Clips Nation - Preseason Game #1: Dawn of a New SeasonWhat it do babyyyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47967/clipsnation_fave.png2015-10-07T07:00:07-07:00http://www.clipsnation.com/rss/stream/91841182015-10-07T07:00:07-07:002015-10-07T07:00:07-07:00Film Room: The Lance Stephenson Exemplum - Part 1
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<figcaption>Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Through the first two preseason games, Lance Stephenson has been a quandary. He's not shooting well, seems like a negative on the court, and isn't providing much else. But is that really what's going on? Or is there more? This Film Room takes a look.</p> <p class="pgh-paragraph has-dropcap" id="paragraph0">Oh, did you guys think you were only getting Film Rooms done for each game and didn’t think you were getting ones for players at all this year? Well, you’re getting some for players as the season goes along depending on how they’re playing or what they're showing. In the case of this <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/8/9/9125553/2015-16-clippers-film-room">Film Room</a>, we’re going to take a look at the scuffling start for <span>Lance Stephenson</span>. Through the first two preseason games, Stephenson has shot a combined 2-for-14 from the field and hasn’t really made much of a difference on the surface. But, how has he <i>really</i> played? This is Part One of the Stephenson series and looks at just the game against the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Denver Nuggets</a>. The second part will come later and look at the other game.</p>
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<p>Beyond the 2-for-14 that he’s shot from the field, it appears like Lance Stephenson hasn’t really supplied the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a> much else judging solely off of the box scores and play-by-play. Yet, if you glanced at the footage beyond the box score, it seems like Stephenson is trying to make an impact in ways he knows how to – i.e. attacking the basket, trying to defend, and generally being involved overall. The issue is that he doesn’t make the right decision a lot of the time. Part of that could be due to him not being used to playing with this current group, as only two of them – <span>Jamal Crawford</span> and <span>Austin Rivers</span> – were on the Clippers’ bench last season. There’s a steep learning curve and Stephenson is getting lost in the mud. With that said, roll the tape!</p>
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<p>We begin towards the latter stages of the first quarter and see a pretty lengthy possession here for the Clippers. The initial play starts out with Austin Rivers swinging the ball to <span>Josh Smith</span> at the top of the arc and Smith then handing it off to Stephenson after <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> sets a nice little screen to free Stephenson. Now, once he gets the ball on the wing, Stephenson has two options here; he can either take the extremely wide open three that the Nuggets are giving him or he can pass out of it. He chooses the second option and hits Smith for a pretty open mid-range jumper. It’s not a terrible shot, but it’s certainly not an ideal one. If you had to choose between the two shots, you’d choose the Stephenson three since it’s a higher efficiency shot. However, we don’t get that. We get the Smith shot. And he misses. But, much to the Clippers’ fortune, the ball gets tipped back by Jordan and the team regains possession.</p>
<p>As the ball gets tipped back, it lands in the hands of Jamal Crawford. Crawford wastes no time and passes to Rivers on the far wing. Rivers passes back to Crawford and Crawford swings it to Stephenson at the same exact spot Stephenson bypassed the open three. Stephenson then attacks the semi-closeout by <span>Will Barton</span> in an effort to get to the rim. Barton does a good job of bodying Stephenson and <span>Jameer Nelson</span> tries to rip the ball free. Despite that, Stephenson makes a nice little play to get Jordan the ball on the right block, but Jordan has it stripped by <span>Nikola Jokic</span> and the possession finally comes to an end. A lot happened here, but there were some positives and some negatives. First, the negative was that Stephenson passed up an open three. But, even then, he found a guy for an open mid-range jumper. After that, he made a solid drive to the basket and dumped the ball off to a big, but the big couldn’t really do much with it.</p>
<p>Overall on this play, you can’t fault Lance for Smith missing the open jumper or Jordan having the ball stripped. You can, however, fault him for not taking the open three. That’s the negative here among the two positives. No one knows if Stephenson hits that three, but taking it would have at least given the Clippers some semblance of spacing. If you had to grade this play, you’d probably give Stephenson a B- or C+ here. He couldn’t beat Barton off the dribble, but he did get into the paint and drop the ball to a big in scoring position. He didn’t take the three, but he did find a guy for an open mid-range jumper. It’s a solid grade.</p>
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<p>Later in the quarter, Stephenson is inbounding from the sideline with 14 on the clock. Rivers comes to get the ball and he receives a screen from Smith. Rivers turns the corner really well on the screen and looks like he has a lane to pass back to Smith, but he hits Stephenson on the curl at the top of the arc when <span>Gary Harris</span> pinches down to help on Smith’s roll. Harris does an excellent job of recovering here. It forces Stephenson into taking one of the worst shots in basketball. Stephenson dribbles in an attempt to lose Harris, but he ultimately hoists up a terrible stepback long two that clanks off the back iron. This is an F play. It’s terrible. Not a shot he should even be attempting with a defender the quality of Harris right in his face.</p>
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<p>To end the first quarter, the Clippers ran a typical flat set and tried to show an impending screen from <span>Paul Pierce</span>. Pierce bails on the screen and merely just hugs Jameer Nelson. However, this is actually a good thing. Austin Rivers cuts baseline and Jamal Crawford hits him with a good pass. Rivers gets swarmed by Denver defenders and kicks to Stephenson in the corner. Rather than take a contested three, Stephenson dribbles into the teeth of the defense, turns, and fires it back out to Rivers for a wide open attempt as the shot clock expires. This is great awareness by Lance, in all honesty. His shot would have been a bad one, but the shot he generated for Rivers was a good one. So, even if this play doesn’t show up as anything other than a Rivers missed three, it’s a really nice job by Stephenson to make the right play.</p>
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<p>We’re now into the second quarter and Stephenson is sharing the floor with Rivers, Pierce, Crawford, and Smith still. Pierce passes the ball off to Crawford at the far wing and Stephenson comes along the baseline off of a Smith screen. Gary Harris plays the screen well and jumps the gap to prevent any backdoor pass for a layup. Crawford has to wait for Stephenson to get all the way over to where he is and then gives him the ball. Stephenson throws a quick left-handed dribble at Harris and then attempts a spin back over to his right. There’s one problem here; Harris is still right with him. Stephenson doesn’t care, though, and goes up with a wild right-handed shot that Harris contests beautifully. The shot clanks off and Denver gets the rebound. Just a poor decision and shot from Lance that speaks volumes about this struggles right now.</p>
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<p>Roughly 90 seconds later, the Clippers are on defense and we get to see both bad and good Lance. Jameer Nelson receives a screen from Nikola Jokic and comes downhill at Josh Smith. Smith doesn’t leap at him or anything, but rather just lets him turn the corner along the baseline because Nelson doesn’t pose a threat. Watch the weakside of this play, though. Stephenson is in the corner guarding <span>Emmanuel Mudiay</span>. As Nelson tiptoes the baseline, Stephenson completely loses Mudiay. Nelson hits Mudiay and Mudiay tries to drive baseline for a layup, but Smith is there to contest him and Mudiay throws it away which springs the Clippers on a fast break.</p>
<p>The ball bounces right into the hands of Stephenson and he ignites the break. He already knows he has Rivers running the floor to his right and Smith filling the gap in the middle. As he’s dribbling, notice the look to the left that Stephenson does as he’s approaching midcourt. He then gets fancy with his dribble and hits Rivers perfectly in-stride for a layup attempt that gets goaltended by <span>Kenneth Faried</span>. Two points for the Clippers. It shows what Stephenson can do in the fast break as a ball-handler. He’s a solid decision maker and dribbler. That much is certain. The off ball defense on this play was not good, but he was helped out by Smith and Pierce (who dug down to prevent the pass to Jokic). Lance on the break is usually good, so there is some hope there.</p>
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<p>A little later, Denver is met with full-court pressure as Mudiay has to dribble up while Rivers hounds him. Mudiay almost loses the ball, but ultimately maintains control and passes it off of to Jameer Nelson after Stephenson loses him for a split second. Nelson then gets a screen from <span>J.J. Hickson</span> and dribbles through the paint and free-throw line area. Josh Smith backs off as Nelson drives. This is by design, though. It’s to prevent a pass to the big and force teams into more mid-range jumpers. Stephenson attempts to recover here, but Nelson quickly makes a dribble move and finishes over him with a right-handed layup. Should Smith have done more? Possibly. However, he also played it well and Stephenson did recover solidly to contest the shot. Credit Nelson for hitting a tough shot over Stephenson, but give Lance credit for trying to affect the play on more than one occasion. Stephenson just has to not lose a player off the ball.</p>
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<p>Shortly thereafter, Stephenson is dribbling into the frontcourt and receives a screen from <span>Blake Griffin</span> that he actually turns down because he sees Mudiay icing the pick-and-roll. Stephenson dribble-drives into the paint and looks like he might have a lane to finish, but Kenneth Faried attempts to make a play on any potential layup. Stephenson recognizes this and dumps the ball off to Josh Smith, who throws up a wild left-handed hook shot that falls by the wayside and Denver rebounds the ball. This play doesn’t end in a basket for the Clippers, but it shows great awareness and cognizance by Stephenson. He turns down the screen when he sees the ice, gets into the paint, draws the big man to him, and kicks it to a solid finisher. It’s not his fault the ball didn’t go into the basket. Really, really nice job by Lance as the ball-handler here. Well done.</p>
