Going in the big media story line was how desperately the Lakers needed a win. Not sure that ever made much sense, the Lakers were 10 and 8, the Clips were 9 and 5. I'm not sure I see a real big difference there. And now one is 11 and 8 and the other is 9 and 6. They both seem like good teams who haven't quite figured out who they really are.
In the second of two regular season meetings the two teams played a hard fought, contentious game. It seemed both of them wanted the win and there was the expected rough play and tough-talk we've come to expect. The Clippers led for three quarters by as many as ten points but the Lakers hung in and swept past their young Staple-mates in the fourth quarter behind the all-around play of Metta World Peace, a great, balanced game from Kobe Bryant, and tough inside noise from their twin towers, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
The box score. More notes after the break....
- Eleven days ago, Chris Paul scored 33 points, took over the game in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers beat the Lakers in a Clipper home game. But Paul also sprained a hamstring and sat out the intervening five games. Tonight, Paul showed a lot of rust, scoring only 4 points (though he did have twelve rebounds).
- Blake Griffin had one of his best, most balanced games, looking sharp with 26 points and nine rebounds. He was decisive and quick to shoot and went after the much longer Gasol and beefier Bynum.
- Caron Butler came out smoking. It says in my notes that he scored the Clips first eleven points... could that be true? Unfortunately he cooled off considerably, finishing with 16...
- The Clipper jump shooters were pretty woeful throughout. Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul were 3 for 16 and Mo Williams was 6-16.
- We finally saw the really scary, really good Kobe Bryant. Last time against the Clips he scored 42, shooting over triple teams, ignoring his teammates. This time he had a smoothly efficient 24 points on 17 shots with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. We actually saw him make slick entry passes into the post. No really, I'm not kidding. This is the Kobe that scares me to death.
- What's up with Derek Fisher? He stinks, he plays like a dead man, guys run by him, he throws up bricks, until there's a second on the game or the shot clock, then he takes a pass alone at the three point line and bombs in a three. I hate that guy.
- Pau Gasol is the slickest big man in the game. Several times in this game (especially in the first half) he looked like Tim Duncan in his prime. Of course then the Lakers forgot he was there for awhile, but....
- Andrew Bynum's a monster. I can't figure out why the combination of Bynum and Pau isn't BETTER than Dwight Howard. It's not, but I don't know why.
- Andrew Goudelock... really? 5 for 8 and fourteen points. No. Really.
- Metta World Peace was everywhere in the fourth quarter, but quick, how many points did he score? Answer: Three. He hit one three pointer but was a whopping plus 20! He locked up Blake Griffin and forced a jump ball (in the third?) Those two guys could play in the NFL. Those two guys would be big guys even in the NFL. Those two guys are really big guys.
- Vinny wore a conservative grey suit with a light blue shirt and a blue striped rep tie. Not flashy but very solid. His hair was, as always, a ten.
- If I see one more of those "Win Country" commercials, or that one about the "Wing man" I'm gonna vomit.
All in all, that was a disappointing Clipper loss... but it was also exactly what a Laker-Clipper game should be, tough, chippy, heavily contested. Both sides played hard. I can live with the loss, but... it's going to be really annoying to have to listen to my broken-record Laker-loving nephew the next few weeks.
Dain better ask Chris what he said to gasol
shay - January 25, 2012
I know he called him soft before pau touched his head
Rakelds79 - January 25, 2012
Tough loss, but one I can live with
UC.Clipper - January 25, 2012
I'm waiting what the FO is going to do
they need to make a few moves, perhaps not today or tomorrow, but definitely before the trade deadline. Evans is nice and all but we need another rotation big and a wing defender.
Once Bledsoe get’s back I’m guess they’ll do something
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
I am not sure we need defense
Our defense most of the night looked pretty solid. We need a player off the bench besides Mo who can actually score the ball.
If there was a Bledsoe/Foye deal for Mayo I would jump on it crazy quick.
NewCavsfan - January 25, 2012
perhaps Bledsoe can help
in that department
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
He and Mo would be much better offensively than Mo/Foye
But the defense would suffer a bit.
NewCavsfan - January 25, 2012
Bledsoe isn't that bad defensively
I seem to remember.
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
Bledsoe is good at D but they are both 6'1" so not too tall to guard both guard spots
chrisd - January 25, 2012
His defense is so so
he has the physical talent to be a good if not great defender. He’s a bad offensive player though especially as a PG because of his ridiculously bad turnover rate.
ClipperChuck - January 25, 2012
He was a young rook coming out after a year in college
Needs time to mature
Jax - January 25, 2012
where he played SG
comboguards to the right of me, comboguards to the left of me…
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
That doesn't change the fact
he’s a turnover machine. And he won’t get any PT on this Clipper squad as the 4th string PG
ClipperChuck - January 25, 2012
He was a rook - relax
Jax - January 25, 2012
I hope his game has evolved to a more NBA style play.
What I saw from Bledsoe was his past game trying to translate into an NBA game. It worked out for him in college; he played a fast game and he was the first one down the court and the first one on defense. He moves quickly and he is strong; however, that is not the right style of play when you have real defenders and you can’t get away with lazy passes and mis dribbling.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
That's fine
he can develop somewhere else though. Clips should be focused on winning now.
