The Clippers pulled off an incredible road win on Sunday night and will face another challenging road game against the Rockets.

Game Information

Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

When: 5:00 PM PT

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

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Brook Lopez

Rockets: Reed Sheppard – Amen Thompson – Jabari Smith Jr. – Kevin Durant – Alperen Sengun

Injuries

Clippers: Darius Garland Out (Toe), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

Rockets: Fred VanVleet Out (Knee), Steven Adams Out (Ankle)

The Big Picture

The Clippers pulled off probably their most shocking win of the entire season on Sunday, routing the Wolves on the road in Minneapolis. Kawhi Leonard was absolutely dominant, as he has been for two months, John Collins was very solid, Kris Dunn played great defense on Anthony Edwards, and the Clippers got just enough scoring from the supporting cast to stay ahead of the Wolves. The Clippers’ defense was particularly impressive in limiting the Wolves’ attack, continuing their recent trend of improved play on that end. They won’t always be so good in their execution, but their level of effort alone will keep them winning games if they keep up what they’ve been doing.

The Antagonist

The Rockets are somewhat similar to the Clippers’ previous opponent, the Timberwolves, in that they have a very impressive record (32-19) and strong advanced metrics but are much worse than that in the vibes department. There have been a number of instances over the past month or so where coach Ime Udoka has been frustrated with his team, and a similar number of occurrences of the players being frustrated with each other. The Rockets are just an odd team that reshaped itself around offensive rebounding after the preseason injury to Fred VanVleet, but has lost that element with the season-ending injury to Steven Adams. The Rockets have a lot of talent, but the lack of shooting on the roster outside of Kevin Durant and Reed Sheppard has been glaring, as has the absence of a steady ballhandler. Their defense is legit, and Durant and Sengun are a good one-two punch, but the Rockets don’t seem like they have the firepower to be a true contender this year.

Notes

Reinforcements Are Here: Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson will be active for the Clippers tonight for the first time. I don’t think that Jackson will be in the rotation (Brook is locked in as the starter and Yanic is playing too well as his backup), but we should get a long look at the Mathurin. My guess is that Mathurin comes off the bench for the Clippers, at least initially, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he started and Derrick Jones Jr. moved back to the bench. Mathurin has real flaws as a playmaker, defender, and decision-maker, but his raw scoring ability is needed on a Clippers team that has lacked juice on offense for much of the season. I would expect 20+ minutes for Mathurin right away, with Dunn, Kobe Sanders, and Jordan Miller all probably shedding a few minutes and Cam Christie probably leaving the rotation. I’m curious to see how Mathurin looks on a new team.

Rebound the Ball: The Rockets are not quite the offensive rebounding juggernaut the way they were earlier in the season when Steven Adams was starting, but they are still very good at collecting their own misses. They have size, length, and athleticism, and can dominate games on that end. The Clippers are a fine defensive rebounding team but will need to really hone in on the glass – if you force the Rockets into just a single shot, they aren’t going to generate a ton of good offense.

Clippers vs Rockets Preview: Another Tough Road Game
Robert Flom

The Clippers are traveling from sunny California to frigid Minnesota and will face a corresponding scale-up in level of opponent compared to the hapless Kings.

Game Information

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

When: 12:00 PM PT

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

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Brook Lopez

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

Injuries

Clippers: Darius Garland Out (Toe), Bennedict Mathurin Out (Trade), Isaiah Jackson Out (Trade), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

Wolves: Terrence Shannon Jr. Questionable (Foot), Ayo Dosunmu Questionable (Trade), Julian Phillips Questionable (Trade)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are coming off a win on Friday night against the Kings that was not as easy as one might think. The shorthanded Clippers largely struggled on offense, particularly in the first half, before putting the Kings away down the stretch. They are still going to be without several key players in this one, and are facing a much, much tougher opponent in the Timberwolves. Kawhi Leonard and John Collins are playing great and will need to be on point against a Wolves team that plays two big men at nearly all times. The good news is that Kris Dunn has historically been one of the best Anthony Edwards defenders in the NBA, and if he continues that trend tonight the Clippers should have a real chance at pulling off the upset.

