The Clippers’ season continues to slog along, and tonight will be one of their toughest matchups on paper of the season so far against a young, athletic, and flat-out better Wolves team playing at home with a rest advantage.

Game Information

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Timberwolves: Donte DiVincenzo – Anthony Edwards – Jaden McDaniels – Julius Randle – Rudy Gobert

Injuries

Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hip), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Questionable (Back), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)

Timberwolves: None

The Big Picture

Well, the good vibes from the road win on Wednesday night in Atlanta almost instantly evaporated. A strong first half by the Clippers in Memphis last night was followed by an abysmal second half where the Clippers scored just 40 points. They still look a bit better than they did a few weeks ago, but the offense is punchless and the defense remains slow and unaggressive. Outside of the promising play of Kobe Sanders, the best rookie the Clippers have had since Terance Mann, there just aren’t many positives, especially with Harden’s play slipping as of late. Maybe the Wolves will be caught sleeping, but the Clippers playing on the second night of a back-to-back on the road does not bode well.

The Antagonist

Despite some ugly losses in crunch time, the Wolves are having a season very in-line with their last two, ranking 6^th in the West in the standings but coming in at 7^th overall in the league in Net Rating. The Wolves boast top-10 figures on both ends, placing 7^th on offense and 10^th in defense. They are led by Anthony Edwards, who might not have made the leap to a top-five player but is firmly cemented as a perennial All-NBA level presence. He’s surrounded by players in their prime, including Naz Reid, McDaniels, DiVincenzo, and Randle, who all provide steady contributions. Rudy Gobert has slipped on defense and Mike Conley has stumbled on offense, which are two barriers towards the Wolves’ success this season at the highest levels, but the Wolves are getting just enough from the rest of the roster to maintain status as a fringe contender. At home, with a rest advantage against an old Clippers team, they might look like world beaters.

Notes

The Frustrations of John Collins: I was a big fan of the move to get John Collins from the Jazz, and he’s someone I’ve thought the Clippers should target for a while. Well, I think the team knew some things I didn’t in terms of why they didn’t go after him sooner, as it’s hard to say Collins has been anything other than a major disappointment this season. Collins is fourth on the team in scoring average behind the “Big Three” and has had some nice scoring outputs, but he’s the anti Nic Batum in that it feels like all of the little things are missing. It’s not from a lack of effort or energy, to be clear: Collins is always hustling. But for a player with his size and athleticism, he’s been a woeful rebounder this year, with a rebound% barely above Kawhi Leonard and Kobe Brown and below Cam Christie. His three-point shooting has been awry, with Collins at just over 29% on almost entirely wide-open shots. The defense has been something close to a disaster, with consistent missed rotations and botched help contributing greatly to the Clippers’ struggles on that end. When Derrick Jones Jr. returns, the obvious move to me would be to start DJJ over Collins and return to the Harden-Dunn-DJJ-Kawhi-Zu lineup that had some success last year. I think Collins will be a fine bench player for the Clippers in a more limited role, but his stint as a starter has not gone well.

Tracking Kobe’s Minutes: Kobe Sanders closed the game yesterday, and has clearly won the trust of the coaching staff. When the team is fully healthy there’s a chance Kobe falls out of the rotation, but he’s going to play a lot this year if he stays healthy. Something interesting to track is his minutes total. Kobe has currently played 304 minutes – not a lot, for most teams. But if he plays just 91 more minutes, he will top Kobe Brown’s 394 minutes played in his rookie season, and give him the most minutes for a Clippers’ rookie since Brandon Boston Jr. back in 2021-2022 (760). Terance Mann somewhat surprisingly played just 362 in the 2019-2020 season, so if Kobe clears Boston he will have played the most minutes for a Clippers’ rookie in the entire Ty Lue era of the team. That says something about Kobe, but sadly says much more about the Clippers’ drafting in the past half-decade. Kobe hasn’t even looked *that good* and is still clearly the Clippers’ best prospect since Mann. Yikes.

