Los Angeles Clippers 98 - Oklahoma City Thunder 92 - Not Done Yet
by Steve Perrin on Apr 2, 2011 11:46 PM PDT
in Game Recaps
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PrintThe Clippers were coming off an embarrassingly lackluster performance in Phoenix last night, and for the first half of this game, it was more of the same. For the first 24 minutes, their offensive execution was non-existent and their defense was apathetic. As a result, they were shooting just 37% at halftime and trailed by 12 points, 49-37. Even that was better than they deserved - they had trailed by as much as 16 in the first half.
It had been so long at that point since we had seen a competitive Clippers team, I began to question how they had ever looked good. Blake Griffin was and is a force to be reckoned with, to be sure, but there wasn't much else going on. The team doesn't do much in the way of running an offense beyond the high pick and roll, Eric Gordon is having trouble attacking without turning the ball over, Mo Williams is a shoot-first (and second and third) point guard who frankly isn't that great a shooter, and they're certainly not going to get much scoring from the three spot or from DeAndre Jordan at center (Chris Kaman was out again tonight with the proverbial flu-like symptoms). And it's not as if this is a great defensive team at this point. So how did they beat all those good teams earlier in the season? Where did that team go?
And then they showed up again in the second half tonight. It turns out that team won by playing enough defense to get some key stops, and by getting out and running and getting some easy baskets in transition. And they did all that by playing with a lot of energy, which has been lacking on the team for about three weeks (perhaps understandably). Ironically, it was the Thunder who seemed to get them going tonight. Still trailing by a dozen five minutes into the third, Jamario Moon made a three and Blake a two to cut the lead to seven. On the next Thunder possession, Craig Smith tied up Kendrick Perkins inside, and Perkins was assessed a technical foul for arguing the call. After the technical free throw, Perkins won the jump ball, and Russell Westbrook was called for an offensive foul when he ran over Smith. This time both OKC coach Scott Brooks and Westbrook were hit with T's for their reactionsl. From that point forward, the Clippers were the more energized team.
Particularly interesting was that even though some things went against the Clippers down the stretch, they were able to keep their heads in the game enough to pull out the victory. More times than not, this team has played well enough to win, but still found a way to lose. Tonight, they faced significant adversity, and still came out on top against a talented, motivated and red hot opponent.
Moments after taking their biggest lead of the evening to that point at two points, the Clippers had the ball with the score again tied at 80. Gordon got the ball to Griffin on the pick and roll and Griffin appeared to have a lane to the basket as he took off for the left-handed dunk. But Serge Ibaka blocked him cleanly at the rim. After Jordan picked up the loose ball, he too was denied on his dunk attempt. Westbrook took off the other way and Gordon blocked him cleanly - but was called for the foul. The Clippers then got a technical foul for wondering aloud how they had not gotten a whistle on their end, while Gordon's block was called a foul (it was, it must be said, a very bad call). Suddenly the Thunder had three straight free throws of their own and were back on top. But while we are used to seeing the Clippers fold after similar plays, this time they did not.
They tried once again moments later to swing the fully to the Thunder when the Clippers turned a 4-on-1 fast break into a turnover and a 4-on-1 break the other direction. But unexpectedly, despite these potentially devastating fourth quarter plays, the Clippers came up with big plays of their own to win the game.
Craig Smith (14 points on 6 for 8 shooting) and Randy Foye (11 points, all in the fourth quarter) were especially important off the bench tonight. Not only did Smith make some huge baskets, but he also made the defensive plays that triggered the crucial 10-0 run that launched the comeback, forcing the jump ball with Perkins and drawing the charge from Westbrook. Foye made two three pointers in three possessions (the second on an ill-advised 30 footer that happened to go in) to give the Clippers the lead. He also had a key steal in the final minute which resulted a trip to the free throw line where he iced the game.
In their 40th home game of the season, the Clippers won their 22nd game, a better home mark than either Phoenix or Utah this season. Since opening the season 1-6 in Staples Center, they've gone 21-12 at home. Obviously learning how to win on the road will be a more difficult task, but they seem to be building a pretty nice home court advantage.
