NBA Prediction: Clippers vs Lakers
Prediction
Clippers vs. Lakers, the “home” club, will square off in the season opener as the two tenants of the Crypto Arena. With Kawhi Leonard’s almost two-year exile from the team now over and the addition of John Wall via a deal with Houston. The Clippers have emerged as a popular favorite to reach the NBA Finals this season. After a severe beating against Golden State. The Lakers’ season got off to a rocky start. It all starts at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
For the Clippers, enthusiasm in Los Angeles is at an all-time high. Clippers the other team in Los Angeles, have a quality squad with their star player Kawhi Leonard. Back while the Lakers continue to tinker with a group that seems to lack cohesion. Early indications in the 2017 preseason suggest that The Claw may be back in form after Leonard missed the entire season last year due to a novel operation.
Finally, the Clippers will have one of the NBA’s most potent 1-2 punches when Leonard and Paul George are paired together. Another former all-star who has been out of the spotlight for some time, John Wall, is also being introduced by the Clippers. Wall has shown promise in the preseason while still recovering from a serious knee ailment. He’ll probably start off the Clippers’ strong second unit off the bench. The prospects for the 2022–23 Clippers are significantly higher than they were the previous year. When they barely made it to the play-in round.
NBA Players Expectation
Given that Reggie Jackson, the point guard, has a groin issue, Wall will probably start the first game. Apart from that, the Clippers are generally in good shape. The use of Leonard this season will be particularly intriguing because the all-star forward coined the phrase “load management” to describe how he rested and recovered from injuries throughout the year.
Last season, the Clippers were the NBA’s greatest 3-point shooting team, led by players like George, Jackson, and Luke Kennard. This shooting ought to make it easier for individuals like Leonard and Wall to score points at the basket. With Leonard back in the lineup, the Clippers’ scoring defense, which was rated 11th last season, should only get better. Leonard is one of the league’s top defenders.
Even though the season has only just begun, the Lakers are already looking for solutions. LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Russell Westbrook added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Anthony Davis scored 27 points, but the Lakers were outscored 32-19 in the third quarter on their way to a 123-109 defeat.
Teams Results
Turnovers and 3-point field goals were the Lakers’ two main areas of concern. LA also only made 10 to 40 three-point attempts, which is only 25%. The Warriors’ bench outscored the Lakers’ suspect bench 41-24. All in all, game one of this season appeared to have much of the issues that the Lakers endured last year.
The ease with which the Warriors were able to score in game one must be troubling considering that the Lakers finished 28th in the NBA in defensive scoring last season. The Lakers’ bench was also almost nonexistent. This will put additional pressure on James, Davis, and Westbrook as they age and become less reliable. The Lakers shot just 35% from long range last season and were 21st in the NBA in 3-point shooting. They only managed to shoot 25% in the first game, and it doesn’t seem like they have made many improvements.
Written By Daniel Murillo
Sources:
Winnersandwhiners: Prediction, Preview, and Odds
Si.Com: Kawhi Leonard Potentially Coming off Bench Against Lakers
CBS Sports: Lakers vs. Clippers prediction, odds, spread, line: 2022 NBA picks, Oct. 20 best bets from proven model
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Inset Image Courtesy of Erik Drost Flickr Page-Creative Commons License