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<p>On the ensuing Denver possession, Jameer Nelson dribbles into the frontcourt and is being defended by Austin Rivers before J.J. Hickson runs into the play and sets a screen to free Nelson. However, it doesn’t work. Rivers stays with Nelson the whole way and deflects the pass right into the hands of Stephenson who starts the break. It’s your classic two-on-one break here. Stephenson passes it up to Rivers as they pass halfcourt and Austin dribbles into a layup attempt that draws a foul. This play caused quite a bit of fuss, though, as Stephenson openly threw his arms in the air and yelled towards Rivers that he should pass the ball. It looks like Stephenson walks away from him, but he did come back to help Rivers up.</p>
<p>There are two schools of thought on this play. First, Rivers should have passed it back to Stephenson for a shot attempt. It’s the right basketball play. While Rivers drew the foul and two free throws, it still serves the team better there if he passes to Stephenson. The other school of thought is that Stephenson gave the ball up way too soon. There wasn’t really a reason he had to give up the ball at halfcourt other than he might have felt he was getting too close to Mudiay. It’s possible that Stephenson panicked there, but he acted in the best interest of running the break. His reaction to it wasn’t exactly what you want to see, though. This is something that should change with more time together; both the reaction and the recognition by both players.</p>
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<p>On the next Los Angeles possession, Blake Griffin gets the rebound and kicks it ahead to Stephenson. From here, it’s just a simple two-man game that turns into a one-man show. Stephenson gets the ball, sprints into the frontcourt, and then goes to work against <span>Erick Green</span>. He’s going nowhere initially with his dribble, so Griffin comes over to set a little screen that Green tries to hedge over the top of in an effort to prevent any further damage. However, it backfires. Stephenson goes with a quick behind-the-back dribble and loses Green entirely over the top of the screen. Green gets caught up on Griffin’s backside and Stephenson jacks up a right elbow jumper that goes in. Mid-range jumpers aren’t exactly efficient, but this one is for all the right reasons – i.e. it’s wide open, taken by a guard who is solid off the dribble, and directly in rhythm. Nice play by Lance.</p>
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<p>The team has a side-out-of-bounds on the next possession and <span>J.J. Redick</span> dumps it down to Blake Griffin in the post. Griffin kicks it out to Stephenson with 14 on the shot clock and they run into a side pick-and-roll with <span>Randy Foye</span> and Kenneth Faried as the defenders. Foye fights over the top of the screen and Faried attempts to string the play out as Stephenson dribbles. Stephenson starts to fade towards the corner, but he finds a great passing lane to Griffin on the semi-roll here. The bounce pass perfectly hits Griffin in the pocket and he takes a gather dribble before going up with a right-handed hook off his left leg. The ball winds up short off the rim, but it’s a hell of a look for Griffin and a great showing of patience and poise by Lance on the pass. These are the things Stephenson can bring to the team. The pick-and-roll is his friend.</p>
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<p>We’re now into the final quarter of action and the Clippers look like they’re going to pull away in this game. Not so fast, though. This possession starts out with <span>Pablo Prigioni</span> dribbling up the court and giving the ball to Josh Smith. After giving the ball to Smith, Prigioni runs up and sets a screen on Gary Harris so that Stephenson can get the ball. Stephenson comes off the Prigioni screen, as well as a screen by Smith, before just stopping dead at the free-throw line. From there, he has two options; he can either take a super contested mid-range jumper after Harris recovered or he can kick it to the far wing where Prigioni is wide open after Smith set a screen on Jameer Nelson. Lance goes with neither. Instead, he chose to pass to Austin Rivers on the right wing after Rivers comes to get the ball once he realized Lance was going nowhere.</p>
<p>Rivers then receives a screen from <span>Luc Richard Mbah a Moute</span> and throws a wild pass back to Stephenson, who is all the way on the far wing. Stephenson goes one-on-one against Harris and actually looks like he’s going to bully his way into the paint. However, Harris does an awesome job of stripping the ball from Stephenson late in the shot clock which forces Lance to gather the ball back in the far corner. Stephenson then has to hoist up a desperation fadeaway jumper off of one leg that ends in an airball. This is one of those possessions that Stephenson cannot afford to have. He had a passing lane to Prigioni, bypassed it, and then dribbled into a terrible predicament. Not a good look.</p>
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<p>A few minutes later, we get a Denver possession that highlights Lance’s off ball awareness. Will Barton dribbles into the frontcourt, passes to <span>Wilson Chandler</span>, and then Chandler passes back so that they get the ball moving. Barton runs a quick pick-and-roll with Nikola Jokic here and passes back to Chandler who passes to Emmanuel Mudiay. Once that happens, Chandler runs up to set a screen on Rivers, but he slips it so that he can find a seam into the paint. Mudiay hits Chandler with a pinpoint pass and Chandler quickly passes to Jokic who puts the ball in the bucket. Now, you’re probably wondering where Lance Stephenson comes into play here. Well, watch the play unfold.</p>
<p>After the ball rotates away from Stephenson’s side of the court, Lance just watches it for the most part instead of helping pinch down onto Jokic. When Josh Smith rotates over to help on the roll by Chandler, Stephenson completely forgets his responsibility as a help defender here. You have to help the helper. He has to absolutely duck down into the passing lane and make a play on this pass. We saw Paul Pierce do this earlier on a play that ignited a fast break. On this one, Stephenson forgets to do that and Denver scores two points because of it. The defense elsewhere on this play was fine. They did their job for the most part, but that one breakdown by Stephenson cost them all as a unit. This is something Lance will have to pay attention to going forward.</p>
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<p>On a Clippers possession shortly after that, Austin Rivers passes up to <span>Wesley Johnson</span> and Johnson hits <span>C.J. Wilcox</span>. Stephenson, on the far corner to start the play, ducks along the baseline and into the nearside corner between Wilcox and Johnson. The ball rotates up to Josh Smith at the top of the arc and he executes a screen handoff with Austin Rivers. For a brief second, Rivers loses control of the ball, but he gathers it back and finds Stephenson wide open in the corner after the little broken play. Stephenson is helped out by a screen from Johnson on Will Barton and Lance fires up the corner three. It clangs off the rim and the Clippers see another empty possession.</p>
<p>Let’s be honest here for a second. You’re absolutely fine with Lance Stephenson taking this shot in this situation. The shot clock was at 8 seconds when he released the ball for a wide open corner three and he shot 37.3 percent on uncontested threes just two years ago with the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indiana Pacers</a>. This isn’t exactly a poor shot for him. Unfortunately for the Clippers, the ball doesn’t go through the hoop and the team is left to scramble to get back on defense. One of the best things about this play is the awareness by Johnson to set Stephenson that screen and the wherewithal of Stephenson to take that particular shot.</p>
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<p>A minute later, we see Josh Smith set Stephenson a ball screen as Lance is running downhill from halfcourt. Stephenson absolutely flies by any help defense the Nuggets could throw at him in the form of Will Barton and he tries to make a tough right-handed scoop layup over Nikola Jokic. Unluckily, the shot smacks off the backboard and back iron before being rebounded by Barton. Despite this being a miss, it’s awesome to see Stephenson going downhill at a big and trying to finish around him. Perhaps Lance could have tried to draw a foul here, but his decision was fine. There’s also a passing opportunity to Austin Rivers in the corner, but it’s hard to say how that pass goes since Emmanuel Mudiay is right there. This is a play where you can say Lance Stephenson shows a glimmer of hope.</p>
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<p>This play picks up where the other one left off. Stephenson just missed that layup attempt and Barton has the ball going down the other way. Stephenson hounds Barton the entire way until Jokic sets him a pick and Barton is forced to give the ball up when he can’t beat Lance to the corner. Unfortunately for Stephenson and the Clippers, it doesn’t end well. The second Stephenson turns his head to look at the ball in Jokic’s hands, Barton gives a quick right-to-left shimmy shake move and gets a half-step on Stephenson. Jokic recognizes this and throws a dime to Barton over the top of Stephenson. The pass sails into the left hand of Barton and he gathers with his right hand for a shot attempt that gets blocked by Josh Smith. However, he is fouled by Stephenson here.</p>
<p>As good of a hounding defender as Lance Stephenson can be, his off ball defense is clearly not up to the level of his on-ball defense. That goes for a lot of guys, but Stephenson has to bring the effort no matter what considering the type of reputation he’s trying to build around the league. He wants to be a lockdown defender. Well, lockdown defenders aren’t supposed to get beat backdoor a split second after their man gives the ball up in a tough spot. Stephenson has the tools, but he needs to be committed all the time. This is one of those instances where he fell asleep at the worst time.</p>
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<p>Roughly a minute later, Austin Rivers brings the ball up and receives a screen from Josh Smith at the top of the arc. There’s no passing lane to Smith on the roll so Rivers passes to Wesley Johnson at the top of the arc for a possible three-point attempt, but Will Barton closes out well on it. Due to that, Johnson swings it to Stephenson on the near wing and they get a switch by having Johnson set a screen and bail. This forces the primary defender to go from Gary Harris to Will Barton. It’s perceived to be an easier matchup for Stephenson since he was having trouble with Harris all night long. Instead, it’s still a tough one for him.</p>