They also continue to play well against the league's best teams. It's been well-documented here that the Clippers have beaten all six of the NBA division leaders, and that they are in fact the only NBA team to have done that this season. With this win over the Thunder, they run their season record against the division leaders to 7 win and 9 losses - a higher winning percentage against the elites than they have against the league as a whole. That seems to indicate that if the team can bring the focus and intensity into every game that they bring against the good teams, they'll start steadily moving up the standings.
Finally, I have to say something about Russell Westbrook and his struggles against the Clippers. He was 1 for 12 tonight, which is the worst shooting game of his career, but only just barely his worst game against the Clippers. In fact, Westbrook only has five games as a pro where he has made fewer than two field goals and two of them have come against the Clippers. He also has games of 2 for 11 and 5 for 17 game against the Clippers. It's no wonder that I've had some trouble embracing Westbrook as an All-Star - against the Clippers, he hasn't been.
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against the leage, he is Russel,,,,, against the Clips, he is a wussel
by big0lbad on Apr 3, 2011 12:07 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Wussell Restbrook!
"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime
and too sleepy to worry at night."
Author Unknown
by Lawler's Law on Apr 3, 2011 12:09 AM PDT up reply actions
Actually MILPH
i think ralph blew it and they made a bit out of it…
"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime
and too sleepy to worry at night."
Author Unknown
by Lawler's Law on Apr 3, 2011 12:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Interesting
Thank you Mr. Perrin for the point on Westbrook. I knew he had some difficulty against the Clippers, but I did not know it was this bad. It does not seem to be a Los Angeles thing for him either as he gets a lot of attention for causing havoc against the Lakers.
It would be an interesting idea to have a list of all the seemingly random players that have career games against the Clippers and another of the all-stars that have terrible games against the Clippers. It would be a neat reference to have. I am also curious if there are any sort of trends that might give more enlightenment about the Clippers defense.
by ClipperTheorist on Apr 3, 2011 12:27 AM PDT up reply actions
Wussell and Eric Gordon
Yes, Wussell definitely seems to have some bad coming-back-to-LA mojo going against the Clippers, as he was missing some very makeable shots. But he was defended much of the time by Eric Gordon, and Gordon’s defense might be the critical difference between Good Clippers/Bad Clippers.
And I love the Gordon-Restbwook-Rose statistical sweepstakes, which was put on hold by Gordon’s injury, and Gordon was less of a factor because of Kaman’s injury and the failure of the Clips to get into the playoff hunt. But it should be great next year. If there is one.
We’ll see what Gordon-Wussell is like in the next game, in Oklahoma City. It being Blake’s hometown helps the Clips cause tho.
Randy Foye
When healthy he is a great backup to EJ and highly effective in the three guard lineup! He played great defense on KD! Randy Foye, greatest off season signing!
Man I got them buzzin' buzzin' buzzin' buzzin, Like da-da-da-da-da-da-da -Mann
That's what John R said
It’s funny. Finally paying attention to some clear, direct statements about Foye’s futility from John R (“he can shoot free throws though”), along with SP’s note on Foye’s penchant for the 22-foot 2 pointer, had me hating Randy Foye more than a little bit the last couple of nights, especially when he was gobbling up Bledsoe’s minutes.
But he showed in the 4th quarter that once a month he can get hot and help you win a game. It’s not enough, and he was part of the first half futility that dug the hole in the first place. But it’s fun to watch when it happens. Foye playing defense against KD is comical, especially when Aminu is available. Defending KD is one of the specific reasons why AFA should work out to be a good draft pick. If he just focuses on playing defense, rebounding, and running the floor and turns off the 3 point shot for 15 months while he makes a few hundred in practice every day, he’ll be fine. But Foye kinda made it happen last night. Just for our amusement.
That Dennis' point actually...
Dennis made the point about Foye’s bad habit of shooting foot on the line twos – and it’s a good one. One thing to note about Foye is that he was truly, truly awful for the first few months of the season. Since February, he’s been better. Still not very good, but much better than he was. So he has finally, this week, gotten above 40% shooting on the season. Of course, he’s under 42% for his career, so the 52% he has shot the last 5 games can’t be sustained.
