Houston 102 - Clippers 85 - Back to Normal, Terrible in the Fourth
by Steve Perrin on Dec 3, 2009 12:23 AM PST
in Game Recaps
81 comments
A game after playing probably the best fourth quarter in franchise history, the Clippers reverted to form and were unwatchable in the final quarter. Houston doubled them up in the quarter, 26 to 13, and the Clippers went almost 7 minutes without scoring a point at the end. A meaningless Baron Davis three at the end was their only basket in the final 6:50. The Rockets won going away, 102-85.
I wish I knew how the Rockets are doing it. Conventional NBA wisdom says that you have to have a go to scorer - they don't. Conventional wisdom says you have to have size and length - they don't. And just when you think you understand - "oh, it's all about Aaron Brooks breaking down defenses with the dribble" - they beat you with Brooks on the bench. Certainly they play good defense - but in this game, I don't know whether to credit their defense, or just admit that the Clippers were terrible on offense.
Chris Kaman, who has been mired in a terrible slump save for one game in Detroit last Friday, was 4 for 7 with three rebounds in the first quarter. He finished the game 5 for 16 with 5 rebounds. So he was 1 for 9 with 2 rebounds over the final three periods. Without Eric Gordon, who missed the game with a sore hamstring, and with no one else really stepping up, the Clippers just didn't look sharp on offense.
I mentioned in the preview that the Rockets take a lot of threes, and when they win they get a lot of points from beyond the arc. Well, they were 12 for 23 in this one - while the Clippers went 1 for 14. That alone would have been enough for the Rockets to win the game. Still, the Clippers gave them so much more.
I'm tired and depressed, about the game and about the fact that Blake Griffin is going to be out until the New Year. So I'm going to keep this short and go to bed.
But there's one more thing I want to point out.
When the Rockets opened the third quarter with Shane Battier defending Baron, and the 5'11" Aaron Brooks defending the 6'7" Rasual Butler, the Clippers went to that matchup every trip on offense. It's an obvious strategy, and you can certainly see why they would do it. There's one problem - it rarely works.
We've seen the Clippers post up Quinton Ross on Steve Nash. We've seen them post Ross against Earl Boykins. If a team has a major liability on defense, they will look for the player where they can hide that defender. When the Clippers used to post Ross trip after trip, it had the net effect of taking the team completely out of any rhythm. And it's not as if Ross was converting a high percentage. So the strategy is doubly effective for the opponent - they get stops AND they get the Clippers out of sync.
Same thing happened in this game. Butler has obviously been a disappointment so far this season, and he has been particularly bad lately. But he has NEVER been a good post up player. Yes, Butler made a couple of hoops against Brooks - but as the Clippers were milking this matchup, Houston was building a 9 point lead in what had been a tie game. More importantly, the players who actually NEEDED to be taking shots like Kaman and Baron and Thornton were completely ignored and lost the feel for the game.
You can't suddenly go to a player in the post every trip, if that player isn't a good post player. Having a major height advantage is great - but if you're not a post player, you're not a post player, and it doesn't matter how tall you are or how tall the defender is.
0 recs |
81 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
I had to witness this masterpiece in person
Amazingly enough it was 83-80 at one point and it looked like we might live up to our meager expectations. Alas we experienced yet another meltdown and left us all wondering why we bother following this team.
There was one bright spot during the game however. For the first time ever (I think), Baron was able to throw one down on a breakaway play, the first dunk I recall him ever making as a Clip. The Rockets called a timeout and Dunleavy promptly took out Baron which probably zapped us of some momentum. It could be well reasoned that it was time for Baron to take a break but I think sometimes a coach needs to consider the momentum (and this was a huge play).
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 3, 2009 1:14 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Not true
Baron made 1 dunk earlier this season. I remember Lawler going estatic.
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 1:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Actually...
Baron’s up to three… the two hander in the half court after he blew by Calderon I think, was the most impressive.
