POSITIVE POST MID-MONTH SCHEDULE
March 22 @ Cleveland Cavaliers
The departure of Lebron James diminishes the Cavaliers’ status as a contender. While Collin Sexton could contribute instantly as a two way guard and Kevin Love securing the freedom he’s been craving, it guarantees the Cavaliers a playoff spot in the fairly straightforward Eastern Conference.
Additionally, the inclusion of ex-Bulls guard David Nwaba reinforces them on the defensive end. However, the void left by the exit of the Akron Hammer could prove to be sizeable. Their preceding encounters against the Clippers was determined by the dominance of the King. Losing the greatest superstar in the present generation could see them drift away from their record of 50 wins in the prior season.
Clearly shorthanded in talent in contrast to the previous year, the Cavaliers will find it laborious to stay competitive in the knockout phases. Initiating a week-long road trip, the Clippers will yearn to begin on a positive note. With the Clippers posing superior quality in all domains, they are destined to do so.
PREDICTION: WIN
March 24 @ New York Knicks
Confronting the New York Knicks for the second time in same month indicates that the Clippers would be accustomed to their style of play. Possibly redshirting the face of their franchise, Kristaps Porzingis, plays a considerable role in how their season transpires. While having reinforced their depth, they are still bereft of a bona fide scoring threat on the offensive end. While David Fizdale has established himself as a highly regarded coach in the league, coaching can only take you so far. Even the legendary Gregg Popovich was found to be lacking in the playoffs without the assistance of two-way superstar, Kawhi Leonard.
Being an away game in the Madison Square Garden, this contest may yield the Clippers a varied challenge in comparison to the aforementioned one. However, under the supervision of a championship coach in Doc Rivers accompanied by a profusion of veteran presence, the Clippers will yet again be labelled as undeniable favourites entering this matchup.
PREDICTION: WIN
March 26 @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Experiencing their most strenuous road game in March, a triumph against the Timberwolves could see the Clippers cling on to the final playoff spots.
Tim Thibodeau’s side was labelled as an outside challenger in the prior season, but his failure to develop an effective system remained the root cause behind their disappointing campaign. Constituting abundant talent, they comprise ball dominant players in Jeff Teague, Jimmy Buttler and Andrew Wiggins that could induce complications moving forward. The vain attempts of Karl Anthony Towns to out-duel a star calibre center in Clint Capela was the foundation for their non-success against the Houston Rockets. Inefficient offensive production paired by shortage in defensive work ethic were cited as reasons for Towns’ misfiring playoff series.
Replacing Nemanja Bjelica for a high level perimeter defender in Anthony Tolliver along with swapping Shabazz Muhammad and Jamal Crawford for ex collegians in Keita Bates-Diop and Josh Okogie furnishes them with younger, fresher faces for the coming season. The influence of elite rim-protector DeAndre Jordan in nullifying the effect of Karl Anthony Towns played a pivotal part in remaining competitive to the end. Futile in their attempts in retaining Jordan, the absence of an imposing rim protector coupled by delicate defensive forwards in Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris could see the Clippers log an unproductive night in Minneapolis.