Phoenix 124 - Clippers 93 - Scary Christmas and Crappy Birthday
by Steve Perrin on Dec 26, 2009 12:06 AM PST
in Game Recaps
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PrintThe Clippers looked great for about 6 minutes in this game. They took an 18-10 lead by pounding the Suns on the boards and punishing them inside, with Baron Davis on Steve Nash and Chris Kaman on whomever. The Suns called timeout at 5:49 of the first quarter... and that was that. The first eighth of the game belonged to the Clippers, but the final seven-eighths was all Phoenix. The Suns came out of their timeout and scored ten straight points to take the lead, and never trailed again.
The Clippers defense throughout the game was indescribably bad. The Suns are a very good offensive team, and they're going to exploit any defensive mistakes. But against almost any team there are two things you really don't want to allow: layups and open threes. Layups and open threes are pretty much all the Suns took in this game. Add in a 27 to 17 advantage in free throws, and you've got the holy trinity of easy points. No wonder the Suns were shooting a ridiculous 60% through three quarters (their second string brought down their overall percentage to a merely scorching 53.7% in the meaningless fourth quarter). The game got so out of hand that the Suns ended up outrebounding the Clippers, after the Clippers had grabbed 14 of the first 15 available rebounds in the game.
So here are the excuses. The Suns are really good, and when they get hot they can dissect the best defense. The Clippers are at the tail end of a six game road trip and they are tired. Marcus Camby is hurting and sat out the second half. Al Thornton is also hurting and was questionable for this game going in. Blake Griffin is injured.
There, that about covers it.
That's a load of crap. At some point, this team is going to have to play well enough to beat a decent team, or if not, then admit that they are not any good. The way they played defense on this trip, I'm leaning towards the latter.
It's not really worth going into much detail. The pick and roll defense was particularly porous, and it wasn't just against Nash. Stoudemire got at least two dunks running pick and roll with Jason Richardson - not usually none for his brilliant passing. Jared Dudley was particularly effective, scoring 18 points on 9 shots and making 4 of 5 (wide open) threes.
But one big problem for the Clippers is that Eric Gordon has struggled most of this trip. His second field goal of this game gave the Clippers a 16-8 lead at 7:10 of the first - he then proceeded to miss nine straight, and the next time he made a shot, about midway through the third, Phoenix had a 22 point lead and the game was essentially over. I am the first to sing Gordon's praises, and in particularly I often commend him on his efficiency. But in the Clippers last 5 losses, including all the losses on this trip, he has shot:
- 4 for 15 versus Phoenix;
- 6 for 17 versus Houston;
- 3 for 9 versus San Antonio;
- 2 for 8 versus New York;
- 4 for 12 versus San Antonio.
Earlier in the season we saw how the Clippers struggled when Gordon was injured and on the sidelines. Now we see how they struggle when he's playing, but not playing well.
Today was Gordon's 21st birthday, and it was probably a pretty bad one. He's still very young, and will continue to improve. He's got a world of talent and he's going to be a major star in the NBA - eventually. But the Clippers can't wait for eventually if they want to stay relevant this season. Gordon has got to play well for them to have a chance.
Oh, and the team is going to have to play some defense.
They've lost three straight, with games looming against two good teams. The latest on Griffin's return has him likely missing half the season, around 40 or 41 games. With the record standing at 12 and 17, and only one win against a team with a winning record, they project to at best 17 and 24 at the season midpoint - and that's being pretty generous. It's a lot to ask of a rookie, to dig them out of a 7 game below .500 hole in his first half an NBA season.
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Hopefully Bill Simmons late-night tweet is dead on:
“My prediction: Celtics blow out Clips on Sunday night, Dunleavy gets fired the next day.”
I've got nothing.
Not a chance
Clippers have been nothing if not consistent on this. I don’t see them firing him while the injury excuse is in play. If he hasn’t been fired yet, how would losing to one of the best teams in the NBA, no matter how badly, change anything?
In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. - Elwood P. Dowd
by Steve Perrin on Dec 26, 2009 12:15 AM PST up reply actions
Yea
the Front Office has been milking this excuse. It’s inevitable that its going to happen, I mean what is going to happen next year when he’s a lame duck coach and GM? They should really be working on a front office plan.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 26, 2009 1:54 AM PST up reply actions
Funny
On the rumors central page of espn, simmons’ tweet passes as real journalism. Really? Simmons’ as a source for dunleavy’s firing. Must be a slow news day
by Qlippers on Dec 26, 2009 8:27 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
If the Clippers lost to NJ in other hand
is Dunleavy’s day as the coach done?