Clippers vs Timberwolves Preview: Another Tough Road Game
Robert Flom

The Clippers play the Grizzlies tonight, and will do it without franchise legend Chris Paul, who has been banished from the team. I wrote about both situations.

Game Information

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Grizzlies: Vince Williams Jr. – Jaylen Wells – Cedric Coward – Jaren Jackson Jr. – Zach Edey

Injuries

Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hip), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Questionable (Back), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)

Grizzlies: Ja Morant Out (Calf), Ty Jerome Out (Calf), Scotty Pippen Jr Out (Toe), Brandon Clarke Out (Knee), Javon Small Out (Toe)

The Big Picture

The Clippers finally got a win on Wednesday, taking out the shorthanded Hawks in Atlanta. As decimated as the Hawks were, the Clippers are at the point when any win is a good win, much less a blowout that they controlled for most of the game. It was the Clippers’ best defensive effort of the season as well as one of their best games at limiting turnovers. It will be hard to replicate that dynamic, but it’s something the Clippers will have to work on to continue winning games, especially while they are short-handed as well.

The Antagonist

The Grizzlies have turned things around somewhat since the Clippers last played them, largely due to the play of second-year big man Zach Edey. Edey looks transformed in his sophomore season, impacting the game in a real way on both ends of the court. Even though the Grizzlies’ traditional point guards are out, Vince Williams has stepped up nicely in that spot. Add in a strong rookie in Cedric Coward and the remaining rotation stalwarts of better Grizzlies teams in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama and you have a competent team that can win in multiple ways. The Grizzlies, much like the Clippers, are down a bunch of guards, but have the youth and athleticism that has so troubled the Clippers for years, and are playing better of late. The Clippers will need to really show up to win this one on the road.

The Chris Paul Situation

I was going to do a solo article on this or a solo podcast, but I may as well just include my thoughts here. First and foremost, it’s a sad situation. Even though I didn’t think Chris had a ton left to give when he signed this summer, I thought it would be a fun reunion between the Clippers and the greatest player in franchise history that would at least give one or two throwback CP3 games for fans to enjoy. Instead, Chris has been mostly really bad, and the team is miserable. It was not what anyone wanted. There were no vintage CP3 games, and that hurts.

In terms of the situation itself, it’s very odd. Most of the reporting seems as if it’s come in, and I’ve of two minds about it. On one hand, Chris clearly ticked a lot of people off, including apparently much of the coaching staff, several players, and maybe even front office staff. That kind of behavior is unacceptable, whether he was right in his criticisms or not. If that many people are upset with you, the issue in the situation is probably you. Chris is grating as we all know, and the team being so bad seems like it made his gripes and criticisms go over the top. That’s all on Chris.

On the other hand, multiple respected NBA reporters (Chris Haynes and Tim McMahon) have stated that Ty Lue was not on speaking terms with Chris, and had not been for weeks. No matter how annoying Chris is, to me, that behavior is far more unacceptable. Ty is, in essence, Chris’s manager, and refusing to speak with your employee to sort out differences despite them reaching out is childish behavior at best and petty cruelty at worst. This situation maybe could have ironed itself out if Ty was willing to speak to Chris and really hammer out issues – now we will never know if this whole saga could have been avoided.

This also reflects poorly on the front office. Lawrence Frank took responsibility for the team disappointing to start the year in his press conference and said that Chris was not the scapegoat for the Clippers’ play. That’s a nice sentiment, but the fact that there was this much tension between a key veteran player and the coaching staff (as well as other players) and it was not nipped in the bud more forcefully does not make the front office look good in that regard either. Lawrence needs to take the blame not just for a flawed roster, but for people management mistakes too.

