Clippers 93, Trail Blazers 88 - What the Defense Should Be
by LJ Hann on Jan 1, 2012 10:42 PM PST
in Game Recaps
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PrintPlaying in their first road game of the season, the Portland Trail Blazers brought their perfect 3-0 record and six players averaging over 10 points into Staples Center to battle the sub-.500 Los Angeles Clippers, with veteran starter Chauncey Billups missing his second straight game with a sore right groin. Given the Clips recent struggles on the defensive end, and their lack of rebounding (28th in the league), facing the league's number 1 scoring team was looking bleak. However, a starting unit that included replacement Randy Foye managed to hold the high-octane Portland offense to less than 20 points in each of the first three quarters.
The fourth quarter? Well, that's another story. Jamal Crawford, scoring expert off of Portland's bench, took the game into his own hands, taking seven shots and attempting six free throws to score 13 points. On the deciding possession, playing down by four with nine seconds left, Crawford got his isolation on the wing against Chris Paul. We've seen Jamal hit this shot at the end of games countless times. Tonight, it would never leave his hand. Paul stripped Crawford as he was going up, forcing a jump ball. After Mo Williams recovered Paul's tip on the jump, the game was sealed.
Offensively, we saw the Clipper's big guns do exactly what we would hope on any given night. Blake Griffin had 20 points and 10 boards. While Blake's five turnovers were certainly unsightly, he made up for it by finishing 8-10 on free throws. Paul finished the night with 17 points and 7 assists. He also had two great steals and the aforementioned game clinching defensive stand.
So, if the Clippers played great, how was this game even close? Well, Nate McMillian teams rarely give up on anything, from seasons to early road matchups. In the fourth quarter, the Blazers managed to score nearly double of what they had in any previous quarter. After playing lockdown defense for most of the game, Los Angeles allowed a massive 36 point final period that almost ended in a heartbreaking comeback victory for the visiting team.
- Top Offense vs. Bottom Defense: Tonight, the Clippers threw out the league's worst defense against Portland's league-leading offense. LA managed to hold all of the starting Blazers under their season averages, including holding Gerald Wallace, Portland's second leading scorer at 19.7 ppg, scoreless in 30 minutes of transparent play.
- The Clippers' Defense: Despite allowing 105 ppg on the season, tonight the Blazers could only put up 88 in Lob City. The Clippers defended by committee, with every player who logged more than 20 minutes recording a steal. No Blazer had a standout game offensively. Before Portland's fourth quarter barrage, they were on pace to score 69.3 points- that's exactly 36 less than the Blazers have averaged on the year.
- Supporting Cast: Caron Butler and DeAndre Jordan, the two other players who have started every game in this young season, both had good nights. Caron recorded 19 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 5-8 from inside the arc (and a dismal 2-8 outside). DeAndre almost notched a double double but came up 1 point short, adding 9 points and 11 rebounds to the winning effort. DJ played great defense on LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished 9-21 (and some of those makes were against Griffin and Cook), and it showed in the stat sheet as he finished with 3 steals and a lone block, his low of the season.
- Lackluster Bench Play Continues: In the third quarter, with the Clippers up by double digits, just looking at the +/- column in the box score told the story. Every regular starter was up double digits, while more minor contributors like Foye and Williams were up single digits. Cook and Gomes? Both under even. The bench (counting Foye) players shot 11-27 for 28 points.
- Ryan Gomes and Brian Cook as NBA Players: Both Cook and Gomes continued their struggles to prove themselves worthy of minutes. Playing around 12 minutes apiece, neither made much of a positive contribution to the team. Gomes, who is advertised as a defensive, smart player, had four turnovers in his first eight minutes of action. On one play, he received the ball on a dump off pass right under the basket, and couldn't handle it, giving up possession. Cook, on the other hand, seems to disregard the defensive side of the court entirely, as we have seen him do all year. Basically, the Clippers need backups.
- Veteran Leadership: What a difference it makes. When Kurt Thomas committed a hard foul on DJ in the fourth, Jordan was clearly unhappy. Last year, that altercation likely turns into a scuffle and multiple technical fouls. This year, Caron Butler took DJ aside and pointed out to him that Kurt was trying to get him angry and wanted to make DeAndre lose focus.
- Rookie Watch: Trey Thompkins got in for a couple minutes and hit a nice short jumper. Obviously I don't see practice every day, but Trey looks to me like he is a much more effective player than Cook. Trey also has great chemistry with some of the other young guys. Unless Thompkins can pass up Cookie in the rotation, look for him to get some DNP-CD's, or perhaps get sent to the d-league, when Reggie Evans gets healthy. Travis Leslie didn't get off the bench again tonight, and I still have no idea how good he actually is. Hopefully the Clippers get a blowout win soon so that we can see how effective his athletic play style is.
All in all, a good solid win for these evolving Clippers. LA Times said that Billups might be back for this game, so I expect him to play Wednesday against the Rockets, or at least by Saturday when Brandon Jennings brings his Bucks to town.
Get Portland's perspective at Blazer's Edge.
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With all do respect
Get off your “high horse” already will you? The Clippers defense is not what won the game tonight. You can dress up your rhetoric analysis all you want, and make it sound intelligent. Might fool others but not me. I can see past the “smoke and mirrors” man. This is not an attack, so please don’t take this personal. Your analysis is just an opinion, and I can post the same “intelligent” analysis of how the Clippers won by Portland having an “off-night” so to speak. I love the the Clips, but their defense tonight was sub-par.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
High horse?
Despite poor offensive execution(21 turnovers), the Clippers held their own defensively. The top offense doesn’t lose to the worst defense by chance. LaMarcus Aldridge doesn’t often shoot less than 50% and score under 20. Gerald Wallace, who averages nearly 20 ppg this year, went scoreless. Every Blazer player save Crawford and Batum performed worse tonight than they had in any of the other games. 1 Player doing badly is an off night. When almost every player on a team performs poorly and the triumphant team played good defense(except the fourth quarter), it is safe to assume that the two are connected. Watching the game, it was clear to me that the defensive effort and hustle by the Clippers helped them win the game, as they scored 15 fast break points and forces 21 turnovers.
THANK YOU
Those poor use of quotes really annoyed me. And you can say with all due respect in front of anything, still doesn’t make it disrespectful. i.e. With all due respect, you are an idiot. See, doesn’t exactly make it any less disrespectful. All in all, LJ proved his point with numbers and evidence to back it up, you just seem paranoid and extremely critical of the Clippers.
Thanks for the condescending remark
perhaps you are an English professor?
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
No the condescending remark is at the top of the comments
and it is all yours.
This is a clipper blog, we are allowed to wear clipper-tinted glasses. No worries, everyone else will bring us down.
Your capslock is stuck, please buy a new keyboard
by BelgianClipper on Jan 1, 2012 11:29 PM PST up reply actions
I pride myself in my education.
I apologize if that isn’t exactly your priority; however, I work hard in school so obviously I am proud when I use what I learned. You act as if I am the condescending one; maybe you should learn to phrase yourself in respectful ways rather than saying “with all due respect”. That is just like saying, “No offense, but”…. So before you come at me for condescending remarks, you better work out your own issues and statements first.
Thanks for fighting LJHanhs battles for him
And yes, I take pride in my education as well. I notice that you like to correct other peoples’ grammatical errors, if this makes you feel like an alpha male, by all means. I’m not here to impress anyone on the internet man., I’m simply here as a Clipper fan with opinions popular or unpopular.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
Don't try to play the victim
Don’t cry about battles and people making fun of your grade school level English. You started the “battle” and inexplicably criticized LJ of sitting on a high horse for no reason. Don’t cry about it now.
You want to share your opinions (news flash, they’re unpopular), that’s fine. Do so without attacking others and then claiming “this is not an attack.”
How am I crying about any of this?
I shall obey Adolf.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
flagged
No need to call anybody “Adolf,” or profess your desire to follow him. Why even bring up such an inflamatory name?
"I hope [Blake Griffin] dunks on me." - Ron Artest
by LancasterGordon4Eva on Jan 2, 2012 12:17 AM PST up reply actions
-1
Not cool..
we’re cheap, like to drink and are pissed off.
WHO WANTS A FREE SHARPIE?? -- Blake Griffin
In a sense
You are playing victim by saying that I am attacking you with Condescending remarks when in fact YOU are the one who began this.
I'm defending the Clippers.
By criticizing LJ’s post you are belittling the many positive things the Clippers are doing. With this being said, I am trying to defend my team from people who try to take away from their accomplishments. If you truly pride yourself in education, you know how it feels to accomplish something only to have your achievements belittled by someone else. So don’t attack the Clippers, especially when you are on the CLIPPERS FAN SITE.
