The first round of the NBA playoffs is set and guess who the Los Angeles Clippers will have to face since they won the final game of the season? The Phoenix Suns. The Clippers had a chance to lose the final game against the Suns who had rested all their starters and go after the Sacramento Kings but it seems they wanted the Suns instead.Â
What that means is that NBA fans will be treated to an exciting matchup featuring multiple star players from both teams. Now, the Clippers are missing Paul George and that is a big loss, especially when the Suns acquired Kevin Durant before the trade deadline to pair with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton. That seems unfair, but there are some Clippers players such as Norman Powell and Russell Westbrook who will feel like they are stars in their own right.
Not to mention, both the Suns and Clippers have excellent head coaches in Monty Williams and Ty Lue who will get the troops prepared for an all-out battle. Here is the full comparison between the Suns and Clippers in what will constitute an exciting first-round matchup in the Western Conference.
Starting Lineups
Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Deandre Ayton
Los Angeles Clippers: Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Kawhi Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Ivica Zubac
It is clear the Phoenix Suns have the most intimidating starting lineup in the NBA. The acquisition of Kevin Durant has created another superteam in the Western Conference, and say what you will about Durant’s inability to win on his own, he makes some pretty intriguing moves. It will be hard for any team to slow down, let alone stop an offense led by Durant and Devin Booker, especially with Chris Paul pulling the strings.
Not to mention, Okogie and Ayton are very solid starters who play defense and surround the stars very well. Ayton will be key because the team lacks size, and the center will need to be a consistent double-double presence every night for the Suns to reach their goals. Most would place Ayton over Zubac as a talent as well.
The Clippers will desperately need Paul George in the lineup because of his two-way All-Star skills, especially when it comes to battling with Durant and Booker. Gordon was a nice pickup because of his experience, but he isn’t the same player that helped the Rockets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2018. Batum is also an older player, and although he impacts the defensive end, he isn’t exactly an impact starter on the stat sheet.
Russell Westbrook will be key for the Clippers because if he can be an All-Star for them in the playoffs, there could be some leeway for George to return or at least give Norman Powell a chance to kickstart offense from the bench. As great as Kawhi Leonard is as a player, he can’t do it alone, and the lineup without Paul George means the Suns have a major advantage in the starting lineup.
Advantage: Phoenix Suns
Bench
Phoenix Suns: Cameron Payne, Terrence Ross, Damion Lee, Landry Shamet, Torrey Craig, T.J. Warren, Darius Bazley, Jock Landale, Bismack Biyombo
Los Angeles Clippers: Bones Hyland, Brandon Boston Jr, Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Mason Plumlee
Phoenix’s bench is not bad by any means, but it isn’t the most convincing. Torrey Craig is the most trustworthy player off the bench because he competes on defense and can hit outside shots. Meanwhile, Terrence Ross was a nice pickup, as he can nail outside shots and is always a confident factor on offense. Cam Payne, a hustle-first point guard, will be tasked with providing energy and backup minutes to veteran floor general Chris Paul.
Otherwise, Landry Shamet will need to make threes as much as possible while Darius Bazley and Bismack Biyombo back up Ayton in limited spurts. Meanwhile, the Clippers bench has legitimate firepower, starting with 6th Man of the Year contender Norman Powell. Powell had an excellent year with the Clippers, posting 17.0 PPG as a 6th man during the regular season. The talented wing can heat up quickly and is always in attack mode.
Powell’s presence means the Clippers have a major bench piece who can contribute alongside some other talented role players, including 3-and-D specialist Robert Covington and shooter Bones Hyland. In terms of big man play, Plumlee is also a more consistent player than what the Suns have off the bench as well, meaning the Clippers have a more well-rounded depth chart that could pay dividends if Paul George does end up pushing either Eric Gordon or Nicolas Batum back to the bench.
