The LA Clippers schedule for the NBA's 2019-20 restart in Orlando is officially out. At 44-20, the Clippers have a good chance to hold onto the number two seed in the Western Conference considering their strength of schedule. Here's who they'll be facing in the eight seeding games from July 30 – August 14.
7/30: vs. Los Angeles Lakers – TNT
8/1: vs. New Orleans Pelicans – ESPN
8/4: vs. Phoenix Suns – NBATV
8/6: vs. Dallas Mavericks – TNT
8/8: vs. Portland Trail Blazers- TNT
8/9: vs. Brooklyn Nets – NBATV
8/12: vs. Denver Nuggets – ESPN
8/14: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – TBD
When it was announced that the teams' schedules would likely end up featuring the next eight games in each's original regular season schedule, many assumed that the Clippers would face Nets, Pelicans, Mavs, Nuggets, Suns, Nets (again), Pacers, and Kings. Now, we see that the NBA has replaced games against the Nets, Pacers, and Kings with games against the Lakers, Blazers, and Thunder.
In terms of chemistry, continuity, game shape, and whatever other aspect you want to factor in, every game is going to be important for LA as the playoffs grow near. With that being said, here are the most intriguing games to watch, ranked:
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
In terms of storylines, nothing could be more fun than the Clippers taking on former players Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Danilo Gallinari. The Thunder are obviously fighting for an easier matchup in the first round of the playoffs while the Clippers are fighting to maintain the second seed in the West.
Clippers-Thunder could very well be a second-round matchup if everything falls into place as well. If that happens, you can be sure that both sides will have a little extra motivation to try and come out victorious.
In three matchups this season, Montrezl Harrell averaged 20.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists on 57.8 percent shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 49 percent shooting from the field against his former team.
4. Brooklyn Nets
The Clippers played 29 of the 30 NBA teams before the hiatus. The only team they have yet to play this year? The Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will not be present for the Clippers-Nets showdown, but Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and former Clipper DeAndre Jordan will surely give LA fits.
As the seventh seed just a half game ahead of the Orlando Magic and a a full six games ahead of the Washington Wizards, the shorthanded Brooklyn team will need at least a five-game lead over the ninth seed in order to avoid the play-in tournament.
3. Dallas Mavericks
The Clippers went 2-0 against the Dallas Mavericks this season, and did a tremendous job limiting second-year star Luka Doncic to just 40 percent shooting from the field and 15 percent from beyond the arc. Doncic did average 29 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game against the Clippers thanks to his incredible usage rate. Kristaps Porzingis fared far worse than Doncic, averaging just 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds on 26.7 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc.
Kawhi Leonard dominated the Mavs this season to the tune of 32 points, 9.5 rebounds 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on 46 percent shooting.
If the playoffs started today, the Clippers and Mavs would be locked into the 2-seed vs. 7-seed playoff matchup. A win by LA would push Dallas further away from the sixth seed and themselves further away from the third seed.
2. New Orleans Pelicans
The Clippers played the Pelicans three times this season, winning two of the matchups. None of those games, however, featured rookie sensation Zion Williamson.
Led by Williamson and Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans will be fighting hard to qualify for the play-in tournament, meaning they might just unleash all the young guns throughout the eight games.
Holiday seemingly always goes off against the Clippers. This season, he averaged 27 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.0 steals per game on 51.3 percent shooting from the field and a whopping 63.6 percent from beyond the arc. Leonard put up 32.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game on 46.8 percent shooting in their three matchups against the Pelicans this season.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
This matchup needs no introduction. Kawhi Leonard vs. LeBron James. Paul George vs. Anthony Davis. The Clippers and Lakers have faced off three times this season, and every one had an electrifying atmosphere on the court and in the stands. The fans won't be there this time around, but it's a lead-up for the highly anticipated Conference Finals matchup the two are expected to have, assuming both teams stay healthy.
This will be the first game for both teams coming off of a four-plus month layoff. Sure, training camps will help teams get back into shape, but it's impossible to replicate game shape. With that being said, I wouldn't expect any Clippers to play more than 25-29 minutes in the first game, if that. There's too much at stake to risk injury or fatigue over one game that likely won't mean much in the grand scheme of things.
In three matchups this season, Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with averages of 30.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 53.6 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. Anthony Davis paced the Lakers averaging 26.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game on 47.4 percent shooting.
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