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
Exactly
My girlfriend is so high on Randy Foye right now, but I keep telling her, I don’t care how many of his shots fall, they are still very bad shots. Similarly, last year, I didn’t care how high LeBron got his 3p% at the beginning of the season, his mechanics stink and, surprise surprise, he came right back down to earth by the end of the season.
I hate hate hate Randy’s offense. I’m loving that it’s working right now, but he’s just not a good enough shooter to be shooting the way he does. Now, half the time he comes off a screen and shoots it in rhythm—-that’s a good shot. But the other half of the time, he does Baron-esque step backs (see: 30 foot 3-pointer) that just are never going to consistently fall. No one has ever made that step back their bread and butter. No one. And for good reason. Back-down-fade aways (see: Kobe/Michael/Bird/Cassell) are one thing, but taking the hop step back and fading away, off balance and un-square to the bucket? I can’t think of anyone that has consistently made this shot. Maybe Iverson? He’s kind of a basketball-freak, though. Anyways, it’s just not a great move to build one’s game around, and I can’t think of any evidence to the contrary.
Now, sometimes I like Randy taking a shot, simply because no matter how low the shot clock is, no matter how many guys he has in his face, and no matter how hideous the look, he’s probably going to get off the same shot. The shot will probably clank off, but it has a decent chance of going in too. Gordon is a much, much better shooter, but I don’t have a ton of faith in his ability to get off an off-balance, one-legged, running sideways with 3 guys in his face three-pointer. He shoots in front of himself and generally needs to be square to the basket or he’ll airball. Foye is rarely balanced, so these shots aren’t unfamiliar to him. (Note: I have absolutely no data to support this, though I’m not sure there’s anything available. So yeah, this is pretty much 100% eye-test.)
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
He was injured for the first part of the season
"[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.
I think it's the 42% career mark, not the just-under-40% season mark, that concerns us about Foye's shooting.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
"Foye playing defense against KD is comical, especially when Aminu is available"
i really, reeeeally think you’re wrong about this one.
i’ve never been down on aminu. i think he’s got promise, and i think he’s a good guy.
but you don’t force feed him if it’s unnecessary.
no, what you do instead is play the same way; do not let your opponent dictate your rotation like that.
so VDN played his 3 guard lineup, the most successful lineup in recent memory, knowing that the team would need Foye’s offense. then he has Foye go and “Chuck Hayes” Durant.
Foye completely bullied Durant out of comfort. he played low, with leverage, and it was effective.
this deffensive attack was probably more effective than playing Durant “high,” in other words, with Aminu. did anybody really expect Aminu to start blocking KD jumpers? Nope.
neither did VDN, so he went with Foye, which i think was inspiring.
of course, i don’t expect to read any VDN praise from anybody.
"Energizing the process, or turning it upside-down, fans now participate, writing blogs and posting comments and videos [...] the dialogue is to discourse what road rage is to driving." -Mark Heisler
+1
Foye actually played KD pretty tight. Like everyone else, I was dreading seeing 6’4" Foye on 6’10" Durant, but it acutally worked. KD shot 4-14 in the second half, where VDN rode our 3 guard line-up for extensive minutes.
Those 11 4Q points were clutch. I don’t get Randy, he’s not a dead-eye shooter, but there are games like this, at NYK, and at CLE where Foye enters God-Mode and hits like every shot he takes.
I was just arguing with ClipperChuck, and John R poked in, about how Foye should NOT be a part of the Ryan Gomes Legion of Doom. Foye is reasonably paid and now that he’s healthy, actually proves pretty useful coming off the bench.
"Buckle your seat belts, folks. This one's going down to the wire." -The inimitable Ralph Lawler.
by Gordon for President on Apr 3, 2011 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
It's definitely and interesting matchup
I’ve seen going with a small guy on dirk work really well, so I assume it’s a similar situation with durant. I kinda feel like it’s more on durant than great defense by foye. He got very predictable and was just assuming he had a green light to take those long jumpers all night. Maybe foye kept him from really getting to his favorite spots. Either way, it was surprisingly effective.
by osamu on Apr 3, 2011 3:01 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't like foye for the simple fact that he takes shots away from a more efficient scorer in EJ, and he takes minutes away from Bledsoe in what could greatly help his progress.