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.-1984 George Orwell.
We can all dream, but Dunleavy's not going anywhere. At this point
does Sterling even know who the coach is?
by eastie Rich on Dec 26, 2009 11:14 AM PST up reply actions
I just can't believe he's still here. Whether it's his fault or not, the rule of thumb is the coach when you're playing like this.
It brings in a new perspective, new schemes, new attitude, etc. Something we could really use at this point. Yet Dun has managed to bully and manipulate his way into staying the Clipper coach after 2 woeful seasons and the third isn’t shaping up to look much better. All this with HIS players that HE choose. Seriously, take Blake out of the picture and this is a better, and fully healthy team, compared to last year. Last year he and everyone felt we were a playoff team. So why does he get the free ride now?
by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 26, 2009 7:46 AM PST up reply actions
With a defense like the Celtics,
I say no less than 50 points BLAST out. I would get rid of the coach (leave the GM) before the game!!!!
Sterling stand up and do your job!!!!
You owe it to the fans who pay.
There needs to be some accountability now
Dun has always said he needs a chance to show he can win with “his players”. Well, looks like he can’t win with “his players”.
Camby
I hope he’s not seriously injured. Its looking more and more likely we should trade him before the deadline passes, this might hurt his trade value.
FA in 2010.
or before we start losing players to "injuries" because they don't want to play anymore
Just ship him the f**k out. Even if we make the playoffs, we’re not making it out of the first round. Lets get a pick or something for him.
by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 26, 2009 7:52 AM PST up reply actions
I GUESS EVEN IF DUNLEAVY HAS
Lebron James added to the Clippers NOW, the team still losses.
MDsr style of basketball is outmoded. Too many ineffective plays and the most effective play with Kaman/Baron is overused, very predictable, known to all the team and easily defended. When Kaman shoots, he has to make it, otherwise there will be no offensive rebound. Except for Camby, everyone else is on the outside watching the ball goes to the other team (that includes Kaman). Kaman is so slow to react to a double team. and all the rest cannot shoot when Kaman is ineffective yet insist on jump shooting the ball!
The defense???? why there is none!!!!!!
There is no Curse Clipperland!!! The PROBLEM IS THE COACH!!
The GM is good, the coach …..heaven NO NO NO!!!!!
Merry Christmas Sterling. And by the way, here’s your gift from your coach, a 32 points blow out!!!!
I say fire the coach, but let the GM stays.
Yesterday, when asked it the Clippers were cursed
Lisa Leslie couldn’t resist laughing. Then ran off a list of a dozen or so players who have
had career altering injuries while being a Clipper. Then Michael Cooper threw in three or four she forgot.
Just saying.
by eastie Rich on Dec 26, 2009 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
This is why we can forget about Lebron
becoming a Clipper. He’s not stupid.
"Excellence...is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle
by Cliptomaniac on Dec 26, 2009 11:05 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Eric
Gordon’s recent struggles on offense don’t worry me in and of themselves (and, of course, there’s no shortage of fodder for worry), but what does concern me is his total lack of rebounding and assists. I get that if the offense isn’t consistently going through him, he’s not going to rack up the dishes. And I get that he’s a shooting guard, so rebounding isn’t priority number one. But his rebound totals for the last five game are 1, 1, 2, 3, and 2. If your shot isn’t falling, crash the offensive boards. Good things happen.
Eric is 21
no doubt in my mind this “slump” is just part of the growing pains.
Balancing the floor
When the Clips run their iso play with Baron and Kamen, Gordon is on the weak side at the 3 point line waiting for the pass that rarely comes. Kamen is very mediocre in making the pass out of the double team and I’ve noticed the Clips don’t swing the ball the way that Phoenix and Houston do. When the shot goes up, EJ’s role is to rotate out and get back to defend, not go to the offensive board. You’ll notice that he’s one of the very few Clips that transitions well to defense.
