Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin played Denver's B team tonight and won in their last game before the All Star break, avoiding a three game losing streak and running their record to a division leading 20-11. Four of the Nuggets regulars were injured but their omission was countered by at least four of the Clipper's own regulars who didn't show up either. Fortunately for the LA team, the two guys who did show up are, by far, their best players. Chris Paul had 36 points and 0 assists, Griffin was 27-12 with 5 assists. The rest of the Clipper team? Not so much.
Here's the boxscore. Here's the gameflow. Here's the play-by-play.
I suppose I'm being a little over-dramatic. Randy Foye had eleven points, DeAndre Jordan had ten points and 16(!) rebounds but it really was all about Paul and Griffin, who played 39 and 36 minutes respectively and took turns dominating a game that, had it been played on paper, would have been a walkover.
We knew coming in that the Denver Nuggets were in a tail spin, having lost nine out of their last fourteen games and the Clips were also in a little bit of a February fade, having dropped their last two, and three of their last five. We also knew that the Nugs have some injuries, Danilo Galinari, Nene, and Ty Lawson are out of the starting lineup. So, though the Nuggets are deep, they're down at least a quart of oil. The Clippers though, are mostly whole, even having lost Chauncey Billups for the season.
But the Denver Nuggets are coached by a superior fellow named George Karl. He's done a lot without a big star this year and it didn't seem to phase him at all that three of his starters weren't playing. The starting lineup for the Nugs? Kenneth Faried, Arron Afflalo, Andre Miller, Corey Brewer, and Timofey Mozgov. Wait, Kenneth Faried? The Nugs have a player named "Kenneth"?
The first half was tightly fought with the lead changing regularly. And, setting the tone for the evening, as long as Chris Paul was on the floor, everything was okay for the Clips. But thirteen points from Denver's Jordan Hamilton (who?) and eight assists from the miserable and loathsome Andre Miller (mostly on lobs to Mozgov, Faried, and Brewer) put the Nugs up by two at the half.
Paul stayed on the floor for the entire third quarter, and was probably the only reason the Clippers stayed close in the game. From 5 minutes remaining in the third until 10 minutes in the fourth, he had sixteen straight Clipper points. After a two minute rest with eight minutes left in the fourth, Paul came back and simply took the game over, and won it by making foul shots and feeding Griffin. For his part, Griffin hit free throws down the stretch and was a bull in the paint, grabbing loose balls, driving to the hoop, looking every bit like the All Star he is.
Unfortunately, it's impossible not to look at the bad part of this game. Randy Foye was 3 for 11, Mo Williams was 2 for 16, and Caron Butler was 3 for 7. The entire team went 7 for 27 on threes. (I was all ready to complain about Mo Williams in this game, his inability to play defense, his wild runs to the baseline without the ball, his reluctance to pass, all of it... but now I just don't have the heart. It wasn't like anybody else was much better. Except for Griffin and Paul of course... and they were wonderful.)
Substitution patterns are always an adventure for the Clipper coach Vinny Del Negro and tonight was no different. In the first half, Vinny went ten deep, and actually had Mo Williams, Ryan Gomes, Eric Bledsoe, Reggie Evans, and Kenyon Martin all on the floor at the same time. The result was not great, Clips went -5 for that stretch. Gomes and Bledsoe (-8) were never heard from again. Kenyon Martin was also not awesome tonight. He finished with five points but only one rebound, and went -5 for the game.
Okay, the first half of the season is done. The good news: I can't remember the Clippers EVER having a record as good as 20-11... and I'm pretty sure they've NEVER had two players as good as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
We'll take it, thank you, and look forward to the second half.
0 recs | 148 comments
DJ was also big
the others not so much
BelgianClipper - February 22, 2012
during the game, part of me kept thinking
That maybe Mo was affected by the break and the upcoming trade deadline…
banandy - February 22, 2012
Maybe Paul should pull a "Kobe". lol
Start complaining in public about the front office and say, “Either trade him or don’t trade him.” Apparently that makes a team win games easier.
