It’s not looking good for the Portland Trail Blazers, who are continuing to trend down after a couple of embarrassing defeats. The LA Clippers are fresh off a loss but Kawhi is now back and will have the Staples Center’s raucous crowd behind them.
What is happening to the Blazers?
The 3-4 Blazers are on the heels of two straight losses. They blew a 21-point lead in Sunday’s 129-128 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and then got edged out by the Golden State Warriors bench, 127-118, with the defense giving up 36 points to rookie second-round pick, Eric Paschall.
Damian Lillard’s hot start is being wasted
Lillard, for the nth time in his career, is off to a productive start, as he is currently tallying 31.7 points and 7.3 assists per game on 49.3%-shooting.
His longtime partner in crime, CJ McCollum, has been on a funk as of late, and has shot just 35.8% in his last three games. Hassan Whiteside is averaging a double-double (14.3 PPG, 12 RPG) in just 25.8 minutes per game, which is nice, but there are concerns since he’s been dealing with various recurring injuries for the past few years.
Kawhi’s load management
The load management saga added another page on Thursday, with Kawhi sitting out the anticipated match-up against the Milwaukee Bucks and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Clippers showed resiliency without their star forward but eventually bowed out, 129-124.
Leonard’s occasional rest is huge. He’s the backbone of the Clipps’ offensive and defensive attack, registering all-around numbers of 29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game on the season.
Showing out when needed
Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell are proving to be the reliable second and third options for the Clippers, and we should continue seeing the under-the-radar tandem throughout the year. Each scored 34 points in the gutsy effort against the Bucks and double-doubled with 11 assists and 13 rebounds, respectively.
PREDICTION:
The Clippers should take this one and get back in the win column. Kawhi is refreshed and the Blazers are just all over the place right now.
