The Los Angeles Clippers or “Lob City” are sometimes seen as one of the most polarizing teams in the NBA. Lead by well decorated coach Doc Rivers they have managed to put together a well-balanced team with experience and skill. They have been a playoff contender for the last six years but are yet to win a championship, and their fan base seems to be close to breaking point waiting for a title. They want a ring and they want it now.
The Clippers can claim the number two spot in the Western Conference with a team compromising All-Stars Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, JJ Redick and Paul Pierce. They are a projected top five offense because of their ability to shoot the ball and shoot it well. They were ranked fifth in total offense last year and sixth in offensive efficiency (106.5). Notable players like Jamal Crawford the current NBA sixth man of the year, Brandon Bass and Brice Johnson are part of their deep bench which is productive.
The Clippers still need to get better at defense - especially in a conference with offensive powerhouses like the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder. They falter when it comes to rebounding the ball and getting stops.
But it seems that the only thing that gets in the way of the Clippers is the Clippers. They have a run of good games and then have a string of really bad games. The really bad games often happen at the time they need to win the most.
Their home opener will be against the Utah Jazz.
Utah Jazz
They are a much younger team in comparison to the Clippers but they have the potential to finish strong in the Northwest division and make the playoffs despite Gordon Hayward’s injury which will have him on the sidelines for the next 20 games of the regular season.
Utah’s strength lies in their wing depth and their top-notch perimeter defenders. This team could be defensive powerhouses especially with the Derrick Favors-Rudy Gobert duo that can dominate teams on the glass.
They upgraded the point guard position with the arrival of George Hill. Hill joins the starting lineup that now consists of Rodney Hood, Derrick Favors and the French superstar Gobert.
There is still a lot of uncertainty around the team though. Utah has not proved that they’re offense can match the best of the best and they are fairly inexperienced. Secondly the Jazz have been rocked by the injury of their starting centers Favors and Hayward. Favors has not taken part in a pre-season game so far.
An interesting matchup awaits us on the Sunday the 30th of October with the Clippers expected to edge out the Jazz.
By TheWeeklyLayUp
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