When it comes to the NBA playoffs the series between the No. 4 and No. 5 teams tend to be the most evenly matched given they finish right next to each other in the standings. That might've been the case had the Phoenix Suns not traded for Kevin Durant, but this may potentially be a lopsided affair against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Suns paired Durant with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, creating a versatile big-four that is currently favored to make it out of the Western Conference. So far, when Durant plays the results have been insanely successful for Phoenix, going 8-0 during those contests. Sure it was just the regular season, but as we saw with some other teams around the league -- looking at you Dallas Mavericks -- not every big swing at the trade deadline yields positive results.
For the Clippers, while they might be the underdogs in this series, this isn't a team to take lightly. Kawhi Leonard is still one of the best two-way players in the league when he's healthy, and though L.A. has taken a step back in their quest to claiming a championship, this is a team that is capable of beating any opponent on any given night. We'll just have to see if they have enough to beat the Suns four times to pull off what would be a shocking upset.
Below is the series schedule, along with some major storylines and a series pick.
(4) Phoenix Suns vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
All times Eastern
- Game 1 (at PHX): Sunday, April 16 | 8:00 p.m. | TV: TNT
- Game 2 (at PHX): Tuesday, April 18 | 10 p.m. | TV: TNT
- Game 3 (at LAC): Thursday, April 20 | 10:30 p.m. | TV: NBATV
- Game 4 (at LAC): Saturday, April 22 | 3:30 p.m. | TV: TNT
- Game 5* (at PHX): Tuesday, April 25 | TBD | TV: TBD
- Game 6* (at LAC): Thursday, April 27 | TBD | TV: TBD
- Game 7* (at PHX): Saturday, April 29 | TBD | TV: TBD
*If necessary
Top Storylines
1. Paul George injury watch
It feels like every Clippers season since acquiring both Leonard and Paul George should be asterisked due to injuries. Leonard missed all of last season due to an ACL tear that he suffered in the 2021 playoffs, while George was limited to just 31 games. The Clippers now enter this postseason down George, who has been sidelined with a sprained knee since March 21. The timeline for George's return is unclear, but he's reportedly been making "tangible progress." Clippers coach Tye Lue said on Friday that it's been "encouraging" to see George get shots up on the floor again, but that the team will be smart about a potential return as the team doesn't want to risk any further injury to their star forward.
With no official timeline on George, the Clippers will need someone to step up and shoulder some of the offensive load with Leonard. That's likely where Russell Westbrook comes in, who despite a disappointing tenure with the Lakers, has settled into his role with the Clippers quite well. He's helped the Clippers get out in transition more, and he puts pressure on the rim with his 9.3 drives per game. In 21 games with the Clippers, Westbrook is also shooting 45% on non-corner 3s, a significant increase from the 30% he was shooting with the Lakers earlier this season. The 35.6% on all 3s Westbrook is shooting is the highest mark in his career, and if he can keep that up, it'll be a huge weapon for L.A as it tries to figure out a way to keep pace with a potent Suns team without George for the time being.
2. Important defensive assignments
Not only does losing George impact L.A.'s offense, but it handicaps them on defense, as well. While no on can effectively stop Durant, having two versatile defenders in Leonard and George to throw at him is better than one. Leonard will likely get the bulk of the minutes guarding Durant, but you run the risk of tiring him out while he also has to do a lot of heavy lifting on offense, too.
The silver lining here, however, is that Durant has become more of an off-ball threat with the Suns, whereas when he was in Brooklyn he would attack you mercilessly on isolation plays. Over 26% of the plays Durant is scoring on is in spot-up situations, compared to the 21.6% isolation plays he was running with the Nets. It might conserve some energy for Leonard because it will involve a bit more standing around, but it'll still make Durant difficult to guard, because even when he doesn't have the ball in his hands he's a threat.
On the flip side, the Suns will have to figure out how to contain Leonard, who like Durant is a tough defensive draw. This is where Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder would've come in handy. Durant is certainly an option to throw at Leonard, so too is Josh Okogie who has been a starter since the trade deadline. This is where the Suns benefit by not having to gameplan to guard both Leonard and George. But if PG-13 does return in this series, it'll add a new wrinkle to both teams' gameplan.
3. Building chemistry on the fly
I already noted that the Suns are 8-0 when Durant plays this season. A small sample size, but an impressive record for a team adding a superstar midway through the season. As impressive as that is, Phoenix is still a team learning from each other, and that may be perhaps the biggest flaw of this squad. Teams early in their chemistry building tend to make more mistakes, especially in high pressure situations, and that may rear its ugly head in the postseason. The Clippers could use that to their advantage to steal a game or two, but L.A. is also dealing with adding new faces into the rotation as well in Westbrook and Eric Gordon. With both sides building chemistry on the fly, we could be in store for a lot of in-game adjustments and clunky moments over the duration of this series.
Series pick
With George out, I'm picking the Suns. I would still likely pick Phoenix even if he were healthy, but it would likely go the full seven games in that case. I just don't think the Clippers have enough to contend with a highly-potent Phoenix team, and L.A. will require too much of Leonard each game. Westbrook has been solid for the Clippers since joining the team, but relying on him as a scorer over the course of a series is a huge risk. Pick: Suns in six.