For someone who claims
to take pride in their education, you don’t listen so well. I gave the Clippers credit for their hustle and I am taking nothing away from them. It is not the Clippers fault that Portland did not show up, but to blatantly say that their defense won the game is more than “homerism”.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
First off, I would like to admit
I don’t know what “homerism” means. However, just off of how it is being used and from my knowledge, 1) It should be capitalized and 2) THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANY QUOTES AROUND IT. And you are giving credit to the Clippers’ hustle? That doesn’t matter. I think what matters is their solid defense. And yes, Portland did not show up; however, who is to say they are going to be consistent with all of their shots. It has been FOUR games. I mean the Hornets started off 8-0 last year! Anything can happen in early games, so for you to have a lot of faith in a team just because they were shooting extremely well in 3/4 games they played is a bit of jumping the gun. Also, you claim that Clippers had sub-par defense while Portland had weak offense. Well then that just means Portland was extremely off, which honestly, I did not see. Isn’t there a great possibility that the Clippers had an above average defense which led to Portland’s slow offense?
So you defend the Clippers at all cost?
whether you are right or wrong? What gives you the right to dismiss others opinions so easily? What gives you the right to assume that your opinions should take precedence above all else? I hope you have this same type of passion and confidence out in public,because your keyboard samarai semantics are neither witty nor funny buddy.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
What gives you the right to ASSUME you have the right opinion?
I feel that I am right, and I see that other’s share the same opinion. That is enough me to defend the Clippers. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not one to shy away from debates/arguments/conflict. And for you to say that I dismiss your opinion is a joke. You are the one attacking the writer of this post, I am merely supporting what he is saying and defending his ideas. And now, all of a sudden, I am trying to put down your ideas? YOU, sir, are the one bringing down LJ for his post even though many of us agree with it. You then go a step BEYOND that and call me out because I support his ideas while you try to put them down? Then you have the nerve to say that I am trying to dismiss your opinion. Please, I am one who fights for other’s to have their opinions; however, I am not going to stand around while you attack other’s opinions.
LJ
for the record, if I came across as a prick then I genuinely apologize. That was not my intention, I admit, maybe the high horse thing was uncalled for. It’s hard to read tone over the internet.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
There are some guys here who haven't been.........
introduced to “Club O”. Now that we have more members
on these blog we need to teach them the great principles
of law #1 of Club O. No matter what the situation the clips
are in, we most encourage them not be negative about all
the things they are doing wrong. Yes we know the defense
is bad but they did play better defense this last game.
Only 4 games together and the 2 games they lost were
to teams with the best record last year and that the core
has been together for a long time. Stay positive my friends!
While I accept your apology
I think it would be better to genuinely apologize rather than hide behind the whole “reading tone over the internet” and “that was not my intention”. I find it folly to make remarks that accuse me of “dressing up my rhetoric analysis to make it sound intelligent”, being on a “high horse”, and trying to trick readers (even though you can see through the “smoke and mirrors”).
If you feel that way, as you obviously did, then by all means express your thoughts. Quite frankly when someone rips my writing without providing a way where they think I could have improved it, there’s really no point in me (or anyone else) gracing your comment with a reply.
Controversely, if you are genuinely sorry (and I believe that you could be, for I know that I have been hotheaded after some games. Why you would be after a solid win confuses me, admittedly.) then you might want to try a real apology. It isn’t for my sake; the original comment didn’t really faze me. But perhaps if you hope to earn back some favor with SurfinQ00, madglove, BelgianClipper, and the other posters who you offended with your remarks, you may want to actually own up to your actions. The guys around here tend to hold grudges(see Jax v John R/ClipperChuck, boltsfan v Surfin).
I agree. Sometimes the message get destroyed by the messenger in written form.
Also, do not forget Erik O v PV Mike. The mean spirited Erik O has often left me with tears drowning my keyboard.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
hahahha
I really don’t like reading the arguments on here. A debate is one thing, but 2 guys who have fought over and over and are calling each other names just isn’t positive to the blog IMO. On the other hand, reading Erik O and PV Mike is the comic relief of the thread… lots of witty one-liners. This season, the addition of a laptop to my technological arsenal has allowed me to enjoy the live threads as I watch the game, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who watches and could be on the thread, but isn’t. It’s like watching the game with a few buddies, and it moves way too fast for there to be any arguments (over 800 between the 2 portland threads in like 3 hours). The comedy definately contributes to the thread experience.
I dub thee ‘Sir PV Mike’
Ugh just shut UP already
You know I don’t speak Spanish.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Hey, I don't have a grudge against Surfin
I just think he needs to slow down a bit and think through some of the stuff he’s posting. These days, thanks to the blessed disappearance of John R., the only real grudge I have is against HYDVR007 (or whatever the heck his name is).
Proudly enduring the pain since the days of Bill Walton's foot.
Now living the good life in Lob City, CA.
Man, that MS Paint red really comes out bloody looking when you put it through the imageshack crap-lens.
Cooool.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Ouch
That cannonball really f*#^ing hurt!
Proudly enduring the pain since the days of Bill Walton's foot.
Now living the good life in Lob City, CA.
Yeah dude your name is totally broken
I can see where you tried to clue it back together, but it still shows in the light.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Not to mention your contradiction.
You have said that this is not an attack, but you admit that you are in a battle with LJ Hanhs. Need proof? “Thanks for fighting :JHanhs BATTLES”. So if I’m on his side, and so is everyone else here, there has to be an opposing side. Guess what, that side is YOU. So you admit that you are in a battle yet you are not the one who attacked? If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have began and I wouldn’t have to defend the Clippers.
definitely a good team rebounding effort
Regardless of your take on how good the Clippers defense was.
We need Bill Walton back: "Where would the LA Clippers franchise be without Sean Rooks? Bo Outlaw might be the best pick up of the off season.
THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN...THROW IT DOWN"
___________
Follow @manlinessprime
with all due respect, and remember I’m sayin’ with all due respect, that idea ain’t worth a velvet painting of a whale and a dolphin gettin’ it on.
Just because you say that doesn’t mean you get to say whatever you want to say to me
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
(I was still quoting talladega nights haha.. that’s what the guy says back to him after)
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
My response to this argument:
I think that Eclips has a good point in that we aren’t really giving the Clippers their fair share of heat for how bad they’ve been defensively. Have they been good offensively? Yes, absolutely. But not as bad as they’ve been defensively. They’ve been otherworldly-bad defensively. Allow me to illustrate (according to www.basketball-reference.com):
Based on simple scoring this season, we’re 30th in the league (that’s last place, for those keeping score at home) in points allowed. Last year we were 20th, and we were still 10 games below .500. Alternatively, we can look at defensive ratings. We’re 30th (again) in defensive ratings with 117.1 (high is bad), and the 2nd worst are the Bobcats with a defensive rating of 110.5. Compared to 2010-11, the league worst was 112.7 (Toronto); in 2009-10, the league worst was 113.2 (Toronto again); and in 2008-09 the league worst was 114.7 (Sacramento). So we’re playing really, really bad defense right now. But maybe our offensive awesomeness is so glorious that it can outshine our turrible defense, right?
Using scoring again, we’re 10th in the league in scoring. That’s pretty cool. And our offensive rating has us at 110.0, good enough for 3rd place! Only problem is, the league in general has an astonishingly low offensive rating. Compared to 2010-11, our offensive rating would have landed us in 8th place; in 2009-10 it would have put us in 9th place; and in 2008-09 it would have put us in 9th place again. So it looks like our scoring is a little more indicative of reality, and offensive ratings are kind of skewed right now.
We’re upper-middle of the pack offensively, and down in the deepest part of the dungeons defensively. Just for some perspective, last year ZERO teams in the Western Conference made the playoffs with a defensive rating that was higher (remember, high is bad) than their offensive rating. Two teams in the weaker Eastern Conference made the playoffs with a negative rating-differential, and those were the Hawks and Pacers. The Pacers finished below .500 (which just illustrates the weakness of the conference) and the Hawks were considered overachievers by most measures of advanced stats (www.basketball-reference.com had them projected to go only 39-43).
So yeah, overall, I think Eclips isn’t crazy to say that this team is severely underachieving and we shouldn’t be throwing up the confetti and printing Larry O’Brien trophy t-shirts just yet. But I do think that this last game wasn’t just a product of the Blazers playing poorly, and that the Clippers deserve some credit. The only reason the game was so close was because the Clippers didn’t play up to their usual offensive levels (also committing 20+ turnovers themselves) but played good defense for once and managed to squeeze out the win. Put together last night’s defense with the usual offense, and this is a very strong team. That’s what LJ was celebrating—-there’s no high horse in sight.