ClipperChuck - January 26, 2012
That's what I think too.
Like CP3 said, he NEEDS to win. We don’t gain anything with Bledsoe, but we gain a lot by Mo williams. I think the trading candidate is obvious.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
can we at least wait until he gets back on the court
mustang6944 - January 26, 2012
pretty much the situation. jackson
haibo - February 20, 2012
no it doesn’t system
haibo - February 23, 2012
We need more post offensive players
The only player we have is Blake. We need somebody to come off the bench and help alleviate the pressure on the perimeter.
cliptakular - January 25, 2012
exactly
we shoot nothing but jump shots and lob/dunks. when the jump shots were falling it was fine, but when they are not we are pretty much screwed. BG’s low post game isn’t reliable. he can be bothered by length. when our guards and sf aren’t hitting jumpers we are in trouble on offense.
zac4president - January 25, 2012
It's basketball.
You don’t expect to shoot 18-53. The name of the game is to get the ball in the hoop, and a majority of the points will be jump shots. I agree, we are fine when our jump shots are falling, but we shoot 35% and have a terrible shooting night and you call for more post players? And Griffin is bothered by height, but he adjusts. I think our low post game is fine, but anytime you face a team with Pau and Bynum, it is going to be tough!
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
I'm talking about off the bench
Reggie and Jones. Neither has any post up moves.
cliptakular - January 25, 2012
I love Reggie off the bench.
We don’t NEED him for offense. He is a great rebounded and he can defend non 7 footers. Jones is meant for defense too. Overall, I think the Clippers need to improve their 2nd team offense, but that’s kind of surprising, because I always thought Foye and Mo were GREAT scorers. Mo had an off night and Foye is just bleh.
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
The defense though is actually pretty terrible. It can look alright at times, but really that’s just a mirage.
Deandre’s a beast, CP3’s one of the best defensive point guards in the game, and Caron’s still a plus defender but there aren’t many other good defensive players on this team.
Reggie Evans is the best rebounder on the team and he’s also the enforcer, but he seems like a pretty so-so defender—not going to hurt you but also not really going to turn the tide of a game.
Also, the Grizzlies are expecting at least a first round pick for Mayo and they aren’t really inclined to trade him since he’s been playing pretty well this season.
muckduck - January 26, 2012
Mayo is worth a 2nd round pick, a 1st is a little too much.
A 2nd rounder and Foye/Gomes.
tenkaistar - January 26, 2012
Hopefully their next move will be to fire Del Negro
Raining Buckets - January 25, 2012
not going to happen
so stop it. VDN is not the reason we lost this.
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
I know it's not gonna happen, but I can hope
He wasn’t the sole reason, but his playcalling down the stretch certainly didn’t help.
Raining Buckets - January 25, 2012
I think it's everybody's fault.
Let’s look at the players. Paul and Billups are known for finishing games; did they do that? No. They were non existent in the end game. Griffin was stellar so I don’t blame him.
Coaching? VDN has several issues that I’m baffled at how he hasn’t worked out. Biggest Issue: ROTATIONS ON DEFENSE. Whenever the Clippers double team up top, I already know that the Lakers will score. Aside from CP3’s steal afer the double team, they are terrible at rotating.
Another Issue: Time outs! VDN waits until the score is tied to call the time out. This means that he needs to draw up a plan to score, but if it doesn’t work, the other team still has the momentum AND they can take the lead. Call the TO when you are up by 5 and are getting beat on an 0-5 run.
Final Issue: It’s all about rotation, rotation, rotation. For several streaks, VDN had a COMPLETE 2nd lineup in with NO starters. When Mo is off and Foye is being… well Foye, what are you suppose to do for offense? I know Evans won’t do much and I know Jones won’t do much.
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
Funny
Alot of calls went the other way and a lot of crazy bounces of the ball. The game could have gone either way and you’re calling for VDN’s head?
Jax - January 26, 2012
I'm willing to give him a chance.
I’m just pointing out that these have been clear cut issues in most of our games, and I haven’t seen improvement. I think everybody deserves some time, but let’s be honest; when have you seen great defensive rotation, well called timeouts, and stellar rotations for the Clippers with VDN? Not very often.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
Here we go again
I get that VDN is not a great coach, but can we please stop calling for his head after every loss?
Rotation on defense takes time for a team to get down. As far as I am concerned, defensive rotations will probably the Clippers’ achilles heel for the whole season. We also have to give the Lakers credit. The team played well on offense. They swung the ball around, found the open man, and utilized their size to their advantage.
As far as timeouts, I think he used them properly. Could he have called a timeout prior to the Lakers catching up? Of course, and why didn’t he? But as far as I am concerned, each coach has their own way of letting the game flow. Phil Jackson rarely called timeouts, and usually lets his players figure it out themselves. Never heard anyone complain about that approach.
And for his rotations, it’s getting better. He’s working with what he’s got. The 2nd unit is thin after Mo,.. so what could he really have done?
Rob Lo - January 26, 2012
I'm not calling for his head.
I’m calling for improvement. Thoreau and Civil Disobedience sums up my thoughts: “I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government”.
