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Opening night of the NBA's restart in Orlando is finally here. The LA Clippers will take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the nightcap of the opener. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George vs. LeBron James and Anthony Davis their in fourth matchup of the season.
The Clippers and Lakers will tip off at 9PM EST, and there are a few things to watch going into the big game:
5. Kawhi Leonard's shooting
Kawhi Leonard shot just 12-of-46 (26.1 percent) from the field and 6-of-27 (22.1 percent) from the three point line during the scrimmage games. It wasn't a great showing by any means, but they were in games that didn't count.
Leonard shot similarly in the NBA's October preseason at just 8-of-25 (32 percent) from the field and 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) from beyond the arc. He came out on opening night against the Laker soon October 22 and dropped a cool 30 points, six rebounds, five rebounds, and two steals on 10-of-19 shooting from the field.
All this to say Leonard's scrimmage shooting percentages have been overblown, and there's nothing to worry about. Just in watching the games, it was clear that Leonard was simply running through the motions, took fewer shots around the rim, and was determined to shoot his way out of his slump.
The Lakers don't have anyone to guard Kawhi Leonard, that much is evident from their three previous matchups. LeBron James can make things difficult, but the Lakers need to save him for the offensive end.
Expect to see the usual Leonard on opening night of the restart, aggressively driving to the basket and attacking his defender in the mid-range area.
4. Ivica Zubac, Landry Shamet health
Both Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet contracted the coronavirus, and had been battling it for most of training camp. Zubac came out and played 12 minutes in the team's final scrimmage game in Orlando, but Shamet didn't participate in any play.
Not much is known about the coronavirus and how it affects lung function in people, especially athletes. These athletes are now being put through rigorous exercises. Here's hoping everything goes well from a player health standpoint.
Zubac admitted he was a little winded after his first game, but that's to be expected. Shamet, on the other hand, is someone to watch. Shamet moves off the ball a lot, trying to get open and make defenses work to keep up with him. How in shape is he? Are there any after effects of the virus? So much is unknown, but you can be sure the Clippers training staff will monitor Zubac and Shamet closely on opening night.
3. Clippers second unit
The Clippers will be without Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell for the first time all season. The two missed a game or two this season, but never at the same time. The Clippers' second unit is now something to watch.
If Patrick Beverley is cleared to play, I anticipate the Clippers will run a second unit featuring Reggie Jackson, Landry Shamet, Rodney McGruder, JaMychal Green, and Joakim Noah. There's a good chance Noah plays more than Zubac in the opener as well. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Clippers throw Terance Mann out there as well as Patrick Patterson, allowing Green to play some minutes at the center position.
All in all, today's rotations are going to look a little funky. The Clippers are missing their third and fourth best scorers, and if Beverley misses the game, things will get even more difficult for the Lakers.
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2. Who Does LeBron defend?
LeBron James will most likely want to preserve himself for the offensive end. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George do too much offensively for him to defend either of those guys for the entirety of a basketball game. Once the playoffs start, however, that might change.
As far as opening night, however, I believe that James will spend most of the night defending Marcus Morris. He may defend Leonard and George at times, but I just don't see that in the cards for James in the first of eight seeding games.
The biggest problem for the Lakers is that, with Avery Bradley already out, they have no one to defend Leonard. Danny Green could hold his own against George, but Leonard is going to exploit mismatches like he has all season long.
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1. Who is No. 3 for both teams?
The Clippers are missing their No. 3 and 4 offensive options in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. Who will be their third scorer? We could see Ivica Zubac try to score some more in the pick-and-roll. We could see Landry Shamet get in on the scoring run. Reggie Jackson has proven that he can score when required of him. The Clippers have options, and it might just take a little bit from everyone as opposed to just one player getting hot.
The same applies for the Lakers. LeBron and Davis will be their go-to scorers, probably finishing with 27-30 points per game apiece. But will Danny Green be that third scorer like opening night back in October? Will it be Kyle Kuzma, who went off in the Christmas Day game? Will it be Dwight Howard, who has the potential to go off for big nights? It could be any of those three, but it could also be a situation similar to the Clippers', where multiple guys will have to get involved offensively in order for them to win.
There are a lot of question marks entering the first game of the bubble for both teams. By the end of it, we might not even have all the answers we want. One thing is sure: Basketball is officially back, so sit back and enjoy watching the best in the world do what they do.
