3. A Slow Start
In case you haven’t looked at the Clippers schedule, the first few weeks are tough. To couple with that, Paul George is likely to miss some time to open the season. If the Clips fall behind early on, it’s possible they could be playing catch up.
In a very strong Western Conference, falling behind early can be very problematic. The Clips will obviously want the best seed they can get, so getting stuck down in the middle of the conference early on is not great. We’ve already broken down by October and November, but in case you missed it, here’s the first few games the Clippers have:
- vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- @ Golden State Warriors
- @ Phoenix Suns
- vs. Charlotte Hornets
- @ Utah Jazz
- vs. San Antonio Spurs
- vs. Utah Jazz
- vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- vs. Portland Trail Blazers
- vs. Toronto Raptors
- @ Houston Rockets
By my count, the first 11 games come against 7 playoff teams from last season. One of the three teams who didn’t make the playoffs only has one of the best players of all time and added Anthony Davis this summer. Not great.
The Clips will have to be ready to open up the season. It helps that for all but four of their first eleven that they have are home, but in the NBA nothing is certain. Even the games we take for granted like those against Phoenix and Charlotte will be tough battles. As we’ve seen with the Warriors over the past couple years, everyone likes gunning for the perceived top dog.