Most importantly, though, this is not how we treat our contributors. It takes time and effort to put together game recaps, and it takes far less time to criticize those recaps. Ripping apart someone’s work with all criticism and no critique is one of the cruelest things a reader can do to a writer. Not cool.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
by Erik O on Jan 2, 2012 11:52 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd
Well put, Mr. O.
Proudly enduring the pain since the days of Bill Walton's foot.
Now living the good life in Lob City, CA.
I was late the party and totally missed that he apologized to LJ above, so I feel like kind of a douche for that last paragraph.
Just ignore that part haha.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Your observations are different than mine
I also watched the same game you did, and it was not so clear, as you claimed that the Clippers forced 21 turnovers. Sometimes we tend to take things out of context due to our biases, but i beg you to pay attention to the Blazer players energy tonight, and you’ll see that it wasn’t there for the most part. I do give the Clips credit for hustling, but Portland hurt themselves more than we did.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
I suppose
I can do a summary of the game via my POV, and blow people away with data and stats. At the end of the day, it’s relative and to each their own. I am simply tired of the B.S wagon man, I follow the Blazers regularly(2nd favorite team) and I KNOW they did not execute the way the normally do tonight.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
maybe lack of execution was due to effort?
The team didn’t even attempt to get back on defense man.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
Are you sure you are a Clippers' fan first?
Because it sounds to me that you are a Portland fan trying to justify their loss. I admit that Portland didn’t have a great 3 quarters, but they played a more than exceptional 4th quarter. Don’t try to take anything away from the Clippers or be that one guy who says, “You only beat me because I wasn’t trying!”. The Clippers played solid defense and shut down Portland. Effort isn’t the right word. If they didn’t have effort than they would have lost like Memphis did to Chicago by 40 points. They lost because they were outplayed and outclassed. And if you think for one second that this was a perfect game on offense for the Clippers you will be mistaken. Griffin worked damn hard for his 20 points tonight. Mo Williams had to take a good amount of shots to get in rhythm, not to mention the Clippers didn’t get ANY of the calls. So before you take away from the Clippers or say the Blazers didn’t try, did you ever consider that one team showed up to win it while the other did not?
Please don't slander me
or put words in my mouth. I appreciate your explanations, but I did give the Clippers credit. Read my post.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
"maybe lack of execution was due to effort?"
“You only beat me because I wasn’t trying!” is the same thing as losing due to lack of effort. So don’t act as if I called you out, because you are the one who highlighted yourself as an attacker of LJ’s post and the Clippers. “Their defense tonight was sub-par”? That is giving the Clippers credit? I think if the Clippers played the same defense they did against Chicago or San Antonio they would have had the same result, a 10+ point loss. And then you say that you follow all of the Blazer’s games? They have played FOUR GAMES. Just because they had the hot hand for 3 games doesn’t mean they are a light’s out shooting team. Forgive me if I sound like I am attacking you, but if you come out on the offensive against LJ and his post (which I believe is quite accurate) you better expect me to put up a defense and capitalize on your mistakes just like the Clippers did tonight.
Please learn the meaning of slander.
by madglove on Jan 1, 2012 11:47 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Dissenting voices be damned right?
what is this place, third world China?? You’re a tool man.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
they would be if those african countries put in a better effort at growing their GDP
We need Bill Walton back: "Where would the LA Clippers franchise be without Sean Rooks? Bo Outlaw might be the best pick up of the off season.
THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN...THROW IT DOWN"
___________
Follow @manlinessprime
I'm a tool?
I think many of us can say that we were at least a little bit impressed by the Clippers’ defense. I don’t think many of us would say it was “sub-par”. So just because you are the minority, doesn’t mean you are right. This isn’t the freaking American Revolution.
Speaking of education:
Do you realize that “man” is not a punctuation mark?
they didn't get back on defense?
where were their defense? still in the locker room!
brijo1
by ThaFoX on Jan 2, 2012 10:46 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
So what?
Portland is a deep team that hasn’t had much personel changes in the off-season. Clips is the exact opposite. To my knowledge, Portland hasn’t played since the 29th, so if the energy wasn’t there then that is their own fault.
Sometimes you just have to be happy you beat a good team.
Your capslock is stuck, please buy a new keyboard
by BelgianClipper on Jan 1, 2012 11:23 PM PST up reply actions
Finally a bit of homer in a game report
Portland is a good team with almost the same roster then last season. We might be still figuring it out, but winning always helps in that regard.
Your capslock is stuck, please buy a new keyboard
@ Eclips, here is what I felt about the game.
I’ll admit that the Clippers kind of lucked out that the Blazers were not knocking down their shots in the first 3 quarters. But that is ALWAYS the risk you are willing to take when you are a jumpshooting team. At the same time, I think most teams have one strong – decent run in them, Portland went above and beyond a “run”, they went a shooting spree and knocked down everything in their path. That was NOT because of good execution, that was because of a hot shooting hand and weak defenders. I think Williams did an adequate job, but Crawford was just too good. If you noticed, it was after he missed a shot and when CP3 guarded him that Crawford started to miss everything. So it’s not like Portland made huge mistakes, the Clippers had better than average defense tonight, and who knows? Maybe that surprised Portland and caught them off guard!
Portland didn’t have enough energy you say? Well that comes with playing an away game; however, I don’t think many teams rival the energy the Clippers give off. I mean the Clippers had an energetic first quarter against the Bulls, but they still came out of it behind! So if you are trying to take away from the Clippers, you sir are mistaken. I agree that Portland missed some of their shots, but that is often a result of good, solid defense. Yes, the Clippers don’t have amazing defense, but they had the energy to fight and hustle for every dang ball they could. So overall, don’t try to take away from the Clippers win just because Portland didn’t show up.
I made alot of money on this game
because I knew that the Clippers would win. We are all passionate about our Clips, but I have a mind of my own. I don’t easily get influenced by others, as there are too many lemmings in this country. I saw a different game than you guys did.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
Congrats
Let’s revisit your opinion 10 games down the road. Miami was 8-9 before they started clicking. I’ll take a win against a good Portland team.
Anyway let’s put it down to lack of effort of Portland. I’d be worried for a team that can’t be bothered to put in the effort after 2 days of rest.
Your capslock is stuck, please buy a new keyboard
by BelgianClipper on Jan 1, 2012 11:44 PM PST up reply actions
Look, I sort of agree with your opinions- Portland's offense was really off tonight
But that is no reason to make personal attacks or condescending statements. I dont care what your opinion is as long as you make it without trashing other’s thoughts and opinions.
I do admit that DJ played LaMarcus Aldridge extremely well.
Don't want to start controversy here, but this is my only comment on this.
You make it sound like he completely agrees with you. I don’t want to put words in NewCavsfan’s mouth, but he didn’t say anything about poor defense on the Clippers. That is mostly where I’m trying to make a stand and say, they improved and it is NOT sub-par.
I thought the defense looked average
There were times when it was great, and times where it was pretty bad- Batum kept losing Gomes and Caron off of screens for example.
It was definitely a huge improvement over the previous games of awfulness.
Regarding Caron and Gomes.
I don’t expect them to be GREAT defensively. When we signed Caron, he was more for the offense.. And gomes… he is just a lost cause in my mind. I think their defense was fine, but in order for them to win with it, they need a mind boggling offense.
So what made you "know the Clippers would win".
If you think the Clippers played poor defense tonight, you obviously haven’t watched any of their other games. And judging by your faith in Portland’s offense, I would imagine that you would bet on them. Aside from a deeper roster, the Clippers came into this game with many signs pointing to a loss. Weak defense and injured players going up against a red hot Portland team shooting lights out? What made you pick the Clippers?
+1
Eclips, did you expect the Clips to suddenly start playing good defense or did you foresee Portland to mail it in?
Your capslock is stuck, please buy a new keyboard
by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:06 AM PST up reply actions
Because of Portland's
losing record against the Clips these past few years. I knew that the Clippers would make adjustments, and they did, albeit minor tweaks, especially in front of their home crowd.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
Losing Record?
If I am correct, haven’t the Clippers lost 5 or so games to Portland AT Staples in a row?
Check their overall seasonal matchups
I’m not making anything up.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
Yeah, way off buddy
Clippers hung on to end a five-game losing streak against their Western Conference rival
If you are really going off of matchups and you are betting on these games, you would have already known this.
