Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Healthy Clippers host Spurs for final time this season
The L.A. Clippers had their full roster available in their 118-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday afternoon — something that hasn't been too common for them this season.
It was just the second time all year that the Clippers have had a clean injury report, which has forced Doc Rivers to be rather creative with his starting lineups and rotations. 13 different players have started at least one game during the 2019-2020 campaign, including rookie Terance Mann and second-year guard Derrick Walton Jr.
Surprisingly, JaMychal Green — who started in multiple games for the Clippers in last year's playoffs — is one of four players that hasn't been a starter this season.
But despite the inconsistencies, the Clippers have cruised to a 34-15 record, which is currently the second-best in the Western Conference. Only the Los Angeles Lakers (37-11) have been better, and the Clippers have won both games they've played against their rivals.
That said, it's clear that the Clippers have yet to unlock their full potential. Plenty of players are enjoying above-average individual seasons, but L.A. isn't always a prime example of visually-stunning team basketball. Take their 18th-ranked assists total, for example.
Rivers knows this, but he's confident about the way his team has looked in recent weeks.
"I don't know where we're at," Rivers said following Saturday's game."We're not 100 percent, that's for sure. We haven't had a lot of time together with the injuries and guys haven't played but I do think we're at a point now where they know how we want to play. I just don't think we've reached how to do it well yet. That's a big step though. I think they all understand exactly what a good team looks like in our version and now our next step is to be able to do it consistently every night."
Fortunately, things are trending in the right direction for L.A., as they're set to have a clean report once again for Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs. The game will be shown on NBA TV, and as it stands, the Clippers are 10-point favorites.
L.A. and San Antonio have met three times already this season, and the Clippers have come out on top in two — the latest being a 134-109 blowout victory on December 21. Kawhi Leonard had a strong showing on both ends of the floor, finishing with a game-high 26 points along with nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals in 27 minutes.
Leonard has been playing even better basketball since then, scoring at least 30 points in each of his last nine games. Included in that streak is his first career triple-double, which he recorded in a win over the Miami Heat on January 24.
"Just midseason," Leonard said Saturday. "My teammates are being aggressive. I'm able to get open shots off of their attacks and drives. I'm just able to make shots right now."
Whether Leonard continues his streak Monday remains to be seen, but he's awfully close to making history. His nine-game streak of 30-point games is already the longest in the league this season, and he's two games away from tying L.A.'s franchise record, which was set by World B. Free in 1980.
Paul George is a different story.
He returned from a nine-game absence in last week's loss to the Sacramento Kings, and he's still getting himself back to form. He's struggled against San Antonio in two games this season, averaging just 8.0 points per game on 27.3 percent shooting from the floor. Given he's still on a minutes restriction, we shouldn't expect him to put up big numbers.
L.A. should be able to keep this game out of reach, especially on their home floor. The Spurs have won two in a row, but the Clippers are playing some of their best basketball of the season and aren't showing any signs of slowing down.