Advantage: Los Angeles Clippers
Monty Williams vs. Ty Lue
Monty Williams has his critics, especially due to his foolish decision to have Deandre Ayton handle Giannis Antetokounmpo on single coverage in the 2021 NBA Finals. However, Williams is a fantastic coach who knows how to push his players’ buttons at the right time. Luckily for Monty, he does have Chris Paul, who is still one of the best leaders in NBA history. Monty is aware that Kevin Durant is a game-changer and will utilize him properly throughout the series against another superstar in Kawhi Leonard.
Ty Lue has championship experience from the 2016 NBA Finals with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, so he knows what it takes to win big. Since winning that title, Lue has also become a more well-rounded coach who is known for his strategy and adjustments throughout a game. Lue has some veterans, including Kawhi, Batum, and Gordon, who will be solid leaders, so it is up to the coach to convince the players the job can be done against a very talented Suns team that has major pieces.
Overall, both Monty Williams and Ty Lue are excellent coaches who are respected among the NBA community and have their players’ ears. Luckily, there is no head coaching advantage on either side as the players themselves will have to decide the outcome of this very exciting first-round series.
Advantage: Even
Phoenix Suns Advantages
The Phoenix Suns have almost unlimited star power, and that’s huge in the NBA. Kevin Durant has stacked the deck in his favor once again, surrounding himself with two All-Star players and a former No. 1 overall pick in Deandre Ayton. The Suns have a tremendous starting lineup, and luckily for them, Josh Okogie and Torrey Craig are solid options from the wing in terms of defense and shooting.
Monty Williams has a better team to coach than the one that made the 2021 Finals, and that bodes well for Suns fans. Kevin Durant is a player who can win games on his own, and when surrounded by other star players, championships are almost guaranteed, as we saw in Golden State. The immense firepower the Suns have is a reason why they are favorites to win the West.
Los Angeles Clippers Advantages
The Clippers would have been made more formidable if they had Paul George healthy to start the series, but reports are coming out that the star wing player isn’t quite ready to come back. That’s a blow to Los Angeles, who will need immense production from their bench players to really make a difference.
The Clippers have a ton of depth, as there are four or five players off the bench that can have big impacts throughout a series. Norman Powell is at the heart of it, and he is a guy who can give 20 or 25 points on any given night. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard can go toe-to-toe with Kevin Durant on both ends, while Russell Westbrook has been an advantage for the Clippers since joining them by posting 15.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 7.6 APG. Overall, the Clippers will need to play as a team and utilize their depth against a dominant Suns lineup.
Who Is The Better Team In The First Round?
The Phoenix Suns are the favorites to win the series. Even if Paul George is healthy from Game 1, the Suns have the advantage of having four guys who are very impactful over a 7-game series. Without Paul George, the Clippers will have to play extremely hard and employ an offense with very little turnovers or bad shots. Unfortunately, that is not what the Clippers excel at.
It will be a heavy burden on Kawhi Leonard to carry the offense and that will hinder his ability to guard Kevin Durant or Devin Booker at times. Leonard is not the same defender he used to be anyways, and this is a fact that the Clippers will have to deal with. At the same time, it will be tough to run after both Durant and Booker who are both capable of having 40-point nights.
Phoenix has better scorers but also has the best floor general in the game, without disrespect to Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has been a nice pickup for the Clippers, but he isn’t Chris Paul when it comes to making teammates better and keeping control of the ball. Paul has an abundance of talent around him, so expect him to have an efficient series.
Finally, the absence of Paul George does mean that Leonard will need to have a monster series to give his side a chance of even keeping the series close with Norman Powell and Russell Westbrook as his best teammates. It might be too much on Leonard to handle this load because he has dealt with inconsistent health and cannot fight two vs. one time and time again. Anything can happen, as the Clippers would do well to keep the series 2-2 until Paul George comes back, if he ends up coming back at all, but the Suns are the favorites and will be massive favorites to win the series and go on to make the NBA Finals.Â
Prediction: Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers 4-2