"The perception here in Los Angeles has always been that the Lakers find a way to win games and the Clippers find a way to lose…I recognize it, but I'm not going to accept it," Griffin said. "I'm not going to say, 'Oh, that's fine."
by TheEricGordonShow on Apr 3, 2011 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Great win...
nice come from behind…it all started when I began watching too!…
Weird call of the game (on non-call)…Harden (I think) was at the line. Something happened off camera and the refs called off the shot, but he continued and took the shot…didn’t Griffin get a call for that earlier int the year?
"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime
and too sleepy to worry at night."
Author Unknown
Yes. Griffin took a practice shot and they gave him a tech for delay of game.
We ended up losing that game (which I was believe was a close one), but I can’t recall who it was against at the moment.
Proud member of Club FTR
I think that was different though
Didn’t Blake shoot it, miss, and it bounced off the rim back to him, but instead of giving the ball to the ref for the second shot, he threw up a practice shot first? (I don’t remember the shot exactly, just that it was inconsistent with the same situation in the past.)
In Harden’s case, he just didn’t seem to realize there was a whistle on the play.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Yeah, it did bounce back to him off of the miss.
It seems like the Lakers were making a substitution in-between free-throws, which would have delayed his 2nd attempt regardless, but he was still penalized.
Proud member of Club FTR
Rhino
great job holding it down when bg was out…i like him to resign for a solid back up next year…
"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime
and too sleepy to worry at night."
Author Unknown
Great Rhino last night
He was fun to watch too, and made a bunch of plays. I have to say that I kinda like Diogu better as the backup PF than Rhino. Ike rebounds and defends a little better, and he finishes around the basket just as well. VDN has Ike playing backup center with Kaman out (Brian Cook is there too), which is what it is I guess.
But Rhino did a great job last night.
Steve, does the whole beat all six divisonal leaders also
apply to the divisional leaders themselves? For example, Lakers are divisional leaders therefore they can’t beat themselves so they can only beat 5 of the divisional teams. I might have phrased my question badly though.
it does not...
Boston and Chicago have each beaten the other five. Lakers lost twice to Miami. San Antonio lost twice to Boston. Miami has not beaten Boston or Chicago, which is why they may have issues in the playoffs. Oklahoma City has not beaten the Lakers or the Spurs, which is why they may have issues in the playoffs.
It’s also one of those stats that could change at any moment. I have not gone through the 23 other teams today, but last I checked the Clippers were the only team to beat all five. I suppose with Boston and San Antonio losing everything lately that might have changed.
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
nice win
great too that it was nationally televised (on NBAtv)
Rhino is the perfect backup to Blake. Aminu looked really good today. EJ always shuts down Westbrook
Rhino is just amazing. I love him in every way possible. He is the perfect backup for Blake, can come in and score a bunch quickly and efficiently. He also ALWAYS has the right attitude and a great team-first type of guy. I hope Olshey locks him up for a couple of years this offseason. 4 year/$15 million deal would be ideal.
Aminu was always at the right place at the right time today. His dunk was just amazing, and his put back off of Blake’s miss was a crucial bucket at the right time. Ever since he started sporting the headband (a throwback to the D. Miles era) he has turned up his aggressiveness. Anyone else agree?
Being a UCLA alum, Westbrook is probably my favorite non-Clipper basketball player. Being an Eric Gordon fan, I love to see EJ shut him down every singe game. That block which was called a foul and then resulted in T was just ridiculous. EJ just somehow gives Westbrook a hard time ever single game.
Foye is a starter in this league, no wonder he only signed a 2-year deal.
"The perception here in Los Angeles has always been that the Lakers find a way to win games and the Clippers find a way to lose…I recognize it, but I'm not going to accept it," Griffin said. "I'm not going to say, 'Oh, that's fine."
by TheEricGordonShow on Apr 3, 2011 12:58 AM PDT reply actions
i love rhino as a backup to blake
its a bit of a shame him and diogu are so similar, because they’re both essentially great backups to blake. i think diogu definitely belongs in the league, he just doesn’t have much of a place on the clippers anymore.
Foye has certainly played well
Great game for the Clips. Enjoyed the wrap.
"[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 Apr 3, 2011 7:09 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I also thought it was interesting
that both teams came into the game today matching their win totals from last season. Only one came out with more wins than last year ;) Not that it really matters, but I doubt it comes up very often.
