LA Clippers look to bounce back against Philadelphia 76ers

The LA Clippers will look to add another tally to the win column tonight when they host J.J. Redick and the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s a well-known fact that every team can benefit from a good shooter. The Clippers certainly did when J.J. Redick was still rocking their #4. Now though, he’s helping the 76ers with his deadly three-point shooting, and LA has been left without a legitimate deep-ball shooter. That’s partially due to injury, but there still feels like there’s a hole in the offense Redick once filled.

The Clippers (5-7) will still be without the services of Patrick Beverley, Danilo Gallinari, and Milos Teodosic tonight when they tip-off in LA, meaning Sindarius Thornwell and Wesley Johnson will likely be starting. It’s safe to expect rotations similar to the ones utilized against the Thunder and Pelicans.

The Sixers (6-6) will be a lot for the shorthanded Clippers to handle. DeAndre Jordan often struggles to contain shooting bigs like Joel Embiid, and the high-flying ROTY candidate Ben Simmons could certainly have a big game. Philly also has the third-highest pace in the NBA, which could mean certain doom for LA. They’ve struggled to prevent points off turnovers and transition buckets all year.

If the Clippers want to win, they’ll have to do so with defense. Despite starting the season with one of the best defensive ratings in the league, they’re now ranked 23rd and on the decline. This can almost certainly be attributed to their schedule, as LA started out the season against some of the worst teams the Western Conference has. Yet recently, they’ve gone up against the likes of the Golden State Warriors, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Injuries have also contributed to the defensive weaknesses, but there’s no doubt that certain players need to step up.

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