Can the Los Angeles Clippers cover as 5.5-point favorites for their 8th straight against the Lakers?
The battle of Los Angeles begins tonight with a big western conference battle that has been dominated by the Clippers. At Fanduel, the Los Angeles Clippers are 5.5-point favorites in their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. This Clippers team is fully healthy for the first time in a very long time. They added former All-NBA point guard John Wall to an already stacked roster this off-season.
▪️ Kawhi, John Wall make long-awaited returns
▪️ Wall’s first game with LAC
▪️ LeBron and AD combined for 58 PTS in openerIt's @LAClippers vs. @Lakers TONIGHT at 10:00 PM ET on TNT. #KiaTipOff22 pic.twitter.com/qxT0tlwePY
— NBA (@NBA) October 20, 2022
Wall has not been healthy or played more than 50 games in a season since 2016-2017. The big question surrounding this Los Angeles Clippers team is not how good they are but if they can stay healthy. It all begins tonight as medium size favorites against an in-town rival.
We got our first glimpse at the new-look Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night when they were dominated by the defending NBA champions. This Lakers roster as constructed is not good enough to compete with the Clippers or any playoff-level team in the conference. Lebron James is incredible but he is unable to do what he did in his prime and that’s okay.
The issue becomes, can what’s around him play to a level high enough to at least help him out? Anthony Davis should be the best player on this team, but he has yet to take control (or stay healthy) of that role and dominate. He refuses to play the center position where the Los Angeles Lakers are more efficient. He also has lost his jump shot. According to Kirk Goldsberry, Davis is the worst shooting player over a two-year span. In order for the Lakers to be competitive, Davis has to be as dominant as he was in the bubble during their title run.
The Los Angeles Lakers were essentially dominated by the reserves of the Warriors on Thursday. Four of the five Warriors starters played under 30 minutes and when on the floor together looked unstoppable. The task is even more daunting tonight with a loaded Los Angeles Clippers team looking to make a statement. The Clippers go eight to nine deep with players who can score in numerous ways. From a matchup perspective, the Los Angeles Lakers are not in a good position. They don’t defend well and lack the depth to be able to keep up with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The return of Kawhi Leonard brings back one of the most efficient trios in the NBA. When on the floor together, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Reggie Jackson have an offensive rating of 120. This is by far one of the best among all active trios in the NBA. Another major deficiency that the Lakers have is their lack of shooting. In the season opener, they shot 19 percent on jump shots as a team.
The backcourt of Patrick Beverly, Russell Westbrook, and Lonnie Walker shot a combined 3/13 on jump shots. As the old saying goes, this is a make-or-miss league, and as constructed the Los Angeles Lakers are doing a lot of missing. Until major changes are made, this roster will continue to struggle to shoot the ball. Lebron in a recent press conference seemed a little concerned with the type of players on the roster. Comparing the roster to a football team with wide receivers that can only run one route.
LeBron James on Lakers’ poor shooting in loss to Warriors: “We’re getting great looks, but it could also be teams giving us great looks. To be completely honest, we’re not a team constructed of great shooting… It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team.” pic.twitter.com/VfqWnKcQ3D
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 19, 2022
The Los Angeles Clippers have multiple players who will make life hard on the Lakers’ backcourt both offensively and defensively. The only downside to this Clippers team is how well can they mesh together along with the allocation of minutes. I don’t see Tyrone Lue playing John Wall or Kawhi Leonard heavy minutes tonight or throughout the year. This will limit the chance of injury and keep both guys fresh going into the playoffs. The last time we saw John Wall, he was averaging 20.6 points per game, seven assists, and four rebounds. It may take time to get his legs back under him, but he is a significant addition to this Clippers team.
I think the Los Angeles Clippers are in a good position to be able to cover this number as “road” favorites. The Los Angeles Lakers have not had recent success in this series at all. They are 4-11 in the last 15 meetings and have not beaten the Los Angeles Clippers during the previous seven games. In those seven games, the Clippers are winning by a 17-point per-game margin. The Lakers will not shoot as poorly as they did in the opener, but I can’t see them making enough shots to cover this number..
Tonight will be the 232nd regular season meeting between the Los Angeles Clippers, and the LA Lakers. The Lakers have won the season series, 150-81. The Clippers have posted a current seven game winning streak against their big rival.
— Los Angeles Lakers – 17x World Champions 🏆 🧺 (@LalPeachbasket) October 20, 2022
Even with Kawhi Leonard and John Wall not playing many minutes, the Los Angeles Clippers will overwhelm the Lakers. Although my first write-up bet of the season did not go well, I’am confident we can get back on the winning side. The Los Angeles Clippers may come out slow due to a lack of playing together, but once they get it rolling, look out! I love the Los Angeles Clippers tonight and for the entirety of this season as long as they’re healthy.
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