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 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 continue their homestand with a visit from the Memphis Grizzlies in a game that could have major implications on postseason seeding.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA

When: 7:30 PM PT

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

Projected Starting Lineups

Grizzlies: Luke Kennard – Desmond Bane – Jaylen Wells – Jaren Jackson Jr. – Zach Edey

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Grizzlies: Ja Morant Out (Hamstring), Brandon Clarke Out (Knee), Lamar Stevens Out (Shoulder)

Clippers: Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), Seth Lundy Out (G-League), Patrick Baldwin Out (G-League)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have inched their way up the standings, and are now sitting in 7^th place with a real shot at staying  there, or even getting into the top six. Their push has been buoyed by a resurgent Kawhi Leonard, but the base of the team, as it has been all year, has been the James Harden-Ivica Zubac combo + defense. That foundation, when juiced up with a healthy-looking Kawhi and a hot-shooting Bogdan Bogdanovic, has had some really promising moments, with their win over the Cavs on Tuesday being one of their best victories of the season. The question is whether the Clippers can stay healthy and continue building on what they’re developing here as we head into late March. If Kawhi’s defense continues to come around as well, a team that was already excellent on defense should get even better. And if Bogi can continue to shoot like he has been, the Clippers will get some much-needed spacing and scoring.

The Antagonist

The Grizzlies have been the 2^nd or 3^rd seed in the West for much of the regular season, but a middle post All Star Break stretch has seen them drop all the way to 5^th. They are only two games back of the 2^nd seeded Rockets – but also only 2.5 up on the Warriors in 6^th, and just 3.5 up on the Clippers and Wolves in 7^th and 8^th. It’s been an odd season for the Grizzlies, who have received terrific contributions from rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey, and a monster season from Jaren Jackson Jr., but also seen disappointing campaigns by star Ja Morant as well as youngsters GG Jackson and Vince Williams. This split is borne out in the advanced numbers as well – the Grizzlies are still 4^th in the entire NBA in net rating, but rank just 16^th in net rating since the All Star Break. Are the Grizz a dangerous team that could make a real playoff run or dead men walking? Or somewhere in the middle? They are one of the hardest teams to place in the league right now, but they do still have talent and are desperate for wins.

Notes

Another Big Game: We’ve said “biggest game of the season” so far about five times, but this one has an argument to be up there. The Grizzlies have been way ahead of the Clippers for most of the year, but are just 3.5 ahead now – meaning a Clippers’ win would get them to just 2.5 back. Additionally, the Clippers have the tiebreaker, so they would really be within striking distance of the Grizzlies as a possibility to climb up to the 6 seed. Obviously that 6 seed is huge, as it means getting out of the play-in tournament and a sure spot in the playoffs proper. The surging Warriors seem unlikely to slow down, making the Grizzlies probably the best bet to drop – especially with the Rockets also on a massive winning streak now. If the Clippers lose this game, however, they’d fall to 4.5 back, putting the Grizzlies out of reach. Both teams really need this game, and I’d imagine we see a playoff type intensity in this one.

Clippers vs Grizzlies Preview: A Massive Game for Playoff Standings
Robert Flom

The Clippers are closing in on a much-needed All-Star Break but have to integrate multiple new pieces into the rotation, including Bogdan Bogdanovic – who will be appearing as a Clipper for the first time tonight.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: KTLA, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Grizzlies: Ja Morant – Desmond Bane – Jaylen Wells – Jaren Jackson Jr. – Zach Edey

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Grizzlies: Cam Spencer Questionable (Thumb), Marvin Bagley Questionable (Knee)

Clippers: Drew Eubanks Out (Ankle), Ben Simmons Out (Return to Conditioning), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

The Big Picture

The Clippers got a much needed win against the Jazz on Saturday, but are in the middle of a period of reconfiguration. With only 30 games to go, the Clippers have added two seemingly core rotation pieces in Bogdan Bogdanovic and Ben Simmons, a fringe rotation guy in Drew Eubanks, and two other rostered players with Patty Mills and MarJon Beauchamp – and that’s not even counting Kawhi, who is still getting into rhythm. The question now for the Clippers is how do they work to integrate their pieces and figure out workable rotations while still keeping afloat in the highly competitive Western Conference.