The Antagonist

The Wolves have had a rollercoaster of a season, mixing together stretches of dominance with some utterly baffling losses. They had one of those defeats on Friday, prompting Rudy Gobert to call out the team’s effort – and more specifically, the effort of the leaders (Julius Randle and Edwards). The Wolves’ coach, Chris Finch, pushed back on that criticism on Saturday, which probably didn’t make Rudy happy. In short, despite having a very good record and underlying metrics, there are some bad vibes and interpersonal tensions. Still, the Wolves might have their new pieces ready for action, and are just a much more talented team than the Clippers at this point.

Notes

Kobe Converted: Yesterday, news broke that the Clippers had converted Kobe Sanders’ contract from a two-way deal to a full minimum contract with a team option for next season. Outside of rewarding Kobe for his play by giving him more money, the Clippers will be able to keep playing Kobe (he was near the end of his limit for games played as a two-way guy) going forward. It’s nice to see this for Kobe, who has had ups-and-downs but has been quite reliable in general for a late second-round rookie. Hopefully he can keep up his play as the second half of the season progresses.

Clippers vs Timberwolves Preview: An Icy Visit to Minneapolis
Robert Flom

The Clippers have completely revamped their roster, but because of those trades will be very shorthanded in an otherwise gimme game on the road against the miserable Kings.

Game Information

Where: Golden One Center, Sacramento, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Amazon Prime, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Kris Dunn – Kobe Sanders – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Brook Lopez

Kings: Russell Westbrook – Zach LaVine – DeMar DeRozan – De’Andre Hunter – Domantas Sabonis

Injuries

Clippers: Darius Garland Out (Toe), Bennedict Mathurin Out (Trade), Isaiah Jackson Out (Trade), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)

Kings: Keegan Murray Out (Ankle), Domantas Sabonis Questionable (Back)

The Big Picture

Well, the Clippers had an eventful trade deadline. I already wrote about the James Harden trade at length, and will write about the Ivica Zubac deal in the next day or day, but for now, their team has been overhauled. Despite clearly shifting to the future with Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin, the Clippers still have no incentive to tank, as their pick remains in OKC’s hands. Thus, I’d expect the Clippers to continue to try to win games to some extent and at least make the play-in. I don’t think they’re going to ride Kawhi Leonard hard or anything, but they’re not going to actively try to lose games. This Kings game is one of the easiest games on their schedule in the next month, so I think they’ll go pretty hard to win this one.

The Antagonist

The Kings are really, really bad – the worst team in the Western Conference. Even worse, they were unable to dump almost any of their veterans to get draft picks or get younger – the only guys they traded away were Schroder (signed this summer) and Keon Ellis (foolishly underpaid). DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, Domantas Sabonis, Russell Westbrook, and Malik Monk are all somehow still on this roster. Thus, the Kings are in a weird situation where they have a bunch of vets but need to tank. They’ll probably win a handful of games the rest of the year, but even with a very short-handed roster this is a game the Clippers should win.

Notes

YKN Time: Something a lot of Clippers’ fans will be excited about is that the Zu trade will open up minutes for rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Early reports from Law Murray are that the Clippers intend to start Brook Lopez (yuck) and play YKN as the backup center, with newcomer Isaiah Jackson in a bench role. Honestly, even though I’m not even a huge Yanic fan, I’m not sure why the Clippers shouldn’t start him (maybe after the All-Star Break when he can get more practice reps in) with Jackson as the backup – this iteration of the Clippers is clearly on its last legs, and Brook won’t be a part of any future Clippers’ contender while Yanic and Jackson theoretically could. We will see if Brook as the starter lasts, but I’m not excited for that experience. Hopefully YKN has a good back half of the season and establishes himself alongside Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller as a rotation player going forward.

Clippers vs Kings Preview: Post Trade Deadline Blues
Robert Flom

The Clippers have a home game against the Cavs that could be extremely awkward, as the two teams just made a massive trade by swapping James Harden for Darius Garland.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Cavs: Donovan Mitchell – Sam Merrill – Jaylon Tyson – Dean Wade – Jarrett Allen

Clippers: Kris Dunn – Kobe Sanders – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Cavs: James Harden Questionable (Trade), Evan Mobley Doubtful (Calf), Dennis Schroder Questionable (Trade), Keon Ellis Questionable (Trade), Max Strus Out (Foot)

Clippers: Darius Garland Out (Toe) Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)