I stand corrected
The Clips did not have a better record against Portland.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
I agree about total bench production being awful-Gomes and Cook were just dreadful
But Mo Williams was great tonight outside of his usual couple of chucks. 13 points and 8 assists off the bench are really good numbers, especially considering he was working off the ball a lot. Several of those shots also stopped or at least slowed big Portland rallies as well. He also actually played decent defense for a change, and got robbed of some good defensive efforts by bail-out calls on Crawford.
Also, I dont think it can be underestimated how big of an impact having Caron instead of Gomes in the lineup is. While it seems like his defense might not be what it once was, his offensive game is superb, and he is also less of a ball-stopper than I thought he was.
Overall, good recap though.
I think Gomes and Cook will always be underwhelming.
Gomes has never been the shooter we wanted him to be, and his so called “high basketball IQ” has not shown. I think Cook has been given a tough position, because he has never really been a true C, and that’s what we ask of him now.
Cook is just not an NBA player
I remember watching him on the Lakers 5 years ago when he had a little more athleticism and speed then he does now, and he was a deep-bench player even then.
As soon as Evans comes back, I want to see Cook get no minutes except in blowouts or if there is a lot of foul trouble.
I want Gomes out too.
I want to see Evans as 4 and Thompkins as 3. I don’t see why VDN doesn’t give that kid more playing time. You honestly can’t do any worse than Gomes has. 4 turnovers in 12 minutes is terrible. Not to mention he is slow and not a great defender.
If we play it that way, we still need a 5.............
I think we will see Evans at the 5. I really do hope that Thompkins takes all of Cook’s minutes at the 4 and some of Gomes’ at the 3 as well.
He hasnt looked amazing, but he sure has looked like a better player than Cook.
Yeah pretty much
And honestly, I think we STILL NEED A 5. I think Evans is a rebounding machine, but at 6’9, we still need someone a tad bigger. Or at least someone bigger than Thompkins (weight wise). For some reason, I just don’t like Thompkins at 4 because that dude is extremely skinny haha. Also, his game IMO screams SF. He likes to kind of camp out at the 3 but he follows every ball and often is “in the right place at the right time”.
Of course I would prefer it if we actually got a 5, even if it was just Diogu
But, Olshey said on the pregame show that there is a workout of centers tomorrow with 6 guys showing up.
Hopefully we will see- DJ Mbenga, Ike, Pryzbilla, Jason Collins,
Diogu is 6'9"
So doesn’t really fit the 7’ center people want.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:20 AM PST up reply actions
he has long arms I believe
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:27 AM PST up reply actions
Really?
That is AWESOME. I will take any of those guys! Also, we should consider a possible… trade? I think Bledsoe would fetch us someone better than any of those names. I think if we are looking to sign, we should look for a REAL, DEFENSIVE 2. I think Bogans fits that. Why? He was the worst starting SG in the league last year, but he was good defensively! I know my opinion is different than others, but for 2nd unit players, I just want SOLID defense. I think having Bogans fits that just right.
A lot of people are calling for Bogans
I do think he would be a good pickup, but he wouldnt really play all that much. He would probably take away some of Foye and Gomes’ minutes, but we would still only be looking at 10 minutes a game from him.
I have no problem with that and I'm sure he wouldn't either
I think he would much rather play than be a FA. Honestly, he fits what we need well. I honestly think VDN has been overplaying CP3 lately. He makes CP3 play hard minutes. Why? Because Mo can’t exactly do it all by himself on the 2nd unit. I think if we have Williams and Bogans on the 2nd unit rather than Williams and Foye, we have a bigger body for better defense. Not to mention Bogans can hit the 3 ball once in a while.
I would like to see him
Just saying it wouldnt exactly be a huge pickup unless Foye or Billups gets injured for a while.
DJ Mbenga wasn't in basketball shape before the european champ
he even got cut from the Belgian team, only to be called back on of the other players had a last minute injury.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:27 AM PST up reply actions
Really
He almost seems ideal for us. Low-usage, very energetic, likes to foul hard. Would give us 10 good minutes a game.
Not to mention he is fun to watch
Not so much for his dunks or anything, but rather for his unusual form and shots.. It is always different.
Pryzbilla would surprise me
he is the pick of the litter and a proven vet. He probably would be on a team already if he wanted to.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 2:11 AM PST up reply actions
I think he said he was holding off
He wanted to see how things were going around the league. Honestly, I think the only team that would take him away from us is Miami, because it is obvious that if you want to win a ring without doing much, go there. Also, Dallas signed that extremely tall asian guy so they don’t need a big anymore. So he is choosing between Bucks, Clippers, and Heat.
The reports are that they still want Fesenko even after signing Jianlian
Proud member of Club FTR
by Lawler 4ever on Jan 2, 2012 12:59 PM PST up reply actions
yes but in limited time
Let Cook take these minutes now, better then Trey getting burnt (and he will) playing as center in a mediocre second unit. Once they sorted out the bigs then Trey should beat out Cook, if Trey is as advertised.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:19 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah the key right now is to get a backup 5
At this point I just want Ike. He isnt great, but he is bigger and better than Cook, and still bigger than Evans or Thompson.
he isn't bigger then Evans
but I’m guessing his arms are longer
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:21 AM PST up reply actions
He isn't taller
But he is surely a larger presence than Evans. But seriously, why did we let Craig Smith go? He fits what I want! Strong defensively and no afraid to do some dirty work down low. The Thunder game I went to last year showed me his talents because he really banged with Perkins!
You are remembering a different Craig Smith
He was a really good offensive player, but a huge liability on defense playing at Center. He would be very little help to us now, except once again to lower Cook and Gomes time.
I was always impressed with his presence
I suppose he never was a strong defensive man. But the fact is, someone like Bynum/Dwight or even Gasol can pretty much back down our centers and get a high percentage shot. Smith was not pushover on defense in that way. I guess I am considering him strong defensively just because he is a big and I mean BIG presence down low.
He would have no shot against Dwight or Bynum
He was fine against 4s, and I would still rather have him than Cook, but he was not needed this year.
I know I will be HATED for this
But that is why I think we should just throw a lowball offer for DeMarcus. Yes, I know, there is less than a 5% chance they would even CONSIDER our offer, but lets imagine we did get him. He may cause problems in the lockerroom, but I think we still need 1 piece until we are championship contenders. If we had him, he gives us that attitude many teams like and at the same time he gives us someone to slow down people like Bynum. Although I will be the first to say there is a good chance of him ruining our locker room :p; however, I am just one of those guys who goes all in all and fights for everything!
+1
Have Cousins and Evans would beast.
Mo
Gomes
Thompkins
Evans
Cousins
by KillaClip on Jan 2, 2012 10:48 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
+1
Smith fouled even more then Cook on defense
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:28 AM PST up reply actions
thank god, that Gomes is not in the starting lineup!
brijo1
by ThaFoX on Jan 2, 2012 10:53 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Also, some people were making a big deal of Caron yelling at Mo to pass the ball last game
They looked to have a good rapport tonight and found each other several times. Seems to be nothing to that previous incident.
people also made a lot of Mo pouting against GSW
2 minutes later Mo did a rather enthusiastic chest bump with Chris Paul a the start of the time out.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:02 AM PST up reply actions
I honestly dont think he has a problem being the 6th man
Though he did have 33 minutes played today, which is way more than he would have when Billups comes back.
He is in AMAZING Shape
I don’t blame him for wanting more minutes. He seriously charges down on offense AND defense EVERY play. Not just jogs or runs, it seems like he SPRINTS. I think he is a great sixth man because he can play 1 AND 2. But I still think we need a REAL SG (who’s name isn’t Foye)
He does seem to run a lot- definitely in great shape
I dont blame him for wanting more minutes either- everyone wants more minutes, and he has played pretty well this year.
Yeah, but and honestly, I think he should get more minutes than Billups
During the REGULAR SEASON. I think we should start Billups and have Mo come in after 5 or 6 minutes. Then, when more of the 2nd unit is out, we can put Billups with them. I think as long as Billups starts, he is happy, and as long as Mo gets solid minutes, he is happy.
Hard to say anything about their performances
Granted, they didn’t exactly knock down some last minute shots (including 2 VITAL Free throws), but they still played solid nights!
Clips and Miami Heat
My date tonight said, “why worry about the way Clips are playing right now? Remember the Miami Heat last year? It took them a few games to gel.”
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:01 AM PST reply actions
Your date keeping up with the Clippers
Now that is a perfect date! :)
lol
This just reminded me of that terrible Will-Ferrell movie where he says, “I’m a Clipper’s fan”. haha
Plus, she said that it is hard not to keep up with the Clippers given all the publicity and they've become the talk of town.