The Antagonist

The Grizzlies have had an excellent season through 50 games, coming in at 2^nd place in the Western Conference (though well behind the leading Thunder) with a sparkling 7.3 Net Rating, good for 4^th in the entire NBA. Even more positively, the Grizzlies are a well-balanced group, ranking 7^th in Defensive Rating and 5^th in Offensive Rating. That they are doing all this despite injuries to much of their roster and a down season from Ja Morant speaks to the level of talent on their team and how well they’ve hit on the margins in the draft. Jaren Jackson Jr. is having a truly breakout season and has morphed into the Grizzlies’ best player. Jaylen Wells might be the Rookie of the Year favorite as a second-round pick. Zach Edey has had some flashes of domination in his minutes. The list goes on. Suffice to say that the Grizzlies are good, consistent, and a team that is right below the top tier of contenders in the entire NBA, with a real chance to make a deep playoff run.

Notes

Some Rotation Changes: Well, despite what I said above, the Clippers will not get a chance to try their full rotations in this game, or on Thursday. Ben Simmons is out for this one, but will play Thursday, as he hasn’t gotten clearance on back-to-backs. Kawhi Leonard also doesn’t play back-to-backs, so he’ll suit up today but won’t tomorrow. Bogdan Bogdanovic, however, will play this one after missing his first game as a member of the Clippers’ roster on Saturday. Thus, I’d guess the rotations will be the usual starters, with Dunn, Bogdan, Amir Coffey, and Nic Batum as the four guys off the bench and the Clippers going small. I’m curious to see how Bogdan looks and who Ty Lue plays him with in his first game as a Clipper.

Rest Advantage: The Clippers, for seemingly one of the few times all season, will have a major rest advantage in this one. They haven’t played since Saturday and have been resting at home, while the Grizzlies played last night in Phoenix. It’s a late game for the Grizzlies, who then have to travel (albeit on a short flight) to Los Angeles. Even though the Grizzlies are a very good team, this is the kind of edge that the Clippers need to take advantage of. If they can get a lead early and put the Grizzlies on their heel, the Grizz might be too tired to mount a late stage comeback. The key, of course, will be playing sharp early – and not falling behind themselves.

Clippers vs Grizzlies Preview: Bogdan’s Debut
Robert Flom

The Clippers play the Memphis Grizzlies for the first time this year, a very difficult contest on the road against the second-best team in the West.

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 – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Grizzlies: Ja Morant – Desmond Bane – Jaylen Wells – Jaren Jackson Jr. – Zach Edey

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Out (Finger), Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Mavericks: Jay Huff Out (Ankle), Marcus Smart Out (Finger), Vince Williams Out (Ankle), GG Jackson Out (Foot)

The Big Picture

The Clippers could really use Kawhi Leonard on offense. The superstar’s return remains somewhere between “close” and “imminent”, with potential for a comeback as soon as this week, but no guarantees anywhere. Until he returns, the Clippers will continue to have games like Saturdays against the Mavericks, where James Harden is taken out of things and the rest of the team can’t get into a real rhythm as a result. For as good as Norm Powell and Ivica Zubac have been, neither are playmakers for others. Kevin Porter Jr. may have been cooking as a scorer in that game (for once) but has been singularly unimpressive as a guy who can run an entire unit. Kawhi’s ability to draw two and to create consistently decent shots for himself in the midrange will help the Clippers’ offense immensely, even if he’s likely not going to be close to the rampaging All-NBA player we saw most of last year. The Clippers’ defense has held together very well without Kawhi, and will be even better when the Klaw returns. Hopefully we will see Kawhi on the court much sooner than later.

The Antagonist

The Grizzlies rank 2^nd in the West at 20-9, and their advanced stats might be even more impressive. In fact, the Grizzlies are the only team in the NBA to rank in the top five in both Offensive Rating and Defensive rating, placing 4^th on both sides of the ball. That well-roundedness is a very good sign for the team’s long-term potential, especially since the Grizzlies have dealt with numerous injuries so far and overcome them with flying colors. The Grizzlies have star-level talent with Ja and Jaren Jackson, great supporting talent, and a lot of depth. You can make arguments against their playoff chances based on their sometimes shaky shooting and Ja not being a top-10 player, but they’re a damn good regular season team and are absolutely rolling right now.