The Big Picture

Clippers fans were rocked Monday night by the sudden news drop that the Clips were exploring a trade with the Cavaliers to swap James Harden and Darius Garland as starting point guards. The news seemed to come out of nowhere, with the Clippers playing well and Harden fitting in snugly as the lead orchestrator and number two guy behind Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers went on to lose to the Sixers in a game that was not as close as the final score indicates. In a vacuum, the loss wasn’t a bad one: it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Clippers, and the Sixers are really good. But now, the team coming out so flat makes sense, as it’s been reported the Clippers got a whiff of the Harden trade possibility before the game started and it leaked to the media. With the trade consummated, who knows what will happen in this one.

The Antagonist

The Cavs are the team on the other side of the Harden deal, but they are coming at it from a very different perspective. After a rocky first half of the season, the Cavs have surged as of late (with Garland missing the past few weeks), and are getting an All-NBA First Team type season from superstar Donovan Mitchell. Thus, it makes sense for them to swap the injured Garland for the more durable (and frankly, better) Harden despite the latter’s age and playoff performance issues. It’s a win-now type of trade by the Cavs, who are doing everything they can to keep Mitchell happy so he signs a long-term extension with the team this summer. Maybe they think Harden will help them do that; or at least, give them a better chance of winning something this year. Outside of the Harden deal, the Cavs made another move over the weekend by trading De’Andre Hunter for Schroder and Ellis. I quite liked that deal for the Cavs, and the Clippers have to hope those guys are out tonight to make the Cavs as shorthanded as the Clippers are.

Notes

Kawhi All-Star: After all the hubbub around Kawhi Leonard not being named to the All-Star team a few days ago, it turns out the fuss was for nought, as the NBA announced Kawhi would be an All-Star after all to balance the rosters for the ridiculous new format the league is trying. Kawhi was an insane snub, so I’m glad he got recognized as an All-Star, but as for the game itself, I couldn’t care less and I’m sure most of you feel the same.

DJJ Back: Derrick Jones Jr. is back about a month after his last knee injury. DJJ is a key part of this team’s defense, and having him back in the lineup will be a huge help to a Clippers’ team that is going to be shorthanded on offense until Darius Garland is able to play. Hopefully DJJ looks good and is able to give the Clippers 20 solid minutes tonight.

No Bogi: Bogdan Bogdanovic was active the Clippers’ last two games, but did not enter either game despite the presence of garbage time in both contests. Max Christie played over Bogi in the rotation with Harden out, which to me is a pretty obvious sign that he’s going to get traded, or at least that the Clippers are shopping him heavily. The Clippers moving on from Bogi makes a ton of sense: he’s barely played this year, when he has he’s been bad, and the Clippers’ two most promising young guys play his position. Considering Bogi is on an expiring deal, the Clippers should be able to move him, the question is for what.

Clippers vs Cavs Preview: Trade Rumors Swirling
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off one of their best wins of the entire season on the road in Phoenix, but have to travel home to play a good Sixers team in a back-to-back.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Peacock, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Sixers: Tyrese Maxey – Quentin Grimes – VJ Edgecombe – Dom Barlow – Joel Embiid

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

Injuries

Sixers: Paul George Out (Suspension), Joel Embiid Probable (Ankle)

Clippers: James Harden Questionable (Personal), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)

Notes

A lot of this game might rest on the availability of James Harden. This is true of a lot of Clippers games, but tonight is even more important, as the Clippers played last night, and most of their key players logged big minutes – except for Harden, who was out with personal reasons. Hopefully Harden and his family are ok, and he’s able to go tonight. And if he can, hopefully he’s fresh and in a good mind state. The Sixers are a young and athletic team, and playing them on the second night of a back-to-back is a tough draw for the Clippers even though they’ll be at home.

Clippers vs Sixers Game Thread
Robert Flom

The Clippers can’t dwell too long on their loss to the Nuggets in their last game, as they have another very challenging road matchup tonight against the rival Suns.