<p>Stephenson takes a moment before dribbling, but then dribbles to his right with a stutter-step move and bullies Barton towards the rim. Despite being presented with the opportunity to go up stronger, Stephenson chose to finish with a right-handed floating bank shot that misses and is rebounded by Denver. Perhaps he got scared off by the rotating Nikola Jokic. Perhaps he was already too deep into what he was doing. No one knows. This was just a bad choice by Stephenson and one he’ll have to avoid in the long run. Never drive without a plan. Stephenson looked like he didn’t have one.</p>
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<p>After a Josh Smith rebound, he kicks the ball up ahead to Wesley Johnson so the team can start a possible break. Due to Will Barton retreating well and stopping it, Johnson passes back to C.J. Wilcox who then dribbles to his left and hands off to Lance Stephenson. This causes a switch where Erick Green becomes the primary defender. This is to Stephenson’s benefit as he’s stronger than Green. Stephenson hesitation dribbles once and then accelerates to his right before sort of shoving Green to the wayside like a windshield wiper does to a bug. This allows Stephenson to penetrate into the paint and take a really makeable right-handed floater/layup that bounces off the back iron and out. It’s a tough break for Stephenson after a great move and setup. This is a solid display of what Stephenson can do against a mismatch and when going downhill. More of this. Process over result.</p>
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<p>With two minutes to go and the Clippers clinging to a two point lead, Stephenson has the ball inbounded to him and brings it up the court in a sort of trot. Josh Smith sets a screen on Gary Harris to free Stephenson up and Lance uses it to get downhill after a right-to-left crossover move. He then throws a little in-and-out dribble at Nikola Jokic and crosses him over due to that. Stephenson gets on Jokic’s left hip and extends with a left-handed layup off of his left foot, which seems like it catches Jokic off-guard a little bit. Stephenson doesn’t make the basket, but he was fouled on the play and went to the free throw line. He made both free throws and extended the lead to five. Once again, Lance Stephenson downhill against a mismatch is a thing of beauty. And, once again, it was out of a pick-and-roll set designed to do so. That’s the ticket with him.</p>
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<p>The final play that you’re going to see came with 75 seconds to go and the Clippers nursing a six point lead. Stephenson is walking the ball up the court and gets a switch due to Josh Smith luring Gary Harris away from him. This puts Stephenson one-on-one against <span>Joffrey Lauvergne</span>. Stephenson tries to throw a myriad of crossovers and fakes at Lauvergne, but they absolutely do not work one bit. Lauvergne stays with Stephenson the whole way, even after Lance throws a nice little stutter-step crossover stepback move near the left elbow. This forces Stephenson to try another crossover that ends in a one-legged fadeaway. Predictably, the ball finds nothing but iron. It’s a completely wasted possession.</p>
<p>This is one of those possessions that could effectively ice the game. A basket here puts the team up by eight or nine points with just over a minute to go. That’s a vice grip on the game. Stephenson opted to go to the one-on-one stuff and it didn’t pay off in the slightest because he didn’t fool anyone. The right play here is to pull the ball back out once he didn’t get where he wanted the first time. There’s no reason to settle for a bad mid-range jumper there; especially one off of one leg and fading away. Of all the Lance Stephenson shots that were ill-advised, this might have been the worst one of them all.</p>
<p>All in all, this game was not as bad as the 2-for-10 might make it out to be. There was some good from Lance Stephenson. Offensively, whenever Stephenson was able to get downhill out of the pick-and-roll, good things happened for both himself and the team. Defensively, whenever he was locked in as an on-ball defender, Stephenson could hold his own against pretty much anyone. The issue with him, though, is consistency, ego, and awareness. Those are the things that he’ll have to correct if he wants to make a major impact on this basketball team.</p>
<p>It’s never good when you can get beat off the ball just because you fall asleep for a split second. It’s never good when your ego gets the best of you in one-on-one situations and you think Lance can make ‘em dance. And, lastly, it’s never good when you show a lack of awareness on the court when it comes to shot selection, spacing, and overall defense. These are the things Lance Stephenson needs to clean up. However, despite all of that, perhaps there is some good to find in his play. It wasn’t all bad. There were bright spots. He just needs to build from this. Will he? I guess we’ll find out in the next edition of the Lance Stephenson Exemplum. Part Two will take a look at the game against the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Raptors</a>. For now, the jury is still out.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/10/7/9466349/film-room-the-lance-stephenson-exemplum-part-1Justin Russo2015-10-04T13:36:49-07:002015-10-04T13:36:49-07:00Preseason Game #1: Film Room
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<figcaption>Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In an effort to give the people what they want, this is the first official game action Film Room for the 2015-16 season. Yes, it's just a preseason game. No, there wasn't much to take from it. But, still, enjoy!</p> <p id="paragraph0" class="pgh-paragraph has-dropcap">Some wanted it, some didn’t. Despite the votes being split evenly down the middle, it was ultimately decided that you guys would get rewarded with a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/8/9/9125553/2015-16-clippers-film-room">Film Room</a> of the first preseason game. Now, it’s not going to be an amazing one by any means. We’re not going to go super in-depth about what transpired or anything like that. We’re just going to look at some of the highlights of the game for the team and break them down a little bit since that’s easier. Hey, we’re in preseason form, as well. But, you guys will be getting a Film Room after every single regular season game throughout the year. So, you better be prepared for that. Let’s dive into the film!</p>
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<p>For the sake of interest, we’re going to run the best play of the game through the Film Room first and then work our way through the other parts of the game. The reason for that is because this play is the epitome of the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a> offensive system and showcases why they’re such a deadly ecosystem of firepower. It’s the classic Clippers pick-and-roll and, as it should be of no real shock, the team scored rather easily out of the set because of four very key components here. Roll the footage!</p>
<center><img height="304" width="600" src="http://i.imgur.com/nFDOcct.gif"></center>
<p>The play starts with <span>Chris Paul</span> dribbling up into the frontcourt while the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Denver Nuggets</a> are trying to get set on defense. While Denver is doing that, <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> runs up and sets a little rub screen on rookie point guard <span>Emmanuel Mudiay</span>. As Jordan engages in that activity, Paul starts to crossover back towards the middle of the court. Jordan notices this and turns to screen Mudiay once more. <span>Kenneth Faried</span> does an admirable job attempting to shield Paul from the paint and Paul has to throw a wild pass in the air. Except it’s not so wild. The moment Jordan sets the second screen on Mudiay, he sprints towards the rim and gets his head on a swivel to locate any possible lob pass. The Nuggets are too late to react and the ball is slammed home. While it seems like a simple pick-and-roll ending in an alley-oop dunk, there’s still so much more here.</p>
<p>Notice how when Paul turns the corner around the left elbow, <span>Blake Griffin</span> spaces out to just underneath the top of the arc. He’s awaiting any possible pass for an open mid-range jumper. Griffin shot confidently on those last season and will need to once again this year to keep defenses honest. Because of this, <span>J.J. Hickson</span> gets sort of caught in no man’s land here. He decides to hover just south of the free throw line and gets caught unable to help on Jordan’s roll. Speaking of keeping defenses honest, Denver has to respect <span>J.J. Redick</span> on the strongside so much that it allows Paul to weasel his way around the paint and throw a lob. As Paul turns the corner, <span>Randy Foye</span> closes down on Redick in the corner which means he can’t help contest anything Paul does. The weakside defender here is <span>Wilson Chandler</span> and he attempts to make a play on the lob, but he’s unable to stop Jordan from getting there.</p>
<p>This play starts out so simple, but it employs so many moving parts that do their job extremely well. Jordan is an excellent screen-and-roll guy, as well as a finisher, and that gives the Clippers so many options on this one play. If Denver overhelps on Jordan’s roll then Paul can kick back to Griffin for either a mid-range jumper or Griffin can then ball rotate to the weakside and hit <span>Wesley Johnson</span> for an open corner three. If Foye helps too much off of Redick then Paul hits Redick on the strongside for a corner three himself. It’s a basic principle and it pays off in a huge way. From the time Paul crosses halfcourt to the time the lob is finished, the play takes a grand total of six seconds. Think about everything that just transpired in six seconds. It’s wildly impressive and speaks volumes about what this team can do just out of this one play.</p>
<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/oLwz2Kh.gif"></center>
<p>This play starts with some transition defense supplied by an unexpected source. The Clippers bench unit is in and Emmanuel Mudiay is dribbling down the court in a transition opportunity before <span>Jamal Crawford</span> strips the ball clean from him. This ignites a fast break the other way. The ball bounds towards the sideline and <span>Josh Smith</span> picks it up and dribbles up the court with it. In the meantime, Crawford smartly fills the running lane in the middle of the floor so it gives the team an option should Smith pass. As Smith is dribbling across the halfcourt line, <span>Jameer Nelson</span> tries to stop the ball but ultimately cannot. Smith hits Crawford in stride who then throws a lob pass to DeAndre Jordan for another dunk. By filling the middle, Crawford forces <span>Nikola Jokic</span> to make a decision here. Jokic has to try and stop the ball himself and that leaves Jordan free to rim run for the alley-oop. Credit Crawford all-around here. He strips the ball, runs to fill the right gap, and then makes a quick decision to Jordan. Also, credit Smith for making the proper read on the break and not holding the ball too long.</p>