Notes

Facing Edey: There are very, very few NBA players who can make Ivica Zubac look small, but Grizzlies center Zach Edey is one of them. At 7’4, 305 pounds, the rookie big man is the largest player in today’s NBA, and presents unique matchup challenges and opportunities. His size combined with his hands and touch make Edey a very good low post scorer – he scores 11 points per game in just 20.9 minutes and shoots an excellent 62.4% from the field. There are few guys who can cover him one on one, and it remains to be seen if Zu is one of those guys. On the other side of the ball, Edey’s bulk makes driving directly at him a fool’s errand. He can, however, be exploited in the pick and roll, as he has slow feet guarding out on the perimeter and recovering on defense. James Harden has historically been a player adept at attacking slow-footed big men, so we will see if Harden can play him off the court before he inflicts too much damage on the other end.

Dunn on Ja: The game’s most important matchup, however, is probably going to be Kris Dunn guarding Ja Morant. As good as Jaren Jackson Jr. has been this season as an offensive hub, the Grizzlies’ offense goes largely as Ja goes. He is averaging 21.2 points per game (just behind JJJ at 21.4) while dishing 8.1 assists a contest. Morant is as explosive as ever while playing more under control than he did in his younger years. If Dunn can limit Morant’s drives to the rim, it will get the Grizzlies out of their paint-and-spray offense, which all too often will result in open threes for shooters such as Desmond Bane, Jaylen Wells, and Santi Aldama. Forcing Morant to take jumpers (he’s shooting just 30.9% from three on 4.8 attempts per game) is still the best way to stop him. Dunn is well equipped to guard Ja, but it is still one of the toughest assignments in the league due to Ja’s explosiveness and speed. The Grizzlies have other ways to win, but if Morant is able to get going downhill the Grizzlies’ offense will probably be too good for the Clippers to hang with.

Clippers vs Grizzlies Preview: First Look at Memphis
Robert Flom

The Clippers got back in the win column on the road, but it was probably about as hideous of a win as you’ll see them have all season.

Summary

This was an abysmally played basketball game. The Clippers were dreadful, and pulled out the win mostly because the Grizzlies were ice cold shooting the basketball and missing most of their best players.

It didn’t look that way to start. The game moved quickly early on, with both teams scoring nearly at will. The Clippers led 16-14 at the 7:05 mark, in fact, when Terance Mann picked up his second foul. In came Russ and – surprise – PJ Tucker for Mann and Harden. Harden actually came back a couple minutes later, as Ty Lue really changed up his rotations. The Clippers’ lead was as large as six, but a Russ-PJ-Mason trio down the stretch killed the Clippers’ spacing and the game was 29-29 after one.

The game rapidly went downhill from there. Every time the Clippers would string together some good possessions on offense, they’d let the Grizzlies score on the other end. Conversely, the Grizzlies kept throwing bricks, but getting offensive boards, and forced the Clippers into a million bad turnovers. At halftime, the Grizz led 59-53 because they’d taken 20 more shots than the Clippers, 55-35, through two quarters. It was just as ugly as it sounds.

The first half was nothing compared to the second half. The Clippers scored just 16 points across the first 7:30 of the 3^rd, yet made up six points because the Grizzlies scored just 10 in that time. Things were knotted up late, but a Kawhi middy, steal, and then buzzer-beating three got the Clippers up 79-74 going into the fourth.

The fourth quarter was every bit as sloppy, with Ty going without Harden and Kawhi to give his bell cows some rest. This was a bad idea, as a 9-2 Grizzlies run put them up 83-81 within 3.5 minutes. Zu came back for PJ at that point, with Harden checking in less than a minute later. The rest of the quarter was less of a dogfight and more both teams seemingly trying to lose with bad turnovers, poor rebounding, and lots of fouling. In the end, a couple big shots by Kawhi and a monster three and steal by Harden got the Clippers a hideous 101-95 win.

Notes

No Norm: Norman Powell missed his first game of the season tonight as he was a late scratch with a sprained ankle. By all accounts the injury is not serious – it’s possible he plays on Sunday, and seems very likely he’d be back no later than Wednesday. For all of Norm’s flaws on defense and as a playmaker, his scoring and shooting is important to this team, and they missed him in this one.

