Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers’ Projected Starting Five:
- Patrick Beverley
- Paul George
- Kawhi Leonard
- JaMychal Green
- Ivica Zubac
- Other Notable Players — Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet, Maurice Harkless, Rodney McGruder
Yes, the Clippers are deep. Yes, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George rival LeBron and AD for top NBA duo. Yes, Kawhi drove a cold stake through the hearts of every Sixers fan a couple months ago. This matchup is loaded.
Few teams are better equipped to handle Philadelphia. Kawhi and PG are both top-end defenders. We have seen first-hand how effectively Kawhi shuts down Ben Simmons. PG has the size and instincts to put clamps on Tobias Harris.
If anything, the Clippers will defend the crap out of the perimeter. Beverley is a stellar on-ball defender in his own right and can give Josh Richardson problems, even with a large size disadvantage.
Where things swing back in Philadelphia’s favor is the interior. While Zubac is a tall, sturdy presence, he’s no match for Joel Embiid on the block. Montrezl Harrell — the Clippers’ go-to spark plug and, oftentimes, closer — struggles to defend bigger centers. He’s an even more favorable matchup for Embiid.
Horford will also have a size advantage against JaMychal Green or Maurice Harkless. The Sixers’ size and physicality will still get to L.A., even if the Clippers are bigger (and tougher) than most contending teams. Philadelphia is unique in its massiveness.
In the end, expect a couple entertaining head-to-head bouts. The Clippers have a real chance to win the No. 1 seed and the West next season. Even in regular season form, Kawhi is a top-five NBA player. George finished third in MVP voting last season.
With superior star power and extreme depth, the Clippers are probably a better top-to-bottom team on paper. The Sixers’ interior advantage is something Brett Brown will need to exploit in order to keep Philadelphia competitive.
In what I anticipate being a hard-fought two games, it’s only right to end in a series split.