Just as he calls for a better government rather than the abolishing of the gov’t, I call for improvement rather than the firing of VDN. The fact is, these 3 aspects have been our weaknesses and they are things that can be asked of the coach. Rotation defense does take some time to get right, but it shouldn’t take this much time to see improvement. Honestly, Derek Fisher hit HUGE shots with wide open 3s. Not to mention some of Goudelock’s shots (one in particular in which Mo was so out of position that he ran over and tripped) were wide open because of weak defense. The fact is, if we can’t defend after the double team, we shouldn’t do the double team at all. If you can’t afford bullets, don’t buy the gun. What I’m saying is that we have to decide one way or another; you can’t halfway commit. If we commit to the double team, we have to commit to rotations, otherwise, we allow them to just play a man to man. As for timeouts? Please, Phil Jackson could let his team figure it out because he always had a team that could figure it out. I think he was a great coach, but his unorthodox manners were overlooked because of his winning ability, which is greatly attributed to his great teams. Not to mention come finals time, he wouldn’t allow his team to dig themselves out of their hole, he would actually call time outs when they mattered.
Finally, what could he have done? Here is the thing, he knows that he doesn’t have a great second unit. Mike Brown is left with the same situation; what does he do? He adjusts. He makes sure that a starter is in AT ALL TIMES (usually altering between Bynum and Pau). The fact is, our 2nd unit isn’t terrible when they play with our 1st unit. When Gomes plays with CP3 and Billups, he will get good looks. If Caron were to play on the 2nd unit, he would get more looks and he is one of the few players that has a great iso game on our team. So what could he really have done? He could have actually made rotations rather than putting all the 2nd unit in at once.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
i guess the clips could be the worst team of the league at executing out of timeouts. and that should be called bad coaching!
ska67 - January 26, 2012
I still can't stand the rotations
he’ll like out of no where take out pretty much all the starters, and left with Mo as the only offensive threat on the floor. I do understand he’s being dealt a tough hand, especially in this game with CP being limited in minutes, but those stretches with Mo, Foye, Gomes, Reggie, and Soloman, just kill me. I do agree with others that state it’d be nice to at leave have some type of offensive threat in the post with the second unit. Seems like they can just sag off everyone in the post and help against Mo on like every possession. I’m not sure what the remedy might be, but there has to be a way to get people rest without having to take all the starters off the floor.
Even when the lead is dwindling he like refuses to bring back anyone, and then right about the 7-8 minute mark in the 2nd and 4th, suddenly like the whole starting unit gets off the bench. Have to say it’s frustrating to see the 2nd unit struggling, and even after a timeout, they’re still all on the floor. Was there a reason why Blake only got like 32 minutes vs. over 40 for Pau? Did VDN want to limit him a bit knowing there was a game tomorrow? There were a few occasions I couldn’t believe he wasn’t coming back, with soloman getting a bunch of minutes.
osamu - January 26, 2012
Have to agree
He pulled Caron when he was hot and with the Mo not hitting his shots early, our 2nd unit stalled. In contrast, the Lakers had Gasol and/or Kobe in with the 2nd team. Makes no sense and yet so obvious with the majore lulls in games.
ganima - January 26, 2012
Come on - we win this game with CP3 healthy
I would like to see more MO
Jax - January 25, 2012
Absolutely.
Chris Paul at full-speed and we kill those guys.
Jonee - January 25, 2012
Yeah I'm inclined to think the same thing
4 points is just ridiculous for him. He passed up a lot of open looks and missed the ones he did take. His minutes were also extremely limited. Hope hes feeling good and ready to go tonight.
dulciusXasperis - January 26, 2012
This
they definitely need 2 more players to complete a good rotation. Replacing Foye and Gomes (and Solomon Jones) from the 15-20 mpg of non-production a game they currently
take upgive will help the Clipper win a lot more games.ClipperChuck - January 25, 2012
^ What he said
Raining Buckets - January 25, 2012
Yah chicken with head cutoff - how can you ever see?
Jax - January 26, 2012
You always come in after losses and tell us that big changes have to be made
Dont you get tired of sounding that alarm?
Jax - January 26, 2012
Win or lose, our stories don't change.
Even when we win, we can tell that it’s almost all because of our 1st team + Mo. Our 2nd Unit is underwhelming and they need some help. I think Evans does his task well, but I would like to see a more solid backup big and possibly a more consistent 2. I think trading Bledsoe and going after JR Smith would fit that perfectly.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
And by backup big, I mean a C.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
Someone has to do it
you’re too busy on your knees worshiping Olshey to notice.
It’s no secret what the Clips need when they win or lose. The bench for the Clips is costing them a lot of games, just look at their respective +/-
http://www.82games.com/1112/1112LAC.HTM
Bench is getting killed out there.
ClipperChuck - January 26, 2012
Chris Paul to Gasol:
“Your team rather have me than you” -Chris Paul
shay - January 25, 2012
for real? that's awesome
banandy - January 25, 2012
I hope you're telling the truth
Rakelds79 - January 25, 2012
Haha I have no idea... I just read that somewhere and thought it was hilarious
shay - January 25, 2012
Lakers should savor this, they won't get many more of them against us...
banandy - January 25, 2012
looses, Raffo?
LJ Hann - January 25, 2012
Whoa... did you clean that up LJ?
