The Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns are facing off in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. Here at Burn City our insiders have debated at length about how this series will turn out. Here are all of our opinions and predictions in our own words.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Chris Denson – Suns in 5
Barring any major meltdowns, the Suns should be able to take care of this series in five games max. Kawhi Leonard is without Paul George, giving him only a few hopeful options to help him take on Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Chris Paul has been aging backwards lately , and the bench is finding an identity for Phoenix.
The final game of the regular season showed us there’s nothing to worry about — for this season at least — against L.A. The Clippers were nearly blitzed by a Saben Lee, 25-point breakout performance.  Sure there’s more veteran depth for L.A. if you look at the Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook possibilities. Even with that, neither of the two can change the dynamic of the game against Phoenix. Only one man on that roster can in Leonard, and he can’t do it alone.
The Suns have a 2-2 record in the regular season against the Clippers. One of those games for Phoenix was a heavy load management sit out as the last game of the regular season. Even though Leonard was able to drop 25 points, he had an awful time finding his rhythm against the Suns’ defense.
In no way is this Clippers team a simple walk-through, even without George. But on this stage of elevated runs, defense and IQ, it’s hard to see them clearing more than one win to avoid a sweep.
Mind you, the Suns were able to take care of the Clippers during their title run in 2021.
 I’ll give the Clippers one game at home, likely Game 3. After that, it’s closed curtains.
Franklin Miller – Suns in 6
The Phoenix Suns are going into this series with a lot to prove after their heartbreak loss last year against the Dallas Mavericks in 7 games.
With Kevin Durant now in the fold, things look to be a little different from a rotation perspective than it did in years past.
Monty Williams has seen to have got a good grasp of how he uses his rotation with Durant now in the fold and Torrey Craig as a sixth man coming off the bench with Cameron Payne.
The Clippers got more veterans that are coming off the bench with playoff experience that should get them prepared for their matchup going in but outside of Kawhi Leonard, their won’t be a lot of viable options scoring wise with Paul George out for the first couple of games.
The spacing with Russell Westbrook and Ivica Zubac/Mason Plumlee will make things a lot tougher for Leonard to be the go to guy to score timely baskets.
With Durant being the primary guard as well as Craig and Okogie, I got the Suns winning in 6 and Devin Booker having a big time series since he won’t be getting doubles team left and right.
Rowan Donaghey – Clippers in 7
The Phoenix Suns made a bold move around the trade deadline, acquiring one of the best players to ever touch a basketball at this level in Kevin Durant. However in making that trade, they got rid of two player known for their defense. Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges, both were superior perimeter defensive players.
Once the playoffs come around, shooting jumpers is not enough to pull out close games. In a 7 game series, teams are 100% focused on you for a 2 week period. The one constant through out the series is that the team that can get the most stops down the stretch usually wins.
Paul George will miss some if not all of this series which makes me a little nervous about my prediction of the Clippers in 6. However I think the Suns are coming into this series expecting to win easily, which is a bad attitude to bring into the playoffs.
Deandre Ayton will be absolutely an X-Factor throughout this series for the Suns. He needs to average a double-double to give the Suns an edge. It does not have to be big numbers, however at least pitch in 15 and 12 every night.
Look for Kawhi Leonard to take over this series early. If Clippers can get out and steal a game from the Suns at home in game 1 or 2, game 3 at LA could be a huge one for either team. Do not be surprised to see the Suns struggle to find offense against this Clippers defense which is full of length.
Brendan Mau – Suns in 5
The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers both made good moves to strengthen their respective teams at the trade deadline. However, without Paul George, the Suns should overmatch the Clippers, especially when it comes to star power.
The Suns have an established star in the playoffs in Devin Booker, and now they have Kevin Durant, who has proven he can win a team a playoff series all by himself. No matter what Kawhi Leonard does offensively, it will not come close to the level of production that Durant and Booker will produce night in and night out. Even if one has a bad game, the Suns have proven how hard they are to stop offensively collectively in the games they have been at full strength.
Everyone has shown they can step up for the Suns on both sides of the ball. They knew they didn’t have a championship roster before the trade deadline, so they went out and added the pieces that can make them one. This series should be the first step in proving to everyone that they can win with this roster.
I still think the Clippers could prove a strong test for the Suns, and the Suns could face trouble if they take them lightly. Ty Lue is a great coach at making adjustments and they have proven personnel top to bottom on their roster. If the Clippers put together a game plan and one of the their role players has a big night at home, I think the Clippers can get a win at Crypto. I also think their depth is strong, as they had a glaring weakness in no backup center before the trade deadline before adding Mason Plumlee, who gives them a big lift off the bench.
That being said, I think the Suns will pass the test and with flying colors most games. They have too many better players than the Clippers and have shown strong chemistry, even with the new faces on their squad. I think Monty Williams will have his team prepared for battle Sunday night and everyone will be locked in for a deep playoff run. If Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul play above average basketball, this very well could be a sweep.
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
