Russell Westbrook is expected to make his Los Angeles Clippers debut Friday against the Sacramento Kings, but this game is bigger than one player.
Supposedly a title contender, the Clippers trail the Kings by 1.5 games for third place in the Western Conference. And while there’s much to be decided in terms of seeding over the next two months, they don’t want to fall too far back with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks lurking close behind in the fifth and sixth spots.
LA’s +1000 championship odds remain fifth best in the NBA at BetMGM, but the Ty Lue-coached squad hasn’t consistently played up to the standards of a team with such expectations. If the Clips are truly turning a corner as it appeared they might be before the All-Star break, a game against Sacramento is a good opportunity to show and prove.
LA is favored at home by 6.5 points, but the upstart Kings won’t be a cakewalk. They started their post-break schedule Thursday with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers, and Friday’s game being the second of a back-to-back is the only reason the spread isn’t closer.
Led by all-stars Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento thrives on the offensive side of the ball where it ranks second to the Denver Nuggets in the entire NBA. It’s just the type of scoring that can exploit a Clippers defense that has slipped from 11th to 21st over an otherwise solid six-game stretch of basketball where they’ve gone 4-2.
Russell Westbrook is expected to start and Terance Mann is expected to rejoin second unit
— Law Murray 💔 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 24, 2023
In that same span, the Clippers have been a top-10 offensive team, which is why they should win Friday. The Kings don’t have anyone to stop Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. This is where Westbrook can help too, as someone who can create offense for others on a bottom-six team in assist percentage.
Ultimately, though, I don’t think a back-to-back should have a huge effect on a young team fresh off of a long break. And Sacramento’s 15-13 road record is identical to LA’s record at home. So, I’ll pick the Kings to cover in a tight 119-118 win for the Clippers.
Prince’s Pick: Kings +6.5
