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Some have been expecting the Clippers to hit a tough patch this year, but they just keep winning. Chris Paul’s bruised kneecap is a little bit of a concern, but he should be back in the lineup soon. He is listed as doubtful for this game. The Phoenix Suns are now under Interim Coach Lindsay Hunter’s guidance. Can the Clippers keep pace near the top of the Western Conference standings or will the Suns pull off a surprise?

Game Overview:

Even without Chris Paul in the lineup, this year’s Clippers team has a lot offensive weapons. Jamal Crawford has been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this year, and his scoring has made this offense tons better. Blake Griffin is averaging 18.3 points and 8.6 boards per game this year. Matt Barnes and Caron Butler have both stepped up and been big contributors to the team this season as well. Eric Bledsoe has been showing glimpses of greatness, and he should be able to shine with more playing time while Paul is out. The Clippers are shooting 47.4% from the floor as a team.

Defensively, Los Angeles has been much more consistent this year than they were a year ago. The Clippers have given up 106 and 107 points in their last two games though, so expect a better effort on the defensive end in this one. DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin give the Clippers two very good post defenders, and this team has a lot of length all over the floor. Opponents are shooting only 43.3% from the floor against the Clippers.

Phoenix decided that the recent horrible performance was enough to take the team in a different direction. Alvin Gentry was fired and Lindsay Hunter was named Interim Head Coach. Hunter played in the NBA for more than 15 years, and many say he molds his coaching style after one of his coaches, Larry Brown. Hunter has had the team in some very long practices in his first few days as coach. He says he wants the team to push the tempo a little more often, and focus on working hard on the defensive end. It will be interesting to see what kind of changes come for a franchise that is clearly in need of a spark.

Goran Dragic has been one of the few bright spots for Phoenix this year. He obviously isn’t able to be a star like Steve Nash, but he has been very good as the point guard for this team. Luis Scola and Marcin Gortat are both talented big men, but they have had disappointing seasons thus far. The Suns will need more from them if they are going to be competitive moving forward. Michael Beasley and Sebastian Telfair are both shooting 38% from the floor. Can the Suns play with more energy on the defensive end under a new coach?

Prediction:

The Suns haven’t been competitive of late, and until they are competitive with the best teams in the league I can’t pick them. I like the Clippers to take care of business and cover the number.

Clippers 104 Suns 93