Los Angeles Clippers' Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for January
The new year will bring the Los Angeles Clippers several difficult tests during the month of January. Among them will be a third meeting with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 30.
Six of the 15 games on the slate during the month will feature Eastern Conference foes. Heading into the Dec. 31 game against the New York Knicks, Los Angeles is 9-5 against those opponents.
With such a healthy slathering of games against the East in January, the Clips will look to take advantage while asserting themselves against the Western Conference. With an 11-6 record against the West through Dec. 28, continued dominance against their primary competition will be critical.
Here's a week-by-week breakdown of what to expect for the month.
Week 1: Jan. 5-Jan. 11
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The Clippers will begin a four-game week beginning Jan. 5 with a home tilt against the Atlanta Hawks. Los Angeles lost their first in the series on the road, 107-104.
In that game, forward DeMarre Carroll exploited the Clippers' porous perimeter defense and scored a career-high 25 points.
In addition, the Hawks shot 52.2 percent from beyond the arc. That included Kyle Korver's 4-of-7 performance from the three-point line.
Expect head coach Doc Rivers to make an adjustment and limit Carroll's impact this time around.
Los Angeles is allowing 99.3 points per game at home versus 103 on the road. They're more locked-in on the defensive end at Staples Center, and against a talented visiting squad, that will make all the difference in a win.
Next, they'll face the Los Angeles Lakers, who are reeling with a 9-22 record through Dec. 28. The Clippers are better in every aspect and should make quick work of their co-tenants.
In the third game of the week, the Dallas Mavericks figure to give the Clippers their most difficult test among the four. Los Angeles has yet to face Dallas this season, but given the Mavs' recent acquisition of point guard Rajon Rondo, their 22-10 record might be deceiving.
In short, one of the best teams in the league got even better with Rondo.
The former Celtic has the ability to wear down opposing point guards with his playmaking ability. Chris Paul will have his hands full in the matchup.
But the Clips will be on three days' rest and have what it takes to pull out a tough victory. They're better up front and have the guard play to match up with Dallas' strengths.
Finally, the Miami Heat come to town after the Clips defeated them on the road earlier in the season. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have little help these days.
The Heat's bench averages a meager 25.2 points per game, which pits them 28th among the 30 teams. They don't have enough firepower to contend with Los Angeles and certainly not enough up front to handle both DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin.
Only three teams average fewer rebounds per game than the Clippers, and Miami is one of them as the worst in the league with a 35.9-points-per-game average.
Los Angeles beats the defending Eastern Conference champions in this one.
Prediction: 4-0
Week 2: Jan. 12-Jan. 18
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Damian Lillard and the high-octane Trail Blazers will host the Clippers to kick off Week 2. Los Angeles is 1-0 against their West Coast rivals this season with a 106-102 win on Nov. 8 at home.
But Portland is a difficult place in which to play. The Blazers are 14-2 through Dec. 28 and average a healthy 103 points per game at home. The Clippers give up exactly that number on the road.
What's more troubling for Los Angeles is that Portland ranks fourth in the league in three-point percentage with a 37.8 mark. The Clips have allowed 8.3 three-pointers per game to opponents. They rank 25th in that metric, which doesn't bode well for their chances.
They'll drop one in the Pacific Northwest with the odds stacked against them.
When the Clippers return home, they'll have a date with LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving in their first matchup against the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers. Much like Miami, Cleveland struggles to rebound, ranking 25th with 40.8 rebounds per game and should prove to be a passable test for the Clippers inside.
As Cleveland's Big Three works to find synergy within the framework of coach David Blatt's schematics, the Clippers will find a way to overcome this talented group.
Finally, the Clips will travel to Northern California to face the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 17. As losers of seven out of their last 10 games, the Clippers will be a tough group to overcome for the reeling squad.
Prediction: 2-1
Week 3: Jan. 19-Jan. 25
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The Boston Celtics will come to town on Jan. 19 to start Week 3 with what should be an easy win against Rivers' old squad. The loss of Rondo means they're building for the future.