<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/jKnLsJV.gif"></center>
<p>There’s no fancy basketball mumbo jumbo going on here. No intricate details about what happens. It’s simply just bully ball. The Clippers possession ends with Blake Griffin hoisting a mid-range jumper near the right elbow. J.J. Hickson contests it – albeit not great – and the Nuggets appear to have forced the Clippers into a wasted possession. Not so fast, though. As the shot goes up, Josh Smith starts to inch along the baseline and tries to time everything. The ball careens off the front of the rim and Smith goes to make a play on it. Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay sort of collide and Smith is able to grab the ball over them. There’s no way of knowing if Smith gets that ball if the two players don’t run into each other. However, he hustles for the ball and never gave up on it. He still skied up over the two of them and finished with a putback dunk. This is what Smith can bring to the bench – i.e. a hustle guy who can rebound offensively and make teams pay for not boxing out. The Clippers lacked that off the bench last season.</p>
<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/tslzMFY.gif"></center>
<p>This is one of those plays that you just start thinking <i>"no, no, no, no, yes."</i> While we get to see the play develop a tad late in this GIF, pay attention to everything that unfolds. <span>Lance Stephenson</span> is dribbling one-on-one against <span>Erick Green</span> and trying to probe for any advantage. When he realizes there is none, Blake Griffin walks over to him and sets a little double-screen on Green to free Stephenson up. This allows Lance to turn the corner with a crossover and get into space. I have no idea what J.J. Hickson is doing here, though. He simply backs off and lets Stephenson rise up for the jumper. While mid-range jumpers aren’t efficient shots, you definitely don’t want to just give guys wide open ones. Stephenson gets one here and sinks it. This is sort of what he can do. He can play one-on-one and dribble around, but when he uses it with a screen and understands spacing a tad more then he can truly help out. The other thing to note here is that when Lance turns the corner to rise and fire, Emmanuel Mudiay leaves <span>Austin Rivers</span> wide open on the weakside from three. Lance could have passed to Rivers, but there’s no problem taking the shot he was given. It’s just something to watch going forward.</p>
<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/M3bMJ9i.gif"></center>
<p>As the GIF starts, we see DeAndre Jordan finishing setting a pick. This enables Chris Paul to turn the corner and dart into the paint. By doing this, the entire Nuggets defense turns to look at Paul. Specifically, Wilson Chandler. Chandler sees Jordan’s screen and tries to inch along the baseline to shut off any potential lob. This is a problem because it leaves <span>Paul Pierce</span> wide open on the weakside wing. Pierce throws his arm in the air to notify Paul – which isn’t needed – and Paul hits Pierce who then hits the three before Emmanuel Mudiay can contest it. Why was Mudiay late contesting it? Because <span>Pablo Prigioni</span> sets a sneaky little rub screen as Paul rises to pass. Seriously, watch Prigioni. He not only sets the screen, but he motions to Paul to throw the pass to Pierce! How great is this guy?! This is something that Pierce gives the team. He’s an adept wing/corner three shooter and you can’t leave him open like you could with <span>Matt Barnes</span>. Denver makes that grave mistake and they paid for it. Clippers push their lead to 19 points and you can see, once again, how much a simple pick-and-roll can open up for the team.</p>
<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/RBiE1vD.gif"></center>
<p>This possession starts with a drive by Emmanuel Mudiay that is contested very well by Blake Griffin. The ball sails off the backboard and into the waiting hands of DeAndre Jordan, who then quickly turns and fires a mini-outlet pass to Chris Paul. You can tell this is by design and is something they’ve worked on over the years. The second the ball hits Jordan’s hands, he swivels his head and locates Paul. Now watch what happens from there. Paul receives the ball and fires an absolute beauty of a bounce pass to a sprinting Pablo Prigioni. Prigioni gathers in stride and lays it in. It’s so much more magisterial than that, though. When the shot by Mudiay goes up, Prigioni – who is in the strongside corner – immediately darts down the court. He already knows what’s coming. Just watch him. Ball goes up, he’s near his man. Second the ball hits the backboard, he’s beyond the three-point line. When it hits Jordan’s hands, he’s already cleared the line even more. By the time Paul clutches the ball, Prigioni is darn near halfcourt. The pass from Paul hits Prigioni perfectly in stride at Denver’s three-point line. It’s poetry in motion.</p>
<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/09jxcAd.gif"></center>
<p>This final play comes late in the fourth quarter and is one of the more important plays of the game for not only the team, but for the confidence of the bench unit. The entire bench is in at this point. On the floor during this transition possession are Austin Rivers, <span>C.J. Wilcox</span>, Lance Stephenson, Wesley Johnson, and Josh Smith. This is the advantage Smith can give you as a small ball center. Stephenson dribbles the ball near halfcourt and spots Smith backpedaling near the three-point line. Thankfully, Smith doesn’t stay out there for long. Stephenson fires a dart of a pass to Smith and Smith takes one power dribble before rising up and dunking all over Nikola Jokic. This is the issue larger centers will have against Smith. He’s athletically superior to them and can use his quickness to beat them to spots. In this case, the spot is the rim. Jokic has to respect Stephenson’s ball-handling as Lance is coming downhill and that makes him lose track of Smith. Jokic is late to rotate and ends up on a poster. To compound the issue, Jokic fouls Smith.</p>
<p>Transition is where the bench unit will have to live this season. They’re never going to be a fully functioning offensive juggernaut when it comes to sets and systems. They have to create havoc and go from there. In this instance, that’s exactly what happens. Lance pushes the ball, Denver gets sort of lost trying to scramble back, and Smith takes advantage of a less-athletic big man who isn’t used to guarding someone of Smith’s caliber. Credit goes to Stephenson here for recognizing the mismatch in transition and getting Smith the ball so Smith can do what he does best – i.e. finish around the rim. That’s how that relationship needs to work throughout the entire season. Also, notice how both Wilcox and Rivers stop to spot-up at the three-point line. Rivers fades into the corner and Wilcox sort of trots into the wing area. Johnson is cutting through the paint to fill the middle lane, as well. It’s definitely a major positive to take away from this game and it bodes very well for this unit and team as we get into the season.</p>
<p>Film Room will be coming your way after every single regular season game this season. At least that’s the plan. Plans can change, but for now that’s the way it should go. Hope you enjoyed the preseason and season debut of the series. If you missed any of the past ones from this year, you can always visit the stream for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/8/9/9125553/2015-16-clippers-film-room">2015-16 Film Rooms</a> and check out the individual player ones that were done for each of the new additions to the roster this offseason. Depending on some things, you guys might get one for game two of the preseason which tips off tonight against the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Raptors</a> in Vancouver.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/10/4/9448673/preseason-game-1-film-room-october-4-2015Justin Russo2015-10-02T23:21:05-07:002015-10-02T23:21:05-07:00Final: Clippers 103, Nuggets 96
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<figcaption>Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The NBA season tipped off in Los Angeles and it saw the Clippers best the Nuggets by seven points. After a huge lead slipped away, the Clippers managed to hold on. Were questions answered tonight or were only more simply asked?</p> <p id="paragraph0" class="pgh-paragraph has-dropcap">We missed you so much, basketball. We missed your loving companionship, we missed your thrills, and we missed your sense of wonder. What we did not miss, however, is you trying to rip a victory away from our beloved team. Yes it is only preseason, but wins are wins and winners win and losers lose or whatever coach speak thing you wanna blurt out after a meaningless preseason game. Wait, did I say meaningless? It meant everything! The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> are the only team in the league with a win and are on pace to go undefeated throughout the entire season all while never trailing for a single second. Your new overlords are here, NBA. Come and meet them!</p>
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<th></th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>4</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="p-boxscore__team_name" bgcolor="#4D90CD"><a href="http://www.denverstiffs.com/"><font color="white">Denver Nuggets</font></a></td>
<td bgcolor="#4D90CD"><font color="white">17</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#4D90CD"><font color="white">25</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#4D90CD"><font color="white">23</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#4D90CD"><font color="white">31</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#4D90CD"><font color="white">96</font></td>
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<td class="p-boxscore__team_name" bgcolor="#ED174C"><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/"><font color="white">Los Angeles Clippers</font></a></td>
<td bgcolor="#ED174C"><font color="white">22</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#ED174C"><font color="white">34</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#ED174C"><font color="white">28</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#ED174C"><font color="white">19</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#ED174C"><font color="white">103</font></td>
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<div class="m-scoreboard__box-score_title">Friday October 2, 2015 – STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, California</div>
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<p>First things first. <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> looked amazing. Still can’t believe he ever even contemplated leaving this team, but they should be thankful he returned because he made a massive impact whenever he was on the court. He led all players with a plus-minus of 19, but it went way beyond that. He finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The amazing part was that he did that in just 26:27 of action. If you handed out <b>Player of the Game</b> for preseason games, then he’d surely get the trophy for this one. Goodness gracious what a display. Oh, almost forgot; he also made three of his five free throws.</p>
