Game #13: Kings vs. Clippers Preview

Time to Clip some wings

What: Kings (4-8) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (10-2)

When: 7:30 P.M. PT

Where: Golden 1 Center

How to Watch: CSN California, ESPN

If playing the San Antonio Spurs wasn't a tough enough test in your eyes, then maybe playing the team with the best record in the league will be. The Clippers come to Sacramento with a 10-2 mark and are rolling out of the gates thanks to the stellar start of their Big Three. After another clinical butt-kicking laid on them by the Spurs, the Kings need a win in a big way. Beating an elite team like the Clippers can help right the ship.

The Three Amigos

Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan form one of the best trios in the NBA. Over the past couple of seasons, injuries have held the team back during different points of their season but as of this writing, all three players are healthy and playing some of the best basketball of their careers. Paul is averaging 18.3 ppg and 8.3 apg, displaying his mastery as a pure point guard by orchestrating one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. Blake Griffin has seen a return to form after a tumultuous 2015-2016 season that saw him struggle both on and off the court. He enters tonight averaging 20.6 ppg and 9.3 rpg. The last piece of the trio, DeAndre Jordan, is once again amongst the league leaders in rebounding (12.5 rpg) and his rim-running with Chris Paul out of the pick and roll is as good as ever as his field goal percentage (57.8%) indicates.

The League's Best Pure Point Guard

Say what you want about Chris Paul and his incessant whining, flopping and overall annoying on-court demeanor. The man is one of the best pure point guards the NBA has ever seen and many of his accomplishments go unnoticed in an era full of talented players that play the same position he does. Yes, Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard can shoot and score at will. And yes, Russell Westbrook is a one man wrecking crew that doesn't even make sense from a physical standpoint. But if you took away those players' ability to score, would their playmaking abilities come close to rivaling CP3's? I personally don't think so. Chris Paul can change a game without even having to attempt a field goal. To me that makes him just as good, if not better, than those other point guards. It's always a long night when you have to stop #3 in red. The Kings will have to find a way to do that if they want to win tonight.