Clippers 88 - Indiana 72 - An Ugly Win, but a Solid Ugly Win

by Steve Perrin on Dec 6, 2009 12:38 AM PST in Game Recaps Comment 78 comments

Some wins in the NBA are ugly. But not all ugly wins are created equal. This one wasn't pretty, but the Clippers did enough things right to merit their 88-72 victory.

Any time both teams in an NBA game shoot less than 40%, it's probably not getting featured in any "Where amazing happens" commercials. The Clippers heated up late to raise their overall percentage for the game to 35%. Aside from Al Thornton who finished 7 for 14 and Sebastian Telfair who made 3 of 4 jumpers nobody on the team shot. In addition to poor shooting, the team also turned the ball over a frightening 16 times in the first half.

But in the second half, the team did quite a few things well. They played good defense, limiting the Pacers to 33 second half points and contesting every shot. They did a better job taking care of the ball, turning it over only 5 times (most of those on offensive fouls). And throughout the game, they rebounded. They finished with a 58 to 34 rebounding advantage, and came up with a season high 19 offensive rebounds. All those extra possessions resulted in 11 extra field goal attempts and 12 more trips to the free throw line. And although they weren't making many field goals, they did shoot their free throws very well for a change, making 26 out of 31.

And I can live with that. I'd like them to make more shots. Some nights the ball doesn't go in the hoop as often as you'd like, and there's seemingly nothing you can do about it, but you can always rebound. If you rebound, play defense, limit your turnovers and make your free throws, you'll have a chance, even if you're shooting 35%.

For the Clippers, the games are beginning to be completely driven by the fourth quarter. For six consecutive games, the team that has won the fourth quarter, has won the game. Not only that - none of them have been close. The Clippers have either dominated the final frame - or been dominated. Check out these fourth quarter scores:

IND 25-16 W
HOU 13-26 L
MEM 33-7 W
DET 30-21 W
IND 14-31 L
MIN 19-14 W

So simple right? Play better in the fourth.

Obviously this win exacts some revenge for the Clippers after they suffered a bad loss in Indianapolis 10 days ago. The Pacers played that game without Mike Dunleavy Jr. or Danny Granger. Tonight they started with both of them, but lost Granger early in the second half to a heel injury. Frankly, Granger didn't look particularly good when he was out there. He was 4 for 12 from the field, and most of his shots didn't even come close. And with Granger either struggling or gone, the Pacers offense was pretty terrible. Roy Hibbert made a couple of decent post moves. And other than that, it was guys shooting jump shots - and not particularly well.

For the Clippers, Eric Gordon returned to the lineup after missing the loss to Houston, and although he struggled a bit on offense (3 for 10 and 5 turnovers), his defense was excellent. It's good to get EJ back on the court, and good to get the win without him at his best. Hopefully the hamstring doesn't tighten up and he'll be sharper in the next one.

With Gordon's minutes limited tonight, MDsr experimented some with the 2 guard rotation. Rasual Butler continues to struggle, and appears to have lost confidence in his jump shot altother - he was 0 for 3 tonight, and hasn't made a three pointer since the Denver game, missing 16 in a row and counting. So while Butler played about 17 minutes, Mardy Collins got 11 minutes at the 2, and Ricky Davis played 7 minutes as well. Collins now has one more three pointer in the last six games that Butler. Mardy also does many things better than Butler. He can handle the ball and pass, and he's a solid defender, and a pretty good rebounder. Even Ricky is beginning to grow on me a little - he certainly seems energetic out there. Regardless, MDsr seems to be actively looking for alternatives to Butler, and it seems like a good idea.

The hero of this game for the Clippers was Marcus Camby. He finished with 12 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocked shots. He led the team in rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, assists and blocked shots. He was an absolute force.

The teams on the horizon are much better than the Pacers. The Magic come to town Tuesday, followed by the Spurs. Even the Wizards, who are up after the Spurs, have been starting to play better. The Clippers will need to shoot better to beat those teams. But if they can do the little things well as they did tonight, they'll have a chance in those games.

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Rasual Butler

His usefulness to this team seems to be deteriorating from our starter at SF, to probable starter, to sixth man, and to bench player. At least he seems to taking it well.

by penguin35 on Dec 6, 2009 1:07 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

He is dropping to the level of expectations for Clippers.

Sad to say but players who come to the Clippers tend to underachieve: Stars (like Baron Davis) become average players, average players (like Rasual Butler) become below average players, and below average players (like Dan Dickau) somehow become starters on the Clippers and then out the league the next season.