<p>Beyond him, the starters looked like you would expect them to look. There were moments of odd play – highlighted by <span>Blake Griffin</span> firing a ball five rows into the stands for no reason – and other stuff, but they looked good for the most part. <span>Paul Pierce</span> got the first shot attempt of the game which was a post-up against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> rookie Emmanuel Mudiay. Pierce missed the shot, but it gave you a sense of the dynamic he can bring to the team. You can post him up, sit him in a corner, or have him create in the mid-range. It gives you another option.</p>
<p><span>Chris Paul</span> was his normal self, finishing with 12 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds all while hounding Mudiay <i>(more on him later)</i> into turnover after turnover. We know what the guy can do. If he’s given open space, he’s killing you. He did that tonight a few times. Griffin was fine and played like he knew it was a preseason game. Don’t read too much into anything he showed you. Blake is Blake. <span>J.J. Redick</span> was 2-for-6 with one made three and did his usual movement stuff. He’s still fun to watch.</p>
<p>The starters eventually helped get the Clippers a sizable double-digit lead before the bench came in late in the third quarter to push the lead up to a game-high 21 points. That little run was spearheaded by <span>Pablo Prigioni</span> being a pest and heady basketball player, as well as a couple <span>Jamal Crawford</span> jumpers. Prigioni finished with 5 points on 2-for-6 shooting, but was definitely a plus for the team despite the minus-6 plus-minus. Crawford finished with 9 points on 4-for-5 shooting. He stayed within himself for the majority of the game.</p>
<p>Speaking of staying within themselves, that’s not what <span>Josh Smith</span> and <span>Lance Stephenson</span> did offensively. Look, we all know that Smith and Lance aren’t here to light the world on fire on the offensive end, but they can’t be a negative there. And that’s precisely what they were tonight. Smith was 5-for-13 and Lance was a paltry 2-for-10. Smith did do some good things, though, whenever he found himself in his optimal zones – i.e. around the rim. He did make one jumper tonight, but it was a mid-range one and the team can’t have that tandem take those shots. At one point, Lance dribbled into a stepback foot-on-the-line two. Those are bad shots, plain and simple.</p>
<p><span>Wesley Johnson</span> is competing for the starting small forward job and played 25:57. If there’s anything to take away from his game tonight, it’s that he needs to just stand in the corner and never dribble. For the love of all that is holy, never dribble. Ever. He finished 2-for-7 with 5 points, but also had a steal and two assists. He’s never going to be what <span>Matt Barnes</span> was for the Clippers, but he can still be worthwhile if he doesn’t overthink things. Looks like <i>“stay within yourself”</i> is going to be an overarching theme this season and these bench guys have to remind themselves of that.</p>
<p>Lastly off the bench, <span>Austin Rivers</span> went 2-for-6 and had 10 points, as well as 4 steals. He hounded Mudiay into a couple successive turnovers that ultimately helped the Clippers hold on when it looked like they might blow this massive lead. The last two guys are <span>Luc Richard Mbah a Moute</span> and <span>C.J. Wilcox</span>. The latter hit one of his two threes and the former had three rebounds – two on the offensive glass – and chipped in with four points (all from the line). <span>Branden Dawson</span>, <span>Chuck Hayes</span>, and <span>Nikoloz Tskitishvili</span> didn’t play and <span>Cole Aldrich</span> was out with an injury. No clue if Mbah a Moute is ahead of Dawson, but he showed he can sort of rebound. So there’s that.</p>
<p>In the grand scheme of things, the result of preseason games don’t matter one iota. The process is the large takeaway here. From a process standpoint, the Clippers starters seem fine as can be. Yet, when you peel back the layers and look at other areas, the bench is going to be a major headache at times. There’s nothing wrong with having a lot of ball-handlers on the court together. At one point, the team had Rivers, Crawford, Stephenson, Smith, and Jordan on the court together. They subbed Jordan out for Pierce and moved Smith to the five. There were five guys who could handle and pass. That’s not bad. What is bad, however, is that there was no ball movement. It was one-on-one stuff – primarily from Lance – and it created a bogged down offense.</p>
<p>Shot selection was poor from the bench unit and that’s something that’ll need to be addressed. There’s nothing wrong with one-on-one play if you’re generating good shots for yourself or others. There <i>is</i> something wrong with one-on-one play if you’re not doing that, though. The Clippers bench didn’t create good shots at all. There were too many deep twos, wildly missed jumpers, and hastily made decisions. Maybe this was a rust game. Maybe not. Time will tell with them. For now, the starters were good and the bench was slightly less bad than last year. At least the defense from the bench (at times) was great.</p>
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<img align="left" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/50/large_denverstiffs.com.full.39888.png" height="24" width="30"> <font face="Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Grande, sans-serif"><strong>Opposition's Blog:</strong> <a href="http://www.denverstiffs.com/" target="new">Denver Stiffs</a></font> <img align="right" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/50/large_denverstiffs.com.full.39888.png" height="24" width="30">
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<p>You were promised more on Mudiay and here it is. He’s going to be good. Really good. He has a knack for finding open guys with whirlwind passes that only a few guys in the league can make or even try. Yes, he only had three assists tonight and 8 turnovers. However, he also stole the show with his pinpoint passing when he settled down. It’s never easy to face Chris Paul in your first ever true test, but he eventually got his feet under him and started to play better. He finished with 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting.</p>
<p>Also for Denver, <span>Wilson Chandler</span> looked good early on and finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds. <span>Joffrey Lauvergne</span> was solid statistically with 16 points and 11 rebounds, as well as a massive gash above his right ear courtesy of Mbah a Moute’s tooth. <span>Gary Harris</span> looked great defensively, picking up 4 steals and contributing 11 points. <span>Will Barton</span> had 12 points and 13 rebounds and looked like a solid player out there. <span>Nikola Jokic</span> is a big dude and is still trying to understand some intricacies of the game, but he did have 14 points and 8 rebounds. Denver might have a steal with him if he can learn to keep the fouling down. He moves awkwardly, but he’s usually in the right place. That’s a big deal.</p>
<p><span>Kenneth Faried</span> looked overmatched tonight, as it usually seems whenever he plays against Blake Griffin – and finished with 0 points, 4 turnovers, and 4 fouls. Not a good night for The Manimal. <span>J.J. Hickson</span> also had a terrible night and I hope head coach <span>Mike Malone</span> recognizes that you can’t play Hickson and Faried together. They’re depressing defensively. Hickson finished with 2 points on 1-for-7 shooting. Jordan killed him a couple times with blocks. Former Clipper <span>Randy Foye</span> only took four shots, but sunk both he took from three to finish with 6 points. A host of Nuggets didn’t get into the game, including <span>Darrell Arthur</span>, <span>Danilo Gallinari</span>, and <span>Nick Johnson</span>. Quite fond of what Denver is building, though. Especially if they let Mudiay, Harris, Chandler, Gallinari, Barton, Faried, and Nurkic grow together.</p>
<center><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="6"><b>PARTING SHOTS</b></font></center>
<p>All in all, this was a Clippers win. <i>Hooray!</i> The team still has a lot of work to do, though. <span>Doc Rivers</span> can’t continue to let the bench operate with zero oversight. Rivers did say that there would be little structure tonight as far as offense was concerned, but letting it get to the level it got to was a bad idea and the kind of decision a coach needs to not make. You can’t let Lance and Josh just do whatever they want to do out there. Far too often four players were stuck above the three-point line and refusing to move while a player dribbled aimlessly just beneath the three-point line. A lot of the time, that was Lance.</p>
<p>It seemed like Lance’s legs were shot, yet he made a nice dribble-drive move to draw a foul late in the fourth quarter. Maybe the injury is affecting him, but the Clippers need more out of him. The unit’s defense was good, though, but Doc was right in the postgame press conference when he said the unit got too focused on their offense in the fourth quarter which is why their defense suffered. They have to bring it defensively to score offensively. Carry it over. It’s just one game. And it’s just one game in the preseason. But this is where habits are formed. Can’t get complacent already.</p>
<p>Up next, the team travels north of the border to play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Toronto Raptors</a> and their host of new additions. It’s always wise to not read too much into preseason, but it’s also hard not to when you’re trying to find any semblance of information. Ultimately, the team won the game and saw their best players play like – well – their best players. The team can do great things this season. They just need to settle down and learn how to play together. And, seriously, don’t get mad at a guy for not passing to you on a fast break in the first preseason game. We’re looking at you, Lance! (Even though you were right.)</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/10/2/9444565/preseason-game-1-recap-october-2-2015-nuggets-clippersJustin Russo2015-10-02T22:08:45-07:002015-10-02T22:08:45-07:00Clippers Beat Nuggets, On Pace to Go Undefeated
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WqZMRXJm6RMdW7T6TVlE3F7qfAQ=/0x161:1727x1312/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47324630/usa-today-8838868.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The second unit has quite a few kinks to work out, but let's worry about that later — basketball is back!</p> <p>Justin Russo is coming through with the full recap briefly, but here's some quick bullets to tide you over till then.</p>
<p>— The Clippers almost gave up another 20-point lead down the stretch, but bailed themselves out thanks to shots by Austin Rivers, C.J. Wilcox, and Josh Smith.</p>
