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Lakers-Clippers Preview: 1 Down, 81 to Go

By Sam Frishman

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20. Final. 0. 20. 0

Projected Starters

LAL: Jeremy Lin-Kobe Bryant-Wesley Johnson-Carlos Boozer-Jordan Hill
Clippers: Chris Paul-J.J. Redick-Matt Barnes-Blake Griffin-DeAndre Jordan

PREVIEW

Rejoice my friends for we still have 81 games. 

Last night, the Clippers struggled. Though they managed to secure a wi to begin the Steve Ballmer era, they most definitely had their fair share of early-season struggles. Even without Kevin Durant on the floor, and to a lesser extent Russell Westbrook, it took until the final seconds to escape with the ‘w’. The offense looked sluggish and unpolished and the defense seemed to take breaks during the game. In any capacity, a win is a win, and now Chris Paul and company will look forward to taking on their same-city rival: The Los Angeles Lakers.

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    • The Lakers are 0-2, losing by 18 and 20 respectively. On paper, we should walk away with a relatively easy victory; however, while this Lakers team is underwhelming, the same can be said for the Clippers thus far — Blake Griffin even called them dangerous. Both squads will be looking for redemption and a good place to find it is by topping a division rival. 

    Hopefully it was a fluke that the Clippers struggled so much last night. Tonight should be a good indicator of whether or not any worry is well placed, the same going for the Lakers. The tides have turned for the most part in LA, but the waters are not settled — Kobe’s gang walking away with the W can’t be ruled out for now. However, so far this season, the Lakers have only shot a lackluster 39% from the field with Kobe only cracking 17 of 42 shots. On the flip side, the Clipper’s dynamic duo of Paul and Griffin combined for 45 point last night; unfortunately the Clippers have only notched what is a marginal raise from the Lakers in terms of shooting percentage, clocking in at .391.

    Tonight, settle in for a high-scoring affair – both defenses have thus far been porous. On offense, again, look for both teams to score high: they may not have the best percentages, but they both manage to maintain offensive position for more than half of the 48 minutes.

    Oct 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Chris Paul (3) react to a foul call in the second half of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center. Clippers won 93-90. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

    THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR

    Lakers SG Kobe Bryant – Surprise surprise, Kobe is going to come in hot tonight. He’s gotten 50 points so far this season, so don’t expect his average of 25.0 PPG to to go down within the next 24 hours. Sitting at 0-2, Kobe is going to be looking to make a point tonight vs. one of his teams biggest rivals. Not only is he looking to redeem his team, he loves games like this: inter-divisional match-ups with a point to prove. It’s a perfect storm for him to go off tonight.

    Clippers PG Chris Paul – While Steve Nash has never been the most stellar defender, with him out it opens many more opportunities for Paul. On offense, just like Kobe, he’ll want to prove a point. As the veteran star on his squad, he’ll be looking for a double-double and a win. He’s angry and he’s ready to fight a weaker opponent, and he can definitely be more liberal of defense as he won’t have to watch the Laker’s backups like he would with an offensive superstar like Nash. This opens up opportunities for steals, double teams, and overall it just makes the game easier for Paul. Watch out for him as well tonight.

    Lakers PG Jeremy Lin – Yes, he’s Nash’s backup. While this means good things for Paul, it doesn’t mean Lin is a slouch either. In the backup role, Lin is exceptional. But when he is thrusting into a starting role he can still perform adequately; he may very well shine tonight given this opportunity. Watch out for Lin and his surprising elusiveness getting into the paint.

    Prediction

    The Clippers will walk away from this one 2-0. Kobe will be tough to contain, but the onslaught of Paul and Griffin will be a little to much for this Lakers team to handle.

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