Game On: Hornets @ Clippers

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Published: November 26, 2012

The Hornets head to LA to face an old friend

 Keys to the Game

1. Find Ways to Deal with the Pressure

The Clippers are first in the league in steals and second in the NBA in defensive turnover rate. CP3 figures to lead the league again in steals, but his apprentice Eric Bledsoe is just as good at creating turnovers. Paul is averaging 2.8 steals per 36 minutes, while Bledsoe is averaging 2.7. Matt Barnes, Jamal Crawford, and Blake Griffin all average over a steal a game, and when these guys get a steal, they get the ball to CP3 who always makes you pay in transition.

2. Attack the Offensive Glass

The Clippers are 24th in the league in defensive rebound percentage, primarily because DeAndre Jordan only gets 27 minutes per game and when he is off the floor, teams eat the Clippers alive on the boards. When they go small and play Griffin at the five or when they sub Ryan Hollins in, Jason Smith, Ryan Anderson, and Robin Lopez have to make them pay.

3. Attack the Rim 

The Hornets play a perimeter game offensively, but that is going to have to change tonight if they have any chance of pulling this one out. You have to make the Clippers pay for gambling and for going small, and the way you do that is by attacking and getting to the line. The Clippers have yielded the 5th most free throw attempts in the league this season, as Ryan Hollins, Lamar Odom, and DeAndre Jordan have been fouling machines. Take it inside on those guys and get as many trips to the line as you can.

Other News and Notes

– Will he or won’t he? That is the question today as we all wait to see if Eric Gordon comes out to support his team. Gordon is in LA right now rehabbing his knee and it would be nice to see the guy on the bench, supporting his teammates and the organization that gave him $58 million. The Indiana Hoosiers are off tonight, so I see no reason for Gordon to miss this game.

– No Anthony Davis again tonight and Eric Gordon is still out of course. For the Clippers, they are still without Chauncey Billups, who could come back any day now, and Grant Hill.

– If Anthony Davis comes back soon and Ryan Anderson moves back to the bench, then his main competition for Sixth Man of the Year will likely be Jamal Crawford, who is just lighting it up right now. 18.6 PPG, a PER of 20, and a true shooting percentage of 62%. Anderson, meanwhile, is putting up 17.8, 21.2, and 61% in those categories.

– Finally, we have Jason Smith coming on for our 100th podcast, which we will put out later this week. If you have any questions for the fan favorite, list them below.

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