<p>— The starting unit looks phenomenal as always. Blake Griffin's taken his passing to another level, if that's even possible. Chris Paul and J.J. Redick look great as usual. Paul Pierce started the game tonight, but Wes Johnson came in within a few minutes. Wes looked good when he stuck to his role, not as much otherwise.</p>
<p>— DeAndre Jordan came out like this was a regular season game. He looks absolutely fantastic on both ends of the court, and I'm going on record now and saying he's making an All-Star game this season, as well as winning Defensive Player of the Year.</p>
<p>— That crazy new bench? Uhh... mixed results. There was quite a bit of chucking (Josh and Lance Stephenson were the primary culprits in that regard). There's a lot of room for improvement. When they played defense and got out in transition, they were pretty decent.</p>
<p>— Pablo Prigioni needs to play, he's fantastic. Luc Mbah a Moute made a good case for himself too, before leaving early after losing a tooth in a collision with Joffrey Lauvergne.</p>
<p>— There's some stuff to like, some stuff to dislike. But remember it's the first game of preseason, the Clippers haven't done much in the way of installing halfcourt plays, and <i>it's just preseason</i>.</p>
<p>— Welcome back, NBA.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/10/2/9444647/los-angeles-clippers-denver-nuggets-deandre-jordan-pablo-prigioni-emmanuel-mudiayAdithya2015-10-02T19:15:02-07:002015-10-02T19:15:02-07:00Preseason Game #1: GameThread
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<figcaption>Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's time. Basketball is back! Go Clippers!</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"><tbody> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#ED174C"><font color="white">2015/2016 NBA Preseason</font></th></tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/94491/xeti0fjbyzmcffue57vz5o1gl_medium.gif"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20"><strong>@</strong></th> <td width="240"><center><img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4109156/newlaclogo.0.png"></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><strong>0-0</strong></center></td> <th align="center" width="20"></th> <td width="240"><center><strong>0-0</strong></center></td> </tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><font color="white"><strong>October 2, 2015 | 7:30 PM (PDT)</strong></font></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, California)</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Prime Ticket, NBA TV, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</strong></td></tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><font color="white">Win-Loss Breakdown (2014-2015 Regular Season)</font></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>11-19</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">East</th> <td width="240"><strong>19-11</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>19-33</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">West</th> <td width="240"><strong>37-15</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>6-10</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">Division</th> <td width="240"><strong>12-4</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>19-22</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">Home</th> <td width="240"><strong>30-11</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>11-30</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">Road</th> <td width="240"><strong>26-15</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>12-33</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">.500 +</th> <td width="240"><strong>19-22</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>18-19</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">- .500</th> <td width="240"><strong>37-4</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>2-4</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">OT</th> <td width="240"><strong>1-1</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong>3-7</strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">L10</th> <td width="240"><strong>9-1</strong></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><font color="white"><strong>Projected Starters</strong></font></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong><span>Emmanuel Mudiay</span></strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240" bgcolor="#FFD700"><strong><span>Chris Paul</span></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong><span>Randy Foye</span></strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><strong><span>J.J. Redick</span></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong><span>Wilson Chandler</span></strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><strong><span>Paul Pierce</span></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong><span>Kenneth Faried</span></strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240" bgcolor="#FFD700"><strong><span>Blake Griffin</span></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><strong><span>J.J. Hickson</span></strong></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><strong><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></strong></td> </tr> <tr><th bgcolor="#006BB6" colspan="3" align="center"><font color="white"><strong>Advanced Stats (2014-2015 Regular Season)</strong></font></th></tr> <tr> <td width="240" align="right"><strong style="text-align: start;">98.67 (4th of 30)</strong></td> <th width="20" align="center">Pace</th> <td width="240"><strong>96.96 (10th of 30)</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="240" align="right"><strong style="text-align: start;">101.6 (21st of 30)</strong></td> <th width="20" align="center">ORtg</th> <td width="240"><strong>109.8 (1st of 30)</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="240" align="right"><strong style="text-align: start;">105.5 (26th of 30)</strong></td> <th width="20" align="center">DRtg</th> <td width="240"><strong>103.0 (15th of 30)</strong></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><strong><font color="white">Injuries/Other</font></strong></th></tr> <tr> <td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><strong><span>Jusuf Nurkic</span> (Out) Knee</strong></td> <th width="20" align="center"></th> <td width="240" style="text-align: left;"><strong><span>Cole Aldrich</span> (Out) Ankle</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><strong><span>Danilo Gallinari</span> (Out) Rest</strong></td> <th width="20" align="center"></th> <td width="240" style="text-align: left;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"><tbody> <tr><th align="center" colspan="5" bgcolor="#ED174C"><center><strong><font color="white">Clippers won 2014-15 season series against Nuggets; 3-1</font></strong></center></th></tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><strong><font color="white">Date</font></strong></center></td> <td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><strong><font color="white">Venue</font></strong></center></td> <td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><strong><font color="white">Final</font></strong></center></td> <td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><strong><font color="white">Clips Nation Recap</font></strong></center></td> <td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><strong><font color="white">NBA Box Score</font></strong></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td><center><strong>12/19/2014</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Denver</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Nuggets 109, Clippers 106</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/12/19/7426245/clippers-lose-wild-one-in-denver-109-106" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021400391/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></strong></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td><center><strong>01/26/2015</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Los Angeles</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Clippers 102, Nuggets 98</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/1/26/7919715/clippers-find-enough-to-beat-nuggets-102-98" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021400674/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></strong></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td><center><strong>04/04/2015</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Denver</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Clippers 107, Nuggets 92</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/4/4/8346635/clippers-nuggets-recap-april-4-2015" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021401144/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></strong></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td><center><strong>04/13/2015</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Los Angeles</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong>Clippers 110, Nuggets 103</strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/4/13/8409121/clippers-nuggets-recap-april-13-2015" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></strong></center></td> <td><center><strong><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021401213/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></strong></center></td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<p></p>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" class="read-more"> <img width="30" height="24" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/50/large_denverstiffs.com.full.39888.png" align="left"> <font face="Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Grande, sans-serif"><strong>Opposition's Blog:</strong> <a target="new" href="http://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Stiffs</a></font> <img width="30" height="24" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/50/large_denverstiffs.com.full.39888.png" align="right"> </div>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/10/2/9420027/preseason-game-1-gamethreadJustin Russo2015-10-02T12:00:04-07:002015-10-02T12:00:04-07:00Preseason Game #1
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-wbUTpWGHuuNo4es-fQC3T9dSNk=/0x171:1525x1188/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47291734/usa-today-8348625.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 2015-16 season officially tips off in Los Angeles as the Clippers host the Denver Nuggets. It's the first official game of the season in the association and, while it is just preseason, it's great to have basketball back.</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table">
<tbody>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#ED174C"><font color="white">2015/2016 NBA Preseason</font></th>
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<td width="240"><center><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/94491/xeti0fjbyzmcffue57vz5o1gl_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><b>@</b></th>
<td width="240"><center><img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4109156/newlaclogo.0.png"></center></td>
