Charlotte 106 - Clippers 98 - Too Many Turnovers

by Steve Perrin on Mar 12, 2010 11:16 PM PST in Game Recaps Comment 12 comments

The Clippers have shot terribly on the first three games of this trip: 35 for 86 (40.7%) in Utah, 37 for 86 (43%) in Orlando, and 38 for 89 (42.7%) in Miami, for a dismal 42.1% on the trip going into tonight's game. So the game in Charlotte figured to be another nightmare, given that the Bobcats defense is among the league leaders in opponent field goal percentage and leads the league in points against.

Instead, the Clippers broke out of their shooting slump to make 42 of their 73 shots for 57.5% - and they still lost. The culprit is evident right there in the shooting numbers - they only took 73 shots, and worse yet they only took 9 free throws. Why so few attempts to score? Because of 23 turnovers.

The Clippers were a turnover machine tonight. If they started playing well and cutting into the lead, a timely turnover could be counted on to stop the momentum. They turned the ball over after rebounds. They turned it over on fast breaks. They turned it over after turnovers. They turned it over with a fox, they turned it over in a box. I do not like turnovers, damn, I do not like them, Sam I Am (Cassell).

And these weren't just your ordinary, everyday turnovers. It seemed as if every single one of them led to a layup or a dunk for the Bobcats. Charlotte scored 32 points off of the Clippers 23 turnovers. For a team that averages 103.7 points per 100 possessions, letting them have the equivalent of 139 points per 100 possessions on 23 turnovers is just devastating.

Turnovers have been killing the Clippers ever since Kim Hughes took over. Tonight was the fifth time in 17 games under Hughes that they've topped 20, and they have a couple of 19s as well. The other thing that has been killing the team on this trip has been their total inability to get to the free throw line. On the season, the Clippers average almost 25 trips to the line per game. On this trip, they have taken 39 free throw attempts in four games - my computer-like mind tells me that's fewer than ten per game. Wow. That's terrible. Some of that is the absence of Eric Gordon, who is one of the better players on the team at getting to the line. But normally Chris Kaman and Baron Davis and Craig Smith and Drew Gooden all do a pretty good job of drawing fouls as well. Not on this trip. Kaman took one free throw tonight, which was actually an improvement over the last two games in which he took zero free throws. Why has the team stopped getting to the line? Mainly because they've been settling for jumpers. Why are they settling for jumpers? It's hard to say for sure, but my guess is that they've realized that it's a lot easier to do than to work hard and get a good shot going towards the basket. I think that's why they call it settling.

The other thing the Clippers were truly terrible at tonight was closing quarters. In the first quarter, the game was tied at 23 with 3 minutes left and the Bobcats scored the final eight points of the quarter to take a lead they never again relinquished (by what happens to be the final margin of the game). During that run, Kaman missed one layup, and also dropped a pass out of bounds that should have resulted in a layup. In the second quarter (bearing in mind that the Bobcats started with an eight point lead), the Clippers were nine down with two minutes left in the half. They gave up the final seven points of the quarter to dig a 16 point hole at halftime. Of the Bobcats 16 point halftime lead, 15 of it was built at the end of each of the first two quarters. Aside from those outbursts, this game is tight right until the end.

During the horrible close to the half, Baron was visibly upset - with his teammates, with the refs, with everyone seemingly. As a team, they turned the ball over on three out of four possessions of the half, and Baron was getting frustrated. When the Bobcats got yet another steal with 4 seconds left (this one from Baron, so there was no one to blame), Baron gave Gerald Wallace a shove as he was streaking to the basket. Wallace came down hard and turned his ankle - after taking the free throws assessed after the flagrant 1 call, Wallace went to the locker room and did not return for the second half of the game. I don't know if Baron Davis is well liked in Charlotte from his playing days in the city - but if he just put their best player in street clothes for any significant amount of time during their first ever playoff race, he will be well hated going forward.

On the positive side, Baron had one of his most productive offensive night's of the season, getting to the basket with regularity and making 10 of 15 shots for 24 points. He did it with such ease that it makes you wonder why it seems like such a struggle other nights. In addition to Baron, Drew Gooden (8 for 9), Travis Outlaw (6 for 10 and four threes) and Craig Smith (4 for 6) all had great night's from the field.

Too bad it was all for naught.

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This season couldn't end any sooner

It’s become a struggle to watch the games. These guys can’t do enough right to win a friggin game.

by dulciusEXasperis on Mar 12, 2010 11:53 PM PST reply actions

Thank goodness for AYSO's

Spring soccer…otherwise, i’d be watching these debacles….

Roger Sterling: To my knees, Don. They're bringing to my knees!"

by Lawler's Law on Mar 13, 2010 12:00 AM PST reply actions

ClipperZoe...

First spring game is tomorrow. But for the first time in a while I won’t be coaching her. We’ll see how she reacts to having someone else as her coach. It’s tough coaching your own kid some times.

