LA Clippers vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction: The Spurs are too vulnerable these days

Another NBA season, another intriguing window ahead. The season has brought to us again the murky scenarios and there are teams that have made a name for themselves despite not having loaded rosters. There are a lot of variations that will take place and we will be seeing see-saw affairs all around. In another one of the see-saw affairs, the LA Clippers will draw upon San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers come into the game after registering an impressive 96:91 win over the San Antonio Spurs as Reggie Jackson compiled 23 points. The Clippers have won nine out of 16 games, playing without Kawhi Leonard for most parts, but he is back, at least for now. Even with his return, it seems like the responsibilities of Paul George haven’t decreased as Kawhi is not 100%. Maybe some game-time will help gain the momentum and that can only happen if Kawhi strings together a boisterous amount of games, which has been an issue for a long time now.

While Ivica Zubac has been a strong rebounding threat while giving strong defense, the Clippers have been not getting enough for many of their players. Reggie Jackson comes off an impressive performance but this has been a tough start for them. Norman Powell has been decent whereas Marcus Morris Sr. has been the most high-yielding scoring option apart from George. Overall, the Clippers have been solid defensively but their offense has been way too inconsistent.

The Spurs come into this game after suffering 112:130 defeat against the charged-up Sacramento Kings despite a 29 points performance by Devin Vassell. The Spurs are on a three-game losing streak and have lost ten out of 16 games. Wheels have fallen off the Spurs effort as they started the season with five wins and two losses. This is on par what was predicted before the season. This is a young team that shipped away their main player DeJounte Murray in the off-season and has a long way to go it seems.

While Greg Popovich has priortized the ball-movement as his every unit does, the defensive effort of the Spurs have been a matter of concern. So far, it seems like only Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson are the long-term options, both capable long-range shooters and having high potential. The Spurs’ rebuild is heading in the right direction as the young players are building the right habits for long-term success. Will Tre Young be a long-term option or will it be just Keldon or Devin? What about the magnetic defender Jeremy Sochan?

• Clippers: OUT: Luke Kennard;
• Spurs: OUT: Zach Collins, Rome Langford, Blake Wesley. QUESTIONABLE: Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell. PROBABLE: Doug McDermott, Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Keldon Johnson(22+ Points), Paul George(25+ Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Ivica Zubac(12+ Rebounds), Jakob Poeltl(10-13 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmaker: Tre Young: (6+ Assists).

The Clippers have been in an amazing form defensively and they don’t give open shots during most possessions. On the other hand, defense isn’t the calling card of the Spurs by far. Offensively, the Clippers have had trouble while Spurs have cooled down after a hot start They have been doing a great job of sharing the ball but the long-range shooting isn’t clicking as it was earlier.

The Spurs are mainly dependent upon Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell whereas the Clippers have not identified a 20+ points scorers consistently than Paul George, who has had his own struggles lately. Kawhi Leonard is working his way back from the injury and hasn’t addressed the offensive woes of the Clippers yet. I believe the Clippers will have a strong team effort and down the Spurs by a big margin. I see the total points range as 226-236. I see a scoreline of 118:108 in favor of the Clippers.