Game #14
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, November 20, 2010 - 7:30 PM (PST)
TV: Prime Ticket RADIO: KFWB News Talk 980

Behind the arc

The Knicks are an interesting opponent. Their breakneck pace should play right in the hands of the young Clippers, but there’s a lot of danger in engaging them in their type of battle. The Knicks like to get up shots quick under Mike D’Antoni, and they like to specifically launch from deep. The Knicks are fourth in the league in 3-point rate, which presents a problem for the Clippers as they’re allowing teams to shoot 42.7 percent from deep, almost 7 percentage points higher than the league average. For the Clippers to get back on track defensively, they’ll have to really focus on transition defense and contesting every jumper.

Blake Griffin vs. Amar'e Stoudemire

Although the key to the game will be waged from way outside the paint, Blake Griffin going heads up against Amar’e Stoudemire is a salivating matchup. You won’t find two guys in the league more athletic than this pairing, and although Griffin can be compared to a lot of players, a young Stoudemire may be the most accurate at this point of his career. While Griffin is already a superior rebounder, Stoudemire has a more complete offensive game. This should be a good litmus test for Griffin to go up against an athletic Knicks frontcourt.

Don’t call him Lance – rookie Landry Fields is definitely making a name for himself in the league. The 6’7 guard from Stanford is already one of the better rebounding wings out there, and his efficient scoring has been a big surprise for the Knicks. He may not be flashy, but he’s providing solid wing production for a team in need of it.

Randy Foye returned to action and could provide a big boost in this one. The Clippers are statistically the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, so Foye’s 37 percent average from behind the arc should be a welcome addition.

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