Game Information

Where: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona

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

Suns: Collin Gillespie – Grayson Allen – Royce O’Neale – Dillon Brooks – Mark Williams

Injuries

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

Suns: Devin Booker Out (Ankle)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ good vibes took a hit on Friday night in an all-too-familiar loss to the Denver Nuggets. It was a classic Clippers-Nuggets matchup, with the Nuggets largely looking like the better team, getting shooting luck (Tim Hardaway Jr. went off while the Clippers missed a ton of open looks), and receiving some favorable calls. It all added up to a fairly resounding loss, but losing to the Nuggets on the road with Jokic and Murray in the lineup (the Nuggets are missing some other key players but so are the Clippers) is not a bad loss. The Clippers just need to get the Nuggets out of their brain and focus on their upcoming games, which aren’t walks in the park either.

The Antagonist

This Suns season is perhaps the most inexplicable I can remember in my 15+ years of being a diehard NBA fan. When you look at their roster, even factoring in excellent seasons from Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie, and Grayson Allen, you think of a competent, decent team. The Suns are far, far better than that, with a 30-19 record that has them tied for 5^th in the West and just a half-game out of 4^th. Not only that, but the Suns’ advanced stats would indicate they are just as legit as their record, with a 15^th rank on offense and 5^th on defense. Jordan Ott has proved to be an ace in his first coaching season and has to be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. Brooks is a fringe All-Star this season, Mark Williams has been healthy, Gillespie has been a steal, and Allen, Royce O’Neale, and Jordan Goodwin have provided solid role player contributions. It must be said that the Suns have had excellent health: outside of Jalen Green (who stinks), the only one of their top players who has missed real time is Grayson Allen, who has still played in 32 games. The rest of their top nine players in minutes per game have all logged at least 41 (out of 49) games played. Still, it’s been an incredibly impressive season by the Suns, who play hard, play cohesively, and are tough as nails.

Notes

Match the Toughness: The Suns have punked a lot of teams this year, and while the Clippers have had good teams in the Kawhi Leonard era, they certainly have not always matched teams in toughness. They can’t let the Suns bully them with physicality. There’s not much in Xs and Os here: the Clippers have to stand their ground, be physical with the Suns, and demonstrate more energy than they did against the Nuggets, when they lost 80% of the 50-50 balls. The Clippers are old and slow so they generally don’t do well with those hustle plays, but they need to be better tonight.

John Collins Surging: The most underrated part of the Clippers’ move up the standings has been John Collins’ play. And, while there were some slip-ups on defense, Collins played quite well against the Nuggets, hitting his threes and detonating a couple of big dunks. The Suns generally play on the smaller side, so this is a matchup that Collins should be able to do some damage inside as a scorer and rebounder. It would be great to see him continue his strong play on the road against a division opponent.

Clippers vs Suns Preview: A Tough Divisional Matchup
Robert Flom

The Clippers continue their road trip in Denver, the start of a brutal stretch that will last for all of February.

Game Information

Where: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

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

Nuggets: Jamal Murray – Jalen Pickett – Peyton Watson – Spencer Jones – Jonas Valanciunas

Injuries

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

Nuggets: Nikola Jokic Out (Knee), Cam Johnson Out (Knee), Aaron Gordon Out (Hamstring), Christian Braun Doubtful (Ankle)

The Big Picture

The Clippers cleaned up against the easy part of their schedule, moving all the way up to 22-24 as the calendar creeps towards February. They won as they have for the past five weeks, powered by Kawhi Leonard’s two-way superstardom, James Harden’s offensive orchestration, Kris Dunn’s defense, John Collins’ energy, and the injection in youth from Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller. The Clippers have moved their Net Rating all the way to a flat 0.0, a huge accomplishment considering how underwater they were at their lowest point. The Clippers’ offense has remained good (12^th, where it’s been for a bit) while their defense has moved up to 20^th. The Clippers have moved all the way firmly into “serious team” and are getting talked about like it. They’ve come a long way.

The Antagonist

The Nuggets have not only remained afloat without superstar Nikola Jokic, but have thrived. They’ve gone 9-6 since their best player went down, and while their schedule in that time was quite easy, it’s still an impressive record considering they were not only without Jokic but without large chunks of their rotation for much of that stretch. Peyton Watson has broken out from a decent depth rotation player to starting-level force, and his jump is probably the most important of any of the Nuggets’ guys. Other fringe players like Jalen Pickett and Zeke Nnaji have played well too, with the Nuggets getting unusual contributions on most nights to pull off one surprising win after another. Jamal Murray is rightfully going to earn his first All-Star berth, as the Canadian guard has put together by far the best regular season of his career. Really, the Nuggets this year have shown just how much more than Jokic they are.

