SGA. The Clippers can definitely win this one, especially if Dort and Chet are out, but they will need to be better on defense and more turnover-conscious on offense than they have been to pull out the victory.

Clippers vs Thunder Game Thread: The Best in the West
Robert Flom

The Clippers are 3-2 in their first five games, and face a tough test tonight against the visiting Miami Heat.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Heat: Davion Mitchell – Pelle Larsson – Andrew Wiggins – Bam Adebayo – Kel’el Ware

Clippers: James Harden – Bradley Beal – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Heat: Tyler Herro Out (Foot), Terry Rozier Out (Suspension), Norm Powell Questionable (Groin), Kasparas Jakucionis Questionable (Ankle)

Clippers: Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Kobe Sanders Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers scratched out a win against the Pelicans on Friday in the first game of the NBA Cup, but it was not pretty. They got terrific offensive performances from Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac as well as solid supporting appearances from role players, but the defense was extremely questionable, and the bench units struggled. A game-winner like the one Kawhi Leonard had can bring teams together, and an optimistic take would be that the Clippers’ camaraderie and morale will improve after such a fun win. A pessimistic viewpoint is that the Clippers’ defense might not recover due to the addition of ancient or defense-averse players, and that some of those older players might be close to washed. Once we are at the 10 to 15 game sample size, we will know more.

The Antagonist

What is dead may never die. The words of house Greyjoy, and also of the Miami Heat, who seemingly never have a ton of talent and yet are always anywhere from competent to very good. It’s early and net rating will vary wildly from game to game, but the Heat are top five in net rating, ranking 3^rd on defense and 7^th on offense despite missing Tyler Herro. Most of the Heat’s success can be attributed to the brilliance of Erik Spoelstra, with Bam Adebayo’s defense and a cadre of solid veterans keeping them in a lot of games as well. The Clippers have a lot more talent than Miami, but will it matter?

Notes

Norm Revenge Game: This will be Norm Powell’s first game against the Clippers since his trade this past summer, and knowing Norm, he will have a big chip on his shoulder about it. The Clippers should know all of Norm’s ins and outs as a player, so I’d like to see them force him into making decisions with the ball in his hands while targeting him extensively on the other end of the court. It will be nice to see Norm get his ovation from Clippers’ faithful, but I’d like for him to not torch the Clips in this one.

Get Beal Going: If you had to sum up the Clippers’ offensive issues so far this year, I think the crux of it would be lack of secondary ballhandling and playmaking outside of James Harden. To put it more bluntly, Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Chris Paul have all been ineffective on offense. Bogi is out of the healthy rotation and Paul is basically just spelling Harden, but the Clippers need more from Beal. Even if he’s not close to prime Beal, better shotmaking would help a ton. The thing with Beal is he’s still getting to his spots and a lot of his movement looks smooth; he’s just not hitting shots. I would like to see the Clippers try to get Beal some easy shots early, boost his confidence, and hopefully help him have a breakout game, even with his minutes restriction.

Know Your Personnel: The Pelicans’ game was insanely frustrating to watch from a Clippers’ vantage point, as they kept leaving the Pelicans’ best shooters (Trey Murphy and Jordan Poole) wide open, even after those guys were clearly on heaters. The Clippers’ defense would have looked so much better if they’d just been smarter about rotations and recoveries to the correct players and not given the Pelicans wide open looks from guys who were scorching. The Heat have good shooters (we all know what Norm Powell can do), and the Clippers just can’t look as shoddy defensively tonight as they did on Friday and hope to win.

Clippers vs Heat Preview: Norm Powell’s Return
Robert Flom