Of course, after this one, he had to come out of the game and get treatment. Maybe now we know why Baron doesn’t dunk so much these days.
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 3, 2009 9:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
and yeah thats pretty much why
he blew out his acl in college coming down from a dunk
by GSWBALL on Dec 3, 2009 6:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, I agree that CMDsr. blew this one big time by subbing BD right when he got us within 1 point.
The crowd was in it and so were we until the worst coach in the league started to try to coach.
Everything starts out New, Gets Old and Dies or is Destroyed.
by HVYDRT007 on Dec 3, 2009 1:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I thought BD
went out because he tweaked something during that dunk.
by RockyMountain on Dec 3, 2009 6:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
If EJ played in this game and it was 83-80
the Clippers would have won. EJ would will us to a win with his passing, shooting, defense, and dribble penetration.
by NBAFAN8 on Dec 4, 2009 9:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Bad coaching
Craig Smith should start and Novak should get more mintues than Butler. Kaman is really fu*cking things up in Clipperland rightnow.
JM
by kingjames10 on Dec 3, 2009 2:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Give the man some time
Butler has better defense than Novak (even though he hasn’t been consistant.) But I do agree that Novak shouldnt just enter ice cold int he 2nd and 4th quarter for 30 seconds a piece. Doesn’t really make sense.
As for Craig Smith starting, his size remains a liability. Camby is a defensive blocking specialist, and I’ve noticed this season that Kaman seems to lose his man on defense a bit (watch Indianna and Murphy vs Kaman.) Plus, Camby is by far a better rebounder than the two. I like Camby at the starting 2 while Griffin out. When Griffin’s back however, its time to let the thirty-some odd years old rest his legs. We still need that guy for the playoffs!
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:31 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I will
it aint over until we are officially knocked out of the playoffs! (or unelss we’re down 20 games+ from the 8th seed…)
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
RButler stinks more the a bum's ass. He need to be wavied or traded for a draft pick.
Everything starts out New, Gets Old and Dies or is Destroyed.
by HVYDRT007 on Dec 3, 2009 1:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree 100% on your Kaman assessment. He doesn’t have any other move than back up the defender a little bit and takes a fade away shot. And on defense, well, forget about it! There’s no effort there. Can he not get motivated by Marcus Camby’s efforts?! Gheesh! Camby is in his mid-30s and he’s going for loose balls and fighting for rebounds and blocking/altering shots.
by Sirk on Dec 3, 2009 10:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree on no effort part.
If there’s one reason why I agree w/ ppl who wants Kaman traded, that is it.
by RockyMountain on Dec 3, 2009 6:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Could it be Houston is effective because they have a decent head coach?
I've got nothing.
by bc56274 on Dec 3, 2009 3:35 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Depends if you think coaches matter or not.
by Newtybar on Dec 3, 2009 8:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think we're all in agreement - coaches are superfluous
Just sign the talent – you know, like we’ve done here.
by Jax on Dec 3, 2009 9:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, yes
Phil Jackson just doesn’t deserve that hugh contract he has…
Man, might as well use that money and upgrade to free Burgers…
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Its much more than Houston has an extremely effective GM
by John R on Dec 3, 2009 9:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Problem with that is
the Gm isn’t make the calls during the game. He creates the roster as best as he could (assuming he wants to…) but he isn’t the guy telling the players what plays to run and what kind of pace/ flow he wants the game to be played at.
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:33 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
If you can get Morey to be GM
I approve.
Good luck.
Coaches don't matter. - Bill Simmons, The Book of Basketball
by John R on Dec 3, 2009 3:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
O.k we get it, it's not dunleavy's fault he can't coach for shi*. It's the GM's fault
because he’s not that good at evaluating talent. He doesn’t know how to put a cohesive team on the floor. That’s a damn good thing it’s not the coach’s responsibility to identify those traits and assemble the parts. Because we all know Dunleavy can’t do it.