Thanks if you did. Was it in the title?
John Raffo - January 26, 2012
I don't really care that much about this loss
like did with the win. Both teams are still figuring out a lot of things. We’ll see at the end of the season.
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
im actually not that mad about the loss
Its 1-1 we need to work harder and we will continue to get better. We need a big man scorer was all for Jones before but now its not working
KillaClip - January 25, 2012 via mobile
Ike Diogu?
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
Ike would be perfect... we need a big that can provide just a little bit of offense (other than blake of course)
shay - January 25, 2012
problem with Ike is he's not tall enough
we don’t need another big that isn’t really big. Against the Lakers twin towers he’d get schooled just like Reggie did.
chrisd - January 25, 2012
yes but if none are available you have to look for other solutions
not many teams can throw 2 skilled 7 footers at you
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
We still have Jones.. waive Cook and sign Ike
shay - January 25, 2012
waive Jones
he is not the answer.
Waive Cook also. Send Leslie (trey also?) to the D-league once Bledsoe is back.
BelgianClipper - January 25, 2012
Bledsoe will be a big boost off the bench
cliptakular - January 25, 2012
preaching to the choir
i’ve been saying this for a while
zac4president - January 25, 2012
would be very happy to bring Ike back
shap - January 26, 2012
Not 100% sure if this is allowed.
Sorry if it isn’t and feel free to tell me to never do it again.
I am most likely going to destroy, and I mean DESTROY one of the most idiotic persons in this world.
http://espn.go.com/losangeles/conversations/_/id/7504687/los-angeles-clippers-vs-los-angeles-lakers
Look at the comments there if you would like to see a Clipper vs Lakers fan. Feel free to chip in! :)
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
In such a chippy game how are the Lakers called for TEN less fouls.
We should let Paul get some minutes against TOR…
Gordon for President - January 25, 2012
Should've*
Gordon for President - January 25, 2012
My Facebook news feed is cluttered with people bagging on the Clippers. Anyone else?
ILL Eagle - January 25, 2012
i got it written on my page "lakers bitch!!!"
i hate them, i really really hate them
chrisd - January 25, 2012
Oh man, it’s intolerable..
ILL Eagle - January 25, 2012
They always say stuff like the playoffs are when it matters and try to downplay regular season losses but when they beat the Clippers today, ooooh it’s the best thing EVAR! Really grinds my gears.
ILL Eagle - January 25, 2012
i've been used to it as long as i can remember ('84)
social media makes it that much worse.
chrisd - January 25, 2012
I just stay classy and be the better man.
After the loss I only posted compliments on facebook about the Lakers along with some constructive analysis on both sides. Let whiners whine, haters hate, and fools be foolish. I really think that Lakers fans wanted this game more than us considering the vitriol.
Chris McD - January 26, 2012
really? Mine is quiet - my Lakers friends know what's up
banandy - January 25, 2012
Or you've probably hid them all... which what i should do
shay - January 25, 2012
block..... ha!
cliptakular - January 25, 2012
actually no...i'm like a unicorn to them...
they know i’m a diehard Clippers fan and not to pull cheap shots on me…well, ever since the preseason games, haha.
banandy - January 25, 2012
Clipper fans = Unicorns, Laker fans = Donkeys
Lawler 4ever - January 26, 2012
Does Erasure play whenever you make an appearances?
Like Robot Unicorn Attack?
Chris McD - January 26, 2012
Always
banandy - January 26, 2012
Our guards not named williams was killing us tonight.
5 of 25 shooting is not acceptable.
ENCUEROMAN - January 25, 2012
And Mo was barely acceptable shooting
shay - January 25, 2012
DJ getting 5 rebounds in 30 min is unacceptable when CP got 4 in 26 min and Jones got 7 in 15 min.
DJ needs to learn to box out and not continue to have the Javale McGee syndrome and go after every block. I hope, unlike McGee, he doesn’t go out to get blocks to pad up his stats.
cliptakular - January 25, 2012
+1
zac4president - January 25, 2012
thats what i been saying all season
with his strength, size and athletic ability he should be averaging at least 10 boards a night
nauticazn25 - January 26, 2012
Agreed.
He says that his idol is Bill Russell. I hope he actually takes into account all the little things Russell did.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
We lost this game on guardplay
and our inability to hit deep shots, so I’m not going to defer the blame for this loss.
But is it just me or was the officiating absolutely HORRIBLE this game? It was like watching the Kings Lakers playoffs series..
Bui Himself - January 25, 2012
it was a really physical game, but somehow the Clippers got 10 more fouls called on them
and the 4th quarter disparity wasn’t even close. The same ref called 5 technical fouls, he was a little too trigger happy on both ends of the floor.
chrisd - January 25, 2012
felt like there were some bad ones...
Artest all over Blake and no foul or nothing…didn’t even tie up the ball to warrant a jump ball
banandy - January 25, 2012
The Lakers tend to win this way.
Kings Game 6
Celtics Game 7
Clippers Game 2
losbolts - January 25, 2012
we didnt get some calls down the stretch..
but we did not deserve to win this game by any means the way that 4th quarter was played
shap - January 26, 2012
Gasol patting Paul on the head was disrespectful. You do that to kids.