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<td width="240"><center><b>0-0</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>0-0</b></center></td>
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<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><font color="white"><b>October 2, 2015 | 7:30 PM (PDT)</b></font></td>
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<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, California)</b></td>
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<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Prime Ticket, NBA TV, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
</tr>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><font color="white">Win-Loss Breakdown (2014-2015 Regular Season)</font></th>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b>11-19</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>19-11</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>19-33</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>37-15</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>6-10</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Division</th>
<td width="240"><b>12-4</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>19-22</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>30-11</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>11-30</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>26-15</b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b>12-33</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500 +</th>
<td width="240"><b>19-22</b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b>18-19</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">- .500</th>
<td width="240"><b>37-4</b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b>2-4</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">OT</th>
<td width="240"><b>1-1</b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b>3-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>9-1</b></td>
</tr>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><font color="white"><b>Projected Starters</b></font></th>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Emmanuel Mudiay</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240" bgcolor="#FFD700"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Randy Foye</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>J.J. Redick</span></b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Danilo Gallinari</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Wesley Johnson</span></b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Kenneth Faried</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240" bgcolor="#FFD700"><b><span>Blake Griffin</span></b></td>
</tr>
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<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Darrell Arthur</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></b></td>
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<th bgcolor="#006BB6" colspan="3" align="center"><font color="white"><b>Advanced Stats (2014-2015 Regular Season)</b></font></th>
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<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">98.67 (4th of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>96.96 (10th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">101.6 (21st of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>109.8 (1st of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
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<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">105.5 (26th of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>103.0 (15th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
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<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#006BB6"><b><font color="white">Injuries/Other</font></b></th>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b><span>Jusuf Nurkic</span> (Out) Knee</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240" style="text-align: left;"><b><span>Lance Stephenson</span> (Questionable) Osteitis Pubis</b></td>
</tr>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b><span>Kenneth Faried</span> (Questionable) Cramps</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240" style="text-align: left;"><b><span>Austin Rivers</span> (Probable) Ankle</b></td>
</tr>
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<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240" style="text-align: left;"><b><span>Cole Aldrich</span> (Out) Ankle</b></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table">
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<th align="center" colspan="5" bgcolor="#ED174C"><center><b><font color="white">Clippers won 2014-15 season series against Nuggets; 3-1</font></b></center></th>
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<td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><b><font color="white">Date</font></b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><b><font color="white">Venue</font></b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><b><font color="white">Final</font></b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><b><font color="white">Clips Nation Recap</font></b></center></td>
<td bgcolor="#006BB6"><center><b><font color="white">NBA Box Score</font></b></center></td>
</tr>
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<td><center><b>12/19/2014</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Denver</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Nuggets 109, Clippers 106</b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/12/19/7426245/clippers-lose-wild-one-in-denver-109-106" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021400391/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></b></center></td>
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<td><center><b>01/26/2015</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Los Angeles</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Clippers 102, Nuggets 98</b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/1/26/7919715/clippers-find-enough-to-beat-nuggets-102-98" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021400674/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></b></center></td>
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<td><center><b>04/04/2015</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Denver</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Clippers 107, Nuggets 92</b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/4/4/8346635/clippers-nuggets-recap-april-4-2015" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021401144/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></b></center></td>
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<td><center><b>04/13/2015</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Los Angeles</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Clippers 110, Nuggets 103</b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2015/4/13/8409121/clippers-nuggets-recap-april-13-2015" target="_blank"><font color="red">Recap</font></a></b></center></td>
<td><center><b><a href="http://stats.nba.com/game/#!/0021401213/" target="_blank"><font color="red">Box Score</font></a></b></center></td>
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<p> </p>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Hollywood Hoopers</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">After a successful 2014-15 campaign, the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a> return to the court with a slightly revamped team outside of the main four starters. Gone are <span>Matt Barnes</span>, <span>Spencer Hawes</span>, and a host of other bodies that factored into the team’s season last year. They’ve restocked with viable bench components who seem like they’ll do a better job than last year’s group did, but the team is still searching for its small forward after dealing Barnes away. During the preseason, be on the lookout for that battle. It’ll be the most important one.</font></td>
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<p> </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table">
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Mile High Club</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">The last two years for the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Denver Nuggets</a> have been a woeful display of inadequacy. The team went 30-52 last season and just 66-98 since getting rid of <span>George Karl</span>. They’re now on their third head coach in three years after hiring <span>Mike Malone</span> and that’s just one of the major changes. The other was <span>Ty Lawson</span> being shipped off to the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> for pennies on the dollar in an effort to purge any problems. The team is now a mix of veteran talent and young players who could join together and help the franchise rekindle some of the things that made them so great. It’s a growing year in Denver, but it could be a fun one.</font></td>
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<p></p>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" class="read-more">
<img width="30" height="24" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/50/large_denverstiffs.com.full.39888.png" align="left"> <font face="Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Grande, sans-serif"><strong>Opposition's Blog:</strong> <a target="new" href="http://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Stiffs</a></font> <img width="30" height="24" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/50/large_denverstiffs.com.full.39888.png" align="right">
</div>
<p> </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table">
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Comparison of Key Metrics</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">Going off of last season’s numbers, the only thing the Nuggets bested the Clippers in was pace – i.e. possessions per game. The Clippers featured the top offensive team in the league and finished middle-of-the-pack defensively. After the All-Star Break, however, the Clippers were in a tie for 8th in Defensive Rating alongside the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Celtics</a>. As for Denver, they struggled throughout the year with injuries, upheaval, and coaching changes. This year should be a better one for them as far as metrics go since Malone and company will have them focusing on growing together from day one.</font></td>
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<p> </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table">