Finally, I must say – why couldn’t the Clippers have just sent Chris home for the rest of this road trip instead of severing ties completely? Was it that bad? They couldn’t have suspended him two games for “Conduct detrimental to the team” to give him a chance to redeem himself? I get it, going to these lengths for a veteran who is playing really poorly and was not supposed to be a big part of the team might seem like too much – but Chris is not just an ordinary member of the team. I don’t know what was said between Chris and the rest of the team; maybe the situation was truly irreversible. But the cutting short of his retirement tour in such an abrupt and unceremonious fashion has left a bad taste in my mouth, and I know it has for other Clippers and NBA fans as well. It’s a bummer.

Clippers vs Grizzlies Preview – And Thoughts on Chris Paul
Robert Flom

The Clippers will find no respite tonight for their struggles, as they take on a talented and surging Hawks team on the road.

Game Information

Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

When: 4:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Hawks: Dyson Daniels – Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Zaccharie Risacher – Onyeka Okongwu

Injuries

Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic Questionable (Hip), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Questionable (Back)

Hawks: Trae Young Out (Knee), Kristaps Porzingis Out (Illness), Jacob Toppin Out (Shoulder), N’Faly Dante Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ loss to the Heat on Monday was a new low in a season full of them. A late garbage time push by Kawhi Leonard made the final score look more respectable than the game was in actuality, with the low point being a 30-4 run by the Heat in the second quarter that effectively ended the game. The Clippers’ defense remained abominably bad, giving up open threes to the Heat time and time and time again. The Clippers are definitely getting unlucky with opponent shooting, but that doesn’t excuse how weak, lifeless, and disconnected they are on defense, and how rote and boring their offense is. It’s just a total mess, folks, and good box scores by Kawhi Leonard are scant consolation.

The Antagonist

The Hawks, conversely, are riding fairly high. They’re 13-9 despite Trae Young missing most of the season, and are doing it with a combination of strong play on both ends of the court. Jalen Johnson has made the leap into true stardom, regularly scoring 20+ points per game on excellent efficiency while piling up rebounds and assists. His ability to be a true offensive hub has been game-changing with Trae out. Supporting Jalen have been Onyeka Okongwu, who has upped his three-point shooting significantly in the past calendar year and is now a true stretch big men, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is scoring 20 points per game while providing stout defense on the wing. The Hawks are also getting contributions from deeper bench players with Trae and Porzingis out, with Vit Krejci and Mo Gueye being two notable guys that have stepped up in big ways. In short, the Hawks are just a good team. And playing at home against a spiraling Clippers team, they are massive favorites.

Notes

The Hole at Shooting Guard: The Clippers are getting nothing from their traditional shooting guard slots. Bradley Beal, the presumptive starter, played just six awful games before going out for the season with injury. Bogdan Bogdanovic, who seemed like a terrific backup for Beal, has played just nine games due to various injuries, and has only been effective in a few of those games. Jordan Miller, the two-way player that is behind Bogi, has logged only four games because of hamstring injuries. That has forced Kobe Sanders and Cam Christie into action, and while the youngsters have had some flashes, on the whole both are not ready to be NBA rotation players on good teams. The lack of scoring, playmaking, and ballhandling has been evident all season, and until Bogi and Jordan get healthy and stay healthy, it’s likely to remain that way.

Getting a Complete Game: One reason the Clippers’ season has felt so frustrating is that it seems like they have a lot of players who are having at least *ok* seasons, but are just so inconsistent that they can’t line up good performances in one game. If the Clippers can just get more than three of their key players to have strong outings in one game, they’d look a lot better. Maybe it happens tonight, but with the way things are going, maybe not.

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

The Clippers lost both games over the weekend, with the loss to the short-handed and offensively challenged Mavericks on Saturday evening seemingly being rock bottom for a truly miserable Clippers season. A road game against the Heat does not seem to be a good opportunity to turn things around.