That sequence in the 3rd was funny. Amounted to a 3 point possession for the Clips while playing defense. Definitely a tipping point to this game
best 2nd half of the season?
the win against the lakers also had a solid second half, but i feel like i was more impressed with this one. it felt like the thunder really pounched on the clips, something like “yeah we remember what happened here last time, not again.” but the clips really came at okc, played wonderful defense (eric gordon continues to be underrated defensively nationally, shut down westbrook tonight. i think eric should be possibly a 2nd team all defender, instead of gift-wrapping the award to kobe year in and year out when he never takes the hardest cover from the opposition and artest takes those players instead), had so many hustle plays, just truly gritty. felt like a playoff game.
let’s finish strong clips, great game tonight. we all needed this win.
hahah definitely agree with you about EJ and Kobe.
"The perception here in Los Angeles has always been that the Lakers find a way to win games and the Clippers find a way to lose…I recognize it, but I'm not going to accept it," Griffin said. "I'm not going to say, 'Oh, that's fine."
by TheEricGordonShow on Apr 3, 2011 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions
From Daily Thunder
Here’s what Royce Young had to say about BG:
A paragraph on Blake Griffin: First, I love the guy. I knew him and his brother growing up. I watched him in middle school. Then in high school. Then at OU. But the way he’s acting now is really irking me. He’s not the same guy on the court. The way he tries to stare down opponents after every bucket. The way he constantly complains. The way he overacts each bump and foul. The way he yells and takes everything personal. It’s not him. It’s like he’s trying to play with a hard edge all the time when it’s unnecessary. You aren’t the Clips’ enforcer, you’re their best player. Act like it. Griffin needs to just play ball. He’s a little too caught up in every foul, every push, every bump, every word. Play basketball and let your game do all the talking you need. Griffin has a ton of it. All this falling and drama he puts on really sort of cheapens his talent. It takes away focus from how awesome he is.
Gotta admit I agree. He out-worked everyone on the floor tonight, but Blake really did try to sell every little nudge he got. It’s come to the point that, as Young says, all the overreacting is seriously detracting from the fact that he’s an amazing basketball player. Thoughts?
On another note, Young added this nugget to his recap: “Eric Gordon has just a terrific handle. He dribbles the ball HARD, but never loses control.”
Umm….
well he got to shoot 18 free throws
sounds like it has an effect no?
I think it is a bit of a survival tactic, they fouled the shit out him earlier this season. Let’s not forget that in middle school, high school and even college he played with and against player of the same age. Now he is playing against seasoned vets who are using every trick in the book to stop him.
by BelgianClipper on Apr 3, 2011 4:16 AM PDT up reply actions
After getting knocked around a bit by grown men, he had to change.
A lot of team’s fans complain about Blake and the way that he carries himself (selling contact, stare downs, pleas to the refs, etc.), but the guy gets beat up on more than the typical NBA player. Howard, Yao and Shaq may be able to empathize with him. If Rose, Durant, Kobe or whoever else was routinely given hard fouls or would receive contact with no calls, then they would be up in arms about it. On another board, there was a post about Blake and his antics.
A post was made with videos of the hard fouls, cheap shots and altercations that he has gotten into or received this year. Many had the nerve to say that 85% of them weren’t that bad. This isn’t the 80’s, which is a common argument, but irrelevant in today’s game. Against the Lakers, Bynum elbowed Blake in the head and left a decent sized red spot on his head. No call. Kaman was hit in the head by Fisher, and Fisher wasn’t “disciplined” until after the game was over. Laker fans defended their players to no end. Terry gives a cheapshot to Steve Blake and he’s (Terry) now the scum of the earth. When the shoe is on the other foot, it’s a different story and justified (e.g. Bynum on Beasley). They usually are glad to finally see some so-called toughness from their team. I want to see how they respond when their franchise superstar gets clobbered.
Proud member of Club FTR
The weird thing to me is
Blake seemed to be taking everything in stride early in the season. He’d come out of games with scratches and bruises and the whole lot letting then fans ands coaches complain about the physicality he’s taking.