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:05 AM PST up reply actions
barca?
just a random thought, having a barcelona logo is just as good as having one that says lakers. unless you live there, can i suggest levante or osasuna? barca’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Or maybe a Manchester United or Real Madrid logo? :-)
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:14 AM PST up reply actions
Been a Barca fan for for 6 years now... :-)
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:17 AM PST up reply actions
they have been great this last 6 years
so…
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:21 AM PST up reply actions
and that’s why i cant stand them. all they do is beat team after team by 5 goals. there’s absolutely no fun in that. i used to live in madrid and played the rayo vallecano card. relegation city, baby.
they play possesion ball like no other...even the keeper
you see good football with them. its not their fault other teams play long ball and blast it up the field. im not even a Barca fan, but they control the ball and manipulate the flow. That is amazing. My soccer team is another team, another “Yankee/Man U” powerhouse, but they had their own down year when they had force relegation after a little ref scam. But they are back up.
A few teams of mine are underdog teams, like the Padres or Ravens when they were horrible years back.
Energy * Focus * No Excuses
"For [Griffin] getting in the way of Andre Miller’s 40 yard dash?" -S. Perrin
the difference was DJ
1 blocked shot for DJ and yet it was BY FAR his best (and most team-oriented) defensive game so far. instead of venturing out high, he’d stay low. instead of jumping on each pump-fake, he’d make educated guesses and stay planted.
Overall I thought the defense was better
But there is no question DJ looked superb tonight. If he could bring it like this most nights, I wouldnt care much if he never developed any offensive game at all.
+1
I could careless if DeAndre is an ONLY defense kind of guy. Defense wins championships. He doesn’t need to go for huge blocks, I prefer he stays grounded and looks to go after rebounds or stay on his man. The only problem for him is if he is matched up against someone of Howard’s or Bynum’s stature. He is a solid defender, but sometimes weight is a big thing.
you just have named the 2 guys that fit that mould
all the other big centers are more defensively minded (Perkins)
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:15 AM PST up reply actions
Bogut is like that as well
As is Marc Gasol.
They arent as massive as Howard or Bynum, but they do have good offensive games and are fairly big.
Bogut offensive?
he not bad, but good is something different. I like Marc Gasol but he isn’t a one on one offensive power beast like Bynum. And I thought DJ did okay against Bynum in the first pre-season game.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:24 AM PST up reply actions
I know what you mean
But dont look down on Bogut. I read on the Bucks blog that he is 4-5 on 16-20 foot shots this year after only making like 3 all of last year.
4-5 is a very small sample
even smaller then Aminu’s 3 pointers streak at the beginning of last season
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:31 AM PST up reply actions
True
Poor Aminu. Apparently he was hitting the glass hard today though- 6 boards in 10 minutes off the bench.
I think this is what scares me the most.
I really like DeAndre on defense, but against Bynum and Howard, it seems like he is a push over. Not to mention Griffin’s help defense is non-existant. There is a fair chance we face the Lakers somewhere, and I would hate to hear the remarks about “Dwight/Bynum manhandling DeAndre”.
well that is the reality
no team is well rounded on all positions.
But Paul>Fisher by a larger margin then Bynum>DJ
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:32 AM PST up reply actions
DJ's offense is to shoot 60% from the field on 8-10 shots a game.
He’s already got that down, just cleaning up garbage buckets and stuff. Let Blake carry the scoring load.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Agree
I think he just needed to get all those crazy blocks out of the way, and now he has a great defensive reputation. Guys are going to try and avoid him more instinctively, and then he can become a “presence” in the middle. This will allow him to be free to stay home and play better defense overall.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
The Grizzlies
got trashed today by 40 points.
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:08 AM PST reply actions
They have not looked good at all so far
Loss of Darell Arthur was huge, and I dont know why they traded away Greveis Vazquez.
Grizzlies were overrated
I think it was because of the impact good old Zach Randolph made in the playoffs. He showed up to play, but to think that team would play like THAT all season was asking for a bit too much.
So tell me
overrated how? So the Spurs lost to the Grizzlies how?
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
I should correct myself
They ARE overrated. It seems to me that you have given up on your other arguments, so I guess I shall continue onto this one. The Grizzlies had an exceptional post-season last year. They took out two teams who I believed were real contenders. However, this season their hopes are high.. Maybe.. a little too high. I’ll be the first to admit that Zach Randolph was an amazing PF those series. But many believed that he and the rest of the team would carry that on; I on the other hand don’t believe that. They are a stellar team, but it seems that people are asking of that MVP caliber Zach Randolph to show up every game of the season.
Actually, looking back
It seems like the Grizzlies expectations have fallen significantly. Last time I checked the power-rankings they were top 10, but it appears they have fallen to a more reasonable 21 spot. I think they are around the 20’s. If agree, we can agree that I just didn’t have my facts straight. Anything above 15 for Memphis is WAY too high in my opinion.
I suppose forcing a game 7
against the Thunder is luck too huh? Listen, you can interpret my intentions all you want man, again I have to repeat myself with MR. educated here; I am not trying be Clipsnation’s PR guy.
"Where will the Clippers be without Sean Rooks" - The big red head
not luck
but a team that really overachieved during play-offs. Let’s not forget they were 8th seeds going in. Perhaps they will do it again this season. But seeing their minimal player changes I’m a bit surprised at their lackluster start.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 1:03 AM PST up reply actions
So now I am Mr. Educated?
What, am I not allowed to be proud that I am at the top of my class? And are you not listening, they ARE overrated. If you haven’t noticed, they aren’t playing at the same caliber they were in the playoffs. By your logic, the Lakers should completely suck and the Mavs should be dominant. Teams change, so I’m not saying they WERE lucky, I’m saying RIGHT NOW, they aren’t as good as the were before. Please do not try to make me the bad guy in this situation. The past argument I was simply trying to defend a member who I respect. Now I am saying I was mistaken with what I thought were expectations of the Grizzlies. If you really want to say that Memphis is better than OKC or San Antonio, go right ahead. But please don’t try to make me look bad for correcting your quotations marks.
Wow, that was quite the poor post
I am tired and can’t seem to concentrate. My ideas were all over the place and I apologize for that..
Memphis = Overrated? Say it ain't so...
They did what they did last year without Rudy Gay. While he’s overpaid, he’s still a damn good player. OJ Mayo is pretty darn good coming off the bench (his PER is pretty similar to Mo’s) and Randolph should be an all-star lock every year until his stats start to drop (his PER is only a bit below CP3’s last year). They have an almost identical team coming back, and they had a lot of momentum going into the off-season. The fact that they are playing poorly now just probably indicates that some of their guys are out of shape. Randolph and Gasol both look like they could accidentally eat too many Twinkies and suddenly lose some of their.. um.. athleticism.
I’m with Eclips on this one. I’m done betting against Memphis and Z-Bo. Michael White, can I get an amen?
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
my only concern with the Griz now
are that Marc and Zbo were playing for contracts, and now are both well paid. Sometimes that changes people. I’m not too worried about Marc, but Zbo… i’d be a little worried.
I thought Josh Selby was a good steal for them, and hope that Xavier Henry starts putting it together, so they still have the chance to just improve the talent they have. I think expectations were very high based on their playoff play, but still not sure they’re top 4 in the west.
This standpoint I could possibly accept
Contracts definitely factor in… and Z-Bo is a little volatile personality-wise. But as I’ve been proven wrong before, the dude produces numbers no matter what, and there’s simply too much talent on that team for them not to go to the playoffs again.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
I think Zach left with an injruy in the 1st quarter.
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:16 AM PST up reply actions
He appears to be okay
still the rest of that team should be able to do better then this
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:25 AM PST up reply actions
Well this changes everything..
I need to scroll down more.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
+1
that team overachieved big time.
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reply fail
about the grizzlies
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:16 AM PST up reply actions
Chandler was a huge loss
But Butler, Stevenson, Stojakovic, Barea all left as well. I still dont know why they traded away Rudy Fernandez and Corey Brewer for peanuts.
Hey, hey this dude taking offense to the comparison... :-)
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:24 AM PST up reply actions
I think he is a better player than Rudy Fernandez
Now there is a chucker who can’t actually shoot. I though Corey Brewer looked really good in the playoffs last year though.
Two people the Mavs are really missing Chandler and JJ Barea.
by lovinglosangeles on Jan 2, 2012 12:29 AM PST up reply actions
Barea is so overrated from the playoffs
But he did penetrate off the dribble and push the ball. Chandler is just an immense loss for them, even though Haywood has played decently.
