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LA Clippers vs. Nuggets: It’s Time to Release The Boban

By Logan Rapp

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 17: LA Clippers huddle up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 17, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 17: LA Clippers huddle up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 17, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Heading into Saturday’s 2pm tilt in STAPLES Center, the Denver Nuggets have a four-game winning streak that they hope to keep alive against the LA Clippers. Doc Rivers will need to find Boban Marjanovic plenty of minutes to win the day.

LA Nightlife will be put to the test as the LA Clippers go up against the top team in the Western Conference. With a 10-4 home record, they will need to continue to steer out of its skid, having recently just broken a four-game losing streak against the Dallas Mavericks.

By contrast, the Denver Nuggets now have a four-game winning streak, which they recently extended against — you guessed it — also the Dallas Mavericks. (Man, sorry DJ.)

Play the heck out of Lou Williams

The biggest key for the Clippers is obviously the healthy return of Lou Williams, who went off Thursday night and helped us secure a victory and break our worst losing streak of the season thus far. He will need to be tested tonight.

In our first head-to-head with the Nuggets, we only scored a paltry 98 to Denver’s 107, with Lou pulling down 14 points on five assists. Compare that to last night’s return, where he scored 26 on 8 assists with exactly the same amount of minutes, and we’re hoping to see fully revved up Lou this game.

The Avery Bradley Experiment Needs to End

It’s done. There is not a single Clipperholic here that thinks Bradley should continue playing. Doc’s insistence that his defense has a value worth anything close to having a guy on the floor that’s had a plus/minus of -4 (vs DAL), -22 (vs POR), +4 (vs OKC), -16 (vs SAS) and -28 (vs TOR!!!!) of his last five games has broken my brain.

Avery is a good guy. I’m sure he’s really wanting and trying to contribute the best way he can. But he needs to feel the cool embrace of the bench.

We know he won’t.

Release the Boban

Boban Marjanovic has been averaging 10.9 minutes per game, and he’s definitely a matchup-dependent player. Against Nikola Jokic, we’re going to need legit size. Furthermore, Boban plays very well against the Nuggets, logging an efficient 18 points in 18 minutes against them in our last tilt, as well as 8 rebounds.

Those rebounds will be key. Not only will Bobi need to pull down rebounds for us, he will also need to deny Jokic the ability to give his team second chance points. Harrell and Gortat will be unable to do that against the 7’0″ beast of a player. Boban is going to have to do that himself.

Tobias Harris Needs To Step It Up

Tobias Harris will always contribute, even when he’s having a bad game. Tonight, he cannot have a bad game. Danilo Gallinari has of late been shooting the lights out, and for once, we need Tobi and Gallo to turn it on and make it difficult for the Nuggets to focus on any one weapon.

The Nuggets have three starters out — we need to capitalize on that and have enough weapons on the floor to overwhelm Denver’s defense.

Injuries

Clippers: Luc Mbah a Moute is still OUT (knee), Jerome Robinson is still OUT (foot).

Nuggets: Gary Harris is OUT (hip), Isaiah Thomas is OUT (hip), Michael Porter Jr. is OUT (back), Jarred Vanderbilt is OUT (foot), Will Barton is OUT (hip), and Paul Milsap is OUT (Toe).

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