Hello PJ: PJ Tucker entered a game for the first time in over three months in this one. In typical PJ fashion, his only stats were three rebounds and two fouls in 14 minutes – no shots attempted at all. In the first half he played mostly alongside Mason Plumlee in a horrible unit I want to forget. In the second half, he played as a small-ball five and was ok. His rebounding (especially on offense) and defense are helpful, but he’s such a non-threat on offense he just has to play at center. Hopefully that’s the case going forward.

Slumping Plum: Mason Plumlee had six points in eight minutes in this one on 6-6 from the line. Not bad right? Wrong. Plumlee was a -5 in his time on the court, and did not play after halftime. He’s just not playing well right now, giving nothing on defense and contributing very little on offense. This is two straight games he’s been benched after one shift, and it seems possible he’s removed from the rotation soon for Tucker or Daniel Theis. Maybe he gets another few games at it, but right now he’s not in sync on offense or defense.

Clippers vs Grizzlies Recap: Ugly 101-95 Win in Memphis
Robert Flom

The Clippers will look to quickly move past their loss last night to the Thunder in a back to back game on the road in Memphis.

Game Info

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Grizzlies: Jordan Goodwin – Vince Williams Jr. – John Konchar – Santi Aldama – Jaren Jackson Jr.

Injuries

Clippers: None

Grizzlies: Ja Morant Out (Shoulder), Brandon Clarke Out (Achilles), Marcus Smart Out (Finger), Desmond Bane Out (Ankle), Scotty Pippen Jr. Out (Back), Jaren Jackson Jr. Probable (Quad), Jake LaRavia Questionable (Ankle)

The Big Picture

The Clippers had a competitive first half in their first game after the All-Star break against the rival Thunder before being blown out in the 3^rd quarter. While there were some positives, the loss also demonstrated all of the Clippers’ weaknesses – poor point of attack defense, lack of size in small-ball units, and an overall athleticism deficit. Still, despite the loss to the Thunder (and a similarly revealing loss to the Wolves before the break), the Clippers remain a very good team when their starting unit is on the floor. Its finding workable and versatile bench units that should take up the last 28 games of the regular season.

The Antagonist

Despite the extremely lengthy injury report above, the Grizzlies are actually somehow healthier than they have been in months. There were a number of games before the All Star Break where the Grizzlies had Jaren Jackson, a few two-way guys, and the rest of their active roster being 10 days or emergency signings. Now a good deal of their regular roster – Aldama, Konchar, Luke Kennard, and Derrick Rose among others – are back, giving the Grizzlies the semblance of a normal NBA team. Still, they’ve found diamonds in the rough with Vince Williams Jr., a flatout good two-way wing, as well as GG Jackson, who is an extreme chucker but can really put the ball in the hoop. They’re still missing most of their best players, but this is not a team to take lightly.

Notes

Defense, Defense: For as much focus goes on the Clippers’ offensive struggles such as Russ bricklaying at the rim, PG taking horrible shots, and Harden being too passive, their real issues have come on defense. The Clippers have continued to slip into the average at best range on defense, and there’s no excuse for that given the talent on the roster. While the Grizzlies are feisty, their entire starting lineup outside of maybe Aldama are defense-first players. The Clippers should be able to shut off the Grizzlies’ offense if they lock in. Honestly, it’s a rarity in today’s NBA, but I’d love for the Clippers to keep the Grizz under 100 points. Get the ball out of JJJ and Vince’s hands and make the rest of their guys beat you – and when GG is in, bait him into contested jumpers. For everything I said above about the Grizzlies, this needs to be a Clippers win.

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Clippers vs. Grizzlies Game Preview: Pushing Through
Robert Flom

It certainly was not pretty, but the Clippers won 128-119 going away in Memphis, with the final score looking closer than the game actually was.

Summary

The Clippers were sloppy early, with a few bad turnovers and losing Bane on a couple threes. At the 7:00 mark, they’d scored only five points, but trailed 9-5 due to the Grizzlies’ lack of firepower. At that point Russ came in, and the Clippers’ energy picked up, but so did the Grizzlies’ offense. The teams got unlocked offensively for a bit, and the score was 16-14 at the four minute mark. The rest of the Clippers’ bench came in, but that did not help their offensive woes. Kawhi’s shotmaking was the only thing working, and he had eight of the Clippers’ 23 points in the 1^st frame.

