Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Game Preview, Prediction
By Dan Schultz
@DSchultz89
Getty Images
Atlanta Hawks (25-8) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (23-11)
Game Time, TV: Monday, Jan. 8 – 10:30 ET on NBA League Pass
Atlanta Hawks: PG: Jeff Teague, SG: Kyle Korver, SF: DeMarre Carroll, PF: Paul Millsap, C: Al Horford
Los Angeles Clippers: PG: Chris Paul, SG: J.J. Redick, SF: Matt Barnes, PF: Blake Griffin, C: DeAndre Jordan
The Atlanta Hawks will look to continue their strong start to the season when they go up against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday evening.
The Hawks are arguably the most underrated team in the league, and are fresh off an impressive victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. All five of their starters are currently averaging double figures in points per game, and they have seemed to grasp head coach Mike Budenholzer’s detailed offense, which relies on spacing the floor and moving the ball around constantly.
While the Clippers have had some ups and downs to their season, they have been phenomenal lately, winning four out of their last five games and looking more together on offense especially. I believe that the small forward still needs to be addressed given Matt Barnes’ lack of three-point shooting, but otherwise their roster is in great shape, with a deceptively deep bench as well.
The key matchup for this game will be Paul Millsap vs. Blake Griffin. Millsap has been under-appreciated ever since he came into the league as a second-round draft pick, while Griffin appears to have taken the next step into becoming a true superstar in this league. It should be Millsap’s goal to force Griffin into taking a lot of jump shots, while on the other side of the floor he should focus on posting up as much as possible so he can make Griffin exert the energy he thrives on nightly.
I would not be surprised if the Clippers win this game, but I am going to go with the Hawks here. Their offense appears to be a little more fluid than the Clippers’ right now, and while the Clippers’ bench is certainly better, the Hawks starting unit is as balanced and skilled as any in the league.
Prediction: Hawks 107, Clippers 103
Dan Schultz is an NBA sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.
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