Clippers Triumph Over Melbourne United, 118-100

This game wasn’t on television, so the only people who were able to truly see what happened were those in attendance. Following along on the radio and observing the box score, here are some quick hitting observations.

Jerome Robinson Has Nice Game:

Jerome Robinson has been hit or miss thus far in preseason, but today he had his best game yet, scoring 15 points on 11 shots and doing so in a variety of ways. He hit a couple threes, got to the free throw line, and just generally showed off his scoring toolkit. Most importantly, he did things besides score, grabbing a handful of rebounds and dishing a few assists. Jerome can score, but he needs to prove he can provide other positive plays on the court to get playing time, and he did so today.

Clippers Misfire from Three:

The Clippers have been mostly cold from deep in the preseason, and that trend continued again this afternoon. The Clips were 8-32 with the longball, with strong outside shooters such as Lou Williams, JaMychal Green, and Landry Shamet mostly misfiring. Shooting is a sample-driven affair, and four preseason games means nothing, so at this point all the misses are just empty noise. Still, for those wondering why the Clippers haven’t been better in terms of results in the preseason, their cold outside shooting is mostly to blame. Considering the proven quality of the shooters on their roster, I remain unconcerned.

Patrick Patterson Shows his Worth:

Patrick Patterson was an unheralded addition to the Clippers roster late this summer. After a couple down seasons in Oklahoma City, Patterson, had lost most of the luster that he’d once possessed as one of the best bench players in the NBA in Toronto. However, he’s still a competent NBA veteran who can help the Clippers if called upon, and showed that tonight. He hit all four of his shots, including both of his threes, and played solid positional defense, helping the Clippers’ reserve unit make their game-winning push. He’ll never be spectacular, but he’s very good for a 13th man.

Derrick Walton Jr. Makes Push for Roster Spot:

The Clippers already waived two of their training camp guys on Friday, letting go of James Palmer Jr. and Terry Larrier. That leaves just Derrick Walton Jr. and Donte Grantham. Of the foursome, Walton has consistently received the most playing time, and mostly looked like he belongs. Today, however, was his best game, as he scored 14 points on 6-9 shooting, and added three assists and two rebounds to one turnovers in 20 minutes. Walton’s ability to get the team into offensive sets, not turn the ball over, be a threat from outside, and compete on defense has given him at least a shot of making the Clippers 15 man roster, and his performance today can’t have hurt.

Well, the Clippers only have one more preseason game, on Thursday against the Mavericks in Vancouver, and that one should feature both Kawhi Leonard and Terance Mann. After that, the regular season begins at last!