Here's the column I wrote for SBNation today.
Good Morning Clips Nation.-
Sorry for the delay in posting this Daily Clipper. I hope we are ready for tonight's game. The one that bothers me is how the media has said that the Spurs dismantled the Clippers, which to some extent it may be true. But what the media is not saying is that the two stars of the Clippers are banged up and not playing 100%. We know what a healthy Chris Paul and a healthy Blake Griffin can do when playing together. Having said that, other guys on the team need to step it up.
And for crying aloud, can someone please get Charles Barkley off the air? Does he dislike the Clippers for some reason? By the way, thanks Dr. Shaquille O'Neal for your support.
Anyways, here is your Clipper and NBA fix. Enjoy!
Not that it matters a bit, but I can't help musing about the NBA Executive of the Year voting. Larry Bird of the Indiana Pacers won the award with 12 first place votes and 88 points, R.C. Buford of the San Antonio Spurs was second with eight first place votes and 56 points and Neil Olshey of the Clippers was third with six first place votes and 55 points. From there it was a pretty steep drop off to Gar Forman of the Chicago Bulls with two first place votes and 16 points.
And my reaction to all of this is, really?
Here's my latest column on SBNation, about how the Spurs offense is very different, and much better, than the Grizzlies.
The San Antonio Spurs opened this Western Conference Semifinals series with a 108-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Spurs took the lead in the second quarter, took control in the third, and held off a fourth quarter rally by the Clippers to secure the victory.
But if you're a Clippers fan looking for indications that L.A. can compete with the Spurs over the course of this series, they were there.
First things first, the Spurs were playing for the first time in eight days and the Clippers were playing for the sixth time in 11 days. Adrenaline kept the Clippers in the game early, but the fatigue factor caught up with them as the game wore on. Chris Paul made three shots and scored six points in the first quarter -- and never scored again, missing his final nine shots. The Clippers just aren't going to beat good teams when Paul shoots 3-13; ain't gonna happen.
Well, I think that this will be forever known as the Bledsoe Game. Not game 1. The Bledsoe Game. I decree it.
Leave your postgame comments here.
| 2011/2012 NBA Playoffs - WC Semis | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
vs. |  |
| 40-26 | 50-16 | |
| Game 1 - May 15th, 2012, 6:30 PM, San Antonio, AT&T Center |
||
| Game 2 - May 17th, 2012, 6:30 PM, San Antonio, AT&T Center | ||
| Game 3 - May 19th, 2012, 12:30 PM, Los Angeles, STAPLES Center | ||
| Game 4 - May 20th, 2012, 7:30 PM, Los Angeles, STAPLES Center | ||
| Game 5 - May 22nd, 2012, TBD, San Antonio, AT&T Center * | ||
| Game 6 - May 25th, 2012, TBD, Los Angeles, STAPLES Center * | ||
| Game 7 - May 27th, 2012, TBD, San Antonio, AT&T Center * | ||
| * if necessary | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Chris Paul |
PG | Tony Parker |
| Randy Foye | SG | Danny Green |
| Caron Butler |
SF | Kawhi Leonard |
| Blake Griffin |
PF | Boris Diaw |
| DeAndre Jordan |
C | Tim Duncan |
| Key reserves: | ||
| Eric Bledsoe |
PG | Gary Neal |
| Mo Williams | SG | Manu Ginobili |
| Nick Young |
SF | Stephen Jackson |
| Reggie Evans |
PF | Matt Bonner DeJuan Blair |
| Kenyon Martin |
C | Tiago Splitter |
New quarterly open threads will be published at quarter breaks by Citizen LJ Hann.
Chatting with the Enemy: Pounding the Rock
NOTE that JR Wilco from Pounding the Rock and I have discussed the need for both communities to be on their best behavior. PtR is one of the best communities out there, and if you want to hang out on their thread and talk serious hoops, then you are by all means welcome. But if you are being a jerk, I will hear of it and there will be repercussions. Got it? So play nice.