"Excellence...is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle

by Cliptomaniac on Dec 6, 2009 10:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't say BD is playing average

his stats are way above average but he is not playing as well as he did in GS.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 11:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

if you adjust his stats for pace, he really isnt playing that much worse than his last year in GS.

i mean, he is shooting fts better, and his fg/ft percentages are close enough not to mention he’s getting more steals on less possessions.

the “we believe” GS team he’s not quite there yet, but eh also missed like 25 games that year. i’d rather he play like he is now and actually be able to play all year.

by hans007 on Dec 7, 2009 12:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

On a glass half-full view...

…at least we extended Rick Brunson’s career!

Okay, let’s not go there anymore.

by penguin35 on Dec 7, 2009 4:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

These two teams really know how to put on a scoring clinic when they get together.

….yawn….

Thank God that series matchup is over until next year.

We’ve beaten the teams we are supposed to beat on this homestand, now let’s go out and get a win against Orlando. That would be nice.

I've got nothing.

by bc56274 on Dec 6, 2009 1:23 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

"We’ve beaten the teams we are supposed to beat on this homestand"

Really? We weren’t supposed to beat Houston? We’re at home, they’re barely above .500 and have not business having that good a record… I’d say we were supposed to beat them.

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 6, 2009 9:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hard to say.

We were playing without our best player, and the Rockets were actually favored in the game.

I've got nothing.

by bc56274 on Dec 6, 2009 12:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Without EJ

Houston should have won that game, and they did. They’re one of the few teams who’ve beat the Lakers this year, and they played them close in Houston as well.

by ghost_ride on Dec 6, 2009 1:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I dunno ...

Adelman was coaching without his players? How could anybody expect him to win?

by pipedreams on Dec 6, 2009 6:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

GET A BACKUP 2 PLEASE

With Rush’s spot open and Butler and Ricky Davis sucking, there must be someone out there better. Get Fred Jones or Von Wafer back from Europe, at least they sometimes make a shot.
Collins is a better option than Butler at the 3 but must be in with Gordon to avoid those painful 24 second violations.

by ragman on Dec 6, 2009 2:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

fred jones

what happened to that guy, i would definitly take him over saul and rick

by ImranQ on Dec 6, 2009 10:41 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He signed in Europe

Freddy Jones is now with the Italian Team Pallacanestro Biella, according to his Wikipedia. Ricky Davis is Ok…he actually has some handles, unlike Butler.

This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell

by oasisman on Dec 6, 2009 11:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't remember where exactly, but

i read he was injured in case anyone wanted to know.

by MTM22 on Dec 6, 2009 6:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not Freddy!

Man.. that guy was awesome as a Clipper. He was a solid roleplayer.

by JackduhSun on Dec 6, 2009 7:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Grinding it out

It was good to see Kaman have an effective game, and better to see him rebound well despite Camby’s big rebounding night. Kaman even snatched one from Camby at one point. Hopefully Camby can keep up this level of play for a while, it will go a long way.

Thornton had a nice night as well, and he did it kind of quietly.

This Butler cold streak is getting harder and harder to tolerate. Mardy is clearly the more effective player for all the reasons mentioned by CS above. EJ played a lot better than his line indicated, hopefully he’s all the way back for Orlando and there are no more setbacks. Telfair has been hitting that mid range shot a lot more consistently lately, which is really a bonus.

Lots of missed layups tonight. Glad to see Indiana go down after last weeks game. Maybe all the rebounding was because this was a little bit personal for the vets. Anyway, this should set us up for Orlando pretty well, would be nice to look them in the eye and see what happens in the 4th.

by ghost_ride on Dec 6, 2009 2:16 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Cold streak?

Rasual is a 40% shooter for his career. It’s not like he’s ever really shot lights out. And I’m still shaking my head at people on Clipsnation who were ready to crucify Al earlier this year while elevating Rasual to be some kind of savior.

Stuck in limbo.

by PaperClip on Dec 6, 2009 8:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes and No

It was probably a mistake to look at Butler’s last season in NO and assume that’s who he was – all of those shooting numbers were career highs. But this still qualifies as a cold streak – he’s at a career low in three point shooting, and other shooting percentages like overall and effective shooting are the lowest he’s had since he was a rookie in Miami. So it’s not unreasonable to have expected him to be better than he’s been.