Gasol also when asked if this was a rivalry. would not answer the question. These guys are douches to the 100th power.
tenkaistar - January 25, 2012
yeah, really hated that
shap - January 26, 2012
Laker fans acting like Pau Gasol.
They finally get a win against a team above .500 and they think they are on top again.
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
They were scared coming into this game, now they kings amongst men again.
We are just “peons.” Laker fans are ridiculous. There is a reason that most NBA fans cannot stand Laker “fans.” If you have met one, you’ve met most of them.
You’re not special because you chose to be a Laker fan. You sit at home and watch the game on the couch just like everyone else. You don’t have a ring, nor do you have banners. You just have a remote.
Lawler 4ever - January 26, 2012
CP3 on Pau:
“I’ve got a son of my own. I don’t know if Pau has kids, but don’t touch the top of my head like I’m one of your kids.”
Gordon for President - January 25, 2012
Especially when he plans to school him next game ;)
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
I need to go to that game
Rakelds79 - January 25, 2012
I knew this was how he felt.
I remember Kobe saying in an interview that he used to do that to Chris jokingly and he said he hates when I do that. He has respect for Kobe so he won’t trip on him but freakin Pau?….. no you don’t know me like that dude
Rakelds79 - January 25, 2012
We got video of the CP3/Pau incident
http://www.sportsgrid.com/nba/chris-paul-pau-gasol-hair/
shay - January 25, 2012
shay - January 25, 2012
Lakers think they are so big and tall after 1 game.
Can’t wait when they start another losing streak. Then Pau can shut up and learn that he isn’t half the man Chris Paul is.
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
clipper fans thought they were big and tough after two preseason games. hypocrite much?
wavenstein - January 26, 2012 via Android app
You have a poor memory
That was Barnes who made a big deal about that game
Thretch - January 26, 2012
Neither teams deserve to be big and tough.
What should the Lakers be bragging about. THIS TEAM, no this is not the team that won 2 rings, but THIS TEAM got swept my the Magic. This team is 11-8. THIS TEAM THINKS THEY ARE BIG SHOTS WHEN THEY ARE BARELY ABOVE .500. What do we think? We think the Clippers have a long way to go, but THIS TEAM is right now ahead of the Lakers.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
It’s pretty funny how much laker fans are celebrating after what supposedly isn’t even a rivalry.
andrewexd - January 25, 2012
They are acting all tough now.
They win 1 game and all of a sudden, they are the toughest guys around. Like I said, they are just like Gasol. He has 1 good game (which was matched by Blake Griffin) and he thinks he is top dog.
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
Funny how Clippers think they are a respectable franchise after starting a decent season.
They win a few games and of a sudden they are “the” team in Los Angeles. Like I said, they are just like Griffin. They have one good game and all of a sudden they’re champions. (See what I did there)
lol I just came to say I still dig the Clips (except Griffin) and its awesome that the games actually mean something now. I really hope we see an all L.A. playoff series. 6-7 games in Staples of grit play. We’ll show the league that L.A. is the true capital of basketball.
AV. - January 25, 2012
Doesn't matter if they are a respectable FRANCHISE, because they are a respectable TEAM.
If you plan on going to the history books, let’s do it. Oklahoma hasn’t been in the history books and the Sonics weren’t exactly legendary. According to you, they haven’t proven anything because they aren’t champions. So are you going to go out and say they aren’t respectable? I think they for sure deserve respect. Let’s look at the 06 Lakers. They were a terrible team full of D-League players; just because they were the Lakers, does that mean they were a respectable team? No. You can preach all you want about a franchise, but at the end of the day, it’s about the present and not the past. Unless Magic and Kareem plan to come back and save the day, I wouldn’t say the Lakers are exactly respectable. Just look at your players. Pau pulls crap like this. Bynum is known for his bad attitude. Kobe cheated on his wife numerous times and it is now becoming public. Barnes has proven to be a punk. Honestly, having to say that MWP and Fisher are some of the classiest guys on your team isn’t great. Your team doesn’t exactly command respect from other players. Say all you want about Griffin and the Clippers, they will be respected soon enough; and if you are going to say that Griffin is less respectable than a 7 footer who was suspended for knocking down a 5’10 guy, don’t even bother replying to this.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
Laker fans don't realize that it's not the past that matters... it's the future.
If I had to choose between having 16 championships in the past vs. 2-3 championships in the coming years.. I’ll go with the latter.
shay - January 26, 2012
That's a tough one.
But here is my belief; your franchise and history won’t gain you respect or championships. Magic and Kareem, I respect those men. Do I respect this Lakers team? Of course not. Magic and Kareem won championships. Do I expect this Lakers team to? No. The past is the past, and yes, it is nice to hang those banners up; but unless those retired jerseys are going to come back and ball for you, they mean nothing about the present and future.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
Damn!! You destroyed that Laker fan!! LOL
ClipperBEAST - January 26, 2012
You took the bait.