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Schedule</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">Alright, so the season is finally here and we get to watch glorious basketball once again. Even if it is only the preseason, it’s still great to have basketball back in our lives. As far as the preseason schedules are concerned, Clippers play the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Raptors</a> on the road on October 4 before heading over to China to play the <a href="https://www.atthehive.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Charlotte Hornets</a> a couple times. After that, they travel back to STAPLES Center to play the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a> and <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Portland Trail Blazers</a> to end the preseason. For Denver, they play five of their seven preseason games on the road. After this game they travel to play the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Mavericks</a> in Texas before ultimately going home and playing the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bulls</a> at the Coors Events Center (where the University of Colorado plays). Following that, it’s on the road against the Warriors, home at the Pepsi Center against the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a>, and then a two-game road trip to finish the preseason against the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> and <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Utah Jazz</a>. Weird to see a team only get two home preseason games, though. </font></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Battle for the Starting SF Job</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">According to <span>Doc Rivers</span>’ comments, the starting small forward battle is between two guys – <span>Paul Pierce</span> and <span>Wesley Johnson</span>. No one knows who is going to win it and even <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/clippers/camp-day-4-rookie-diary-injury-update-forward-news"><font color="red"><b>Doc insinuated that it could even be just based</b></font></a> on matchups, Pierce’s age, and a lot of things. Essentially, no one knows who is going to be the Clippers starting small forward on opening night in Sacramento. It’s the battle to watch, though, as far as preseason is concerned. A lot of the other roles are already defined, but who starts at small forward is a vital piece. Replacing Matt Barnes isn’t an easy thing. After all, the <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite/status/649295852746473473"><font color="red"><b>team had 118.7 ORtg and 102.7 DRtg in 1778 minutes</b></font></a> over the last two years when starting Paul, Redick, Barnes, Griffin, and Jordan. It’s not easy to improve upon that. It’ll be a test and the first page of that test is against Denver. For now, inside track goes to Johnson. For now.</font></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Denver’s Youth Movement</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">It seems like, at least on the surface, that Denver attempted to get a little younger this offseason. They dealt away Ty Lawson and the pieces they got back weren’t anything noteworthy. They eventually waived three of the four players they got back in the deal and the only one left is <span>Nick Johnson</span>. Also, they drafted <span>Emmanuel Mudiay</span> with the seventh overall pick and he figures to be the team’s starting point guard on opening night. If it’s possible to grow them together, the pairing of Mudiay and <span>Gary Harris</span> could be quite good in the future. On top of that, they signed <span>Wilson Chandler</span> (28) and <span>Danilo Gallinari</span> (27) to contract extensions this offseason and still have Jusuf Nurkic (21) as their center when he gets back to being healthy. All in all, Denver has a bright future with all the talent they possess. Only three players on the roster – <span>Randy Foye</span>, <span>Mike Miller</span>, and <span>Jameer Nelson</span> – are over the age of 28 right now so this is a younger roster with building potential.</font></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Bench Ball-Handler By Committee</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">There can be such a thing as <i>"too many chefs in the kitchen."</i> In the case of the Clippers bench unit, that most certainly could be a problem if not properly addressed from the outset. However, according to rumblings out of training camp, it’s possible that it will work. The bench features a melting pot of ball-handlers that seem not as adept without the ball. Players such as <span>Lance Stephenson</span>, <span>Austin Rivers</span>, <span>Jamal Crawford</span>, and <span>Josh Smith</span> are all much more comfortable with the ball in their hands than moving without it. Yet, for this concoction to work, the group will have to come together and work as one. The upside with so many ball-handlers is that it creates a problem for the defense. They never know who is going to break them down on a certain possession and must key in on all the players as ball-handlers. Fortunately for the bench, it seems like they’re going to be a unit built on chaos and defense which means less structure on the offensive end. They’re a run-and-gun unit more than a system offense. Whoever gets the ball off of a steal, block, or rebound will push it up the floor and try to make things happen. In that sense, all these ball-handlers could work.</font></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Don’t Expect Structured Offense</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">Per Doc Rivers, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/clippers/training-camp-day-3-notebook"><font color="red"><b>don’t expect much half-court offense</b></font></a> in this first game. He wants them <i>"to play freely and with pace."</i> It makes sense when you really think about it. There’s no real reason to show even a little bit of your hand in the first preseason game. The Clippers are going to be a top offensive team again so no real offensive system needs to be run early on in the preseason. Those moments can come in practice and in some of the later preseason games for possessions here and there. Just don’t read too much into this one game when the team isn’t going to play with any real system. It’ll just be an up-and-down pace with emphasis on playing freely. It’ll be fun.</font></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Quirky Lineup We’d Like To See</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">It’s tough to say what lineups we’d all like to see early on in the preseason, but one of them would certainly feature <span>Pablo Prigioni</span>, Austin Rivers, Lance Stephenson, Wesley Johnson, and Josh Smith. Ultimately, that lineup won’t matter much in the regular season, but it still would be cool to see them play in the preseason. In theory, you could see Prigioni running the pick-and-roll with Smith while Johnson and Rivers spot-up and Lance cuts. The other alternative is a Lance-Smith pick-and-roll while the other three spot up. In transition, they could be fun to watch as Stephenson, Johnson, and Smith use their athleticism to fill the wings and rim run. There are certainly a ton of options this year.</font></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Much Money, Such Talent, So Excite, Wow</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-team-salaries-at-a-glance/"><font color="red"><b>Basketball Insiders</b></font></a>, only three teams – <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>, Golden State Warriors, and Oklahoma City Thunder – have a higher payroll this season than the Los Angeles Clippers. Los Angeles’ current payroll is a staggering $98,347,538 right now. When taking a step back, you notice that $60,065,421 is taken up by the trio of <span>Blake Griffin</span>, <span>DeAndre Jordan</span>, and <span>Chris Paul</span>. That’s roughly 61 percent of the team’s payroll right there. It makes some sense as those are the team’s three linchpins. The Clippers are spending money at an astronomical rate and the team seems poised to make that spending pay off relatively soon. With the added influx of bargain talent like Josh Smith, Paul Pierce, and others, you can understand why expectations are high this upcoming season. This is arguably the most talent the team has ever had and appears to be the most flexible in playing style. Get excited. This could be a special year.</font></td>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Connections</b></font></center></th>
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<li>Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Jamal Crawford spent a very brief time as teammates during the 2008-09 season as members of the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Knicks</a>.</li>
<li>Randy Foye is a former member of the Los Angeles Clippers.</li>
<li>Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick were once teammates on the <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orlando Magic</a>.</li>
<li> <span>Branden Dawson</span> and Gary Harris were teammates at Michigan State for two years.</li>
<li>Austin Rivers and <span>Erick Green</span> played against each other three times in college. In all three games, Rivers outscored Green and Duke beat Virginia Tech.</li>
<li> <span>Nikoloz Tskitishvili</span> was selected 5th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2002 NBA Draft.</li>
<li> <span>Darrell Arthur</span> and <span>Cole Aldrich</span> were teammates at the University of Kansas for one year.</li>
<li>Jamal Crawford and <span>J.J. Hickson</span> were once teammates on the Portland Trail Blazers.</li>
<li>Nick Johnson, Pablo Prigioni, <span>Chuck Hayes</span>, and Josh Smith were all teammates last year with the Houston Rockets.</li>
<br></font><center><i>(If some connections were missed, list them in the comment section.)</i></center>
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<th align="center" colspan="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><font size="6"><b>Video Game Reference</b></font></center></th>
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<td><font size="3">Back in December of 1998, Electronic Arts published a game by the developer Westwood Studios. It was called <b><i>Golden Nugget 64</i></b> and was available for purchase on the Nintendo 64 game console. While its graphics are ancient by today’s standards, IGN dot com still gave the game a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ign.com/games/golden-nugget-64/n64-10083"><font color="red"><b>7.8 out of 10</b></font></a> and declared it <i>"good."</i> The video game featured ten modes of games, including Blackjack, 5-Card Draw, Craps, Roulette, Mini Baccarat, and six different types of slot machines. It was basically a groundbreaking game as it managed to give users a real casino feel without actually losing any of the money (beyond what you paid for the game). You can still <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Nugget-64-Nintendo/dp/B000038AA3?tag=sbnation-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener"><font color="red"><b>buy the game on Amazon</b></font></a> and even get the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Nugget-Casino-Nintendo-DS/dp/B0009R1T04?tag=sbnation-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener"><font color="red"><b>Nintendo DS version</b></font></a>.</font></td>
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https://www.clipsnation.com/2015/10/2/9418515/preseason-game-1-dawn-of-a-new-season-october-2-2015Justin Russo