The loss of Chandler is likely the most painful
although I feel that there is also some element of a championship hangover. It just seems like the Mavs got complacent once they finally reached the top of the mountain and might not have worked as hard as they should of during the lockout to make sure that they were in a position to win another championship. It is all speculation of course but it is definitely extremely odd to see a defending champion fall so quickly. Of course it is early in the season.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
Dirk said he didn't touch a ball in 2 months
after the European championships. They guy worked his but of the last x seasons getting there. So no surprise he sagged off this off-season.
They will get better, but it is clear Cuban cleared out some players to be able to make a run at Deron Williams in FA. It is painful for the team now but if he pulls this of he should able to rebuild on the fly.
They’ll still will make the play-offs, I think.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 1:07 AM PST up reply actions
I think Cuban has some sort of plan
If you have kept up with Maverick stuff, apparently they will have enough Cap Space next year to sign about 2 MAX contracts. I know this doesn’t look like it will happen, but if Dwight and Derron end up free agents, I can see them playing in Dallas?
With that contract of Dirk still there?
I think he’ll have space for one max contract (Marian and Haywood still make 8M next year), unless they use amnesty on Dirk.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 1:12 AM PST up reply actions
Their plan is to get both Howard and Deron.
Deron is from Dallas. Dwight has mentioned Dallas as one of the teams that he would play for.
They’ll have 5 players under contract for around $38.6M if they waive Odom (only $2.4M guaranteed) and use the amnesty on Haywood. The salary cap has been rumored to be at $61M, but maybe it’ll be higher since the ratings and attendance have been doing very well.
After taking into account roster charges, they’ll be around $41.4M in salary (not counting 1st round cap holds). That leaves them with about $20M in cap room. They could end up trying to dump the salaries of Shawn Marion and Vince Carter with the help of Roddy Beaubois, Dominique Jones and draft picks.
Also, the new CBA allows for players to restructure their contracts. If Cuban got Dirk to restructure in addition to making the roster moves, they could probably free up enough money to make it work.
Proud member of Club FTR
yes but it would be another top heavy team
It could work with a lot of effort, but the more likely scenario to me would seem they would pick up Williams and roll with that. I’m guessing that New Jersey is willing to take the risk of letting Williams walk and that Orlando will be looking to trade Howard. And Dallas doesn’t have any interesting pieces for Orlando.
All these super teams will be competing for the same 10 FA vets willing to take a min contract or mid-level to chase a ring.
In my mind a super rich owner like Cuban will be more able to use his spending power on a 2 superstar team then a 3 superstar team;
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 4:05 AM PST up reply actions
I think it is possble
Cuban loves basketball and he is more than willing to spend money if that means winning. I think he realizes that this will not be their year, but if Derron and Dwight DO become free agents (I see the possibility that Dwight is traded and he agrees to sign an extension with whichever team he is dealt to) they would try to go somewhere together. Dallas is the perfect spot for that. Yes, they would need to find other players, but if Dirk gets back into shape (which I’m sure he will after they get crushed this season) then that big 3 is better than the Heat’s. Derron is a strong point, Dwight is THE best center in the league by miles and he is a tough matchup for anyone, and Dirk is unguardable.
I see Deron & Dwight in either Brooklyn or Dallas
as long as Dwight isn’t traded to some other team this season. Both of them are very good friends that have kept in touch since the Redeem Team. They both are well aware of their impending free-agent status and you better believe that they have discussed it. Dwight has named his list of top 5 players that he would like to play with and 2 Nets were on that list (D-Will and Morrow). Deron has constantly told the Nets that they must bring in players to form a strong team if they plan on keeping him. When asked about Dwight, he said he would certainly stay in Brooklyn if D12 joined him.
Brooklyn may have a better opportunity to sign them due to their financial situation being wide open. However, Dallas would be just like Miami and do whatever was necessary to make the acquisitions. I think Dallas is more attractive because of Dirk. There’s no state tax in 47 of their games (Dal, Hou, SA, Mia & Orl) and that would help recoup some of their money if they had to take a slight pay cut.
If Dwight is traded to a team such as the Knicks, Lakers, Bulls or Clippers (long shot), then he’d probably re-sign in the offseason. Deron would then probably bolt and head to Dallas alone. I fully believe that Dwight is going to determine what happens with everyone else this summer.
Proud member of Club FTR
Dirk will be 34 before the season is up.
Like the Lakers, Cuban is looking for his next superstar/face(s) of the franchise. He is more than willing to pay if he can make them a contender. He’s been in more pics with the Larry O’brien trophy than anybody else on the Mavs. A 3D core is the most dangerous core in the league. Dwight is the best defensive player in the league on top of being the best big man. Dirk is one of the best scorers and a match-up problem for any opposing 4. Deron is still one of the best point guards in the game and can handle a scoring load as well.
It will eventually become a 2 superstar team once Dirk retires or becomes a complementary player. He’ll have 2 more years under contract after this season. They could re-sign him at 36 when his contract is up, but at a reduced amount. They would still have little to spend, but could make use of the MLE’s. The players that they have right now at the 2/3 spots are around MLE-level talent for a contender. The biggest loss would be not having Terry come off of the bench.
Proud member of Club FTR
Maybe I missed it but that means that Terry and Kidd are gone after this year?
Then this season is a washout for the Mavs. And in two years Cuban goes from a 100 million dollar payroll to 34-ish (if he clocks Haywood). Which puts him in line for the two big pieces. What a gamble.
Win one championship, then burn down the house.
But he doesn’t do it if the new luxury tax isn’t hanging over his head, right? Or does Cuban know he has an aging team that isn’t going to repeat this year?
Kidd and Terry are both expiring contracts
Terry wants an extension, but hasn’t received one yet. This guy has shown for years that he’s willing to pay for a good team. He wins a ring and then dumps Chandler, Barea, Butler, Stevenson, etc? All of those guys wanted big money and could very well try again, but fail to win the championship. Then he’s stuck with an aging roster with a huge payroll. They’re already struggling as it is, so spending to keep them together could take them back to their pre-championship days of winning 50+ in the regular season and fizzling out in the playoffs. Adding Carter for a few mil and Odom allows them to look like they’re trying, while setting them up for the future.
It may not work for Cuban, but it’s worth the try imo. Let’s say they do pull it off. They’d have an inside/outside game, a strong defensive anchor, star power, etc. Dirk would be allowed to age gracefully and stay relevant for possibly another 5 years. Dallas and Miami becomes the next great rivalry and something the NBA could sell.
Danny Ainge is trying to do something similar in Boston. They wanted Paul and Howard to join Pierce, but Paul didn’t want to play there. They’ll only have 5 players under contract (Pierce, Rondo, Bass, Bradley and Johnson) this summer and Ainge wants to rebuild while he can.
Proud member of Club FTR
I can't figure out who that was in response to...
You’re lamenting his loss in Dallas? Interesting observation.
NewCavsfan
He was mentioning all of the players that Dallas have traded away or let walk. Casey was their defensive minded assistant. Losing him along with players such as Chandler, Stevenson and Butler just changes their defensive outlook completely.
Proud member of Club FTR
Williams distrust in our second unit.
Anyone else notice that Williams pretty much refused to share the ball when he was out there with Cook/Gomes/Foye/…. someone else who I don’t remember? haha. But it seemed like he would rather dribble it out and take a shot last second. Honestly, I don’t blame him; however, I would like to see more ball movement!
yup, i hear you.
how are gomes/cook/foye/etc supposed to get into a groove off the bench when mo doesnt pass them the ball? its tough enough for them as it is.
He actually dishes to Cook a lot I think
Almost all of Cook’s baskets this year have come off of dishes from Mo- there was one today. He also did hit Gomes for a midrange shot.
The issue with Foye is that he almost never takes set shots- he likes to pound the ball far too much, which also means that giving him the ball wont give much in the assist category.
Gomes also dropped like 2 easy layups today and bobbled another pass that he could have shot from mid range.
Mo still had 8 assists today
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 1:13 AM PST up reply actions
I am hardly a Foye (Lil Chucker) fan
but he does seem to play better as a starter than off the bench.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
I think it depends on his role
if he just has to be a spot up shooter he is alright. Ask him more and it gets dicey.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 8:50 AM PST up reply actions
I think we made that observation last year as well
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
+1
I can’t remember if I actually coined “Li’l Chucker” last year or just adopted it the instant I saw it, but it totally seems to be his M.O. off the bench, and yet not so much as a starter. It’s as if he feels like, with limited minutes to work with, he has to jack it up every time he touches the ball. As a starter he seems to get much more into the flow of the offense and lets the game come to him. He actually even passes every once in a while.
