Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Clippers Prediction: Clippers doing much better, Cavs need Mitchell

The NBA midseason has been up and running with the trade deadline just a few days ago. There is a quiet before the storm where we witness a bunch of roster shuffles, causing a change of scenery throughout the league. Whether it is a long-term or the season-based project, this is a crucial time for all Franchises. At any rate, in this game, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Cavaliers enter the game after losing 100:112 against the Oklahoma City Thunder despite a 31 points and 13 assists performance by Darius Garland. They have lost seven of their last 12 games because of that, their record is now diminishing, but a 30-wins and 21-losses tally gives them some breathing room. Donovan Mitchell has been unavailable for the most part lately which has further fractured an already underperforming offense. This defense remains tight but the offense needs a lot of work.

The Cavs play with a slow pace and if their defense commits multiple lapses, it can hold them behind, which is exactly what has happened. Garland has had a bunch of 30+ points but the offensive depth around him is lacking. The frontline of Okoro, Mobley, and Allen is solid defensively but offensively, they can be outplayed by the opposition. That’s why they need Donovan who consistently brings in 25+ points a night and when he led the scoring effort, the Cavs looked much better. However, a strong start means that for now, the team can absorb some losses.

The Clippers come into the contest after defeating the Hawks 120:113 as Kawhi Leonard scooped up 32 points. This was the fifth straight win for the Clippers which has helped them recover from where they lost nine of their 11 games. Because of that lax window, they were below 50% wins but the current streak has put them to 28 wins and 24 losses. As expected, the major theme during the winning streak has been that Leonard and Paul George have shared the floor. When they were losing a bunch, George was constantly injured.

Because of a long injury break, Kawhi started the season averaging around 12 a game but has turned it around in December and is having a strong month of January, averaging over 26 points a game and shooting over 55%. This has paid off in tandem with George who has given offensive support to a squad that is overly dependent upon these two because of the decline of Reggie Jackson and Norman Powell while the frontline is too non-productive. The defense is solid when Kawhi and Paul are around. Let us see if Clippers trade Powell or Jackson soon.

• Clippers: OUT: Robert Covington. Game-Time Decision: Marcus Morris Jr.;
• Cavaliers: OUT: Dylan Windler. QUESTIONABLE: Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Love.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Kawhi Leonard(30-35 Points), Donovan Mitchell(26-31 Points)-QUES, Darius Garland(24-29 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Evan Mobley(10-13 Rebounds), Kawhi Leonard(7-10 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Darius Garland(10-13 Assists), Paul George(6-8 Assists).

Not having Mitchell has hurt the Cavs and if he misses here, the team can be in big trouble. The Clippers have turned on their switch with Leonard and George playing at a high-level, overrunning opponent on both ends. The Cavs' offense has been abysmal lately and they lack depth, however, they have remained a firm defensive unit. This can be a low-scoring battle and I lean slightly toward the Clippers here. I predict a 107:102 scoreline in favor of Cleveland.