Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers have had heated encounters over the past few seasons. It has been an entertaining sight to see these two franchises face off with each other, but the Clippers started their first matchup this season with a 30-point victory last Monday night.
That win of the Clippers is just their first one of the season as they have already succumbed to three other teams to begin their campaign. The absence of Kawhi Leonard has been very evident as Paul George has a difficult time carrying the offensive load for the Clippers.
Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris have not performed at the expected level of their play, while Serge Ibaka has yet to even play a second this season. As the Clippers look to obtain their second victory, here are four bold predictions for their matchup with Portland.
Four Clippers predictions vs. Blazers
Paul George will have another superstar performance
George is playing like he is suiting up for the Indiana Pacers once again. As a catalyst on both sides of the court, George has been averaging 24 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4 APG and a whopping 4 SPG. Even with his lackluster performances in the playoff stage with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Clippers, George is looking to revitalize his game and prove that he is still a top 10 player in the association.
Playing Portland for the second time this week, they do not have the perimeter defense to likely limit the production of George. The injury of Norman Powell and the abysmal start of Larry Nance Jr. are two other main concerns with the wings of the Blazers. George will have another monster performance, which will hopefully translate to the second victory of the Clippers.
Terrance Mann will be able to contain Lillard or McCollum
When Stephen Curry exploded for 25 first quarter points against the Clippers last Thursday night, coach Tyronn Lue decided to play Terrance Mann for 39 minutes in that game as he defended Curry relatively well in the latter part of the game. In their Blazers matchup, Lillard immensely struggled to find his rhythm because of the defensive schemes of Lue.
Article Continues Below
Lillard will look to adjust and score over 30 points in their second game, but Mann will likely rack up a ton of minutes for him to stick to either McCollum or Lillard. Mann would usually defend the best player, but McCollum has been scorching hot to start the season with his reliable outside shot and quick handles. It's up to Lue on who Mann will defend, but he will likely force them to tally less than their usual production.
Luke Kennard will have another great shooting night
Luke Kennard was acquired by the the Clippers last year to bolster their long range abilities, but he has been in and out of the lineup in the crucial games of the squad. They even signed him to a 4 year, $64 million extension, but he has not lived up to his expectations as of yet. His shot attempts and touches have been severely limited compared to his stint with the Detroit Pistons, thus prompting the dip in his production.
With the absence of Leonard, Ibaka, and Morris, Kennard has seen an uptick in minutes, but he has only had sensational game which was against Portland. With this second game against the Blazers, Kennard will have the green light once again to rekindle his shooting abilities. If Kennard has another superb night, it may be the springboard for him to consistently become an integral piece of their rotation.
Clippers will have a subpar 4th, lose to Portland by single possession
The Blazers came off a blowout win over the Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies franchise, thus the momentum is on their side for their tilt over the Clippers. When the game is tight, the Clippers do not have a plethora of options compared to Portland that has the tandem of Lillard and McCollum.
Lillard is known to elevate his game in the clutch even in an off night. The defense of Portland has been a question mark for many years, but the lack of offensive power in L.A. may balance out the playing field for their game on Friday night. It will be tight-knit and nip-and-tuck affair, but Portland has the upper hand with the objective of tying the season series at one game apiece.