Game Information

Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida

When: 4:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Heat: Tyler Herro – Davion Mitchell – Norman Powell – Andrew Wiggins – Bam Adebayo

Injuries

Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hip), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee)

Heat: Jaime Jaquez Jr. Questionable (Groin), Terry Rozier Out (Leave)

The Big Picture

Well, that was bad. The Clippers lost both homes games over the weekend to the Grizzlies and Mavericks, two teams they should theoretically be able to beat at home. Both games were close, but we are well past the point of moral victories, especially since the Clippers blew big leads in both losses. The Clippers are just not good, and that’s putting it politely. It’s hard to say that the season is over considering we are just at the quarter-way mark, but at 5-15, it will be an uphill climb for the Clippers to even make the top half of the play-in. And, honestly, even though they are not far behind teams like the Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Jazz in the standings, with the way the Clippers are playing right now, there’s not much reason to think even a limited turnaround is coming any time soon. The return of Jordan Miller (off the injury report) might help a bit, but this team needs far, far more than that.

The Antagonist

The Heat are one of the more positive surprise stories of the season so far, boasting a 13-7 record (3^rd in the Eastern Conference) with the 9^th best Net Rating in the NBA. The Heat are winning largely on the defensive end, as they rank 2^nd in the league on that end of the court, behind only the seemingly inhuman Thunder. Former Clipper Norman Powell remains a driving force for the Heat on offense, averaging 24.7 points per game while scoring at an insane 65.3% True Shooting. While Norm has his flaws, through 20 games of the season, it appears as though the Clippers made a devastating mistake by swapping him for John Collins and Bradley Beal. It’s hard not to think the Clippers would be a much better team (though probably still disappointing) if they had Norm instead of those two. Alas.

Notes

Clippers Out of Answers: Not only have fans been broken, but judging by some of the postgame answers yesterday by Ty Lue and key players, it sounds like the team is just as baffled as how to turn things around as the rest of us. That’s not to say that the team has given up – that’s probably too far – but it is just kind of a fact at this point that the Clippers have no clue how to address their issues. I have no idea what rotation buttons Ty Lue could possibly push at this stage, though I’d imagine Jordan Miller gets some run just to get a different guy in the mix.

What Happens Now: We have heard nothing official that any key Clippers’ decision-makers are in jeopardy of losing their jobs, but fans are certainly on the warpath, and this weekend was awful enough that it truly does seem credible for the first time since the end of the 2023 season that one of Lawrence Frank or Ty Lue might be on a legit hot seat. Judging by fans on Twitter, Bluesky, and this blog, I think the most common sentiment is for change in both the front office and coaching staff. Generally coaches are the first to go in the NBA, but Ty Lue has enough status and credibility that I do wonder if Frank takes the fall and Lue is able to keep going. The inverse could happen, of course, as well as both being let go and neither being let go, although I do think from the outside the current situation appears untenable. I’m very curious if we will get a Shams bomb about the Clippers sometime on Monday.

Clippers vs Heat Preview: Have The Clippers Finally Hit Rock Bottom?
Robert Flom

The Clippers come out of their Thanksgiving break with a shockingly important November game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Grizzlies: Vince Williams Jr. – Cedric Coward – Jaylen Wells – Jaren Jackson Jr. – Zach Edey

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Grizzlies: Ja Morant Out (Calf), Ty Jerome Out (Calf), Scotty Pippen Jr Out (Toe), Brandon Clarke Out (Knee), Javon Small Out (Toe)

Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic Questionable (Hip), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring)

The Big Picture

The Clippers once again played two-plus solid quarters against a good Lakers team before becoming unglued and losing in a rout. Their defense has fallen to 28^th in the NBA, better than only the tanktastic Wizards and Nets – yes, they are worse than the Hornets, Pelicans, Kings, and Pacers on that end of the court. These game previews are beating a dead horse, but the Clippers’ defense is perhaps the most shocking unit in the entire NBA, and shows no signs of improvement. The only hope is that as Kawhi Leonard gets healthy and as the Clippers get more reps together that their cohesion and togetherness on that end takes several steps forward. But the Clippers’ regression on that end is team-wide: every single player is worse on defense than they were last season. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and its unfortunate it has happened to the Clips.