Chris McD - January 26, 2012
ugh
no you dont, u wouldnt have typed that first paragraph if u really did.
dont let the door hit you too hard on the way out
shap - January 26, 2012
lol so fans aren’t allowed to be excited for their own team? Please… ANYONE can be a laker fan, it’s not an exclusive club.
andrewexd - January 26, 2012
C’mon, Gasol’s like the least imposing and arrogant player in the league. People hate him for being too soft not too arrogant. The tap on the head was ill-advised, but it was still misunderstood.
muckduck - January 26, 2012
Wow, I didn't see that
cliptakular - January 25, 2012
Man
I don’t hate the lakers. I hate the players IN the lakers. Like for some reason, when they were the uniform, they suddenly feel entitled. A good example is Matt Barnes, this guy is sucks like shit but he feels like he IS the shit.
Amazing, Kobe is actually 5th on my list of most hated lakers
Barnes
Bynum
Fisher
Gasol
Bryant
Artest
cliptakular - January 25, 2012
I personally don't hate these Lakers all the time.
Honestly, I think Fisher is a respectable man, and the same goes for Artest (you know, post Indiana Pacers). I don’t know what happens to them, but when they even hear the word “Clippers” they become arrogant, d-bags. Barnes and Bynum are always punks. Fisher begins talking about how the Lakers are a better franchise. Gasol thinks that the Clippers are terrible. Artest decides to be an idiot and basically start some sort of fight, and Kobe is well… Funny thing, Kobe is probably the most respectable one when he plays the Clippers. He fights with his offense and defense and he isn’t terrible off the court.
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
i really dont like these players
my disdain for kobe/shaq is probably the main reason why i couldnt see myself rooting for the lakers… had i been a bball fan in the 80s? totally couldve seen myself rooting for showtime. hell i loved eddie jones and nick van exel, but when they were gone, i realized i only liked those two guys, not those teams.
this is all compounded by the fact that most of their fans like to point up as if imaginary banners surround them all the time rather than, u know, have an actual clue about basketball outside of los angeles. there are many exceptions, but too many that fit the rule.
shap - January 26, 2012
I wonder how many
of the Laker “fans” realize that 5 of those titles were won before they moved to LA?
jtballard2 - January 26, 2012
George Mikan is the greatest laker ever.
tenkaistar - January 26, 2012
Lol
I love Kobe’s reaction… he was like.. “Wtf just happened?!”
Rob Lo - January 25, 2012
man i love paul's immediate reaction to this
you can see how competitive he is constantly… watching him play on the court is a thing of beauty, even moreso when he plays for your team
gasol does that crap to every player that’s shorter than him, get the hell out of here with that crap
shap - January 26, 2012
I will touch your head more dismissively than you, Pau!
banandy - January 26, 2012
lol
Juice and BG came in like they were about mess Gasol up!
ClipperBEAST - January 26, 2012
It's so easy to be big and tough against the shortest player on the Clippers
Where was that bravado against Blake and/or DJ, Pau?
yaggiefresh - January 26, 2012
People are saying that Paul is “whining like a b*tch.” But patting a grown man on the head is not cool. Like he said, he’s not one of his kids.
ILL Eagle - January 25, 2012
In some culture (especially asian ones) it is a huge sign of disrespect and can get you killed
shay - January 25, 2012
Don't forget what Pau and the Spanish national team did at the Beijing Olympics.
His views of disrespect are different than those of an American. I’m not trying to put down people of Spanish heritage, but there are cultural differences. Somebody tried rubbing my hair when I was in the 8th grade, and rubbed/messed up his hair right back just like Paul, because I was pissed. You don’t touch another man’s head or his face and we have a huge problem if I have to name any other parts.
Lawler 4ever - January 26, 2012
I remember pau and his spanish teammates made the slanted eyes in a picture during the time of the olympics..really dumb thing to do. kinda tells you something about the person.
tenkaistar - January 26, 2012
Just look at Pau.
He obviously thinks he is the bigger man and he is merely toying with the Clippers. Trust me, Pau is going to have his hands full. When you have a huge game like this, it is extremely difficult to follow it up; on the other hand, Paul barely has ANYTHING to follow up.
SurfinQ00 - January 25, 2012
I agree
it’s like the now infamous pat on the back by Harbaugh. You don’t pat someone one the head, especially when you’re about to win, I would be pissed too.
osamu - January 26, 2012
I love it - the Lakers are to the Clippers...
what the Pistons were to the Bulls…
banandy - January 25, 2012
That was a fun game to watch
Of course it would have been much better had we won. This LA City rivalry is getting serious… someone’s getting punched next game.
On a sidenote, I don’t know why some of y’all get annoyed with obnoxious Laker fans. Let them be, most of them know little about basketball. Talk to real Laker fans, they know that the rivalry is legit.
Rob Lo - January 25, 2012
Totally. L.A. will be the center of basketball now.
And like you guys, some of us Laker fans hate your annoying fans. But its all good. I hate to admit it but its a real rivalry now (or whatever you want to call it). I’m really hoping for an all L.A. playoff series. It would be amazing.
AV. - January 26, 2012
I would like an LA playoff series, but.
I don’t think we would be the center of basketball. Quite honestly, neither the Clippers nor the Lakers are title contenders as of now. If we want to be the center of basketball, at least one of our teams must be able to compete for the ring.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
The way it's looking now there's a chance that only one of the two teams would even make playoffs.
shay - January 26, 2012
I don't consider that as an option, but I see where you are coming from.