THE BENCH...craig smith and telfair
as soon as a starter goes out, its all over…craig smith where did you go?…you went from being “rhino” and single handily taking down blake to being some sort of “slick svelte something or other”…craig smith, if youre reading, stop shooting jump shots..stop with the spin moves…stop putting the ball on the floor…you are supposed to be the enforcer…you are the “rhino”…go out, bang people around, grab rebounds and put back the “put backs”…and telfair???? i read that your “whining about playing time”…youre lucky to be getting playing time….my advice, go to europe and play there…you dont qualify as a solid back up on a good team…the clips need a good back up point and youre not it….and if no one has been noticing, why dont you ever pass the ball to gordon? just wondering….ive seen the clippers play on 2 previous christmas days…the charles smith / danny manning days…both blowouts…the players need to be help accountable…they are taking the bad shots..the players are making the bad passes…the players arent rotating on defense…when they play defense, the clips get good results and when they dont, they suck.
Craig Smith is a liability
He is making regression, the last 5 or 7 games, his stats shows more turn overs and fouls more than point scores. you tell me he is an NBA caliber guy? Should waive him instead of Mark Madsen. Worst of all, he was the one responsible for Blake Griffin’s knee injury.
by Pats fan in CA on Dec 26, 2009 10:56 PM PST up reply actions
They will probably beat the Celtics
and save Dunleavy’s job again just like the Denver game.
just another smoke screen
hell, I’ll take that win lol.
by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 26, 2009 8:53 AM PST up reply actions
Yep
"Excellence...is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle
by Cliptomaniac on Dec 26, 2009 11:12 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Stay Classy Clipper fans
My buddy and his 3 kids went to the Lakers vs. Cavs game as a xmas present for the kids, all huge Lebron fans. During the crowd’s escapade, all the fans in their section targeted the kids. They were screaming profanity to a 3,4 and 6 year old. Then a group of ten guys took it further, they started throwing beer at the kids faces. Staples center security was busy shielding anyone in a cavs jersey. Not a pretty sight.
I hope this never happens for us.
Insane. Those kinds of stories drive me crazy. Just disgusting.
by Michael White on Dec 26, 2009 8:56 AM PST up reply actions
I know ... I didn't think it could happen
until I watched on Sportcenter and the kids had beer soaked Lebron Jerseys
That's shameful, and sombody should have been arrested.
by eastie Rich on Dec 26, 2009 10:59 AM PST up reply actions
Why can't this story be the lead on SBNation? I think the entire league
would love to pile on – or I’m just speaking for myself.
by eastie Rich on Dec 26, 2009 11:16 AM PST up reply actions
Wow
what a bunch of d-bags. Seriously who yells at kids like that much less throw beer at them. They should be arrested for providing alcohol to minors.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 27, 2009 5:48 PM PST up reply actions
Another reason to hate Laker fanatics.
"Excellence...is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle
by Cliptomaniac on Dec 26, 2009 11:18 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
At some point, this team is going to have to play well enough to beat a decent team, or if not, then admit that they are not any good.
I’m not really sure what you mean here. Do you think somebody from the Clippers (Dunleavy) should admit the team is not very good? Because, teams don’t often do that. If you mean your community here, well plenty of people have pointed out that the team is not quite as good as many thought pre-season. Even you picked the Clippers to win around 30 or so games this year thanks to the Griffin injury, and just by eyeballing it, they are not far (if at all) off that pace. And the team has beaten a decent team- Denver, Oklahoma, and Memphis twice (Memphis I expect will be over .500 shortly and compete for the 8th spot.) Memphis and OKC aren’t world-beaters, but they certainly qualify as “decent.”
Umm
Dunleavy IS saying the team is not very good every time he uses the injury excuse. Good teams should still beat the bad ones with one, maybe even two players out. Heck, even the bad ones are winning (Sacto). There are at least 5 games that should have been won, even with the injuries. Heck, if the injury excuse was valid last year, Blake shouldn’t be counted this year.
It's not so much that the team is bad.....
….it’s primarily the coach. The players have long ago stopped listening to him, and if I’m wrong and they are listening to him and executing his sets, then that doesn’t speak well for his coaching strategy. Sometimes it’s just necessary to make a change, and his one is long overdue.
The team is also bad
Low iq players
by Qlippers on Dec 26, 2009 9:55 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Why is the Team Bad?
MDSR made very poor choices as GM for the bench. The number bear out that the team is ok when the starter are in but awful otherwise. I hadn’t seen Telfair play much but his per # were awful. I assume MDSR saw something in him but if did,he was wrong. MDSR is awful at developing young guys, none of his picks became stars and many including DJ improve little.
