Los Angeles Clippers vs Washington Wizards Prediction: The Wizards are capable of surprising

Less than a week ago, Washington lost to the Los Angeles Clippers on their home court, although the game was not much worse. Bradley Beal might help the Whizards now, but Porzingis' participation is questionable. Can the Metropolitan club improve and take revenge on the Californians?

The Clippers have won 3 of their last four regular-season games and now share 7th place with Utah in the Western Conference. It's too early to talk about the club's prospects this season. We'll have to see how the Sailers look when Kawai Leonard fully recovers. Kawai is already close to his former form, but there's another problem: Ivica Zubac was injured. Los Angeles doesn't have big men of that type anymore, and playing a small five with Covington or Batum at the No. 5 position is too risky. At the same time, the Croatian is being replaced by Moses Brown, who hasn't been in the rotation before. It's not sure that Paul George will play against Washington, and Luke Kennard and Reggie Jackson might not play either. The timing of Norman Powell's return is still unknown.

The day before, the team lost to Phoenix by a score of 95:111. George, Leonard, Zubac, Jackson, and Kennard did not appear on the floor. Only Terrence Mann and Nicolas Batum shot at least 50% from the field, with the French player hitting just two shots. Mann was the most productive player for the Clippers, with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Aside from Mann, Amir Coffey shot well from beyond the arc, and Los Angeles even outscored their opponents on three-pointers.

The Washington Wizards lost eight straight and dropped to 12th in the Eastern Conference. Bradley Beal has missed six games, although you can't say Washington has failed on offense in his absence. Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma averaged 25+ points throughout six games, and Corey Kispert with Monte Morris and Will Barton also helped quite well. Beal has already started a full practice and is ready to return to the court, but Kristaps Porzingis missed the last game, and his participation is now questionable. Rui Hachimura and Delon Wright will not play for sure.

First, the Metropolitan club is poor on defense at the arc. Washington allows 37.2 percent of its opponent's three-pointers, the 27th-best in the NBA. Only Brooklyn, San Antonio, and Minnesota are worse. In the paint, the Wizards were generally fine, but in Porzingis' absence, they allowed 98 points from the paint alone against Denver and lost 128:141. Monte Morris and Will Barton scored well for their former team, with 20 and 22 points, respectively. Morris and Barton made four 3-pointers each, as did Kuzma and Kispert.

Washington started well in their last face-to-face meeting with the Clippers, and even without Beal on offense, the Capitals didn't look much worse than Los Angeles. The Wizards had opportunities for open shots, and Kawai Leonard often left his teammates at the arc. Beal's return will improve for Washington, but a lot will depend on whether Porzingis plays.

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