The Lakers have Kobe Bryant, and if he has to do it all by himself, he will. Granted, he won’t lead them to the top rank or anything, but Kobe WILL bring his team to the playoffs. Clippers? No, they don’t have that much playoff experience. But when you have the best pure PG in the game who has proven that he can lead a poor team to the playoffs, I have no doubt that he can lead a stellar team to the 1st rounds and beyond.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
i like talking to real laker fans
the fake ones that give rise to generic laker fandom reputation are just the ones that come here more often than not.
shap - January 26, 2012
One sided officiating
It sure seemed to me that the Clippers were getting mugged on almost every trip down the court and not getting any calls. Especially in the 4th. Kobe traveled on that rebound late in the game where Artest got the 3, Blake didn’t step out of bounds on that 3, etc. Those calls (or lack of calls) really changed the momentum of the game late.
The Clippers were still in the game despite this. I hate to blame officials for a loss, but this one seemed pretty blatant to me.
WebHead - January 26, 2012
Wouldn't really go that far.
I didn’t like the refs this game. It seems as though they came in thinking it would be a very chippy game, so they weren’t going to let anything slide; they called little things on both sides and I thought they were pretty even. I will agree that Blake did not step out of bounds, but I’m sure ANY official would have called that. Overall, I think the Clippers just had a poor offensive night and the Lakers really turned it up in the end.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
Worst call
was the double tech on Reggie and McBob. Reggie bumped into him under the basket and kept going up court. McBob chased after him and tried to start something. If you watch the replay Reggie completely ignored him, and still got called for a tech.
jtballard2 - January 26, 2012
i'm really not feeling billups
he doesnt seem like a good fit for this team..i hope we make some sort of trade or get a better 2 next season
nauticazn25 - January 26, 2012
I told everyone that he had declined a lot last year and nobody believed me...... my feelings are still recovering
But anyway, his defense is bad because he is old and slow, he cant get past defenders for the same reason, he takes a lot of dumb shots and doesnt make them, and cant even make open shots half the time.
He was still a good pickup on the cheap, especially for his presence on the court and in the locker room, but at this point in time, Mo Williams is probably a better player and should be getting more minutes.
NewCavsfan - January 26, 2012
Honestly, I think our best case scenario is this.
I’m not demanding a trade, but I think this would give us a contending, powerful team; yes, this is also somewhat farfetched. First off, I think we should call JR Smith and confirm if he was serious about playing for us. I’m guessing the answer is yes. From there, we can start looking for a REAL SG and a backup big man. I know this gets a tad shaky from here, but hear me out. I think we should try to trade Mo Williams for a REAL SG. I like the idea of JJ Redick or OJ Mayo. From there, I think we could look to trade Bledsoe for a decent backup big (Nazr Muhammad?) Yes, I know we are losing quite a bit of talent in the 2nd trade but look at our roster if we pulled this off.
CP3/ Billups
Redick/ JR Smith (Billups + Smith= two past team mates who already gelled)
Butler/ Gomes
Griffin / Evans
DeAndre / Nazr.
That seems like an extremely stellar lineup to me.
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
12 rebounds?
you mean 12 assists?
Lawler's Law - January 26, 2012
also Goldilocks shot 5 for 8 and not 5 for 18
chrisd - January 26, 2012
Also, can you believe Lakers are claiming this to be the turning point of the season?
SurfinQ00 - January 26, 2012
They are Laker fans
They think Pau for Deron is a fair trade and could happen there is not nothing i wouldn’t believe.
XXDC2XX - January 26, 2012
they lost 3 in a row so any win is going to be a turning point for them
that is until they lose their next 3 in a row
chrisd - January 26, 2012
It's funny because you know exactly what would have happened if the clippers won.
“we have 16 banners” lolol “2 regular season games doesn’t mean anything”
andrewexd - January 26, 2012
Several 4th quarter TOs doomed the team
Some flops by Fisher did the team in. CP3’s shot was not effective today.
Pau had a classic Pau game. This is why the Lakers went to 3 straight NBA Finals after the Pau trade. He’s a great post scorer as well as an outside shooter. Bynum still has a ways to go to match his production.
Artest went overboard with the chest bumps. For a guy that scored 3 pts, his celebrations were very excessive.
The McBob-Evans incident was entertaining, but didn’t have a great effect on the game. It just meant more Pau Gasol.
For a 12th man, Solomon Jones is alright.
The Clips need to move on and focus on Memphis tomorrow, which will be a very difficult game.
oasisman - January 26, 2012
If this team goes forward as constructed, I really think Cookie is the key to the second unit.
The dude lost all of his confidence; however, he can be a valuable player. There is far too much pressure on Mo and Foye to score…they need a 3rd option. Cookie can shoot the ball..he just needs to make one first…and then maybe pass the ball every now and then. I guess the other question is will he even get any PT with how awful he was playing..not sure if the ankle is even an issue anymore.
Oh ya, the most important thing to take from this game, is that CP3 did not re-injure his hamstring. I was nervous all game that he would pull up lame at some point…he would have missed some serious time if that happened. I’ll trade this loss for a healthy CP3 going forward all day.
MikeV7297 - January 26, 2012
kids turn away.