Chris McD - February 23, 2012
Nah, Clippers are classy
Hengtime81 - February 23, 2012
Also playing Boston (lost 7 of 8), Toronto, Phoenix twice, and a struggling Portland team helps you win
Only legit team they’ve played have been Atlanta (decent) and Dallas (good).
Erik O - February 23, 2012
Then again
Our last 4 wins have been no more flashy… CHA, WAS, POR, and DEN.. all struggling.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
1st Half Season
SO glad the 1st half of the season is over. This game was pretty intense and I’m glad we came out with a win. CP3 and Blake led the charge and I knew they didn’t want to go into All-Star with a 3 game losing streak. I’m hoping both will get their much needed rest and be ready for the Wolves next Tuesday.
Hengtime81 - February 22, 2012
I think the all-star break is coming just in time
but, I’m worried about the stretch run later.
Jonee - February 23, 2012
we must get a big 2 guard before the dealine we can not afford to go into the playoffs like this
A SF to back-up as well
KillaClip - February 23, 2012
no doubt
cassellmania - February 23, 2012
Butler needs to be more aggressive as well
KillaClip - February 23, 2012
I was at the game...
Butler was riding a stationary bike in the tunnel when he subbed out. Haven’t read anything about any recent leg injury but may be reason for his sub par production?
benfromoc - February 23, 2012 via mobile
March 1st is when players can be traded
March 1st is also when the Clippers play their 33rd game, marking the real halfway point on the season.
Hopefully, by our ESPN game against the Suns March 2nd, the Clippers have another wing player for the second half of the season.
LJ Hann - February 23, 2012
It will be closer to 15th march I'm guessing
NO said after the Paul trade that patience will be key in making other trades.
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
10 day man
I read that Olshey might sign one of last friday’s workout attendees to a 10 day contract after this weekend. Makes sense being that the Clippers will be going on another long road trip, and the need for a backup SG/SF will really be needed, even in limited minutes. Can’t keep relying on big minutes from Foye and Gomes anymore.
cassellmania - February 23, 2012
seems the logical thing to do
If NO can do a good trade before the 15th march then give that man a GM of the year award already
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
Denver Stiffs got hit with the porno pics tonite
PV Mike - February 23, 2012
That guy is everywhere
no one can escape his porn bombs.
bestclipfan - February 23, 2012
Canis Hoopus got hit, too.
Cynical Jason - February 24, 2012
Two things:
The Good
-DJ’s effort on the boards
The Bad:
-The lobs allowed
dvnbtn - February 23, 2012
Glad we got the win.
Did not want to lose this one. Now if OKC can handle business tomorrow.
mustang6944 - February 23, 2012
this is the funniest thing ever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wqIHsqEaiA
andrewexd - February 23, 2012
actually this one is - the commentators are hilarious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwiFD7swcoM
andrewexd - February 23, 2012
Is it OK to start talking about trading Mo again?
He may be the only scoring option the Clips have off the bench but if he’s going to keep missing shots he doesn’t help the team at all. $8.5Mil is alot of money to pay for the production that Mo gives. If there’s any way the Clips can get two solid rotation players for Mo they have to look into it.
Oh.. and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are awesome.
Beasel - February 23, 2012
isn't this an overreaction?
It’s called an off night. He was 6 for 8 the game before on three pointers. I didn’t see anything wrong with Mo’s game last night other than that he missed shots. The shots he took were by and large good shots (the exception being the pull up three when he and Paul had a 2 on 1 break -sheesh, was that a bad decision). I expected those shots to go in, but they didn’t. But it’s one game.
Steve Perrin - February 23, 2012
+1
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
Not so much an overreaction as a final straw
Mo has been pretty bad for a good portion of games now. According to his splits at BBR Mo is shooting 35% and 32% from 3 in 13 games in February. As BelgianClipper mentioned below we knew his hot start wouldn’t last and he would regress. Right now to me it seems like he’s a smaller Steve Novak. A 3 point specialist that doesn’t provide much else on the court. And it’s not like I don’t like Mo. If the Clippers were a deeper team I would be fine with what he provides. But for how much he’s making and how much the Clippers need to add a couple of pieces, I think it’s a good idea to move Mo if possible.