Notes

Go Hard: The Clippers have done a good job at not playing down to the level of opposition during their winning run, and will have to continue that mindset tonight. The Nuggets, of course, are well above the Clippers in the standings, but are missing a bunch of players, which has caused many opponents to take them too lightly. Nobody should be more familiar with the Nuggets than the Clippers at this point, so I’d hope this is not a concern, but still. A flat start could give the Nuggets life at home at altitude, and that’s not what the Clippers need.

Clippers vs Nuggets Preview: Fight in the Mile High City
Robert Flom

The Clippers are on the road in Utah for their last easy game before their schedule gets really tough heading into the All-Star Break.

Game Information

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

When: 7:00 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

Jazz: Isaiah Collier – Svi Mykhailiuk – Ace Bailey – Lauri Markkanen – Kyle Filipowski

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Knee), Kris Dunn Questionable (Ankle), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hamstring), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)

Jazz: Lauri Markkanen Questionable (Conditioning), Jusuf Nurkic Doubtful (Illness), Walker Kessler Out (Shoulder), Keyonte George Out (Rest), Georges Niang Out (Foot)

The Big Picture

The Clippers secured one of their easiest wins of the season on Sunday, leading wire-to-wire against the hapless Nets to move to just three games under .500. It’s been a rather remarkable turnaround by the Clippers, whose 15-3 stretch in the past 18 games required me to eat my words live on podcast last night. There was a bit of a scary moment in that game when Kris Dunn hobbled to the locker room, but he was available to return if needed and is questionable for this one, so any sort of long-term injury appears to have been avoided. The Clippers have a rotation they are comfortable with and starting to get a rhythm, and hopefully can remain healthy through the All-Star break to keep their momentum going.

The Antagonist

The Jazz’s hot start to the season probably feels like a lifetime ago for their fans. The Jazz have continued to slip down the Western Conference standings: they are now firmly in 13^th place (4.5 games of 12^th) and are just four games up on the last-seeded Pelicans. Considering the Pelicans have no incentive to tank this year and the Jazz have every reason to tank, it seems likely that the Jazz fall to 14^th or 15^th in the West (the Kings should tank but who knows what they’ll do). Keyonte George is having a monster season but continues to sit out games, as does Lauri Markkanen, and the rest of the roster does not have enough offensive juice to drive consistent winning. Keep an eye out for Brice Sensabaugh, who can go on heaters where he looks unguardable.

Notes

Get the Win: Similarly to last game against the Nets, this is a game that the Clippers just have to win, regardless of how banged up they are themselves. The Jazz are clearly trying to tank, and while they have young talent, the Clippers should be able to punish them in all facets of the game. As long as the Clippers don’t turn the ball over like crazy and let the young Jazz get out in transition, they should be fine. Just play smart, play hard, and get the dub before the schedule gets hard.

Clippers vs Jazz Preview: Last Easy Game for a While
Robert Flom

The Clippers will look to continue their winning ways at home with a contest against the tanking Nets.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 6:00 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Nets: Egor Demin – Drake Powell – Michael Porter Jr. – Noah Clowney – Nic Claxton

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

Injuries

Nets: Haywood Highsmith Out (Knee), Cam Thomas Out (Ankle), Nolan Traore Out (Illness), Noah Clowney Doubtful (Back)

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

The Big Picture

The Clippers are, somehow, just four games under .500 as we rapidly approach the trade deadline. They are still in 10^th place in the West (with the Grizzlies and Mavs lurking behind them), but have closed the gap on the 9^th place Blazers to two games (one loss), the 8^th place Warriors to four games (three losses), and the 6^th place Suns just 6.5 games (six losses). A true run into the playoff picture remains unlikely, but the window is still cracked open for the Clippers. The schedule is about to get much, much harder (more on that below), so the Clippers’ stacking wins in January was needed. Let’s see if they can keep that momentum going forward, especially if they’re able to remain mostly healthy during the second half of the season.