Things changed on a dime in the second period. The now usual Harden-Norm-Amir-PG-Theis unit went to work in a hurry, catching fire on offense through slick ball movement while shutting down Memphis. A 12-3 spurt got the Clippers up 6 and forced a Memphis timeout. The Grizzlies were able to start scoring again, but the Clippers made their first 10 shots in the period, highlighted by some great play from Amir and Theis. The starters checked in around the 4:40 mark when the Grizzlies cut the lead back to 7, and they started growing the lead once more. Despite some subpar defense, the Clippers led 65-53 after two, with a 42-27 edge in the period. PG led the way with 17 points, while Harden had 8 points and 7 assists.

A 9-2 spurt by the Clippers saw them go up by 19, with both sides of the court once again looking good. At that point, maybe some complacency set in, because they got sloppy – and frustrated by some non-calls. Poor turnovers and allowing Grizzly offensive rebounds kept the Grizz somewhat attached, though they couldn’t make enough shots to really put pressure on. Then, at the 5:05 mark and with the Clippers up 19, Bane stepped on Kawhi’s foot on a drive and left the game with the injury, making the Grizzlies even more short-handed. Despite this, the Grizzlies grimly hung in, and the Clippers led by just 100-79 going to the 4^th.

The Clippers kept their usual 2^nd unit in for the 4^th, but with Russ instead of Harden. The Clippers’ offense wasn’t working too well, and when the Grizzlies got the lead down to 16, Ty took a timeout and put Harden back in. Order was restored, though Harden really didn’t have much to do with it – Paul George did nearly all of the scoring for the Clippers. Even though the Clippers’ defense was bad and they gave up a bunch of offensive boards, PG was hot enough to get the Clippers back up by 20 with around 4 minutes to go, initiating a very sloppy but ultimately boring garbage time. The Clippers won, 128-119, and led from the early 2^nd quarter on.

Notes

Classic Paul George: Paul George put in a season high 37 points on a fiery 12-18 shooting performance, including 7-7 from deep a perfect 6-6 at the line. He simply could not miss, and any time the Clippers needed a bucket he was there. I do wish he’d attack more, but on a night he was on fire from deep I didn’t mind. He’s such a great three point shooter that his taking 10 threes a night should be the norm, and I’m glad he’s finally hoisting from deep consistently. This was his 13^th straight game of scoring 20 or more points, his longest streak in a Clippers’ jersey, which is great to see. That said, he had four unbelievably awful turnovers, which is what makes this the perfect PG performance.

Scorching Hot Coffey: While he finished with a +/- of -4 due to a dreadful garbage time unit that went -11, Amir Coffey had a fantastic game. He made all six of his shots, including a three, for 13 points in 26 minutes. His defense was active, with two steals, and he played typically low-mistake basketball. He’s undersized for a forward spot and his lack of rebounding can hurt the Clippers at times, but he’s just a solid rotation player who gives the Clippers a nice jolt of energy and steadiness. Glad to see him in the rotation for an extended period and playing well.

Bad Rebounding: It didn’t haunt them in this game, but some of the Clippers’ rebounding woes returned in this one. The Grizzlies collected an incredible 17 offensive rebounds, and it felt like more than that. They were quicker and more active to the ball, and the effort on the glass on a lot of possessions felt decidedly subpar. Maybe the Clippers didn’t give their full effort for this one – and it’s hard to blame them, really. But they need to make sure to tighten up the boards against better teams.

Clippers Top Grizzlies 128-119 in Sloppy Performance
Robert Flom

The Clippers will try to push their winning streak to three games against an injury riddled Grizzlies squad.

Game Information

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Paul George – Terance Mann – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Grizzlies: Jacob Gilyard – Luke Kennard – Desmond Bane – Vince Williams Jr. – Jaren Jackson Jr.

Injuries

Clippers: Moussa Diabate Out (Hand)

Grizzlies: Ja Morant Out (Shoulder), Marcus Smart Out (Finger), Steven Adams Out (Knee), Brandon Clarke Out (Achilles), Santi Aldama Out (Knee), Derrick Rose Out (Thigh)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have won two games in a row and are looking to start stringing together another long winning streak. Their stretch of strong play is now long enough to be legitimate – this team is very, very good as long as they can stay healthy. Despite their winning ways, they’re still just 4^th in the West, but have pulled to within two games of the top-seeded Timberwolves. Another winning streak and some timely losses by their top-of-the-West competitors and the Clips could be in the top two. They’ve come a long way from their 3-7 start and miserable early season losses.