Now if we only had a GM who could.
How much does Dunleavy pay you anyway?
by eastie Rich on Dec 3, 2009 5:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
It's kind of pathetic actually
"[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.
by Jax on Dec 3, 2009 10:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
One potential explanation
Quote from Shane Battier on the game:
“We made them play to their weakness,” Shane Battier said. “In the first half, they got a lot of paint shots. They’re a pretty good team in the paint. They’re not the strongest outside shooting team, especially with (Eric) Gordon out. We made them settle for jumpers in the second half. Over time, the percentages rolled into our favor.”
from this blog post at the Houston Chronicle:
http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2009/12/rockets_102_clippers_85_just_l.html
by PhilippeinBoston on Dec 3, 2009 7:26 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
and yet Dun wasn't smart enough to recognize this
Throwing the ball to Butler for 6 minutes really f**kng pisses me off. Butler is our least reliable offensive player and we’re giving him the entire offense for half a quarter. What happens when Al gets his first touch? He gets us 2 points. Next touch, he goes to the line. WTF is Butler doing to warrant this kind of leniency. What because the guys 30? He’s mature enough to find his way back where-as Thornton actually had to put in the hard work only to see 12-16 minutes of play.
I go back and forth supporting Dun and counting the days he’ll be fired. He can be a very smart coach and run the team to a “T”, but those occurrences are much too far away from one another. I can’t stand playing into the hand of the other team which MD goes for every freakin time.
by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 3, 2009 7:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Really…Dunleavy’s play callings and rotations have been questionable and awful. He can stay as GM since he apparently can get talents on the roster. But Clippers need a Coach that knows how to use the talents and to motivate the players.
by Sirk on Dec 3, 2009 10:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You guys are ridiculous
Every Clips loss, you call for the Coach to be fired. Take note, our best player was out. Our only SG is Ricky Davis. Get over it.
This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell
by oasisman on Dec 3, 2009 11:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
no mention of firing Dunleavy
I just want to make it clear that he can get talents but doesn’t know how to use them to their potential. Rotation has been atrocious and they can never sustain their lead down the stretch. It’s the same theme year after year. They need a Coach than can utilize the talents they have to their potential and to motivate the players.
by Sirk on Dec 3, 2009 11:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh give me a break
An injury excuse? Seriously? Against the Rockets?
Their best player by far was also out. And their center is 6’ 6"
by madglove on Dec 3, 2009 12:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
Can’t cry the injury excuse when playing Houston, it’s like a complaint of getting dirty if your playing in the mud.
Coaching was the key here……………………..Period.
and Houston’s was better, 1000 times better.
Everything starts out New, Gets Old and Dies or is Destroyed.
by HVYDRT007 on Dec 3, 2009 2:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
No, no
Dunleavy lost without his players again.
Dunleavy needs ALL of his players to win, which doesn’t happen much in an 82 (+ playoffs) period. Which inevitably means.. Dunleavy can’t adapt! The coach in Houston gets it. Sacramento isn’t as bad. Heck, Indianna even showed us up with Mike Dunleavy’s kid and Granger out.
But let’s be fair, Dunleavy lost without his players yet again.. *sigh
someday this is going to get old.
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 9:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That's what I saw
No one on our team could hit from outside.
by ghost_ride on Dec 3, 2009 8:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
It's amazing that...
Battier was very spot-on in his own analysis of the game. I think the Clippers, more specifically Mike Dunleavy, looked past the Rockets and took them lightly, and ultimately got burned for it. We were coming off two very big (so far) wins against Detroit and Memphis, and follow it up with the usual predictable BS that Dunleavy’s known for.
