Clippers 120 - Minnesota 95 - Now That's More Like It

Against the Knicks we are going to need to play sound defense the Clippers can’t afford to let any player get hot. The Knicks have also recently stepped up on D so we have to be careful. Tonight though was a needed win.

I got through a Clip game and didn’t think, “Man, we need to make changes to our roster.” Trade for TMac? Steve Blake? Mike Miller or Rudy Gay? Naaah… who needs them! ;-)

But I don’t want to get too blissed-out over beating the Twolves. Like you say, SP, when our wings are hitting their jumpers, it makes a tremendous difference. So in particular, let’s see if Butler and AT can show up night in and night out. We’re going to be playing better teams soon enough, and it’ll be lame if all their defenses have to do is lay off BD from the outside. It’s fortunate that the next two games are against not-so-good teams; it’s an important opportunity to develop some consistency.

When are wings are hitting, it loosens the whole offense up. So let’s be honest about one thing: Dunleavy deserves some criticism, but it wasn’t his fault that EJ was injured and Butler was cold.

In the effort to maintain an even keel, let’s not get too excited about such a nice victory against the hapless Wolves. It’s nice, however, to get healthy and gain confidence against a struggling team, and we’ve seen lots of other squads take advantage of the Clippers.

Worth acknowledging that Baron Davis’ work over the summer, and his detente with Dunleavy, is paying consistent dividends. We’re seeing how BD represents a favorable matchup against the majority of opposing PGs, and how he does a good job of getting everybody involved. He certainly seems to be a completely different player from last year, and he gets better as he has more weapons at his disposal. The backcourt of BDavis-EGordon is formidable, and it’s also consistently strong. Unlike a lot of other sophs or rookies, it’s hard to imagine Eric Gordon having a poor game where he’s forcing shots, turning the ball over, and getting flustered, and instead he puts tremendous pressure on the opponent. BDavis can have his very poor shooting nights and take some questionable shots, but he has been remarkably consistent about handling the ball and getting into defenses. He’s at the top level of the league in assists, and he seems to do it rather effortlessly—it’s not even a part of his game that gets a lot of focus. With Gordon back and the Clips able to spread the floor, my guess is that BD’s assist numbers will go up at least a tick or two.

The LAT chose to focus on the growing relationship and chemistry of BD and Kaman. We can all see it. As far as I know, BD has never played with a scoring big man like Kaman, or a rebounder/shot blocker like Camby either. BD’s mix and chemistry with the Kaman/Camby combo is what we thought we were going to see last season. It’s better late than never I suppose, although in his latest KA points out that the Clips are going to have a tough decision about holding onto Camby, when he’s so attractive to contending teams that want to step up to the next level. It’s interesting too that both Kaman and BDavis’ stocks have to be trading higher, making a rather major deal both more possible and more questionable at the same time. Why shouldn’t the Clips themselves gain the benefit of the strong play of BD and Kaman, especially when they’re complementing each other?

One intriguing way to look at Camby’s role and value is through the change that the team will undergo with the arrival of Blake Griffin. It’s possible to see that addition as essentially the same thing as a pre-deadline move, making a deal for an outstanding rookie PF. In doing so, Camby moves into the exact same role for which he is coveted by other teams. The Clips will be adding Griffin, but the result is the same as it would be in “adding” Camby to a contender. It’s the extra boost that a team needs to distinguish themselves and build momentum through the second half of the season and perhaps into the playoffs. Of course, the Clips have put themselves in a position where they’re going to need this boost and then some to get there.

At any rate, it’s great to see how well things can work when everybody is filling their roles and working hard, and the Clips have another win and are another day closer to Griffin’s crucial bone scan. They’ve got some momentum and have been playing good D as they head to NYC. They’ll be making steady, solid progress if they hang in through the first half of this road trip, and we’ll know a whole lot more about the team (and Griffin) by the time they get back to Staples.

but when Sool is hitting his shots, it opens the floor so much.

Or does Baron seem to be making very creative and electrifying assists during the past few games? Ever since that one tank job he had a couple of weeks ago, he’s like a different player. Many of his amazing passes don’t even go for scores because the other Clips get surprised by the pass. A great pass with the style and flair that he puts on the ball means more to a team than just a good solid pass that leads to a bucket. I think these types of passes hype up a team and their fans as much as a highlight reel dunk. Baron’s value is more than what’s showing in his stats right now. He’s getting the team involved in creative, inspiring ways, he’s really trying hard on D, limiting ill-advised shots, taking it to the hole, rebounding, and making his free throws. Totally different player than last year – much more than the stats indicate.