Los Angeles Clippers Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for December
After a middling 8-5 start, the Los Angeles Clippers head toward December with an important task ahead. Doc Rivers' group led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin needs to assert itself as one of the premier teams in the Western Conference by stringing together wins in bunches.
To this point, the Clips haven't been able to do that.
Their longest win streak stands at two. Fortunately, as the holidays near, the schedule-makers were in a giving mood.
In a five-week month, the Clippers have several stretches where win streaks are not just possible, but likely. We'll explore those in a moment.
What's most important here is that December is the month where fans, analysts and everyone in between start paying a little more attention to the standings. Teams are beginning to separate themselves, and the Clippers have made no mistake about the fact they are chasing a title.
Here's an outlook of what's in store for the boys in red, white and blue.
Week 1: December 1-7
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Anthony Davis will bring his otherworldly wingspan and superior athleticism to Staples Center on Dec. 6. That's when the upstart New Orleans Pelicans will close out a stretch of three winnable home games for the Clippers in Week 1.
Before that, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic will pay Hollywood a visit. They'll be looking to disrupt the home team's chances of winning three in a row.
They'll be unsuccessful. The young squads will prove they're not ready to upset the Clippers on the road. Los Angeles' star-studded cast will be able to put these upstart teams away with relative ease.
Minnesota lost its best player in Kevin Love over the offseason, and it shows. The T-Wolves rank 29th out of 30 teams in defensive rating with a mark of 114.1 points per 100 possessions. That doesn't bode well for stopping the Clippers' diverse offensive attack on the road.
The opposite holds true for the Magic. They struggle to score with a 100.8 offensive rating. That places them 26th overall and in a difficult spot when it comes to matching the Clippers' output.
Los Angeles' toughest task will be to slow down Davis, who's proven to be one of the best players in the league in his third season. He'll test Griffin often on both ends of the floor with his ability to protect the rim and put pressure on opposing defenses.
But Davis doesn't have the supporting cast necessary to match Los Angeles at home. It'll be a good one, but the Clippers will still come out on top and complete an early sweep.
Prediction: 3-0
Week 2: December 8-14
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Los Angeles will finish a four-game home stand against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 8 to start the week. Next, it will head to the Hoosier State to take on the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 10.
Before they head back to the Midwest to face the Milwaukee Bucks, however, the Clips will have a marquee matchup against John Wall and the Washington Wizards on Dec. 12. The matchup between point guards alone will be worth the price of admission.
On a road trip that should see the Clippers come out above .500, the first leg of a back-to-back could prove to be the most difficult among them against Washington.
The first installment of Paul vs. Wall on the road will be their lone slip-up this week.
Phoenix will have trouble containing both DeAndre Jordan and Griffin underneath. Jeff Hornacek's squad ranks 28th in personal fouls, a metric that will prove troubling when matched up against the Clips' front line.
Without Paul George, the Pacers won't have a scoring threat that can threaten the Clippers' defense enough to come out on type. Milwaukee is a young group still looking to find its NBA footing and should be an easy opponent for Los Angeles to overtake.
Prediction: 3-1
Week 3: December 15-21
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In perhaps the most friendly stretch of contests in the month, the Clippers will have three home games surrounding a lone excursion to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Nuggets. Though Ty Lawson and Co. are only 6-7 through 13 games, the Rocky Mountains are always a tough scene for opponents.
Even still, the Clippers will find a way to come out on top.
The three home games will pit L.A. against the Detroit Pistons, Pacers and Bucks, who each sit at .500 or below.
The caveat here is that both Detroit and Indiana are among the four best teams when it comes to rebounds per game with 44.7 and 46.5 per contest, respectively. That could prove problematic for Rivers' team.
The Clippers are deficient in that area, averaging 37.4. Only the Miami Heat rank worse.
But Los Angeles has enough to overcome all of that with its veteran core leading the way. Los Angeles' third-ranked offense with 111.2 points per 100 possessions has shown enough firepower to overcome their woes on the glass.
The Clippers match up well against all four teams. Despite some of the numbers working against them, they won't suffer any lapses this week.
Prediction: 4-0
Week 4: December 22-28
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On Christmas Day, the Golden State Warriors will visit Staples Center to cap off the NBA's nationally televised slate. In the middle of a brutal stretch, the nightcap on Dec. 25 will take center stage.
In addition to potentially being the most entertaining game of the day, it could have major implications in terms of the Western Conference standings.
Both squads have a legitimate chance to be the best team out West this season, and that spot could be up for grabs at tipoff.
Before that, the San Antonio Spurs will welcome the Clippers to town on Dec. 22. As if a road matchup against the defending champions wasn't enough, the second installment of a back-to-back has them traveling to Atlanta after squaring off against Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
After the Warriors game, the Clips will host a red-hot Toronto Raptors team who will be looking for a chance to assert themselves against Los Angeles' star-studded group.
Going .500 during this challenging week will be a worthy accomplishment.
Prediction: 2-2
Week 5: December 29-January 3
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The Clippers finish December with a de facto bye week against the likes of the Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and the hapless Philadelphia 76ers.
Though circumstances can change between now and then, there's no reason to believe the Clippers won't come out of this period unscathed.
With just nine wins among all three opponents, the Clippers should make quick work of each at home.
But a home matchup against the Knicks on New Year's Eve will still draw fans' attention with Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson returning to town under head coach Derek Fisher.
In the main event, the names won't mean much when the Clippers finish New York off with its dominance inside. Without an overpowering defender underneath, Jordan and Griffin could each have a nice game against the Knicks.
Prediction: 3-0
Final Prediction
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Doc Rivers is smiling because he knows the Clippers are set up for a resurgence in five December weeks. The schedule sets up for them to gain considerable ground in the standings with 12 home games and just six on the road.
The Clippers need this period to right their ship and prepare for the stretch run.
Additionally, the games will intensify after what many players believe should be the start of the regular season after Christmas. With two full months in the books, the contenders and pretenders will have some separation.
The Clippers fall into the former. They'll be among those left standing come the new year after a strong December puts them in position to go trophy hunting in the postseason.
Five-week record: 15-3
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