Still, that’s not great news, since if he has to start for this team it means we’re in trouble.
Proudly enduring the pain since the days of Bill Walton's foot.
Now living the good life in Lob City, CA.
That is not a bad thing.
I wouldn’t share with Cook/Gomes/Foye either ;)
(though I see ekker3’s point about getting them going… still, I think an “on fire” Foye is weaker than a chucking Mo)
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
He was really nice in autograph alley, according to my gf.
He should play there full time.
:( jk luv u RyGo.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
There was obviously no devine intervention with his basketball skills
from his new tattoo.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
Can you imagine if we still had him starting at SF? Thank goodness we got Caron.
"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 Jan 3, 2012 6:22 PM PST up reply actions
This team
Really needs to leave the game in CP’s hands neither Mo or Chauncy shud think they can do as good of a job and Cp needs to lead like he lead in NO. With all the veterans in the team they shud acknowledge CP 3 as the leader and we’ll be allright. This team looks good “on the paper” and what looks good “on the paper” cannot be overlooked.
by arman martikian on Jan 2, 2012 2:27 AM PST via mobile reply actions
3 quarters of good (compared at the standard level) D and then
CP3!!!!
Other considerations:
DJ my personal MVP (i’m talking about humans, so cp3 excepted), a nice standout from MO and Caron (before the tremendous 0-2 from the line), Foye is not so bad as a starter (why not start him and see if his trade value could go up?). HORRENDOUS gomes!!! Silence on Cook i don’t consider him a NBA player.
and the finally a curiosity (soory if i’m boring):
what about the guys from China? i know they won’t be back till March, but which is their status? Chandler stil RFA and JR UFA? when will they be offered (my english is ugly this morning… lol) a contract? will they be too expensive for us?
I agree
DJ is the reason we won to be honest. But I don’t think we start FOYE ahead of Billups or Mo. True, he is our only real shooting guard, but we should NOT have two unhappy bench players. The only reason I see us doing that is if we tell Billups we want him 100% so he will have to come off the bench for a couple games.
DJ the reason we won?
he played great defense on LMA, but the reason we won?
brijo1
by ThaFoX on Jan 2, 2012 12:42 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
I think his presence and defense helped immensely
Okay, I suppose CP3 is the reason we won, but I think we would have lost the game without DJ. Why? He not only defended Aldridge well, but he was able to make his presence known by staying grounded. The fact is, when DJ is out of the game, ANY team will have a MUCH easier time scoring because Cook/Griffin are unable to contest a good amount of layups without fouling. He did EXACTLY what we needed him to do, and for that, he won the MVP award for me.
DJ your personal MVP???
How? Why?
brijo1
by ThaFoX on Jan 2, 2012 12:40 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Very legit win by the Clippers. We have a lot of work to do before we gel and this team will get better but LA player very hard.
The Clippers will hopefully be a playoff team this year. Chris Paul really makes all the difference. It’s fun watching guys that can close games like that, believe me I know.
Last Night We Saw Why The Clippers Traded For CP3
I put the game “in the refrigerator” after the third quarter because with that lead I knew that CP3 would not let the Clippers blow the game and lose it.
It wound up being close but CP3 did his thing when he needed to and the Clippers held on.
An ugly game for the most part, but an exciting finish though the result in my mind was never in doubt after the third quarter ended.
Nah I put a lil crack in his Gatorade.
Should I not be doing that?
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Any win's a good win...
but that fourth quarter was ugly. Hopefully it’s just an isolated incident of Portland waking up, not a trend.
Clippers // Chargers // Rays // Boise State
"The Lakers do win games. But things can change." - Blake Griffin
by 82-0 on Jan 2, 2012 8:03 AM PST via mobile reply actions
I Guess We Disagree Sort Of
I would rather think of the 4th quarter as exciting even though I never doubted that the Clippers would win.
But I can see where you and anyone who watched the game last night would say that the fourth quarter was ugly.
Ugly and exciting LOL
I love to see superstars do their thing late in the fourth quarter or overtime and CP3 did his thing. Good stuff
it will happen again
once the team gels it will get better. But with Chris Paul at the controls I feel a bit safer to navigate these kind of situations
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 8:24 AM PST up reply actions
Also, you have to give it to Portland
They didn’t have WIDE open shots, but they were knocking everything down
Recipe for something good
We’re finally starting to see how the final meal will turn out -
- Get Blake going early and involved in the game to establish the inside → out attack.
- Caron stepping up not only on the offensive end but defensive and especially rebounding. Besides the GSW game, he’s been non-existent on the boards. Credit to him for also keeping Wallace in check.
- CP3 taking over late in the game. He tried the same in the Bulls game but obviously couldn’t get it going against Rose but clearly showed why he’s all-world in the 4th.
- Better substitution pattern.
- As mentioned, better defensive rotations and overall hustle.
Final touches:
- Play Trey before Cookie. I’m not so much a Trey fan than I’ve grown to be a Cookie-hater. Cookie brings nothing to the table appreciatively better than Trey at this point so why no give the rookie some time?
- Offensive playcalling needs some refinement. We saw some hints at better offensive flow last night. For instance, rather than dump into Blake or Blake/CP3 pick and roll and the other three guys standing around, you actually saw cuts to the basket on the weakside (ala San Antonio)
-
Remembers when you could buy a nosebleed ticket at the Sports Arena and end up courtside.
Cookie Hater
You can’t surf the Net very well without them cookies. LOL
Sorry the computer guy inside me could not resist.
Cookie Cutter! Get rid of cook!
and GOmes!
brijo1
by ThaFoX on Jan 2, 2012 12:47 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Anybody else concerned our schedule has been pretty easy so far.
Many teams have already done the back to backs (to backs) or had early challenging road schedules. I hope we do not have extended road disasters like last year.
On another note, with the abbreviated season, I am watching way too much League Pass action every night. Ricky Rubio (and the Wolves) have become one of my favorites to watch. I thought Rubio would be a bust but he has incredible court vision and is not as bad of a shooter as advertised. I think the NBA game suits his style of play better than Europe does. Also, KLove can hit 3’s better than 90% of the guards in this league.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
well to get this team going the extra practice time won't hurt
plus as said before the first 10 games are against decent teams. We’ll be okay. Just keep improving from game to game.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 9:44 AM PST up reply actions
I agreed with everything you said MIke!
brijo1
by ThaFoX on Jan 2, 2012 12:49 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
So far I think Rubio=ROY
The T-Wolves are by no means a pushover. They can surprise any team and get the win; however, they have some ways to go before they are a competing team.
The Wolves are definitely an exciting team to watch.
I’m glad I don’t have to root for them to lose anymore, because of the Minny pick. It’s long been said that Rubio was probably more suited for the NBA than Euroleague and it is showing. He had been a little disappointing in his last couple of years in Spain, but the kid is ready to go now. I also am glad that he stuck with the Wolves rather than trying to force his way to a big market. They’re going to compete every night. Adelman has phenomenal track record of playoff appearances, but more importantly in getting his teams to achieve beyond expectations. I would not be surprised if they are fighting for a playoff spot by the end of this season.
Proud member of Club FTR
Don't think it's exactly been "easy"
Yes, they haven’t had the back-to-backs and stuff, but the quality of the opponents has been pretty tough. They started on the road in the league’s loudest arena, then traveled to play last year’s #1 seed (which has a huge advantage early having played together so long), then came home to face an Eastern Conference finalist, and then played a team that made the playoffs in the West last year and had started out this year 3-0. Against that level of competition, a 2-2 start ain’t to shabby.
Proudly enduring the pain since the days of Bill Walton's foot.
Now living the good life in Lob City, CA.
I did not mean the competition was easy, I meant the back to backs, heavy travel etc.
We really need to get a jump and take advantage of our January home schedule. Take a look at February and the first two weeks in March’s schedule-brutal.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
It's a blessing we get this slow schedule right now
Time to practice and what not… by the time the back to back to backs come, we’ll be a well oiled Vujacic machine.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Was it really the defense?
Nice to get a win an def. rotations looked better this game than in previous ones but I’m not ready to attribute the Blazers poor shooting/ball handling to a magical improvement in the Clipper’s defense yet.
Blazers missed ALOT of make-able shots.
+1
The Blazers shooting was awful. It was probably a combination of things but the Clippers interior defense did look pretty good last night and LA along with a lot of his teammates wound up settling last night for a lot of jump shots which fortunately for the Clippers weren’t falling.
