Clippers vs. Lakers: Keys Matchups to Watch in Battle of LA
Plenty is at stake in the NBA's latest battle of LA on Friday when the Clippers take on the Lakers. The typically dominant team in this rivalry is in danger of slipping to 0-3 start in the 2012-13 season, while the Clips looked stellar in their opening win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Injuries to multiple superstar players are hampering the Lakers at the moment, making this meeting perhaps tilted in the advantage of its typically inferior crosstown opponent.
Here are the key matchups to watch for in this crucial early-season showdown at the Staples Center, including which team has the edge in each.
Chris Paul vs. Lakers PGs
A leg injury suffered in Portland limited point guard Steve Nash to just 16 minutes in the Lakers' second game.
The official SportsCenter Twitter has the latest on Nash's dubious status for Friday night:
".@lakers G Steve Nash doubtful Friday vs Clippers (lower leg contusion)
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 1, 2012"
In light of that information, it will likely be Steve Blake who starts in place of the two-time NBA MVP. To call that a mismatch opposite Paul would be a massive understatement. CP3 is arguably the best point guard in the entire league, which will give the Clips a huge edge in this one.
Unless Chris Duhon can come off the bench and really provide a spark, look for Paul to have a huge game. Even if Nash somehow is able to lace up, his mobility sounds like it will be extremely limited.
Nash is already a liability on defense, but would be even more so while playing through an injury. It's pretty clear which team gets the advantage here.
Edge: Clippers
Dwight Howard vs. DeAndre Jordan
Both big centers have been offensively efficient to begin the season, which is at least somewhat uncharacteristic for both. The only problem for D12 is that he fouled out of the opener after 38 minutes and racked up five fouls against the Blazers.
Jordan displayed efficiency from a shooting standpoint, but was extremely reckless in other regards. Not only did he register four fouls in 23 minutes, but he somehow turned the ball over a whopping nine times in that span.
That is one of the reasons Howard definitely gets the nod here, other than the fact that he's probably the best center in the NBA. Former Laker Andrew Bynum is the only one who really rivals him at this point.
As dominant as Jordan can be at least defensively at times, he hasn't proven that he can be consistent enough to sustain it for any extended period of time. Against such a formidable opponent as Howard, it will be all the more difficult for him to secure the ball.
The Clippers ultimately overcame 22 turnovers to win their first game, but such sloppy play facing the likes of Mike Brown's defense won't result in a second consecutive victory.
Advantage: Lakers
Lakers Bench vs. Clippers Bench
Newly acquired guard Jamal Crawford shot 10-of-14 from the field and scored a game-high 29 points in his LA Clippers debut. Not too shabby.
Lamar Odom also presents a nightmare defensively for the Lakers, who will likely have to guard him with either Pau Gasol or Antawn Jamison should the Clippers continue to use a small lineup with Odom at the 4.
That spells trouble for the Lakers, unless their players can diagnose Odom's tendencies since he was a longtime teammate of many of his Friday evening opponents.
Kobe Bryant's all-world defense will likely put the clamps on Crawford much better than the Grizzlies did. But Jamison and Gasol have no prayer of staying in front of Odom. It's hard to believe, but at this point the Clippers are deeper than the Lakers, particularly if Nash is sidelined.
Backup Clips guard Eric Bledsoe should use his superior quickness to take advantage of the slower Lakers counterparts he will face in the second unit, whether he's lined up at the 2 or running the point.
So even if Bryant can lock up Crawford, Vinny Del Negro's Clippers clearly have other areas to exploit mismatches.
Advantage: Clippers