In the long run I think complaining about it now might be better , but I am kinda tired of the faces that he and EJ give the red after every missed basket. Sure some guys like Kobe do similar things but I don’t think it’ll help you down the line.
I just hope he doesnt let it get to him, and maybe calm Down a little on the complaints. I’m not all that agaInst it now,
as he’s still a rookie. I just hope it
by osamu on Apr 3, 2011 6:01 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't like our guys complaining either.
I would much rather see them get back on defense. We may get screwed out of a possession or a basket, but it doesn’t help to not get back on defense and give the other team a 5-on-4 advantage. Even though Steve Javie is a prick, he got pissed because Blake was “staring” at him too long. He was then quick with his whistle against Blake the rest of the night and eventually called a pretty nice poster a charge. Javie couldn’t wait to blow the whistle and have Blake fouled out of the game, since he “disrespected” his authority.
Sometimes pleading your case to the refs helps, but it does more harm than good on most occasions. It takes the players’ heads out of the game and they lose focus. Play the game and then let the coaches worry about it. That’s what my coaches used to tell my teammates and me back in the day.
Proud member of Club FTR
I totally agree
Royce obviously watched a lot more of pre-Clippers Blake than I did. For instance, I didn’t see him play in Middle School, go figure. I agree with the comments below that it’s necessarily going to be different in the NBA, as 30 year old men start taking cheap shots at him. But I could do without many of Blake’s antics.
It does have the desired effect many times – he does get some whistles from his reactions. But I’ve also seen him arguing and posturing as the fast break is going the other way. That’s when it becomes a problem.
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
MILPH
have made slight comments about not getting back and arguing calls…lets hope it’s something he will outgrow…
"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime
and too sleepy to worry at night."
Author Unknown
Early season
The 18 free throws say a lot. Blake is now a professional, which is a different world from the one in which Royce saw him in before. There’s a completely different attitude and posturing in the pros. The opponents might not like it, and BG’s drama needs some refinement, but it’s effective.
I think the big thing is that he was stoical and much less demonstrative early in the season, and he was getting the absolute crap kicked out of him in each and every game, and not getting any calls. After his breakout game against the Knicks things began to change, but it still took a long time. Anybody who wants to criticize Griffin’s dramatics might want to take a look at a highlight reel of no-calls or non-flagrant takedowns from the first 25 games of the season. Then maybe watch a few minutes of Tim Duncan bankshots, mixed in with Timmy’s dramatics.
From the OKC perspective, sorry, but Durant’s demeanor doesn’t really apply. He’s a jump shooter, and he still manages to get to the line more than anybody else in the league besides Howard. Griffin is playing on the inside, where it’s a different game.
+1
big men like Griffin who bang down low (I couldn’t write that without giggling a little) deserve to complain like Griffin does. Griffin takes a lot of contact that would be considered fouls for smaller players and a lot of times Griffin takes this punishment and receives no fouls. He is having a problem similar to what Shaq had in his early years, refs just don’t know how to call fouls for him because he is so big and a lot of times takes hits that would send some players flying, but Griffin doesn’t budge.
I think some of the complaining will die down as he gets more respect from the refs as time goes on.
The same thing also goes for EJ, who is big for his position (not by height but in terms of width,weight, and strength), when he darts to basket he often absorbs hits that aren’t called.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
Re: EJ's handle
Therein lies the problem with the eye test. Watch a guy play a lot and you learn things the stats don’t reveal. But only watch him a couple times a year and you can jump to some awfully absurd conclusions.
Proudly enduring the pain since the days of Bill Walton's foot.
If he's over reacting he's learning it from EJ.
Which is an entirely bad habit. On the other hand, did he hit the floor close to 20 times last night? I don’t think he has teflon on the soles of his shoes.
Another good point
Whatever the level of his dramatics, the guy sure spends a lot of time on the floor, doesn’t he?
I just like the fact that there are more haters. I'm tired of all these non-Clipper Blake fans. I want the rest of the league to hate him and the team.
OKC vs. Clippers is about 2-3 years from being a big-time rivalry, let the bloodshed begin.
"The perception here in Los Angeles has always been that the Lakers find a way to win games and the Clippers find a way to lose…I recognize it, but I'm not going to accept it," Griffin said. "I'm not going to say, 'Oh, that's fine."
by TheEricGordonShow on Apr 3, 2011 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree with Royce and I don't like it.