Wallace as I understand it was leading the league in FG% before his goose egg (0 – 5) last night.
I think for Wallace and Aldrige, it WAS our defense
If you noticed, Wallace and Aldrige were really taken out of the game. They were getting frustrated because DeAndre and Caron were really giving them a hard time on defense. I think Wallace was having an off night, but he didn’t really have that many open shots. Aldrige had some decent looks, but most of his post moves were met with DeAndre’s long arms. I think the Blazers were a little bit off, but have you ever considered they were just extremely on fire the past games? I think they are great offensively, but from what it sounds like, they were shooting lights out the other games, and the fact is, that isn’t a constant thing. They won’t always be able to knock down shots, especially against this hustling Clippers D
I noticed when DJ moved over to guard LA
is when he struggled. Blake isnt tall enough to guard LA but DJ has the athleticism and last night, he had the patience to do what he needed to do. Maybe the vets have let him know he doesnt need the highlight reel play to be considered elite.
I think he is also learning that
I am sure many of us, including me, love his highlight blocks. However, just like with anything, he has to attempt more than he actually succeeds. And when he fails to get the block, you may as well give the other team 2 points, because Griffin would be left to fend off two big men and who ever drove to the basket.
Our defense played really well last night. It was our best effort of the season.
The Blazers didn’t have their best performance, but can you really excuse our play by saying that every single Blazer (outside of Batum and Crawford) had an off night? That off night was partially due to the Clippers being active on the defensive end. We got them out of their comfort zones. DJ did a great job on limiting Aldridge. Butler did a good job on Wallace. Paul and Mo forced turnovers. We had something like 25 deflections. We were a bit better at closing out on the shooters. It wasn’t perfect, but it was improvement.
We didn’t play our best game. We had 21 turnovers after averaging a league best 11 per game. We didn’t shoot well from outside and we still lost the rebound battle. Yet, we still won the game against a very good team. We need to give this team credit for what they did do well instead of just focusing on what we didn’t do or attributing it to the other team not playing well.
Proud member of Club FTR
credit is also due to VDN
better rotations tonight. He made the adjustments from the last game, and putting caron in with the second unit to build up that lead was nice coaching.
by cantthinkofagoodname on Jan 2, 2012 12:05 PM PST reply actions
good points! can't think of a good name.
brijo1
by ThaFoX on Jan 2, 2012 12:52 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
agree...caron hit a bunch of shots
during that stretch
We need Bill Walton back: "Where would the LA Clippers franchise be without Sean Rooks? Bo Outlaw might be the best pick up of the off season.
THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN...THROW IT DOWN"
___________
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by banandy on Jan 2, 2012 1:16 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Remember the days when we had Ike and Rhino
and Cookie was all the well at the end of the bench? Good times.
Check out http://fullyclips.com/ - Really Great Clippers blog!
Neither Ike nor Rhino can play the 5
Neither can Cook but we are paying him anyway. Once we have a back up 5 I can see him collecting DNP’s.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:17 PM PST up reply actions
Last season when Kaman was injured, Ike was DJ's primary backup every time DJ got into foul trouble.
And Ike did well cause I remember this was during our monster January run last season where everything seemed to click for a short period.
Check out http://fullyclips.com/ - Really Great Clippers blog!
yes but that wouldn't take away the fact that Ike would be redundant once they found a back up
Just like Cook, who we are paying anyway. I also liked Diogu, but he isn’t that of a big upgrade over Cook to warrant keeping ’em both.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 12:53 PM PST up reply actions
no he isn't
not as a 5, they both are inadequate. People want someone to clog up the middle and that isn’t Ike’s game.
Most people on this board are blinded by their hate for Cook. They are even willing to play a second round pick rookie out of position. Get over it, people. Once they have addressed the back-up 5 situation, Cook will be sitting on the bench collecting DNP’s.
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by BelgianClipper on Jan 2, 2012 11:49 PM PST up reply actions
"As soon as Evans comes back, I want to see Cook get no minutes except in blowouts or if there is a lot of foul trouble."
When Evans comes back, I see cook being jettisoned out into space somewhere in-between here Spock was and the Degoba system.
Energy * Focus * No Excuses
"For [Griffin] getting in the way of Andre Miller’s 40 yard dash?" -S. Perrin
Yay I think that was my quote
I wonder if we just flat out waive Cook once Evans comes back and we get a backup 5. That is what I hope anyway.
Actually I wouldn't mind Cook getting some spot minutes at the four
as bad as he is as a backup C he isn’t too horrible when he is playing next to a guy like DJ.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
I think Cook can handle himself against most 4's
he definitely is useless against 5’s. I like the look Cook gives us on offense when he is paired with a traditional center like DJ.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
I fell over laughing last night watching the game
when Cookie was under the basket twisting and turning like Mr. Flippy 2.0 on a play.
Made me miss Kaveman.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
Very few teams run their offenses in close games during the last few minutes
Dallas- give it to Dirk
Lakers- Give it to Kobe
Miami- Give it to Lebron/Wade
Clippers- Give it to CP3
The only team I can think of that actually runs sets at the end of games is the Spurs. Or really bad teams with no closers.
Hmm...
But that’s why you have Kobe trying to shoot over four guys. If he makes it he’s Kobe-rific, if he misses he was covered by four guys, give him a break. I suppose we have to hope that Griffin develops into option-two when Paul suffers the inevitable double team.
Yeah
I dont think it is a particularly good strategy, but it is widely employed. The Spurs only manage to perform so well in crunch time because they play excellently together and have the best coach in the game.
Yes, I was bothered by it
Aldridge did a good job on Blake tonight. Sure, he got to the line a few times, but overall I thought his game looked uncomfortable. When that happens, the offense can get bogged down. Our options in the fourth were power move to Blake, clear out for CP3, or awkward jumped shot. Paul can dazzle, but he can’t always get around his man and through the defense. Right now, if Blake is struggling, the offense is going struggle. Mo did a good job providing some spark, but I don’t trust him as a crunch time guy.
"i know huh........freakin clippers man.....its like a wild ride rooting for this team....gotta love em....(sometimes) lol" In GrIfFin We TrUsT
He did look much quicker yesterday
Mo still looks like he is faster, which is not a good thing, since he has never been known for his speed.
Help when you're being defended by Felton and not Rose
Remembers when you could buy a nosebleed ticket at the Sports Arena and end up courtside.
Tall dudes bother Blake for sure
Pau and LMA the most I think. He can’t just power through them…
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Especially LMA
Notice most of Blake’s points last game were jumpers (that went in) or fast break dunks.
Ironically, the other player who has given him the most problems is the undersized oak tree Hayes who does not move when Blake is backing in.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
Either way we took down a good Portland team.
They have a deep bench and it showed last night against our bench. Gomes &
Cook better start producing because if not they will be sitting alot on the pine
bench. I really like Trey Tompkins.
DJ's D
One thing I noticed over and over last night was how much DJ has improved as an on-ball defender. It’s one thing to rack up 8 blocks coming from the weakside — and don’t get me wrong, that sort of rim protection definitely has its place — but its another thing altogether to shut down a guy like Aldridge 1-on-1. DJ did a FANTASTIC job against LA last night. If he can consistently play that way against the league’s top big men, he’s gonna be worth every cent of his new contract and then some.
Proudly enduring the pain since the days of Bill Walton's foot.
Now living the good life in Lob City, CA.
He swats almost every jumper a guard tries to shoot over him when they get a switch...
I wonder if in practice, CP3 can do his big-man jukes and shoot over DJ as easily. DJ seems like a pro at tipping those (my gut tells me he learned this from Camby).
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
Yeah Camby was pretty good at those
I hope he taught DJ how to go after offensive boards like he has done throughout his career, Camby is the master of the tip in.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
Speaking of tip-ins
Anybody else notice Blake is not very efficient at easy tip-ins? I saw at least two easy one’s missed against the Blazers.
"Who wants a free Sharpie?"
He was really good at them last year
but he just can’t seem to get them to go in this year. It is very strange.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown
Good defensive effort
Defense is all about effort, practically any player in the NBA can play good D if they try hard and know where the help is. Devise some good schemes, know the opposing player tendencies (his go to moves, can he drive/shoot with either hand), know when and where to rotate and most important of all play hard.
If you play defense hard you’ll also have good defensive rebounding position, you don’t foul jump shooters (hard to play good FT defense) and you hope for the best. Once in awhile you’ll have bad luck and the opposing team will make tough shots but if you bring the effort on defense every night you’ll win a lot of games.
Help us Altered Beast you're our only hope.
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