Here are three things to look for as the LA Clippers face the Washington Wizards.
The LA Clippers looked solid in their first outing versus the Orlando Magic. Of course, there was some sloppiness to start, but the team came together to start and look like the Clipper team we knew prior to COVID-19 shutting down the season.
With the rust starting to come off, here are three things the team can do in their second scrimmage, this time against the Washington Wizards.
1. Keep building chemistry
The Clippers are missing the following players:
- Patrick Beverley
- Lou Williams
- Montrezl Harrell
- Landry Shamet
- Ivica Zubac
Four out of the five are key rotations guys and the fifth (Shamet), figures to get some good minutes throughout the postseason albeit to a lesser extent.
Not having those guys is tough.
However, given that the team has three relatively new additions in Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and Joakim Noah, the absence of the five couldn’t come at a better time.
Jackson drew the starting point guard spot on Wednesday and should again tonight. Noah also drew the starting center position and looked great in the process. The third, Morris, has already earned a starting spot even when the team is all together.
Having all three out there with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard is perfect for the team to start and get a feel for each other. Doc Rivers will be forced to toy with his lineups and get guys time on the court together that otherwise might not come naturally.
The more players that can get out there and work together, the better.
2. Reps for PG and Kawhi
Speaking of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers need to make sure they are getting their reps in.
Paul George looked great in the opening scrimmage, scoring 18 points in just 19 minutes. He shot 6-13 from the floor and seemingly backed up his earlier statements that he is the healthiest he has been in a long time.
Kawhi, on the other hand, didn’t look bad but wasn’t great. He scored just nine points in 19 minutes and shot just 3-8 from the field with all three makes coming from deep.
I don’t expect any huge games from either, especially assuming they don’t touch the court in the fourth quarter, but seeing some bursts of their elite level of play is going to always be reassuring.
These scrimmages obviously don’t count for anything but there are so few games before playoffs that everyone needs to make sure they are upping their game accordingly.
3. Stay Healthy
I mean, this goes without saying, right? As mentioned above, the Clippers are without five of their key players and we don’t have an exact timeframe of when some will be available. It does seem like Zu is on his way to the bubble with Trezz, Lou, and Bev not far behind but we cannot rely on their availability until we get concrete knowledge of their return.
In the meantime, the Clippers need to take these scrimmages cautiously. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t play at a high level. It just means be smart. If someone rolls an ankle, don’t play them anymore. Don’t play the stars or key guys in the fourth quarter.
Despite being down a good amount of guys, the Clips still have enough reserves to play without endangering their playoff rotation.
The Clippers face off against the Wizards at 5:00 PM PST.