Even my wife screams at him “Shut up and get down court!”.
However (and others have probably said this) he’s so used to being the best most dominant guy on the court. If anyone manhandles him once, they’re going get their what-for later. Not so in the NBA. He doesn’t appeared to have learned that yet … but that’s what a rookie is like.
I think he’ll mature and get past that. Would be great to have a veteran (like Camby for example) to mentor him. Blake’s skills don’t need much help, but he needs some help maturing.
Giving credit
Gordon defense of Westbrook is textbook. He has the quickness and strength to match up with him. This all started when they played together on the US team.
we are officially better than we were last yr
29 wins last yr 30 so far with 5 games left so i guess Mr. Del Negro can pat himself on the back in his 1st season lol… the game came on NBA T.V. so i got to watch this game and i couldn’t be more pleased with the 2nd half effort i wondered to myself are we gonna see another win before the season is over… if this is the last win we are gonna enjoy this season than it was worth watching
by Brian Ahmed on Apr 3, 2011 8:05 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Now that's how a good team...
…is suppose to play!
Gordon's left handed handle
is awful…i know his other writs is probably painful, but he had a lot of TOs when using the left…the worst one was when he bounced it off of Selafosa (sp?)…yikes
"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime
and too sleepy to worry at night."
Author Unknown
The off-season will really help out his wrist
I'm a New Yorker born and bred. I support my Jets, Mets, Red Storm and Islanders. I also love my Bulls, Clippers, Cowboys & Fighting Irish.
Daily Thunder
That’s why Royce’s positive comment about EJ’s handle is so weird. Was he being ironic? EJ actually got very lucky a couple of times last night. I can remember two different times (one was Sefolosha’s foot) when he mishandled, but the Thunder happened to kick the ball out of bounds so it wasn’t a turnover.
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 Apr 3, 2011 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions
I think he was probably being sarcastic.
A healthy EJ handle is iffy, but an injured EJ handle is absolutely turrible.
Proud member of Club FTR
didn't seem like it...
It was just a bullet, mixed in with a bunch of other bullets. Nothing there to indicate irony or sarcasm. Hard to tell some time on a blog, but I saw nothing to tip off the reader that this was anything but an observation.
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
Royce didn't watch the NBA until 2008
His opinions and observations are highly suspect.
And yes, I am an extremely bitter ex-Sonics fan.
Well, we finally got to the 30-win threshhold.
If anything, it looks better on paper than the 20-29 win range to big names we could potentially sign.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Gators // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
30 wins!
Big milestone. Semi-pathetic, but still big. Nice to hit it with a nice win too.
considering that we started 1-13 it is actually quite positive
it indicates that we have played almost .500 ball since that point.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
I love how we controlled the line
Going into the game the Thunder were outscoring opponents by 5.4 ppg from the free throw line while having a 3.5 point differential in overall scoring. So scoring 7 more points from the line against the best ft shooting team in the league was a huge plus for the clippers.
Great second quarter last night.
But what was up with that 5 minute stretch when the refs seemed to have a concerted effort to give the game to OKC? It made the win that much more incredible. Great effort.
No Gomes=Win
At least there was some production from the small forwards tonight, Moon and the Chief had 11 between them and Foye played great late in the game at the three. It’s hard to win when most nights the Clips have only four guys on offense. If they get an average small forward this team will improve big time.
Yup
Did anybody miss Gomes? I guess he played some good defense against KD in the earlier win. But seeing as how that’s about the only really positive thing that he has done all year, or one of the top three at the very least, it’s not really a factor.
Nothing coming easy on offense for EJ these days
He has to manufacture/labor for most all of his shots making him less efficient of late and forcing a lot more shots than we are used to seeing from him. Combine a suspect handle, a wrist injury and getting very few easy shots (no "Good Baron?) has made just about every drive to the basket a potential turnover ready to happen. We still need a true point guard to IMHO to better facilitate the ball to EJ and Blake.
Agree with you, hopefully Bledsoe becomes that guy.
Hopefully with enough progress I’d like to see Bledsoe take over the starting role next season and have Mo Williams come in the 2nd unit. I also think Mo would be better off in the 2nd unit. Kaman should also come off the bench.
