The LA Clippers were the last team in the NBA to kick off their 2022-23 season. They got things underway on Thursday night, facing off with their Crypto.Com Arena co-tenants, the Los Angeles Lakers.
While the Lakers have history on their side, in recent seasons, this has become a Clippers town. While the fan bases may not rival each other, this series has been lopsided and that continued last night.
The Clippers won the game 103-97 as the Lakers made a late push, even taking a two-point lead at one point in the fourth quarter, but were unable to sustain that throughout the end of the game. The purple and gold could not make a timely shot all night, while the Clippers were able to get a stop or a big bucket whenever they needed.
The Clippers’ depth was on full display as they had eight different players score at least eight points in the game.
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They have numerous options that can beat you offensively, which makes them extremely difficult to stop. The Lakers, who are much more top-heavy, had only four reach the eight-point mark.
There was a lot to unpack from this game, so let’s dive into some of the major takeaways from the first Crypto.Com Arena Series this season.
John Wall’s Triumphant Return
Thursday night was a night of returns for the Clippers. One of the most anticipated ones was that of point guard John Wall. Wall sat out the entire 2021-22 season awaiting a trade from the Houston Rockets, the second time in three seasons that he didn’t play a single game. When he subbed into the game on Thursday it was the first regular season game he appeared in since April 23rd, 2021.
His Clippers debut went about as well as you would have hoped it would. Coming off the bench, Wall played 25 minutes and he was aggressive offensively. He scored 15 points, shooting 7-of-15 from the field with four rebounds, three assists and one steal.
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While he still has some rust to knock off, you could see flashes of the old Wall. That elite athleticism and quickness, which he did use to get to the basket on a few occasions. While not all the way back, he is certainly on that path.
3-Point Shooting Is Lakers Achilles Heel
Following their first game of the season against the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James did not hold back in his press conference when discussing the team’s 3-point shooting. He said this isn’t a team built with shooters and on Thursday they showcased that once again.
The purple and gold certainly aren’t shy about letting it fly from long range as they attempted 45 3-pointers. Unfortunately, they only made nine of them, which is good for 20 percent. That just isn’t going to cut it, as this team is in desperate need of some floor spacers and knock-down shooters.
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Teams are just going to clog the paint and dare the Lakers to shoot 3-pointers throughout the season. Their willingness to shoot these shots is likely playing right into the hands of their opponents, who would rather see them attempt long-range shots instead of pounding the ball inside with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
How Healthy Really Is Kawhi Leonard?
It was announced a few hours before tip-off that the Clippers were considering bringing Kawhi Leonard off the bench. They wanted to monitor his minutes, which makes sense given the fact that he is coming off ACL surgery after missing the entire 2021-22 season. However, a lot of people were left scratching their heads in the first half.
Leonard didn’t enter the game in the first quarter, in fact, it took until there was 6:25 remaining in the first half for Leonard to make his season debut. He then started the second half, playing about 13 consecutive game minutes. He would check back in to close out the game, with 8:01 remaining.
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He played 21 minutes, which likely means he is on a strict minutes limit to begin the season. That wasn’t something that the Clippers had announced, but based on how his minutes were staggered, that is likely what is going on. Leonard finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal.
The Clippers have bigger goals than early regular season games, but it is definitely a little surprising that after about 16 months he seems to have such a strict restriction placed on him. It will be something to keep an eye on in the first few weeks of the season.
The Lakers Have A Point Guard Problem
The Los Angeles Lakers seemingly tried to find a solution to the Russell Westbrook situation as they reportedly engaged in numerous trade discussions. He remained on the roster and is the starting point guard, which has been a glaring issue thus far this season.
Westbrook went 0-for-11 against the Clippers, including 0-for-6 on 3-point attempts. His backup, Kendrick Nunn, was no better, going 0-for-7 and 0-4 on 3-pointers. Patrick Beverley, while labeled as a wing by the team, still handles some point guard duties, and shot 1-of-7 overall, going 1-of-6 on 3-pointers.
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That isn’t going to ever get it done as there is already immense pressure on James and Davis to carry the team. Dennis Schroder should help some in the backcourt when he is healthy, but this is an issue that could be solved with some addition by subtraction.
Westbrook is not helping this team win games. Either he needs his role changed or to be removed from the lineup altogether. The Lakers cannot afford to dig themselves a hole early in the season experimenting with him in the lineup after having an 82-game regular season of poor results.
