Cavs: Matchup with Clippers features two of NBA’s best bench scorers

The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time this season tonight, and the matchup features two of the NBA’s best bench scorers in Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams.

Jordan Clarkson has given the Cleveland Cavaliers tremendous production this season, and aside from Kevin Love, who’s only appeared in 17 games, Clarkson leads the Cavs in scoring with 16.9 points per game on 54.0 percent true shooting (per NBA.com).

His consistency game-to-game has given the team a big boost on most nights, and because of his attacking mindset and multi-faceted scoring acumen, Clarkson comes into tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers only 10 points shy of breaking Campy Russell‘s Cavs’ single-season bench scoring record (of 1,210 points), as we’ve hit on.

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Tonight’s matchup against the Clips should be a fun one, as Cleveland has played much better since the All-Star break (with a much more respectable 7-7 record), and the Clippers have the third-best post-All-Star record in the league, with a mark of 10-3, per NBA.com.

This is the first meeting between the two squads this year, and it’ll great to see both benches go to work. The Clips have the highest-scoring bench in the NBA, and Cleveland’s is the sixth-highest.

A key reason that’s been the case (to go with Montrezl Harrell‘s 16.5 points per game), is outstanding bench scorer Lou Williams, who is now leading L.A. in scoring (since former leader Tobias Harris was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers) with 20.3 points per game on 55.5 percent true shooting.

That scoring average, based on Williams’ total appearances and minutes played per game, has put the two-time Sixth Man of the Year in a class of his own, as Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor highlighted.

"“Lou Williams (20.3 points in 26.5 minutes) is the only player in the last 30-plus seasons to appear in at least 50 games and average 20 or more points in under 27 minutes. … Williams, the NBA’s top scoring reserve, is averaging the second-most points by any bench player in the last 25 seasons. …”"

“Lou Will” has been one of the NBA’s best bench players for years, and clearly, this season has been no exception when it comes to his microwave reserve production helping his squad.

Clarkson has proven that he’s among the league’s best in filling it up off the bench, too, though, as we’ve often detailed. Of NBA players that have come off the bench for at least 30 games, Clarkson is third in the league in scoring.

According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon (subscription required), Clarkson and Williams are tied for the league lead “with 63 games of 10 or more points off the bench.”

Seeing these two bench players duel at both ends should make this a fun one to watch. A matchup between red-hot Cavs rookie Collin Sexton and Clippers impressive rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be very intriguing as well, as Vardon emphasized (again, subscription required).

That being said, if Cleveland grabs its fifth straight W at home, Clarkson will likely have a lot to do with it.