Iztok Franko: Lakers Game Preview: Game 43 @ Clippers

January 22, 2026 at 9:24 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers will technically play at least one game at home during their eight-game road trip. This second game of the trip is officially an away matchup at the Intuit Dome, but staying in Los Angeles makes it feel different. Being a cross-town rivalry only adds to that, making this already the third meeting between the two teams this season.

The prior two matchups could not have been more different. In the first meeting, Luka Dončić was the Clippers assassin we have seen many times before, dominating with 43 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, one steal, and one block. In the rematch, he struggled early, and then things deteriorated quickly. An injury scare led to him missing the second half with a leg contusion. That game marked one of the low points of the season, the start of a three-game losing streak that ended with a demoralizing Christmas loss and the injury to Austin Reaves.

Two key headlines going into this game are whether the Lakers can extend their streak of two strong performances to three, and whether Kawhi Leonard, listed as questionable, becomes the latest player to return from injury against the Lakers.

As with the previous game, I decided to mix up the preview format as the trade deadline approaches. Clippers forward John Collins, who is in the final year of his five-year contract, is the player I chose to take a closer look at for this matchup.

digginbasketball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Lakers (26-16) @ Clippers (19-24) game facts
Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; LAC on 1 day of rest

Ranking: LAL 16th in Point Diff (-0.2), LAC 22nd in Point Diff (-2.3)

LAL vs LAC 2025-26 record: 1-1 (see Game 17 observations here; see Game 27 observations here)

LAL injuries: Austin Reaves (OUT), Adou Thiero (OUT)

LAC injuries: Bradley Beal (OUT), Bogdan Bogdanović (OUT), Derrick Jones Jr. (OUT), Chris Paul (OUT), Kawhi Leonard (questionable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Jake LaRavia (F), LeBron James (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber, Drew Timme

LAC projected starting five: James Harden (G), Kris Dunn (G), Kawhi Leonard (F), John Collins (F), Ivica Zubac (C)

LAC key reserves: Kobe Sanders, Jordan Miller, Nicolas Batum, Cam Christie, Yanic Konan Niederhauser

Clippers and Kawhi trending up

Apart from another injury setback for Leonard, the Clippers are in a completely different place than they were heading into the previous matchup with the Lakers on December 20. They entered that game on a five-game losing streak, sitting at 6–21 and ranking as the third-worst defense in the NBA. However, that game against the Lakers proved to be a turning point. Including that win, the Clippers have won 13 of their next 16 games and rank as the third-best offense in the NBA since that point.

Before missing his last three games with a left knee contusion, Leonard had been playing like one of the best players in the NBA during that stretch, averaging nearly 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and 2.6 steals per game. The mercurial, injury-prone forward is quietly putting together one of the best seasons of his career, averaging a career-high 28.2 points per game on elite 50, 40, 90 shooting splits.

Key question: will the Lakers defense get weird with James Harden?

Leonard has not only been scoring at a high level, but his on off numbers also point to him being the Clippers’ most important overall player and defender. If he is available, it gives the Clippers three unique pressure points, all players the Lakers will have a difficult time containing individually in Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac.

As dominant as Leonard has been as a scorer, Harden remains the irreplaceable offensive engine. The Clippers score 120.3 points per 100 possessions with Harden on the floor this season, compared to just 107.2 when he is off. That number does not improve much in minutes with Leonard on and Harden off, as the Clippers score at a rate of 109.1 points per 100 possessions in those lineups.

The thing to watch in this game will be whether JJ Redick decides to continue, in his words, getting weird. That has meant playing zone defense for the final three quarters against the Raptors, and blitzing Jamal Murray for the entire second half of the turnaround win against the Nuggets. Harden is a far better playmaker and passer, and far more accustomed to being trapped, than Murray. That makes a similar approach far riskier, but seeing how the Los Angeles Lakers choose to handle Harden will be one of the most interesting subplots of the game.