The Antagonist

The Grizzlies have somehow won three games in a row, but received twin hammer blows this week with the news that Ja Morant would miss the rest of the season and Marcus Smart will be out for six weeks. Already down a number of key players, these updates essentially mean the Grizzlies’ season is over. They still have Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and a handful of role players, but they are going to be extremely bad until Smart returns at the very least.

Notes

Don’t Let Up: The Clippers already lost to a Ja Morant-less Grizzlies team earlier this season. While that team did have Smart (who made a couple huge game-winning plays down the stretch), the Clippers still should have won that game and didn’t. They can’t let the Grizzlies have hope, and should try to come out of the gates roaring hot to put them away early. The Grizzlies simply don’t have the firepower to come back from a large deficit, so if the Clippers can get a lead of 15 or so points in the first half, I’d feel confident in their ability to win. They need to win regardless, but ending this game early would make it much more comfortable.

Rotation Check-Up: After a few games where Ty Lue tried to play Hardn and Russ together more, he’s once again split them up the past couple games by bringing in Russ for Harden instead of for Terance Mann. While I get why the Clippers want to try to get Russ and Harden – and Russ alongside the Big 3 in general – to work, I think keeping them apart as much as possible makes sense. That said, if the Clippers do get up an early lead and have the game fairly well in hand, I’d be interested in seeing Ty toggle the lineups a bit. Maybe he even gives Mason Plumlee more of a shot in the rotation to see how he fits next to the new, Harden-driven Clippers.

Clippers vs. Grizzlies Preview: Get the Easy Win
Robert Flom

The LA Clippers grabbed a 117-106 win against the Memphis Grizzlies for their last game of the year.

Summary

In seasons past, when either of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George, or both, were out of the lineup due to injury, the Clippers would struggle. That had to have to be one of the reasons why the team went and got Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

The moves may have been controversial at the time, but games like Friday night proved exactly why those moves were made. Clippers fans have been on edge all week with the latest in the Leonard injury saga, but Westbrook and Harden showed why this group is much better suited to withstand an injury to one of the team’s main stars.

With Paul George struggling to get going in the first half, the tandem of Westbrook and Harden stepped up and were aggressive offensively helping the Clippers take early control of the game.

While the Grizzlies continued to hang tough and keep within striking distance, the Clippers maintained a slim lead going into the half.

Once the third quarter began, George finally found his shooting touch. His surge, including a double-clutch three-point shot to end the quarter, helped power the Clippers to a 20 point lead heading into the final period. Following the game, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue felt relieved that George was ultimately able to get into a rhythm.

“I don’t know, I’m just glad he got there,” Lue chuckled. “I really don’t remember but I’m just glad he got there.”

While the Grizzlies tried to get back into the game using a few little runs in the fourth quarter, the Clippers did just enough to hold them off and end the year on a high note. With the win, the Clippers ended December with a record of 11-2.

It’s been a major turnaround for a team that struggled through a slump in November immediately following the Harden trade. The win, combined with other results from around the league, propelled the Clippers into fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

This stretch is something that Lue had always envisioned once roles and rotations got settled.

“I give credit to our coaching staff and our players, just working through all the adversity when we lost six games in a row and just trying to figure it out. Everybody’s been putting in the work and just trying to get better each night,” Lue said. “I give those guys a lot of credit. Once we figured out our rotations, figured out how we wanted to play, and then just having to win games different ways. . .we got a long ways to go, we got to continue to keep building but we’re doing some good things and I just like our just like our attitude and where we’re at right now.”

Notes

-Kobe Brown has quietly been having a solid rookie season. After the Harden trade, PJ Tucker was the backup four but often struggled when he was on the court. That made Lue change up his rotation and essentially through Brown to the fire. He wasn’t supposed to be playing such a key role right away but he’s responded. He comes into the game, he brings energy, he hits the glass and he can knock down the three-ball off the catch. He finished with seven points and four rebounds against the Grizzlies. He is definitely an NBA rotation player and getting crucial minutes this early will only pay off in the long run.

Clippers vs. Grizzlies Recap: Clippers end 2023 on high note
David Yapkowitz