Blake and EJ need to be surrounded by defense not necessarily other scorers.
"The perception here in Los Angeles has always been that the Lakers find a way to win games and the Clippers find a way to lose…I recognize it, but I'm not going to accept it," Griffin said. "I'm not going to say, 'Oh, that's fine."
by TheEricGordonShow on Apr 3, 2011 1:33 PM PDT up reply actions
lol said truth: this is the nba
kaman and mo will never come off the bench together
what is the sound of one tit flapping?
-horny confucius
You said a mouthfull
I fully agree the Clippers need a true point guard. Williams is a bad Davis.
Nash may be the one and then get a scoring small foward and the Clippers are a strong playoff team.
I'd worry that Nash would never play as a clipper
Phoenix’s training staff is considered to be on the best in the league and that among many factors may be what is keeping Nash playing at such a high level.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
Gordon
I like Gordon making the quicker moves to the basket … no hesitation, no juking … just go. He seems to be more efficient when he is decisive like that. That may be true for every NBAer
I think that's why he gets hurt a lot.
Gordon’s inability to change directions when the defense is moving is what gets him injured. Remember his shoulder in Utah? He tried to force his way through 2 players that closed in on him. His injuries to his wrist have come from forcing his way into the paint in a straight line and not being able to adjust. I’d rather he not do that. Take what the defense gives him and pay attention to how the defense reacts is what he needs to do.
Gotta give credit to the young Clips`
Thought they were going to mail it in again like the Phoenix game… then they decided to show up with some tenacious D in the second half. I just wish that they’d understand that wins come on the defensive end, not on offense. Didn’t they see it for themselves during our 14-4 run in December – January, where the team took out the best NBA teams? If the Clips can sustain a strong defensive effort every game next year, count them in for the playoffs. If not, it’s going to be over in April,… again.
This year's NBA draft
Been watching a lot of the NCAA tourney and do not see any real impact players this year except maybe Kylie Irving if he comes out or possibly Derrick Williams of AZ.
Don't count out Walker,Knight, and Barnes (if they declare, which is a big if)
but aside from those four it is definitely a very weak draft and could become even weaker if a couple decide to stay a year to avoid the lockout.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
Most aren't even hiring agents, right?
Jimmer should probably capitalize on his hype while it’s there.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
He doesn't have a choice
he is a senior, I guess he could go to Europe but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. With that said, I really don’t like Jimmer. He reminds me a lot of Reddick, except he is an even worse defender and Reddick is quicker. He has ungodly range but no coach is going to okay with him shooting that shot, especially he gets schooled by pretty much every guard who will be much quicker than him.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
His game is silly to me
His finishes are rarely athletic enough for the NBA (plays well below the rim most of the time), and while the shots he takes are outlandish, as soon as the NBA defenders decide to stop giving him anything resembling open looks (like they did to JJ and Adam Morrison), it’s over for him. JJ adjusted and found a new way to play in the league; Ammo didn’t. Which one is Jimmer?
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
they said the same thing
about Steve Nash.. I think the fact he can take (and make) weird shots will help him. There’s no question the kid can shoot from outside at an NBA level but unless he can play PG. Otherwise he’ll just be back combo guard at the next level.
Help us Altered Beast you're our only hope.
True that
And they used the “weak conference” argument too with Nash. I’m very prepared to eat my own words if he learns to play PG.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
for some reason he reminds me of a stronger
Steph Curry, which is the only reason why I think he might be successful. But Steph I think showed he can be a play maker in the NBA, which I didn’t really know he had in college either. It should be said, I was pretty lukewarm on steph coming into the draft too.
The difference is that Nash has always been a playmaker
Jimmer is a meh passer but will most likely be a SG. Also Nash and Curry are both much quicker than Jimmer, Curry and Nash also benefit by playing in a defense is optional system.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
that Minny pick is lookin more and more golden by the minute!
Sullinger, and Barnes staying in college another year??? Jackpot!
Yeah next years draft is going to be good
also another player who will likely explode next year is Lamb, he has been amazing in the tournament and he looks he can be good forward in the league with a nice mix of length, quickness, and shooting touch.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
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