Player watch: John Collins

As mentioned, I will try to weave interesting players into the game coverage as we get closer to the trade deadline. Collins is in the final year of his five-year contract and, as such, an especially interesting player to track going forward and into the summer

Source: Spotrac

Colli.ns is not a prototypical wing defender or a lob-catching, rim-protecting big who would immediately top the Lakers’ priority list as they look to rebuild the roster around Dončić. He is something of a tweener, with some characteristics of both of those archetypes, but also weaknesses that prevent him from fully fitting either role. He is a good shooter, especially deadly from the corners, but not mobile enough to be a strong wing defender. He is athletic and can finish lobs and block the occasional shot, but he does not have the size or length to consistently play the five.

What makes Collins intriguing to me is his efficiency as both a shooter and a finisher. In some ways, he profiles as a more athletic and bouncier version of Rui Hachimura, someone who could be a useful rotation piece as a sixth man. In that role, he could play as a backup power forward or even as a small-ball center, where his shooting becomes even more valuable. Collins is thriving by punishing teams that sag off him around Harden, shooting 43 percent from three and 48 percent from the corners this season. Over the last two seasons, he has been among the deadliest corner shooters in the league, converting 47 percent of those attempts. For comparison, Hachimura has hit 43 percent of his corner threes over the same span.

Source: Cleaning the Glass

He has lost some of the bounce he had earlier in his career catching lobs from Trae Young, but he remains an effective rim finisher and is still athletic enough to be a vertical threat for a playmaker like Harden or Dončić.

Defensively, Collins is not a wing stopper, but he competes, and his size and bounce make him a much more impactful defensive playmaker than Hachimura. If we look at block and steal rates, P.J. Washington is a much closer statistical comparison, though Collins is not at Washington’s level as an on-ball or one-on-one defender.

Source: bball-index

I am not saying Collins should be on the Lakers’ priority list. Rather, he is a player who could become a useful pickup at the right value if the opportunity arises, and as such, one I will be watching a little more closely tonight.

Comments

LakerTom says

January 22, 2026 at 9:24 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers will technically play at least one game at home during their eight-game road trip. This second game of the trip is officially an away matchup at the Intuit Dome, but staying in Los Angeles makes it feel different. Being a cross-town rivalry only adds to that, making this already the third meeting between the two teams this season.

The prior two matchups could not have been more different. In the first meeting, Luka Dončić was the Clippers assassin we have seen many times before, dominating with 43 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, one steal, and one block. In the rematch, he struggled early, and then things deteriorated quickly. An injury scare led to him missing the second half with a leg contusion. That game marked one of the low points of the season, the start of a three-game losing streak that ended with a demoralizing Christmas loss and the injury to Austin Reaves.

Two key headlines going into this game are whether the Lakers can extend their streak of two strong performances to three, and whether Kawhi Leonard, listed as questionable, becomes the latest player to return from injury against the Lakers.

As with the previous game, I decided to mix up the preview format as the trade deadline approaches. Clippers forward John Collins, who is in the final year of his five-year contract, is the player I chose to take a closer look at for this matchup.

digginbasketball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Lakers (26-16) @ Clippers (19-24) game facts
Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; LAC on 1 day of rest

Ranking: LAL 16th in Point Diff (-0.2), LAC 22nd in Point Diff (-2.3)

LAL vs LAC 2025-26 record: 1-1 (see Game 17 observations here; see Game 27 observations here)

LAL injuries: Austin Reaves (OUT), Adou Thiero (OUT)

LAC injuries: Bradley Beal (OUT), Bogdan Bogdanović (OUT), Derrick Jones Jr. (OUT), Chris Paul (OUT), Kawhi Leonard (questionable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Jake LaRavia (F), LeBron James (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber, Drew Timme

LAC projected starting five: James Harden (G), Kris Dunn (G), Kawhi Leonard (F), John Collins (F), Ivica Zubac (C)

LAC key reserves: Kobe Sanders, Jordan Miller, Nicolas Batum, Cam Christie, Yanic Konan Niederhauser

Clippers and Kawhi trending up

Apart from another injury setback for Leonard, the Clippers are in a completely different place than they were heading into the previous matchup with the Lakers on December 20. They entered that game on a five-game losing streak, sitting at 6–21 and ranking as the third-worst defense in the NBA. However, that game against the Lakers proved to be a turning point. Including that win, the Clippers have won 13 of their next 16 games and rank as the third-best offense in the NBA since that point.