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 6, 2009 9:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Al Thornton was horrible last year from an efficiency standpoint. If you keep playing bad, you’re gonna hear it from the fans (as evidenced by Butlers recent play), and Thornton deserved it. In all my comments i’ve always acknowledged that he’s had the tools to be successful, and that he’s great at taking the ball to the basket. Finally, that’s what he’s starting to do more and more, and that’s great news.

As for Butler, he was outplaying Thornton in the early part of the season, and Dunleavy had AT coming off the bench. Do you think that might have motivated Al in the slightest? It seems like a pretty big coincidence that he wouldn’t listen to the coaching staff at all last year when they told him to attack the rim as his main focus, and now that he finally has some competition for playing time, he listens.

There’s no getting around it though, Butler’s recent play has been nothing short of miserable. I was at the game last night and he was about as bad as he could be. He obviously has a very limited offensive arsenal that gets shrunk even further when his confidence is low like it is now. The reason he’s an asset to the team is because of his career % from behind the arc is 37%, which comes out to a 55% effective field goal percentage, and he’s not a liability on the defensive end. We desperately need shooters, so hopefully Butler can regain his stroke and help us spread the floor.

by ghost_ride on Dec 6, 2009 11:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Good points

Do any of our stat friendly folks see anything that shows Thornton’s increased level of efficiency? His stats for the year aren’t as good as they could be because he got off to such a slow start, and he also had that horrible game in the first matchup against Indy. But he should be trending upwards pretty nicely now, and I wonder if he’s truly more efficient now than ever before. But the basic thing is what you point out, gr, that he’s just taking the ball to the basket and shooting inside, where he makes a lot more of them.

Kind of the big blessing in disguise about Gordon’s absence. Yes, with Sool starting in front of him he realized that he had to change his game. But it was only when Gordon went out that he got the opportunity and the playing time.

Now, if Gordon is back to stay, we get to see if Butler can have a similar awakening. With Thornton and Gordon playing and playing well, and Collins looking more impressive, and there being no need for him to initiate offense or be a big playmaker, maybe he can play his role and stay within himself. All he has to do is hit some shots and play defense in order to look better than Collins. It’s a different role from when he was starting in place of Gordon. Kind of funny how the idea of him starting in front of Thornton has been decided so thoroughly at this point.

by citizen zhiv on Dec 7, 2009 9:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thornton does continue to trend upward. Current PER of 13.7 which would be a career high.

by Michael White on Dec 7, 2009 10:33 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Whatever happened to Butler?

Butler who used to be a Clipper Killer is still killing the Clippers! That in itself is a Clipper Enigma (there are so many of them). And this one is definitely hurting.
I guess it does’nt matter who the Clippers get. As soon as they join the team , they would either be hurt or loss their shooting touch.
Sucks!
But that’s whay they are the Clippers.

by nelsan on Dec 6, 2009 8:33 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

If you ever get down for being a Clipper fan, just give thanks you are not a Pacer fan. These two games were among the worst I can remember. Of course, Pacer fans may be saying the same thing.

by thewhiteshadow on Dec 6, 2009 8:42 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

at least the Pacers can look back at their

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 10:33 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

oops mispost

they can look back at their years with Regiee Miller and they have championships so I don’t feel to sorry for them.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 10:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

They have NBA championships?

They have some ABA championships, but they still have zero in the NBA…like the Clips.

This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell

by oasisman on Dec 6, 2009 11:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Didn't they win one with Miller?

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 2:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No.

Miller is ringless.

"Excellence...is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle

by Cliptomaniac on Dec 6, 2009 10:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yea

Poor Pacers had a good chance to get one though. Credit Tayshaun Prince for that huge block and the Malice at the Palace for stopping what was a stacked Pacers team.

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Dec 6, 2009 11:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Pacers had a good team in 03-04, they won 61 games but lost in the

conference finals. Jermaine O’Niel averaged 20 / 10 for the year, but in 99-00 (I think it was) Bird coached them to a 56 / 20 record and they lost to the Lakers in the finals. Smits – the Dunking Dutchman – averaged 14 / 6 for the year. Both teams had Miller (the Knick Killer).

by eastie Rich on Dec 7, 2009 11:06 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That was a decent Pacers team

but the team that made the Finals wasn’t expected to win the title. The Lakers had Shaq at his peak, a emerging Kobe, Glen Rice and a solid bench. That was when the East was a really weak conference, it wasn’t until the Pistons won a championship that the conferences became a little more even.