The Antagonist

The Grizzlies have had a season just about as tumultuous as the Clippers’, mixing player drama with mostly poor on-court results. They have, however, strung together a stretch where they’ve won three of four games, powered by the return of second-year big man Zach Edey. Controversial star Ja Morant has missed those games, and it’s perhaps not a surprise that the Grizz have looked better without Ja on the court considering how meh he’s been this season. The Grizz are getting good production from their young players such as Edey, rookie Cedric Coward, and third-year guard Vince Williams (who is manning point guard in Ja’s absence), which makes their situation somewhat more hopeful than the Clippers. Still, they are below average on both ends of the court and their wins have come against the Kings, Pelicans, and Mavs – other teams in the same “miserable” bucket as the Grizz and Clippers. Regardless, we need a larger sample before saying that the Grizz have officially turned things around this season.

Notes

Must Win: It might sound crazy to label this game a must win. It is, after all, not even December. But these are the kinds of games that the Clippers have to win if they want to at least make the play-in tournament in April. The Grizzlies are two wins ahead of the Clippers despite dealing with seemingly worse injury luck and more internal strife than the Clippers – if that’s not a sign of the Clippers’ horrific play, I’m not sure what is. The Clippers certainly have more “talent” than the Grizzlies in this game even with their own injuries, are playing at home, and have had a few days off to rest their old legs. Losses in these sorts of games will truly put the Clippers out of postseason reach by the time we hit New Years.

Small-Ball Second Unit: Ty Lue finally did something on Tuesday against the Lakers that fans have been asking for a while; benching Brook Lopez. Instead, Ty went with small-ball, adding Kobe Brown into the rotation alongside Nic Batum and John Collins on the second unit. That unit looked good in the first half before imploding (along with the rest of the Clippers to be fair) in the second half. I do think that going away from Brook Lopez is the right call, and I’m quite wary of giving minutes to Yanic Konan Niederhauser, so I’m stuck in the unfortunate position of advocating for second-unit small-ball, which is something I’ve been mostly against for a half-decade. I also don’t really think Kobe Brown is an NBA player (though he had moments against the Lakers), but the Clippers might go with Bogdan Bogdanovic in that spot when he’s healthy. A Harden-Bogi-Sanders-Nico-Collins unit sounds like a pretty good offensive unit, but the defense and rebounding will likely be awful. Then again, the defense and rebounding have been atrocious with Brook, so going younger and more athletic probably can’t hurt. It’s a tough situation.

Clippers vs Grizzlies Preview: A November Must-Win Game
Robert Flom

The Clippers are finally coming back home, but are technically still on the road as they play their first contest of the season against the rival Lakers.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California

When: 8:00 PM PT

How to Watch: NBC, Peacock FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Lakers: Luka Doncic – Austin Reaves – Rui Hachimura – LeBron James – Jaxon Hayes

Injuries

Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic Questionable (Hip), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring)

Lakers: DeAndre Ayton Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ season just continues to trudge along. Kawhi Leonard returned to the Clips on Sunday and looked ok, but was not nearly enough to help them win an admittedly tough game on the road in Cleveland. Perhaps the best element of that game for the Clippers was Zu going off for a monstrous 33 points and 18 rebounds, showing some of the offensive prowess that made him such a force last season, but there was not a ton of other positives. The defense, in particular, continues to not really improve, remaining ranked at 25^th in a tie with the Charlotte Hornets (and we all saw how awful their defense was on Saturday). Kawhi needs time to re-integrate, and Bogi should hopefully be back soon, but the Clippers’ defense is so far away that it makes almost everything else moot.