I just hope and pray that Eric Gordon make it back for the Indiana game on Saturday.
by Shawn H on Dec 3, 2009 9:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
No one "took it lightly"
especially when you’re on the hot seat like MDSR. Houston is a good team, we lost to a good team. We were also missing our best player, You guys are unreasonable, expecting the Clippers to win every game. This is the same Houston team that went the distance with the Lakers last year….Yao was gone mid-series in that series. They have a lot of weapons.
This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell
by oasisman on Dec 3, 2009 11:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Come on
Isn’t it possibly reasonable in your mind to analyze the coaching moves made in a game and form reasonable opinions on those coaching moves?
Some might say that the coach of the Rockets does a very good job of putting that team in a position to win. Our team doesn’t appear to be playing well, the coach has a sub .400 record over 6 plus years, and the Rockets’ coach appears to have made some great moves last night that resulted in the loss.
In my view, these issues are ripe for discussion. Particularly when, as you say, MDSr is “on the hot seat.”
I don’t think anyone expects the team to win every game. We do, however, expect our $5 M per year coach, who tells us all that we are not savvy enough to understand things, like he is, to put a good product on the floor for us to watch. You might think he’s done that, but some of us would beg to differ.
by Jax on Dec 3, 2009 11:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
But this is where it gets tricky
How do you reconcile whose fault the problem was last night?
I argued that it was a huge problem that they kept leaving their man’s in an attempt to double team which opened up the 3 point game. All I know is the problem, and I know that the Clippers did a bad job in that area. But I don’t know if that was a failing of the Coach or the Players. How could I know that?
It’s clear from this board that people will just blame one side or the other, but that isn’t based on last night, its based on opinions already formed. Some said that Dunleavy should have made a point to tell his team not do play defense like garbage (we don’t know if he did or not) whilst others argued that every player should already know this, and therefore it is a player failing.
I’m kind of checking out of this argument. As I said yesterday, the Clippers are the players and the coach, and the Clippers failed last night.
by Michael White on Dec 3, 2009 11:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not saying that we should look at this one game in isolation
I understand that you think that “the Clippers” failed, but don’t we want to figure out what’s wrong so we can fix the problem? Isn’t that the American way?
by Jax on Dec 3, 2009 11:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
When dealing with fault
there are certain things that it is easy to assign the blame.
Missing free throws: Players
Bad subsitutions: Coach
Trading away the best power forward the Clippers ever had: GM
But things like yesterday, you could make logical arguments assigning that blame to all three of those parties. Perhaps the coach never made an adjustment. Perhaps the coach made the adjustment, but the players kept making mental errors and wanted to record sportscenter highlight blocks instead of just doing their assignment. Perhaps the coach made the adjustment, the players tried to implement, but their lack of ability kept them from doing it— a failing of the GM.
by Michael White on Dec 3, 2009 11:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That's where we disagree
Re coaches, I think one can question basic offensive and defensive schemes and play calling. One can question the ability of the coach to motivate the team. It’s about making adjustments. And many more things.
This isn’t really about assigning blame, it’s about trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix the problem.
by Jax on Dec 3, 2009 12:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
What were the Clippers doing on defense?
Other people are betting at breaking down defense (x’s and o’s) than I am, but why were the Clippers constantly trying to double players in close leaving them wide open at the 3 point line? It’s not like there is a player on Houston who has to be doubled. Everybody was drunk on playing help defense, leaving their man, and Houston drained the WIDE OPEN three pointers.
At the end of the broadcast, they showed a montage of Rocket three pointers made. These were not contested looks. They were wide open. Frustrating.
by Michael White on Dec 3, 2009 7:45 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
It's the same defense we've had all season
I guess we stick with it because look at the wonders it did for us against Memphis. But yeah I agree, why on earth is a double team being used every freakin game. Just use a defensive scheme where you stay with your man. They run a simple pick and BAM, they have an open three point shooter.