Before missing his last three games with a left knee contusion, Leonard had been playing like one of the best players in the NBA during that stretch, averaging nearly 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and 2.6 steals per game. The mercurial, injury-prone forward is quietly putting together one of the best seasons of his career, averaging a career-high 28.2 points per game on elite 50, 40, 90 shooting splits.

Key question: will the Lakers defense get weird with James Harden?

Leonard has not only been scoring at a high level, but his on off numbers also point to him being the Clippers’ most important overall player and defender. If he is available, it gives the Clippers three unique pressure points, all players the Lakers will have a difficult time containing individually in Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac.

As dominant as Leonard has been as a scorer, Harden remains the irreplaceable offensive engine. The Clippers score 120.3 points per 100 possessions with Harden on the floor this season, compared to just 107.2 when he is off. That number does not improve much in minutes with Leonard on and Harden off, as the Clippers score at a rate of 109.1 points per 100 possessions in those lineups.

The thing to watch in this game will be whether JJ Redick decides to continue, in his words, getting weird. That has meant playing zone defense for the final three quarters against the Raptors, and blitzing Jamal Murray for the entire second half of the turnaround win against the Nuggets. Harden is a far better playmaker and passer, and far more accustomed to being trapped, than Murray. That makes a similar approach far riskier, but seeing how the Los Angeles Lakers choose to handle Harden will be one of the most interesting subplots of the game.

Player watch: John Collins

As mentioned, I will try to weave interesting players into the game coverage as we get closer to the trade deadline. Collins is in the final year of his five-year contract and, as such, an especially interesting player to track going forward and into the summer

Source: Spotrac

Colli.ns is not a prototypical wing defender or a lob-catching, rim-protecting big who would immediately top the Lakers’ priority list as they look to rebuild the roster around Dončić. He is something of a tweener, with some characteristics of both of those archetypes, but also weaknesses that prevent him from fully fitting either role. He is a good shooter, especially deadly from the corners, but not mobile enough to be a strong wing defender. He is athletic and can finish lobs and block the occasional shot, but he does not have the size or length to consistently play the five.

What makes Collins intriguing to me is his efficiency as both a shooter and a finisher. In some ways, he profiles as a more athletic and bouncier version of Rui Hachimura, someone who could be a useful rotation piece as a sixth man. In that role, he could play as a backup power forward or even as a small-ball center, where his shooting becomes even more valuable. Collins is thriving by punishing teams that sag off him around Harden, shooting 43 percent from three and 48 percent from the corners this season. Over the last two seasons, he has been among the deadliest corner shooters in the league, converting 47 percent of those attempts. For comparison, Hachimura has hit 43 percent of his corner threes over the same span.

Source: Cleaning the Glass

He has lost some of the bounce he had earlier in his career catching lobs from Trae Young, but he remains an effective rim finisher and is still athletic enough to be a vertical threat for a playmaker like Harden or Dončić.

Defensively, Collins is not a wing stopper, but he competes, and his size and bounce make him a much more impactful defensive playmaker than Hachimura. If we look at block and steal rates, P.J. Washington is a much closer statistical comparison, though Collins is not at Washington’s level as an on-ball or one-on-one defender.

Source: bball-index

I am not saying Collins should be on the Lakers’ priority list. Rather, he is a player who could become a useful pickup at the right value if the opportunity arises, and as such, one I will be watching a little more closely tonight.

Log in to Reply

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply