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The Golden State Warriors will host the LA Clippers at the Chase Center in the first match from their upcoming two-game series. These two teams would have been among the NBA title contenders in the Western Conference if Golden State's Klay Thompson avoided his unfortunate Achilles injury before the start of the season.
Nonetheless, the Golden State Warriors are finding some form at the moment, and watching them go up against the intimidating LA Clippers will be interesting.
Paul George missed the LA Clippers' previous game against the San Antonio Spurs after tweaking his ankle against the Phoenix Suns on January 3. The injury is not a major problem for PG13, and he might be able to return against Golden State at San Francisco.
The 5-3 LA Clippers will be a good test for the Golden State Warriors. Even though the Warriors have four wins in their last five matches, they will be facing a strong Clippers team and will have their work cut out for them
LA Clippers vs Golden State Warriors Prediction: Combined starting 5
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George going up against a red-hot Stephen Curry and the returning Draymond Green, this fixture will be an exciting one. We create a combined starting five from the LA Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.
Point Guard - Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Stephen Curry would be the point guard of any combined starting five involving the Golden State Warriors. Unless we consider LeBron James, who isn't a natural point guard, Stephen Curry is clearly the best PG in the NBA and is one of the greatest in league history at his position.
Despite a difficult start for Curry and the Golden State Warriors, with consecutive losses against the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, he is leading a resurgence for Steve Kerr's team.
Curry is averaging 37 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the team's last five games. Moreover, he has made 50% of his field goals, 42% of his three-pointers, and 98% of his free throws.
He also registered the best scoring game of his career in that stretch, with 62 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 3.
Shooting Guard - Paul George (LA Clippers)
Paul George has been the best player on the LA Clippers over the first couple of weeks of the 2020-21 NBA season. George has started the season shooting the ball with great consistency, and his confidence looks high.
He missed the team's previous game against the San Antonio Spurs, and the LA Clippers fell to a 116-113 defeat.
George is having a great season, and he could be an early MVP candidate. He leads the LA Clippers with 25 points per game.
Paul George is also averaging six rebounds and five assists per game while recording 51/49/93 shooting splits into seven games.
His is likely to play against the Golden State Warriors after missing the game at San Antonio with ankle issues.
Small Forward - Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers)
Kawhi Leonard has had a quiet start to the 2020-21 NBA season in his second year with the LA Clippers.
Leonard has still been putting decent numbers, despite suffering a facial injury in the Christmas win over the Denver Nuggets after being accidentally elbowed by his teammate Serge Ibaka.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP is averaging 23 points, six assists, and six rebounds per game in six appearances for the LA Clippers. However, he's not been shooting the ball particularly well in this campaign.
Leonard's field goal percentage (44%) is the lowest of his career in any season. Of course, it is early, and the mask to protect his face is probably not helping him. Nonetheless, he is a great piece on defense and is averaging two steals and one block per game.
Despite averaging a career-high 6.5 assists per game and ranking in the NBA's Top 10 in Usage Rate, Leonard is averaging only one turnover per game.
Power Forward - Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
Draymond Green will not give his team flashy numbers with consistency. However, he should not be evaluated for his statistics. His presence on defense and his leadership skills in the locker room are his best assets and are key for the Golden State Warriors.
Green missed the first four games of the Golden State Warriors' season, but the team has won two of the three games in which he played. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year winner, and the team will miss his intensity if he is not playing.
He has made just one of his eight field-goal attempts so far and is averaging just two points per game. Still, he has given the Golden State Warriors six assists and four rebounds per game.
More importantly, his Defensive Rating (109) is the second-best among the Golden State Warriors' starters.
Center - Serge Ibaka (LA Clippers)
Serge Ibaka was arguably the biggest signing for the LA Clippers in the 2020 NBA Free Agency.
The center was expected to provide good defense to the LA Clippers and protect the paint against opposition big men and penetrating guards. He is also a consistent scorer and was coming off his best shooting year in the 2019-20 NBA season.
In the 2020-21 NBA campaign, Ibaka is the third-best scorer in the LA Clippers with 11.8 points per game and has 48/37/75 shooting splits. Ibaka is also averaging six rebounds and a block per game.
His Defensive Rating (112) is the third-best among the LA Clippers' starters.
Also read: 5 Teams that have exceeded expectations in the 2020-21 NBA season so far