Los Angeles will make quick work of Boston here because of a wide talent disparity.
Next, the Clippers will get the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 22 as the two-game homestand concludes. On three days' rest, there should be little issue with defeating the Joe Johnson-led Nets. With a 33-year-old leading scorer and aging roster, Los Angeles has plenty of firepower to make this one a rout.
The Clippers will then get another three days of rest when they travel to the desert to take on the Phoenix Suns. To this point, the Clippers have had the Suns' number, going 2-0 head-to-head.
The Suns are young, well-coached and talented. They stand at 18-14 through Dec. 28.
What they lack, however, is a true home-court advantage, as evidenced by recent comments from president of basketball operations Lon Babby, via Andrew Joseph of AZCentral.com:
"I think our team stays more focused when we're in a hostile environment. And quite candidly, the games here – I think we're putting on a great product – but the games here are not as well attended as I would like and the fans aren't, you know, boisterous enough in my mind. You go other places and they can raise the level of their team's performance. That's our problem. It's not the fans' problem. It's a reality that we haven't generated the kind of – I mean, I remember last year, the Oklahoma City game, the fans won that game for us. It was just electric in the arena.
"
Case in point, the Suns are 7-7 at home at time of publication. That's hardly an advantage, and with a team like the Clippers coming in, it's a recipe for defeat.
The Clips will come out on top as they continue to give their Pacific Division rivals fits.
Prediction: 3-0
Week 4: Jan. 26-Feb. 1
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The last home game of the month happens on Jan. 26 when the Denver Nuggets bring a struggling squad to town. Los Angeles ran out of gas in the teams' last meeting in the Mile High City, which isn't uncommon for opponents at altitude.
But near sea level in Southern California, the Clippers have every means available to take care of Ty Lawson & Co. They'll need to limit his dribble penetration at the point of attack.
Lawson managed 14 assists last time around and added 10 points. They gave up 38 points in the fourth quarter and lost narrowly, 109-106.
That won't happen in Los Angeles after Rivers adjusts the defense.
The Clips then will begin a massive eight-game road trip to close out the month. They'll first visit the Utah Jazz.
Utah hasn't done much of anything well this season, but what Quin Snyder's group has struggled with in particular has been scoring. At time of publication, the Jazz rank 23rd with 96.1 points per game. They're allowing 111.0 points per 100 possessions, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
That leaves little reason to believe in their ability to upset the Clippers, even at EnergySolutions Arena.
The lights will be on in New Orleans on Jan. 30 when Jordan once again gets a tough test on both ends in facing Anthony Davis. The New Orleans Pelicans star is on his way to another All-Star appearance and has solidified himself as one of the best in the game at any position.
The Clips stifled Davis on the glass and held the center to just three rebounds to go along with 26 points. Rivers should have another game plan worked out to similarly limit him once again. Los Angeles will take care of business here and win by bottling him up.
But things will get dicey when the month ends with a trip to the Lone Star State. The San Antonio Spurs will be waiting with their home fans.
The Spurs are 2-0 against the Clippers this season. They are 10-5 on the road through Dec. 28.
Worst of all is the Clippers will get Gregg Popovic's group on the second leg of a road back-to-back. It doesn't look good for Los Angeles, and it won't end well once again. The Spurs will bring home a victory with Los Angeles coming off a grind against the Pelicans.
Prediction: 2-1
Final Predictions
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Though January features some substantial tests, the schedule sets up favorably for the Clippers to gain considerable ground out West.
The marquee game on the calendar is the battle in Paul's old stomping grounds. When Los Angeles travels to face the Pelicans, the star-studded affair with one of the best young players in the NBA won't disappoint.
Of the 13 games scheduled from Jan. 5-31, eight are at home. Also among them are eight against opponents who are .500 or worse through Dec. 28.
The Clippers are due to put together wins in bunches. They'll ring in the new year with a successful January.
Can't-miss game: Jan. 30 at New Orleans
Four-week record: 11-2
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