Golden State Warriors (1-0) at Los Angeles Clippers (0-1)
Tipoff: Thurs. 10/31/2013, 7:30PM PDT
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV: TNT | Radio: KNBR 680 AM
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors (by @goldenstatenz)
After starting off the season by beating the Los Angeles Lakers last night at home, the Golden State Warriors head out to Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. This game will feature two of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Last season, the Warriors beat the Clippers three out of the four times they played. The Warriors also had a 19-22 record on the road last season, which tied them for fourth-best road record in the Western Conference.
There are several key matchups to watch for in this game. First of all, this is a matchup of two of the best coaches in the NBA. Mark Jackson led the Warriors to a 47-35 record last season after finishing with a 23-43 record during the shortened 2011-2012 season. He’s an incredible leader, motivator, and preacher. In the offseason, the Clippers hired defensive guru and the NBA Coach of the Year in 2000, Doc Rivers. Rivers won an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. He’s a proven winner, and he’s going to drastically improve the Clippers’ defense, which was not their specialty last season.
Another key matchup is between the two point guards. Both the Warriors and the Clippers have two star point guards who are leaders of their respective teams. Stephen Curry and Chris Paul are two of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA, but they play the point guard position very differently. Curry is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and Paul is more of a facilitator who picks and chooses when to make a play for himself. These two are great friends off the court, but, when it’s game time, they play hard against each other.
One last key matchup is at the power forward position. Two of the best power forwards in the NBA will go head-to-head tonight. Last season, David Lee was the first Warriors player since Latrell Sprewell in 1997 to be named to the All-Star team. Lee led the league in double doubles last season with 56, and he averaged 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Blake Griffin is a three-time NBA All-Star, a Slam Dunk Contest champion (2009), and he’s hoping to add an NBA title to his résumé this season. He averaged 18.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season.
Both teams made some significant additions in the offseason. The Warriors added Andre Iguodala, Toney Douglas, Marreese Speights, Jermaine O’Neal, Nemanja Nedovic, and Ognjen Kuzmic. The Clippers added Darren Collison, Jared Dudley, Byron Mullens, Antawn Jamison, and J.J. Reddick.
The Clippers have added more shooters to their roster, and they’re certainly a deep team. However, the Warriors possibly have an even deeper roster, and, arguably, the best starting five in the NBA. The Warriors and Clippers have started to develop a fun, competitive rivalry, so tonight’s game will certainly be entertaining.
3 keys for the Warriors to win:
1. The three ball: The Clippers played the Lakers on Tuesday, and they allowed the Lakers’ reserves to shoot 45 percent from three. The Warriors are the best three-point shooting team in the NBA, so they need to drain threes and put pressure on the Clippers’ defense.
2. Contain Chris Paul: CP3 is always a threat to change the outcome of a game in an instant. Steph needs to stay in front of him and not let him take over the game, especially in the clutch.
3. Ignite Human Torch Mode: Steph had a fairly quiet game last night, by his standards, and this would be the perfect night for him to have an offensive explosion. The Warriors, in general, play better when they’re playing against the best. Curry needs to elevate his game going up against Paul.
Predictions:
• Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combine for 10 made threes.
• Steph and CP3 both finish with at least 20 points and 8 assists.
• Blake Griffin will score less than 15 points.
• This will be a back-and-forth game, but the Warriors will ultimately pull off a win and win by six.
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