Ironically enough, someone over at Clipperblog pulled up defensive stats against the 3 point shot and we were 3rd in the league defending it……No idea how that’s possible and after last night I’m sure we’ve dropped.
by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 3, 2009 7:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
***someone over at Clipperblog ***
It’s Kevin Arnovitz
by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 3, 2009 7:53 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
KA has a pretty good breakdown on this on Clipperblog right now
You’re pretty much right, there was no reason to double any of the players in the interior. MDsr should have told his players to stay on their man.
by Newtybar on Dec 3, 2009 8:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Is this even necessary?
I know not to double Houston and to chase them off the arc.
You know.
Steve knows.
Jax knows.
Mikey knows.
Everyone knows. If Baron Davis can’t even slow Aaron Brooks, nothing else matters.
Coaches don't matter. - Bill Simmons, The Book of Basketball
by John R on Dec 3, 2009 9:01 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This is where Dunleavy should have realized
that maybe he should have tried a smaller similar speed tpye guard in Telfair, or even a more defensive minded guard like Collins.
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Great defensive scheme - not
Query – who was it that signed BD to that $65M 5 yr contract at age 29.
I’ve forgotten.
by Jax on Dec 3, 2009 9:25 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I wouldnt talk about BD's contract
I actually liked it at the time. A Baron/ Brand combination sounded like a killer. And even so, Baron was coming off a VERY good season.. wasn’t that the season where he posterized AK47 in the playoffs?
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:40 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
No, a year after
Baron got into some hot water at the end of his Warriors stint where he partied on his birthday when the season was winding down and they were battling for a playoff spot.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 3, 2009 10:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, I don’t blame Dun for BD, since Brand the traitor forced that hand. Although I would have blamed him for the alternative, Beno Udrih.
by Polish Rifle on Dec 3, 2009 11:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
ohman
I would have HATED Beno has a Clipper. What is up with that guy and foreign/ Euro players???
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 9:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Not really that much history with euro players
Let’s see we had Radmanovich for half a season (where we ended up signing Tim Thomas for the same amount of cash in the offseason), we got Jaric as a 2nd rounder which was probably good value (plus we traded him for Cassell and a 1st round pick, great trade), Drobber who was good for us when healthy and then there was the unfortunate selection of Karolev… All in all not that much. The flirtation with Udrih was because he was the best pg on the market until Baron unexpectedly opted out.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 4, 2009 1:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
did you really expect that to happen?
None of those bigger piont guards like Baron can really slow him down, cause he’s just too quick for them.
Still our defense wasn’t great and all those offensive rebounds are killing us.
Though, a coach who knows how to call plays and doesn’t just post up Butler(WTF? He’s a spot up shooter, but not hitting them right now) or calls for isolations all the time wouldn’t be too bad either…
by Silvio on Dec 3, 2009 9:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I dont understand why anyone would complain about BD’s contract, obviously a terrible season last year and obviously he is starting to play a hell of alot better. I would be more concerned that Camby and BD are the only ones putting in an effort at the moment.
by Sam50 on Dec 3, 2009 7:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Adelman is smart enough to recognize mdsr’s style of matching up the clips against the opposing team…Adelman lured him in and he fell into his trap! I bet the team has never practiced having Butler be on the block and their number one offensive tool! Why would you do that!? Why not try Mardy? That whole sequence is what took the team out of sync and possibly cost them the game!
Roger Sterling: To my knees, Don. They're bringing to my knees!"
by Lawler's Law on Dec 3, 2009 9:26 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
No doubt the easiest bit of coaching he's done all year
Not that we otherwise would have won but we are just unnecessarily giving the games away with poor offensive and defensive schemes. Opposing coaches are just licking their chops.
by Jax on Dec 3, 2009 9:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Adelman can't win because his players are hurt
He’ll win when HIS players are back and then you can judge how well he can coach. If there’s a problem then, he should be fired.
Oh wait, he’s not using that excuse…nevermind.
As a side note, why would you expect the players to bust their butts when the coach is saying that it’s okay to lose when players are out. If so, the game was lost when Gordon couldn’t play.
