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The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers begin their preseason on Saturday with a highly anticipated encounter in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The NBA offseason featured a flurry of trades and moves and these two organizations added key pieces.
The game will offer coaches Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr a chance to experiment with their lineups. Stars like Steph Curry, Draymond Green and James Harden are in Hawaii for the game, but will likely play limited minutes as is the norm in preseason. It will also be interesting to see how some of the Warriors and Clippers' new additions gel with the returning members of the respective rosters.
Golden State and Los Angeles met four times in the 2023-24 regular season, with the Southern California team winning thrice. The Warriors' last win over the Clippers was a 120-114 victory on Nov. 30, 2023 at the Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers prediction and preview
The Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors will face off at the Stan Sheriff Center in Hawaii with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. EST. The game can be viewed on NBA TV and NBA League Pass or local channels KTLA and NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers: Preview
The Warriors will start the season with a new-look starting five after Klay Thompson's departure this offseason. The gifted shooting guard spent 13 years with the Warriors and helped the team to four NBA championships. 12-time All-Star Chris Paul has also moved on, joining the San Antonio Spurs.
Steph Curry and Draymond Green remain the pillars of this Warriors lineup. The organization will look to Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Andrew Wiggins to play a bigger role next season. The Warriors also had a productive Summer League with many of the team's young stars stepping up.
Wiggins, however, will not feature on Saturday due to illness.
Like the Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers also made changes this offseason with Paul George and Russell Westbrook moving on. The departure of L.A. native George will be a particularly big blow for the Clips. The 6-foot-8 guard-forward averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season.
Kevin Porter Jr., Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Nicolas Batum have been brought in to add depth to the lineup and complement James Harden.
The major question for the Clippers remains Kawhi Leonard's health going into the season. The two-time NBA champion missed out on the Olympic Games this summer due to a knee injury and it remains to be seen whether he is 100 percent.
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers: Prediction
The Warriors enter the game as slight favorites due to the strength of their lineup and the fact that Leonard is expected to miss the game. A big crowd is expected to watch Steph Curry in action and if the sharpshooter decides to turn it on, it could be a very long night for Tyronn Lue and the Clippers.
Expect the Warriors to come away with a narrow win and get their preseason off to a positive start.