The Antagonist

The Lakers are interesting because they’re 12-4 (tied for the fourth-best record in the league) yet boast the 15^th ranked Net Rating. In short, their win total is well ahead of their projected wins, which would have them more as a 9-7 team. Still, the Lakers are at least competent on both ends, and that’s with LeBron James playing just two games so far and both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing a couple of contests as well. The Lakers are getting more than expected from Marcus Smart and DeAndre Ayton as well as really good Jake Laravia minutes, and it’s those supporting pieces that have bolstered the team with LeBron out. The Lakers’ offense will only get better as the season goes along, and while I think the Clippers have some places to hunt on the other end of the court, their defense to this point shows no signs of being able to slow the Lakers’ tri-headed attack.

Notes

Mapping out the Defense: Trying to figure out how the Clippers will defend the Lakers is interesting. Ivica Zubac will guard Jaxson Hayes. That’s easy. After that, not so much. Rui Hachimura is the least threatening of the Lakers’ perimeter players, so you’d think the Clippers would want to stash James Harden on him. They might well do that, but Rui can punish James on cuts and the offensive glass. If Harden is on Rui, then that means John Collins will have to guard one of the Lakers’ stars – sounds bad! I think he could do ok on the “old LeBron” we’ve seen so far. After that, Kris Dunn is a bit undersized on Luka, so him getting Reaves and Kawhi taking Luka makes sense from there. If all of that sounds like the Clippers are disadvantaged on defense almost across the board, that’s what it seems like to me too! Maybe the Clippers will lock in on a nationally televised game against their cross-town rivals. We have to hope so, anyway, or this could get ugly fast.

Clippers vs Lakers Preview: First Cross Town Meeting of 2025
Robert Flom

The Clippers welcome back star Kawhi Leonard, and it’s not a moment too soon, as they face a tough contest on the road against a strong Cavs team.

Game Information

Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

When: 3:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Cavs: Darius Garland – Donovan Mitchell – Jaylon Tyson – De’Andre Hunter – Evan Mobley

Injuries

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

Cavs: Max Strus Out (Foot), Jarrett Allen Questionable (Finger), Sam Merrill Questionable (Hand)

The Big Picture

The Clippers finally got a win yesterday, and did so in emphatic fashion behind James Harden’s franchise record-setting 55 point performance. While Harden continues to dazzle, it was the play of everyone else that was more encouraging: Chris Paul had by far his best outing of the season, Kobe Sanders and Cam Christie had nice plays, and Ivica Zubac looked pretty good on both ends. With Kawhi hopefully coming back today, the Clippers have at least a tad bit of momentum. It’s easy to get fooled by one game, so I don’t want to get hopes up too much, but the Hornets game was the best of the season so far by the Clippers. Now, if only Kawhi can stay healthy…

The Antagonist

The Cavs have been a bit up and down to start the season, but still sit at a pretty solid record of 11-6 with a very good defense (8^th) and average offense (15^th). Donovan Mitchell is having another awesome season (his best ever, to this point), Evan Mobley remains an All-Defense caliber player on the back line, and the Cavs are getting good role player performances from Sam Merill, De’Andre Hunter, and Jaylon Tyson on the wing. Concerns remain regarding the Mobley-Jarrett Allen fit as well as the Mitchell-Darius Garland pairing, but the Cavs have a lot of talent and will be a good regular season team regardless. Against the short-handed, road-weary Clippers, they are massive favorites.

Notes

Kawhi Back: It sure seems as though Kawhi will return from a 10-game absence tonight from a sprained ankle and injured foot. It remains to be seen whether he’ll have a minutes limit – he’s been doing cardio and practicing with the team, so I imagine he plays more than 20 minutes, but it also feels unlikely that he’d log 40. It usually takes players a few games to ramp up, but Kawhi’s injury was not major, so hopefully he’s fairly effective right away.