Also, before anyone says that McGrady is not the player he used to be, he’s using the salary that could be used to get other players…take his salary equivalent out of the Clippers & who would you have on the floor.
by Zer0 on Dec 3, 2009 10:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
LOLOL
Man, you would have thought after all these years of making excuses, Dunleavy would come up with something better….
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:41 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Funny...not
Rick Adelman doesn’t want T-Mac back.
This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell
by oasisman on Dec 3, 2009 11:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Not sure that's true
The Rockets have always been pretty high on T-Mac, at least when he’s been healthy enough to play. He was a otherworldly player when healthy but injuries have bogged down his career. They probably don’t want to risk the excellent team chemistry they have with right now by rushing back a rehabbing Tmac but they were able to win 22 games straight just 2 years ago without Yao with Tmac and a bunch of no namers.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 4, 2009 1:41 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
In case anybody wants to continue the conversation from yesterday
http://www.thedreamshake.com/2009/12/3/1183667/hayes-adelman-and-morey-taking
Only A Lad has a post discussing Morey, statistics, coaching, etc.
by Michael White on Dec 3, 2009 10:17 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
somebody give Kaman an energy boost!
Chris Kaman is a SOFTIE and LAZY!!! Marcus Camby’s efforts, as well as Baron Davis’, just go to waste in losses. Kaman is a 3rd option at best. He’s a complimentary player just like when the Clippers made it to the Playoffs in 2006. Brand and Cassell were the go-to-guys. Also, they need a coach that can motivate the talents that they have. Mike Dunleavy, Sr. can stay as a GM. They’ve had talents all along with different players but the results at the end of games are still the same. It’s sickening!
by Sirk on Dec 3, 2009 10:48 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Man..
I’d fire as GM if that relieves Dunleavy as C. Not worth the bs. Hey, maybe its a new omen for us with Dunleavy’s bald head gone?
by JackduhSun on Dec 3, 2009 10:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I love Marcus Camby's effort yesterday
As I watched him box out Chris Kaman in order to get that rebound.
I also love how he always want to go for the block instead of sticking on his man (this is particularly appropriate the day after the entire Clipper team decided to do it and Houston shot 3 pointers like it was NBA Jam.)
I’m blown away nobody else calls Marcus Camby out as a stat stuffer.
by Michael White on Dec 3, 2009 10:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think he's stat stuffing, but I can see your point..
It might just be more of a factor of his mentality. DJ shed some light into this last season. When Marcus goes up for a rebound his mentality is “this rebound is mine, I’m grabbing everything near me”….it makes sense…if you wait to defer or think your teammate is going to get it…it makes you complacent and allows for the offense to jump in and grab one.
Albeit it can also backfire (ala boxing out Kaman lol)…
..a fine line.
by Newtybar on Dec 3, 2009 10:56 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I actually think him grabbing rebounds away from Kaman and Thornton is kind of funny
since it doesn’t impact the game any. He gets paid for rebounds, so he tries to get every rebound. Whatever, no big deal really.
Not staying at home on defense though, is a problem.
by Michael White on Dec 3, 2009 11:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I have zero problem with anyone
grabbing a rebound from anyone if you trust your hands more then your teammates. Nothing worse then seeing two teammates fight over a rebound and watch it bounce out of bounds.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Dec 3, 2009 11:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Lowry getting key rebounds in the 2nd half while all the Clippers watched was not so entertaining.
First time I’ve seen Houston this year and Brooks was dynamite. Wonder what it must be like to have a speed guard who kind of plays under control and creates havoc. Heck of a 26th pick. Buddinger was also impressive not just with his long range shooting but his athleticism. Pac-10 representing with late 1st round and an early 2nd round pick.