Fuck the Lakers. They’re fans are nothing but crying idiots and selfless prickes.
Tawcoma26 - January 26, 2012 via mobile
few points
taking away the entire “shap’s” possession bit of that title, too corny..
-paul was clearly rusty, but it’s still very calming having him out there
-guard play as far as shooting goes was awful
-im going to be critical of blake. i dont care, i know he had a nice stat line, but ugh. that step back three? are u kidding me? stop shooting jumpers with the game on the line. seriously, you arent an aged karl malone that hits all of his midrange shots, you’re a young buck who can get to the rim at will. when the game is on the line, i dont want to see you shooting from 15+ when u cant even hit those shots consistently in practice. this is getting infuriating.
-mo shot badly, and committed a stupid flagrant, but cant complain too much about him. hes our everything off the bench, and hes been playing well. i wanted to deal him earlier in the year, but now i think hes a great fit for the second unit as long as hes happy
-i hate these laker/clipper games, i always catch myself going to silver screen and roll (i often go to opposing teams sites here and there anyways) and i just find that entire site extremely juvenile. i dont know, i think steve has just really spoiled us with his professional writing. and maybe years of cynicism have made us all a bit more appreciate of what we have now and objective about what most other teams have. but man, some of the kids that pollute that site, it’s just tough to read. again it’s not all, but there are just too many of them. it makes me glad not only to be a clipper fan, but to have this site as many clipper sanctuary.
-artest was great, he was all over the place. he can still, at the least, be that very physical and annoying defender hes always been, it’s crazy how his role’s been diminished.
-bynum is the most offensively skilled center in the league. dwight is still better than him, but mainly because he towers over him.
-for however many slick entry passes kobe had, his third quarter TOs were almost all entirely hilarious.
shap - January 26, 2012
I didn't understand that Blake 3.
wasn’t that out of a time out? was that they play Vinny drew up? I was so confused when that happened. After stepping back and looking at his feet, it had no shot of going in, never mind the potential stepping out of bounds. Very odd sequence. I don’t remember the shot clock situation, but that shot didn’t seem like it was Blake’s decision.
osamu - January 26, 2012
There were a handful of odd sequences down the stretch
yaggiefresh - January 26, 2012
I blame this on the
“Defending the Lakers is Easy” post, haha. Of course Pau was going to go for 23-10, and Bynum would go for 19-6, although in those comments I predicted 25-15 for Pau and 20-10 for Bynum, so maybe they underachieved a bit.
osamu - January 26, 2012
Look on the bright side…before the season started all I heard was how Blake and CP3 would be Lakers in 2 years. Doesn’t seem like BG or CP want any part of the purple and gold. That’s why I’m not upset when the Lakers or their fans talk all that shit. It fires up their base, but turns every one else off.
lbclips - January 26, 2012
blaming VDN
…and why the hell Chauncey should finish every game, even when Mo is clearly at another higher level than him???
CB is shooting so poorly and Mo is (was) on fire. ok when we are even slightly in control of the game, but if it’s tied or we’re down it should be a no contest!!!
ska67 - January 26, 2012
Please explain the jump ball call to me
Often when a player is on the ground, a defender is allowed to sit on him and foul him as much as he wants until he gets his hand on the ball – then they call a jump ball. Is that really how this is supposed to work?
Also, MWP was out of bounds when he contacted the ball. Doesn’t that mean Clipper ball?
Thretch - January 26, 2012
Lakers needing the win
I think that was just because they were on a 3 game losing streak, or so I read somewhere. I don’t know… don’t really follow the Lakers much.
;)
Erik O - January 26, 2012
Is it me or was it the Lakers players (minus Kobe) that were acting like they had just won the championship last night?
I don’t recall any Clipper players celebrating like that after a win (except for the Dallas game winner) this season.
Further, is it possible that the Lakers won but look like bigger losers at the end of it all? The Clippers self-destructed after holding the lead and, if this season is any indication, these aren’t the Lakers of old that will come back on any team. Last night was a fluke.
yaggiefresh - January 26, 2012
F the Howard trade. We've gotta at least allow the current starters time to mesh.
In terms of figuring it out, last night the Lakers seemed a little closer than the Clips. When Kobe passes, their team is a whole lot better, not to mention less detestable. Fisher and Artest are apparently in game shape now. There really are two good teams in LA now.
The Clips need a few more games with a healthy CP3. We’ve only had, what, 2 or 3 games where he was clearly in game shape, and the team is so much different when that happens. It’s hard to fathom how good we might become when Paul is healthy and BG is playing like he did last night. We’re all in for a treat.
SilverClip - January 26, 2012
The lakers are playing the Bucks next. The Bucks can beat them.
I like Milwaukee. I’ve noticed that they have upped their tempo and they still play that drag out style of defense where they hold their opponents to low percentages. They lack a closer. Jennings is too inconsistent. But I would not be surprised if the Bucks get them. The 7 footers will make the difference for the lakers. Hopefully Skiles will rotate his players well.
tenkaistar - January 26, 2012
Funny
Per Bill Simmons Twitter:
jtballard2 - January 26, 2012
Was that Clipper Darrell I heard in the background last night on TV
Doing his “here we go Clippers” routine?
PV Mike - January 26, 2012
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