The Antagonist

After being fairly frisky for the first couple months of the season, the Brooklyn Nets (wisely) have revved up the tanking engines. The Nets have lost four in a row and nine of their last 10 to fall to the third-worst record in the East and fifth-worst in the NBA. Considering this is the last year they own their pick for several years, they were always going to tank at some point. Veterans like former Clipper Terance Mann are getting moved out of the rotation or towards the fringes in favor of prospects (the Nets are playing four rookies big minutes right now), with those vets likely to be shipped off by the trade deadline in less than two weeks’ time. Michael Porter Jr. is still starting, which means the Nets have an All-Star playing big minutes, but it’s clear they are ready to start losing a lot of games. Hopefully the Clippers can oblige.

Notes

Cleaning Up: The Clippers really need to win this game (and their following game against the Jazz on Tuesday), because the schedule is going to get real hard, real soon. After that Jazz game, 11 of the Clippers’ next 12 contests are against playoff teams, and a whole bunch of those games are on the road. The entire month of February is a gauntlet, though the All-Star Break will be huge for the old Clippers to get their legs back under them. Things lighten up again in March, but the Clippers will have to stay attached in February to keep postseason hopes alive. Winning these next two games will get the Clippers to just two games under .500 and hopefully allow some breathing room even if they string together losses in February.

Trade Target: Day’Ron Sharpe is someone I have my eyes on as a Clippers’ trade target. The 25-year-old big man has been one of the better backup centers in the league for 2.5 years now, and is on a cheap contract the Clippers could easily match with Brook Lopez or Bogi (plus some second-round picks) without giving up a first-round pick. Sharpe is an incredible offensive rebounder who would bring much-needed physicality to the Clippers’ bench unit. I don’t think he’d cost a first and is under contract with a team option for next year that would still fit into the Clippers’ cap space plan.

Paper Eating Time: Most of you reading this probably know about this, but I made a bet of sorts on Twitter that the Clippers would not go 15-3 at any point in this season. Or rather, that I’d print and eat the Tweet if they would do so. Well, if the Clippers win today they will have gone 15-3 in their last 18 games, which would make it time for me to eat paper crow. If this does happen, I’d arrange a public viewing of the eating at some time in the near future.

Clippers vs Nets Preview: Get the Win At Home
Robert Flom

The Clippers return home to face off against their hated rivals, the cross-town Lakers.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Prime Video, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Lakers: Luka Doncic – Marcus Smart – Jake LaRavia – LeBron James – Deandre Ayton

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

Injuries

Lakers: Austin Reaves Out (Calf), Adou Thiero Out (Knee), DeAndre Ayton Questionable (Eye)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Knee), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hamstring), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ win streak was snapped on Tuesday against the Bulls, but the loss was one of those schedule losses that don’t change my opinion on the team much at all. The Clippers have been traveling a lot in January, were playing without Kawhi Leonard, and ran into a Bulls team that was lights out from three. Yes, the Clippers were sloppy on both ends, but it was a perfectly excusable loss. However, with where the Clippers are at in the standings, even excusable losses hurt, especially with the teams around them in the Western Conference all playing pretty well too.

The Antagonist

The Lakers have won their last two games to improve to 26-16, but it’s not sunshine and roses in Lakerland. A big article came out on their ownership squabbles over the years on Wednesday (worth a read), Austin Reaves is still out (though back soon), and the Lakers’ supporting cast remains underwhelming. Incredibly, despite being 10 games over .500, the Lakers have a negative net rating, largely due to an abysmal defense. Still, they have a high-powered offense, and Luka, Reaves, and LeBron are clutch-game gods, which makes their record in the clutch somewhat less fluky. They aren’t a title contender, but they’re a decent team nonetheless, and Luka is still Luka.

Notes

Attack, Attack: The Lakers defense is very bad. The Lakers, much like the Clippers, are old, and slow, especially on the perimeter, and are suspect to giving up big games to opponents on the regular. While the Clippers do not have quick-twitch attacking guards that give the Lakers (and the Clippers themselves) so much trouble, they do have guys who can get downhill in James Harden and Jordan Miller. While the Clippers should be able to generate open looks from deep, I’d like to see those shots come as a result of consistent penetration and putting the Lakers in rotation. The Clippers have had a good offense for most of the season, and even if Kawhi Leonard doesn’t play I think they can have a strong showing against the Lakers if they come out with the right mindset.

Clippers vs Lakers Preview: Homeward Bound
Robert Flom