Battier should become a player coach, he was probably smarter then 90% of pro players the first day he stepped onto an NBA court.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Dec 3, 2009 11:51 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Player IQ more important than the coach's IQ?
by Newtybar on Dec 3, 2009 12:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Budinger
probably the worst play of the game was when Baron blocked a Rockets shot with 1 second left on the shot clock, the Rockets inbound the ball and shoot a prayer and Budinger grabs the rebound and unguarded dunks the ball. It pretty much showed how much the team overall cared about winning this game.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 4, 2009 1:44 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
without gordon, this is just a mediocre team
the difference between the last game and the houston debacle was gordon. with gordon and dunleavy looks great. without gordon, no one could get these losers to perform. the clippers have veteran players. the make silly, foolish and elementary mistakes over and over. and other than camby and the “new thorton” they have no heart and no pride in the team or themselves. this team will be griffin, gordon, thorton and maybe jordan if he ever gets over his stage fright.
by dellago on Dec 3, 2009 5:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
This thing where everyone's hopes go sky high with every win...
…and plummet to the depths with every loss is getting silly. The Clips have aspirations of being better than the Rockets this year, but it’s still early. All those guys except Ariza played together last year and they were good then. Did you really expect the Clips to beat them this soon? I would have liked the win as much as anyone but without Gordon… probably too much to ask.
by swamigusto on Dec 4, 2009 3:59 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Umm
they were good last year when Yao (and maybe Tmac) was playing with them. They swapped Artest for Ariza and are now playing without their two stars. I think our expectations are pretty reasonable that we should be able to beat teams like the Pacers (without Granger), Hornets (without Paul) and Rockets (without Tmac and Yao). It seems like we have a ton of excuses we aren’t winning (BG or EJ are out) but it seems like we keep losing to teams (convincingly I’ll add) with even more readily available excuses.
Where does the blame lie? Obviously the GM has to hold some blame for assembling a flawed team, the coach for not motivating the players to play hard on a consistent basis and the players since they are getting paid handsomely to entertain their fan base. I still get the sense that this team just doesn’t give a &$%t 90% of the time and just shows up expecting to somehow win. Maybe a stacked team like the Nuggets or Lakers can get away with that but a team coming off 23 and 19 win seasons need to play with more urgency.
FA in 2010.
by ClipperChuck on Dec 4, 2009 4:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You are comparing apples and oranges
The Rockets came into the game with the better record than the Clips already accounting for the loss of Yao and McGrady. Those two have not played all year.
However, the 8-10 record the Clippers had going into that game was positvely impacted with Eric Gordon in the lineup, while he was not availble on Wednesday.
by Michael White on Dec 4, 2009 4:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, that's what I meant...
Without Yao and McGrady the Rockets are, right now, a better team than the Clips. To my mind that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Of course, the Clips are very close if Gordon is in the equation, and hopefully superior when they’ve played together a little more and are at full strength. At that point, if you want to extend the argument, I would expect them to be equal or superior than the Rockets with Yao. I have no idea what the Rockets are with McGrady, so I’ll leave him out of the equation entirely.
I just can’t get that upset about that loss the other night. I didn’t like it, but I don’t see any reason to be bridge jumping about it. Eric Gordon >>>>>>>>>> Ricky Davis. On both ends of the floor. That’s not an excuse, it’s reality.
by swamigusto on Dec 4, 2009 5:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
With you swami
I think you’re right. Having Gordon back, him playing well and getting a nice win, and then losing him and playing flat and being disappointed is a bummer, but it’s not time to give up. Same with the news about Griffin not coming back for a few more weeks. Gordon is an essential piece, and he needs some games to get back and flowing, but once he is back the Clips will be a much better team than they’ve been for the last month.
by citizen zhiv on Dec 4, 2009 7:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry, wrong
You guys will look for any excuse to rationalize losing. Yes they have a slight edge because they have been playing longer without their best players, but who were we missing? A rook who’s never played in one game that counts and our SG. Pahleeese.
"[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.
by Jax on Dec 4, 2009 9:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
