Hanich Panic: LA Clippers Chasing for a Top Seed
With 10 games left in the regular season, the LA Clippers look like to be in top form at the right time. Shooting guard/small forward Paul George is having a stellar season, power forward Marcus Morris Sr. is rising as the third star, and Ty Lue is passing many tests in his first season as head coach.
Going into the game tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans, the LA Clippers have to be cautious with injury concerns and fatigue.
This NBA season has been brutal with some of the top star players in the league suffering nagging injuries to major injuries. The Clippers have already been hit significantly with the foot concerns of small forward Kawhi Leonard, back problems of center Serge Ibaka, and the left-hand fracture of point guard Patrick Beverley.
The Clippers have the best record since the All-Star break with a 19-5 record; they’ve own nine of the last last 10 games. They have been playing highly efficient and dominant on both ends of the court. LA is ranked sixth in the league in points per game (114.9) and fifth in points allowed per game (108.1). They have the second-best point differential in the league, only behind the Utah Jazz.
Paul George is playing some of the best basketball of his career this season, and he is playing even better as the NBA playoffs are approaching. George is averaging 24 points per game (19th in the NBA) shooting 42.9% from the three-point arc (13th in the NBA). In the last eight games he has played for the Clippers, George is averaging 32.9 points per game shooting 52.7% on field goals, 44.3% from the three-point arc, and 88.1% from the free-throw line. He has also averaged 7.6 rebounds per game, 5.4 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game.
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Marcus Morris Sr. has been solid for the Clippers especially with Leonard dealing with his foot injury. The Clippers are 16-4 with Morris as the starting power forward. During these 20 games, Morris has averaged 16.9 points per game, shooting an outstanding 51.7% from the three-point arc and a 50.4% field-goal shooting percentage. Morris has always been an effective three-point shooter but he continues to get even better as the Clippers are approaching the NBA playoffs.
The roster for the Clippers is loaded with hungry and energetic players that want to win and continue to build the strong chemistry they have built together this season. Each player takes turns contributing and being the player to help lead the team to a win. Shooting guard Luke Kennard and guard/forward Terance Mann are young players that have been waiting to become needed players night-in and night-out.
Power forward Nicolas Batum and point guard Rajon Rondo are excellent new additions to the Clippers. Even center DeMarcus Cousins, who was re-signed for the rest of the season, has been a productive rotation player. Cousins has already developed great chemistry in the locker room and with coach Lue.
While the performance on the court has been great since the All-Star break, the Clippers can’t afford a setback. They are two games back from the first-place ranking in the Western Conference. The race for the top spot of the Western Conference is on, but it is all about the opponents that we will face when the playoffs start. Currently, the Clippers are the third seed and would be playing the Dallas Mavericks, who have beaten the Clippers two of the three times this season.
The good news is that LA only has 10 games left while both Phoenix and Utah have 12 games left. Phoenix has eight away games left and is on a two-game losing streak. Jazz star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell is set to miss one more week due to an ankle injury. Utah’s last game to the Minnesota Timberwolves showed their vulnerability.
The most important aspect for the Clippers is that they remain healthy for the remainder of this brutal season for the NBA playoffs. Leonard has missed seven of the last eight games for the Clippers due to foot soreness. Rondo is day-to-day with wrist injuries. The Clippers have also put George, Morris, Batum, and Kennard on rest occasionally after multiple back-to-backs or tough performances.
All of these decisions to not play these players are to ensure that they are being safe with injury concerns and fatigue. NBA players and stars are dropping like flies, it would be tough for the Clippers to start the NBA Playoffs with an injured Leonard or George.
Winning the rest of the games is important for seeding purposes. It is, however, more important to remain healthy and in great shape for the playoffs. Tonight, the Clippers are set to take on the Pelicans, who are four and a half games behind the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in playoff spot. After New Orleans, the Clippers will face four of their next five games against teams that are within the top four spots of their respective conference.
Finally, the last four games of their schedule consisting of teams like Toronto, Houston, and Oklahoma State. These are teams whose season will likely not be continuing in the playoffs.
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Better safe than sorry for the remaining games when it comes to the health and safety of our players. If the Clippers can be careful with injury concerns while securing the top one or two seed in the Western Conference, then it is a win-win.