How Much Does the 2019 Preseason Matter for the LA Clippers?

After a busy offseason for the LA Clippers, the preseason is now fast approaching. Let’s see just how crucial these games are for the team.

In any given sport, the preseason is usually brushed off as a bit of practice before the real show begins, but this upcoming preseason might just be a little different for the LA Clippers. Considering all the offseason acquisitions that need to fit in with the chemistry, this preseason will be very interesting to watch.

In an offseason absolutely loaded with promising news for the LA Clippers, the main point to focus on now is how well all the new players will fit in on the court in the red and blue. Paul George will likely have to come into the equation later on when he feels healthy enough, but there are some other players that are ready and raring to go to show off what they can do, so let’s take a look at those players and the match-ups that they’ll potentially have to play through.

Clippers Saying Aloha to Rockets and Sharks in Honolulu

In their first game back since that tough Game Six loss against Golden State, the LA Clippers will be facing off against a dominant Houston Rockets team. Most likely not in their regular-season state, the Rockets will still be a formidable foe considering their fine offseason as well. Considering that LA hasn’t won a season series against Houston since the 2014-2015 season, this will be a very crucial season series for the Clippers. If they really want to reclaim the Pacific Division title, they’ll have to start by figuring out Houston early on with this match-up.

This game could potentially be the first time in a Clippers uniform for Kawhi Leonard, Maurice Harkless, Rodney McGruder, and Patrick Patterson. That will be a tough situation to figure out considering that they all need to get the feel for playing with the returning players. As for Kawhi, his extended 2018-2019 season could potentially have him still pretty sore, so whether he’s a hundred percent or not isn’t known yet.

There’s also the draft picks in Mfiondu Kabengele and Terance Mann to put into the equation, as they need to really be up to par by the beginning of the season. The balancing act that Doc Rivers has to play will be the headliner of the preseason for LA, but factoring in Doc’s knowledge puts all four of those players in good hands. It’s not the first time he’s had to work with this much stress on his hands.

LA’s second game against the Shanghai Sharks might see some of the more crucial pieces of the last game sitting out to get well-needed rest, meaning that the match won’t mean much more than a fun international game for bragging rights. Out of the Hawaii series, Houston will definitely get some heavier attention from the new acquisitions. But, there is always the possibility that Kabengele and/or Mann come in to play one of the two international matches to gain that extra experience.

Home Sweet Home Cooking for the Clips

After finishing up in Hawaii, the LA Clippers will make their flight back to California to face off against the Denver Nuggets and Melbourne United. The good news for the Clippers is that they’ll receive a three-day break to regroup and recuperate, while the Nuggets only get a single day to get ready for the match-up after a late-game in Portland. Key players like Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet, and Patrick Beverley could all be playing in this game after being well-rested. The pattern here is pretty clear in the fact that there are some more fun international games in between the serious conference matches.

The Nuggets have become a very talented team, and the MVP worthy play of Nikola Jokic puts the cherry on top of the roster that almost dethroned Golden State at the top of the West last year. Ideally, this is another matchup where the newest acquisitions and last year’s stars get some significant time out on the court. It’s always nice to save players for the regular season, but athletes are humans too, so they need that training period that gets all the rust off from the offseason.

Then, after that hard-fought game with Denver, the Clippers move on to the fun international match against Melbourne United. They’ve been a star-studded team in their own league, but again, it’s not worth risking tiring anyone over a bragging rights match. It’s a dangerous decision to play all the newest acquisitions too much in general, as it could ruin their confidence early or the overall chemistry of the team. The LA Clippers need as much of last year’s chemistry as possible while getting their newest stars on that page with their confidence intact.

One Last Tune-Up in Vancouver

Once the LA Clippers finish at Staples Center, they’ll get another three-day break before their game in Vancouver against the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is a serious threat to the Clippers’ record, and this is a critical game for the team. Once again, however, the Clippers are lucky in the fact that Dallas has a jam-packed preseason that doesn’t see them having three days off until right before this matchup.

By now, the four new pieces and the draft picks have to play at least somewhat proficiently with the team while the returnees from last year have found their chemistry again. The LA Clippers have five days after this before the season opener back in LA, so playing all the main starters one last time wouldn’t make them too tired to do their best in-game one of the real season. Benching them would be a huge mistake, however, as that would be a long period without that crucial practice of being in an actual game, and the Lakers aren’t a team you want to take chances against this season.

Evaluation is the Key

In closing, this preseason is much more than a few practice games for the LA Clippers, it’s a great task for evaluating how all the newest players fit in with the miracle team from last season. They have plenty of time in between their preseason games, and to go along with that, they have some bragging rights international matches that could give the starters more rest in-between the most crucial conference games. If everything can go well, and everyone fits in with the team culture, this preseason could give LA a boost that could last well into the first month of the preseason.

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