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Dec 7, 2009 11:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

True, if you look at the entire roster you kind of wonder how they

made it to the finals. Still a good though.

by eastie Rich on Dec 7, 2009 1:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

nvm you are right they have 3 ABA titles no NBA championships

but they also have a conference championship and a hall of famer in Miller so I don’t really feel that bad for them.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 3:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

More players playing is a good thing

If Collins, RDavis, Novak, and DeAndre can get out there and contribute energy, points, ball movement, defensive effort (or at least not completely detract from the team) then the Clippers will be much better off. All 4 of these guys are flawed and by no means the best bench players in the league, but if they can go in the game and the Clippers can stay close or maintain a lead, we are much better off if the starters can take turns getting some rest and watching from the sidelines for a while to find weaknesses on the other teams that they can exploit when they come back into the games (assuming that they actually pay attention and have the basketball IQ to figure this out…questionable for some of our players).

DeAndre for MFP - Most Funniest Player

by ClippChick on Dec 6, 2009 8:54 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Ricky

I’ve never been a fan of Ricky, and certainly not of Clipper Ricky. But I think he may have crossed that threshold where his stock is so low, that he’s actually better than most of us give him credit for. Most importantly (and I noticed this last night in particular) he is enthusiastic and energetic when he’s in the game. He missed all of his shots last night, and he may never be a good shooter again. But contrary to his rep, he doesn’t seem like a bad influence at all. He’s not sulking, he’s not loafing.

Of course, it’s a poor solution to have three wings (Butler, Collins and Ricky) who are all “not good, but not terrible”. It’s nice for depth – but we need one of them to actually be worthy of being in the main rotation – and none of them are, and least not right now. Which one is the least bad? Hard to say. But I’m reconsidering Ricky.

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 6, 2009 9:47 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I like Mardy

It’s a little hard to tell, though, since I’ve hardly seen either Collins or Ricky for extended minutes. It’s easy to agree that Ricky is coming in with good energy, but for that matter so is Mardy. And neither can be counted on much for shooting. So while Ricky creates more frenzy, Mardy gives us ball handling and defensive presence, plus he seems comfortable around the basket (as Zhiv was noting yesterday). So between the three (incl Butler), I’m leaning in a clear direction.

by SilverClip on Dec 6, 2009 10:45 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Mardy

Was effecitve last night, that 3 was a big bonus you can’t really expect though. Just love his defense, and steady control of the basketball whether it’s taking it up the court or making a pass.

by ghost_ride on Dec 6, 2009 11:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Davis(2)

He can’t really afford not to be energetic on the floor right now. He’s playing to extend his life in the NBA right now, pretty much. That said, i’m glad he’s giving effort for us.

by ghost_ride on Dec 6, 2009 11:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ricky and Mardy

The problem with Ricky is some questionable and lazy defense (look at Houston’s 3 point barrage), while that’s Collins strength. I think it would be better to give Collins the nod, since he really hasn’t had his chance yet.

The Ricky we’re seeing now is a bit different from last year’s because he doesn’t have the sore knees. He seems to know that he’s on a talented team and he has a fairly simple job to do, but he just doesn’t have the firepower to get it done anymore. He can try, and he can come close, and sometimes his enthusiasm and energy will be helpful, but it’s not the real thing.

Kind of too bad about Kareem Rush. That injury was a bad one, the small, critical thing that gets deemphasized by the Griffin and Gordon injuries. Rush was a shooter, and had good experience and he was still young and had a lot to prove. With Butler sinking a bit, Rush could have stepped up and made a difference.

But these are still the bench guys. The main thing for the Clips is that BDavis is much much better and seemingly healthy, Gordon is coming back and has all sorts of upside, and Telfair is a solid backup right now. And Thornton’s solid play solves a lot of issues on the wing—that, and BDavis’ play, are the places where the Clips are ahead of expectations. It’s not just Thornton’s production, but the way that he’s doing it.

Having one of the 3 backups (Butler, RDavis, Collins) contributing would be nice, but when Gordon gets back and then Griffin shows up it shouldn’t be a big or determining factor.

by citizen zhiv on Dec 7, 2009 9:11 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

For the Clippers, Eric Gordon returned to the lineup after missing the loss to Houston, and although he struggled a bit on offense (3 for 10 and 5 turnovers), his defense was excellent. It’s good to get EJ back on the court, and good to get the win without him at his best. Hopefully the hamstring doesn’t tighten up and he’ll be sharper in the next one.