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 Mar 13, 2010 12:17 AM PST up reply actions

Bleh! Two years in a row of ugly Clipper basketball in the Queen City.

Doesn’t look good from here on out for this team. This game was a lot less competitive than the final score would make it appear. Charlotte was up by 17 at the half, and without the Gerald Wallace injury, this would have been a blowout.

Most of the Clippers seemed to be looking ahead to next year. They made little effort to play as a team. Besides Blake, the players on expiring contracts all just seemed to be interested in looking for their own shots. Watching guys jacking up shots with nobody making an effort to crash the boards was especially frustrating, and nobody played consistent defense. Something is wrong when Ray Felton outrebounds every Clipper save Kaman. And although Kaman pulled down 11 boards, he should have had 15-20. His effort was especially inconsistant.

Baron played well when he wasn’t stirring up trouble. He did look angry for much of the game, and it was no coincidence he lead both teams in fouls. Bobcat fans actually turned out for this game, and the crowd was the angriest I’ve ever seen it after Baron took out Wallace. Looked like a frustration foul to me. I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt Gerald, but the foul was totally unnecessary. At least he was able to shoot the free throws, and hopefully his injury isn’t too serious.

Even the coaches seemed disinterested. At one point in the first half during a time out, all the coaches walked onto the court and just talked amongst themselves without once addressing the players. It’s no wonder the team lost focus every time the Bobcats turned up the pressure. I’m not rooting for this team to tank, but if the players don’t care about winning, it’s tough for me to care.

by ClipCat on Mar 13, 2010 6:22 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

yeah I hope Wallace isn't hurt too bad

that looked like a bad sprain, and I would hate for an injury like that in a game that didn’t really matter to hurt the Bobcats playoff chances.

LeBron or Bust !!!!

by bestclipfan on Mar 13, 2010 8:12 AM PST up reply actions

This is pathetic!!!!

I’m still watching these games, but why? I feel like it’s a waste of time. The Clippers look like they want to be somewhere else. Their leader, Baron, finally has a half way decent game & then gets mad at his teamates? & the refs? What motivation do his teamates have to follow this guy? No wonder guys are just jacking up shots. Baron needs to shut up & lead by example & never ever complain to a ref ever again. Quit concentrating on how you didn’t get a call & instead start concentrating on helping & leading your team to a win. If I were Lebron, I would be thinking twice about considering coming to a team with this kind of chemistry. When Baron came here he kept saying that he wanted to infuse fun into this team. Last night was not fun & it hasn’t been since pre-season. Come on Baron!!!!! Go dig up film of Magic Johnson games from the 80s………….That was FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by sttrumpet on Mar 13, 2010 9:29 AM PST reply actions

Now, before anyone says I'd never have the chance,

I’d just like to say I’d hate having him for a teammate.

by eastie Rich on Mar 13, 2010 3:10 PM PST up reply actions

Expiring contract/The Gordon Rule

Nice notes above from Clip Cat. I’m intrigued by the comment about the effect of having so many guys with expiring deals on the team. It brings back crazy memories of the Olowokandi-Andre Miller-Alvin Gentry team, the one that began the season seeming to be a playoff lock after the late season run the year before, with a nice group of talent assembled, but early in the year the cynical pundits were talking all the time about how DTS wouldn’t pay any of these guys and the locker room was a nightmare. At the time DTS had never paid anybody, but he matched FElton and Maggs, and the Odom deal was too high (although Miami turned Odom into Shaq and a championship, and then Odom won a title with Kobe, so it’s debatable). The difference now of course is that key players are locked up and DTS is ready to go spend money ASAP. Big contrast there, but still. Things must be weird at this point, and on this trip.

So how are the Clippers doing this season when Eric Gordon doesn’t play? We may be mildly disappointed that he hasn’t had a spectacular sophomore campaign, but this second (or third) patch of injury DNPs seems to show that he’s a critical factor in the equation for Clipper success.

And yes, as sttrumpet notes, why are we watching these games? What is wrong with us? I have to say that I’m losing my grip, and I might be developing a strategy for doing so. If I check the box score when these east coast games are happening, I don’t feel any need to watch the game itself. I saw a little bit of the 4th quarter of this one, a small slice that was probably emblematic of the whole game: made shot, no stop, made 3, stop, turnover, opponent 3, lead back to 12. Kaman seems to be waking up in the 4th quarter, which would be a great improvement, except that he seems to be taking the first three quarters off.

One win by our bottom-dwelling competitors last night, Detroit over Washington ClipsEast, Boykins getting minutes instead of Livingston. Pistons go to 23 wins.

Everybody else loses, some of them in close games. Seems like the head-to-head matchups between lousy teams are going to tell the story.

by citizen zhiv on Mar 13, 2010 9:48 AM PST reply actions