Trading for Randolph was a good idea, because it got rid of Thomas and Mobley’s contracts, trading Randolph was a good idea once BG was drafted to open cap room next year(even if it ended up hurting this year). What they do with that cap room will decide the next five years. I don’t want MDSR making that choice.
i'd like to point out some positive points to the game/roadtrip
Rasual Butler continued to shoot well, over 50% with 22 points. I think its safe to say he is turning his season around? Chris Kaman continues to have a solid season. 19 points in like 30minutes. Our troubles began when Camby sat out the game. He is very important to the team. He brings veteran leadership, perhaps more important than Baron. Its unfortunate that the whole team can’t be playing well at the same time, but thats why its called a team. Players are suppose to help each other out when the going gets tough. Its a tough loss, but hopefully this team will come together and eek out a win vs Boston or Portland.
I appreciate your looking on the bright side
Butler is playing better. I have to think that EJ will have better outings, which should translate to at least more competitive ball games.
As team defense, trouble with stretch 4’s, and bench play are the crux of our problems, it’s reasonable to believe that Griffin will eventually be a tremendous help.
I’m saying this really to keep my own spirits up. The last few games have been almost nothing but dispiriting.
Defense wins games
What’s interesting to me is that perhaps 95% of the comments focus on the offensive game. Yet, it’s defense which wins games more often than not. Anyone watching the Celtics will see how effective they are on the defensive end, and creating turnovers leads to easy baskets. The same with the Cavs in shutting down the Lakers yesterday. The Clippers’ bigs don’t like to leave the paint and can’t guard big guys with 15-17 foot shooting range. If Davis or Gordon’s man beats them on the dribble or on the pick and roll, the Clippers’ bigs don’t have the agility to cut off the drive. Then, you throw in what may be one of the worst 5 benches in the league, and you have an ordinary team.
BUT
statistically the Offense is close to last, while the defense is closer to the top 10.
Too many statistics, however
If you adjust the Clips’ offensive and defensive numbers for average number of possessions, the Clips score 103 points and give up 108 per 100 possessions. You’re correct about their offense. The Clippers rank #25 in the league in points per possession. Only five teams are worse: Charlotte, Chicago, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Jersey. On the defensive side, the Clips are tied with 4 other teams for #15. The 11 teams worse than the Clips on defense are Toronto, the 76ers, Memphis, Golden State, Minnesota, Phoenix, Sacramento, New Jersey, and New Orleans. The Clips’ point differential per 100 possessions is very poor at negative 5 points. Only New Jersey, Minnesota, Chicago, and the 76ers are worse.
The best #6 teams in the league on defense are Boston, the Lakers, Charlotte, Dallas, Orlando, and Cleveland. Why is Charlotte in the group? My educated guess is because Larry Brown coaches them.
Part #2 (continued)
Boston, the Lakers, Dallas, Orlando, and Cleveland are among the top defensive teams in the league. They are also among the best teams overall. Defense wins games.
i agree with you that the bench needs improvement
and that is where Blake will step in. He is by far an upgrade to what we are putting out there. He will bring that energy and excitement the 2nd unit lacks. I also believe he will inspire DJ to bring his A-game every night. I feel Rasual is playing solid and you throw Blake in the mix and you will have a strong bench that should open up Bassys game, throwing up lobs to Blake and DJ.
I dont see it that way
we won 19 games last year and are on pace to almost double that tally. I doubt we were suppose to contend for a championship this year. the primary goal was to develop are youngsters (Gordon and Griffin) and compete for a playoff spot. we are doing much better than last year w/o Griffin. If we don’t make the playoffs,,,, fine, but i wouldnt say it was a wastefull season. The summer is setting up to be a good one for free agents and we might be in the mix for one of the studs. Kaman has been a pleasant suprise. Baron came into camp in shape and is playing excellent basketball. Rasual is starting to show promise. Al is playing decently. I dont understand why everyone is in panic mode.
It probably doesn’t help when the warriors knock off the suns.
by Sam50 on Dec 27, 2009 3:18 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Wonder if we could take the Lakers to 2OTs right now like Sacto
"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
The schdule caught up to a weak team
This team has been playing with no heart all season. suns losing to the Warriors only makes our loss worse.
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