Did anybody else notice EJ holding his fingers after a deflection from a steal attempt? Dunleavy just left Gordon out there. I know that it could be just a small finger jam, but why not just let Gordon sit out for a couple mins instead of putting more pressure on it????

by JackduhSun on Dec 6, 2009 8:55 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I noticed it probably just a jam

happens all the time even our sucky trainer knows how to treat that you just tape it.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 10:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

but I was hoping that he could call a quick 20 sec. timeout or take him out really quickly so that Gordon could have gotten it checked and taped up.

by JackduhSun on Dec 6, 2009 5:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Was at the game last night and it was pretty quite there in the first half. A fan went out on the court during a full timeout and made more noise at Staples shooting her way to $600 haha. But in that 4th quarter everyone got into it. Everyone was happy to see them finally pull away a secure a win, even though it wasn’t pretty.

by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 6, 2009 9:20 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Nah man

Staples was too quiet. I didn’t understand how a game could be almost as quiet as the star spangled banner… Fourth quarter was barely any better…

by JackduhSun on Dec 6, 2009 9:50 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

you kidding me

it was loud at the end of the game (for the amount of fans there). Unless you were watching on TV, how could you say it was quite in the 4th (unless you’re talking about the first 5 minutes).

by dulciusEXasperis on Dec 6, 2009 2:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I was there

but I was wondering if you were there at the Memphis game at the 4th quarter? Every single fan was cheering. In the Indianna, there was only a few selected people yelling defense or cheering the Clippers on.

by JackduhSun on Dec 6, 2009 5:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was there to

the only time the crowd really got into it was when Baron made that three to put the game away.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 6:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

True that

at that was already at the end where we were milking away the time and Baron just jacked up a random shot. By then the game was over, but before that Staples was dead quiet. It was also very awkward to see people leave even before the game was over. I saw many people leaving around the 30 second mark. Just didn’t make sense.

by JackduhSun on Dec 6, 2009 7:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

they wanted to beat the traffic

Traffic is horrendous getting on to the freeway after any event at Staples. I have never left early myself but it makes sense seeing as the game was over with 3 minutes to go.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 6, 2009 11:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I left early too for once

Once the game was clearly over (a little over a minute left) I had to head out. I wouldn’t do it for weekday games but I had plans after the game and see how it was for all intensive purposes over it made sense to leave.

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Dec 6, 2009 11:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I should look up the address where I park. It's quick and easy to get out.

But I hit the 10 east. I don’t know if you go that way.

by eastie Rich on Dec 7, 2009 11:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I park by Evo and the AT&T building

Free street parking and the area is secure. Takes a few minutes to walk to Staples but saving $10 per game adds up when you go to 35+ games.

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Dec 7, 2009 11:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How much do you guys pay for parking?

I park a little after the subway/raidroad. That part is cheaper than the “25.” I think the advertise price was 10-15 for a Clipper game. After that, just a few more blocks and you can hit the 10 east. 10 East wasn’t bad, but the 110 is… especialyl if you want to merge into the 60 through the 110..

by JackduhSun on Dec 7, 2009 11:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I usually park some where near Flower and Olympic

they usually have very reasonable prices and there are about 4 different lots to choose from.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 7, 2009 1:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I totally agree.

I was at the game Saturday night. I hate when people show up just to sit on their ends. They don’t realize the team, like any other franchise, needs vocal fan support to pump them up. I was two rows behind Ralph and Mike. Just like at the HOU game before the Fourth. No one makes any noise. My brother and I are routinely the only ones chanting Defense! and calling out player’s names when they deserve some recoginition. The crowd sucks. Any other ClipsNation people who want to change that, maybe we should all sit together and make some noise.

"Buckle your seat belts, folks. This one's doing down to the wire." -The inimitable Ralph Lawler.

by Gordon for President on Dec 7, 2009 10:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sit on their hands*.

"Buckle your seat belts, folks. This one's doing down to the wire." -The inimitable Ralph Lawler.

by Gordon for President on Dec 7, 2009 10:53 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm.

you guys didn’t hear me? I was a little further up, but I was booing Dunleavy’s kid, but also yelling defense.

by JackduhSun on Dec 7, 2009 11:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Now that you mention it, Jack...

I did remember hearing the occasional “defense” from behind me. I explicitly remember it being odd that someone else actually cared. Haha.