Ripple Effects: The more interesting questions aren’t about Kawhi, but what impact his return will have on the Clippers’ rotations. I think there’s at least a question about who Kawhi will even displace in the starting unit: it’s almost certainly going to be Kobe Sanders, but you could make a case to keep Sanders and replace John Collins to build a swifter, more shooting-heavy lineup, or switch out Kris Dunn to bring more size and shooting. Ultimately, I think Sanders will move to the bench, but I don’t think it’s 100% set, especially with how meh Collins has been. If Sanders does go to the bench, who then gets left out of the rotation? Is it Cam Christie? Bogdan Bogdanovic? Chris Paul? Bogi and CP3 have had good moments in the past couple of games, but Christie has played solidly as well. I would expect Christie to exit, but again, it’s not a stone-cold lock that he will.

Clippers vs Cavs Preview: Kawhi Back
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off their worst loss of the road trip, but have the chance to turn things around against a Hornets team that is almost as bad as they are.

Game Information

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC

When: 10:00 AM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

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

Hornets: LaMelo Ball – Kon Knueppel – Brandon Miller – Miles Bridges – Ryan Kalkbrenner

Injuries

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

Hornets: Josh Green Out (Shoulder), Grant Williams Out (Knee), Tre Mann Questionable (Ankle), Sion James Probable (Groin)

The Big Picture

After a few encouraging-ish performances, the Clippers fell back down to earth, hard, on Thursday night against the Magic. They gave the ball away non-stop, did not get back in transition, and just generally lacked the fight to compete with the hard-playing Magic. The result was a blowout, with the Clippers playing the deep bench most of the 4^th quarter. The Clippers are now 4-11, and are 25^th in the league in Net Rating with the 22^nd ranked offense and 24^th ranked defense. The sample size is getting larger and larger, and the Clippers are not really getting much better. Even if the return of Kawhi does help a lot on both ends, by the time he returns it will probably be too late. This is grim.

The Antagonist

While they have the same record as the Clips, the Hornets are slightly better than the Clippers on both ends, ranking 20^th on offense and 23^rd on defense. Their future, however, is much brighter, largely due to the play of rookie Kon Knueppel, who is currently the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. Kon is averaging 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 47.3% from the field, 40.3% from three (8.3 attempts), and 88.6% from the line (2.3 attempts). We all knew the shooting would be there, but the defense, playmaking, and creation are all way ahead of schedule. Outside of that, Brandon Miller is coming back as well, giving the Hornets further firepower and shooting. The Hornets aren’t good, but they are dangerous and have gotten better center play than expected from rookie Kalkbrenner and former Clipper Moussa Diabate.

Notes

Yanic Enters the Fray: With the Clippers looking lifeless in the 3^rd quarter, Ty Lue turned to rookie big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser instead of struggling veteran Brook Lopez. Yanic played ok in his minutes, though it’s hard to have much judgment considering it was basically garbage time. As someone who was not a huge fan of YKN as a draft pick, I still think Ty going to him was justified. Brook has provided some shooting on offense, which is helpful, but his sheer inability to move has made him a negative defender, rebounder, and connective piece. There is value in his shooting and his general knowhow, especially when defending at the rim, but the Clippers need life, energy, and athleticism, and it makes sense to give Yanic a try. It could be a disaster (both Cam Christie and Kobe Sanders have had truly awful performances a couple of times when given big minutes amid their solid outings) but I think allowing Yanic to fail for a few games can’t hurt at this point.

Where’s the D(efense): The Clippers have seemingly infinite issues, but the big item looming over this season is the Clippers’ failing defense. I’ve written about this in like 50% of the previews, but the defense remains almost inexplicably bad. Nearly everyone on the team has stepped back on defense, from Ivica Zubac and Kris Dunn to James Harden. The combo of Brook being washed and Zu not being a defensive beast is the largest factor in the defense slipping, but the team’s overall inattention to detail and lack of physicality has been alarming. We are close to this being who the team is on defense, and if that’s the case, this team is doomed.

Clippers vs Hornets Preview: Can We Get a Win Please
Robert Flom

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