Scouting the Enemy: Los Angeles Clippers
By Eric He
Before every game, Blue Man Hoop will “scout the enemy” by doing Q&As with FanSided writers familiar with the opposing team.
As the Warriors get set to play the Los Angeles Clippers in little less than 12 hours, it’s time to preview the game by scouting the enemy. Our thanks to Trisity Miller of Fully Clips, who was kind enough to answer five questions about the Clippers and the upcoming game:
1) The Clippers are 3-1 early on, but have looked rather shaky, even in their wins. What are some of the concerns surrounding this team right now?
Outside of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin being their usual selves, there’s an issue every which way with this team. Those that shone the most through the first four games of the season? Their inability to knock down open jump shots, defense, and a lack of production from the small forward position. Of course, two of these (missing open shots, small forward production) could progress to the statistical norm at any moment, but the defense? This is an issue that’s carried over from last season. You’d think a team with a returning head coach and starting five would find a way to produce some chemistry on that end, but the inconsistencies keep the Clippers from ever being one of those defensive teams you come to fear — and they may never be that.
2) With a new ownership and Doc Rivers having a year under his belt as head coach, how high are expectations surrounding this team?
Very high, and likely the highest in franchise history, though that isn’t really saying much considering the Clippers are the Clippers. Rivers wasn’t brought here to field a mid-level team who’ll max out in the second round of the playoffs. He’s expected to field a winner like he did in 2008, a task that won’t be easy with an improved Western Conference surrounding them.
3) When I did a Q&A with the Lake Show Life, I was asked how strange it was to see the Lakers struggling and the Warriors contending. Likewise, is it strange in L.A. right now to have the Clippers ruling the town?
If by ruling the town you mean being the superior team, then no it’s not really strange. At some point, the Lakers dynasty was going to stop producing championship-esque seasons and that time may have happened a bit shorter than they expected. And in that time, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have joined up, doing what many assumed the Lakers would be doing right now with a core of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and whatever star would’ve found his way to the Lakers in free agency.
And in spite of all of that, this is still a Lakers town. Even removing the championships from the equation, a 56-win season by the Clippers drew less attention than an awful Lakers team that was without Kobe for all but six games of the season. It’s amazing how they can still garner that much attention during times of incompetence.
4) What do you expect out of the Warriors-Clippers budding rivalry this season?
Blood, pain, and tears haha. No, but seriously, this may be my favorite team rivalry right now outside of Clippers-Grizzlies. They don’t like each other. Their playoff series lasted for seven seasons. Now Andrew Bogut is back meaning a Blake-Bogut altercation is bound to happen.
Honestly though, these games are far more important than they were last year. If the Clippers keep this up and the Warriors improve under Steve Kerr, the fight for the division title could come down to a tie-breaker. Fun stuff.
5) Final score prediction and why?
Gonna give it to the Warriors in a high-scoring affair, 118-109 or something like that (I suck at score predictions).