"Buckle your seat belts, folks. This one's doing down to the wire." -The inimitable Ralph Lawler.

by Gordon for President on Dec 7, 2009 5:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was yelling defense

but I was sitting over in the section 115

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on Dec 7, 2009 9:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

115's...

damn that’s far away from me. But maybe I have seen you before.

bestclipfan, did you by any chance carry a basketball with your dad at a game once? (To a Memphis game to be exact?) I saw a teenager and his dad, and just wondering f hat was you, lol.

by JackduhSun on Dec 8, 2009 5:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I had my butt in ClipperChucks's PR seats

my voice started to crack, but was busy for a big run by the Clippers. Towards the 4th quarter was when I stopped because that was when my stomache was starting to act up. Needless to say, overdosing on Pepto Bismol didn’t really do any vital effect.

by JackduhSun on Dec 8, 2009 4:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm Down

My wife and I are very vocal…maybe a fan post to plan where to sit for a certain big game would be a good idea.

by ghost_ride on Dec 7, 2009 6:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It'd be tough

unless we all don’t mind sitting in 300’s….

by JackduhSun on Dec 8, 2009 4:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Long stretches with more turnovers than shot attempts

Team Sloppy defeats Club Suckiest

by SilverClip on Dec 6, 2009 9:30 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Are you guys really clipper fans?

A win is a win. Just be happy we didn’t lose again.

by Cay.Clipper1 on Dec 6, 2009 9:52 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah,but when we play like that

against a team that consistantly brings their A game, its going to look somewhat similar to the Utah game.. or the GSW game (but us being GSW this time..)

by JackduhSun on Dec 6, 2009 9:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

not sure why everyone is so pessimistic

we are close to .500. I cant remember anytime last year we were close to .500. Kaman and Baron have played in every game so far. I am excited to be a Clipper fan this year.

by big0lbad on Dec 6, 2009 10:44 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Its been a fun season thus far

Baron EJ and Thornton are a great open court team. Seeing Thornton return to his scoring ways have been a great delight…hopefully there are no more setbacks for Blake.

This is going to be my team, and we're going to rise together.
-Clipper Darrell

by oasisman on Dec 6, 2009 12:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

because we should be better

if you said 9-11 before the season most people would take it, but anybody who has watched this team knows that are like 5 gms that we could and probaly should have won and that is the frustrating part especially when the schedule will soon get tougher.

by ImranQ on Dec 6, 2009 12:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Games we should've won...

Think the 2nd game of the year was the big one, we controlled that game all the way through the middle of the 4th quarter, but let Nash beat us at the end.

Another one was OKC at home. That was a game there for the taking.
Then there’s the Toronto game. It was probably a fluke to build such a big lead.
At Indiana is the other one we should’ve got done.

The New Orleans games w/out Paul, they were somehow a better team. Maybe it’s a matchup thing, I don’t know.

One game we had no business winning was that Memphis game.
Both wins against Minnesota were barely eeked out.

by ghost_ride on Dec 6, 2009 1:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

This guy seriously works for the Clippers

The season has been “fun”?

BG was hurt before the season began. The team has had problems gelling and playing well together. They have lost a number of games they should have won, and the coach has the same old excuses he’s always had. This is the easy part of the schedule. Maybe they will learn how to win, but given the past, it would seem unlikely.

I guess you could say it was fun if you don’t care about consistent winning or the playoffs.

"[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 6, 2009 9:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta agree

this season hasn’t been too fun. 9-11 isn’t bad for us (sad statement) but we should be concerned as our schedule gets much tougher this month.

I’m patiently waiting for BG to arrive so we can really start building towards something.

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Dec 6, 2009 11:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

We're better compared to last season...

Last season, we got our 9th win on January 17th (we were 9-30), but with this current team, I think we’re stuck in mediocrity.. Hopefully Blake can change that, and hopefully we can get a good player in free agency next year.

"look, you can find any coach you want, bring him in here and run the situation. But I don't think they are going to do as good a job as I do." -Mike Dunleavy Sr.

by CLiPPz WeRD 12 on Dec 7, 2009 12:59 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree we are better than last year

But again that’s a ridiculous comparison, heck we ended up with the 1st overall pick last year so that tells you quite clearly where we were.

But yes, in order for us to be more than a mediocre team we need BG and EJ to become superstars and for our other guys to chip in. I think its clear the talent is there but is the coaching, chemistry and heart there? The fire and hunger BG played with in the preseason really does give us some hope, I just hope we can just hang in there until he finally arrives.

FA in 2010.

by ClipperChuck on Dec 7, 2009 1:11 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Mardy

Can we please see more of Mardy Collins? He does little things that make a difference, E.G. deflections, strong defense (“bodying up” the opponent just enough without fouling), making smart, solid passes, etc. Watching him live last night again verified this. I am not seeing where he hurts us at all!

by soccerdance15 on Dec 6, 2009 9:19 PM PST reply actions 0 recs