For example: I know there’s no way the Clips could pull off a move like this but if you could get Luke Ridenor and Anthony Morrow ( both making around $4Mil) for Mo I would do it in a heartbeat. The Clippers should be looking for a trade that will bring 2 players for MO
Beasel - February 23, 2012
No way
You would trade Mo, a 3 point shooter for 2 more 3 point shooters that cant play defense? No is not a defensive beast but at least he can hold is own from time to time. Those 2 guys cant play defense worth a damn and another thing is Mo can run the point and he knows the plays and has good chemistry with the guys… these guys cant run the point for us. Mo has more value then your giving him credit for. Terrible idea to trade Mo.
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
your not going to hit every shot every night!
It is a compressed season and players get tired! If this team is going to go anywhere Mo is going to be a huge part of it! He was hot for a while and this is just the cool down period. Lets not overreacted with talks of trading him! There was not way we could trade him when he was hot but now you want to trade him when hes cold? not a good idea.
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
yeesh clips have been playing pretty mediocre ball for a bit
this game isn’t much of an exception despite the win. gotta start playing better, they should be better than this record. yes, im happy they’re first in their division and all that, but some of these bad losses have been irritating.
shap - February 23, 2012
Since Billups Went Down
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
No doubt CP3 and BG Led The Team Last Night
however, without DJ’s play in the first and fourth quarters the Clippers lose last night.
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
DJ's play
I really think losing minutes to KMart has affected DJ. Whether its sitting on the bench for too long or being completely forgotten about it the 4th quarter, it really seems to have bothered his play. I like the KMart signing and he’s definitely and upgrade over what Cook and Jones were doing, but I haven’t really seen anything that leads me to believe he should be getting as many minutes as DJ. Barring any foul trouble DJ should be getting around 30 minutes a game. Period.
Beasel - February 23, 2012
Your wish is Vinny's command...
DJ played 26 minutes last night, and had a pair of critical baskets (a layup and a put back) and a handful of rebounds in the last four minutes. As I was looking through the game log this morning, I’m thinking I kind of blew it on DJ. 10 and 16 is really everything you want out of the guy… especially since Evans and Martin really didn’t contribute much….
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
VDN did say that DJ was very active and that basically earned him his 4th quarter minutes
that and Keyon Martin’s back problems and Reggie picking up fouls like there was no tomorrow. My impression was that VDN mainly wants DJ to be more active on the boards.
I think the basic message was that DJ has to earn his minutes in the 4th. Sometimes he does look quite lethargic out there.
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
I Agree With The Rebounding Thing
I would also add that DJ has to be a bit more careful on trying to block so many shots. Blocks are great if you get possession of the ball immediately as a result of the block. However, all too often players who block a lot of shots are then left out of position to grab the rebound and even defend adequately if the opponent gets the ball back after the block without the play being stopped in between the block and the opponent getting the ball back.
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
+1
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
Keyon has the advantage that he is a better on man defender
and Reggie is a better rebounder. DJ tends to be a bit hit or miss from game to game (even from play to play). And coaches like to go with known quantities in the 4th quarter (see George Karl’s decision to play Al Harrington who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn in the 4th). If DJ can be focused, play good defense and clean up the boards on a consistent basis he’ll be playing in the 4th quarter.
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
+1
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
Was I the only one disappointed in DJ?
Yes, the activity was great and resulted in 16 boards. But it also seemed like he was struggling to finish around the rim, which isn’t him. He got his hands on seemingly every rebound — but let a lot of them get away. He completely missed the catch on a lob near the end that would have sealed the game early.
Maybe I’m asking too much, as he was certainly productive. But it seemed to me he could have done much more. The three fourth quarter blocks were certainly nice.
Steve Perrin - February 23, 2012
he finally was battling for boards
he and Blake were really cleaning it up. Yeah he missed some stuff but he seems to expand his range by a foot and try to do more then just dunk the ball. Didn’t work today but I have seen some nice non dunk finishes from him this season
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
personally
i think its because not to many plays go to him deep in the post. Often times he has deep position but never gets the touches…. i think vinny needs to get him more touches down there. You want him to get better on offense then you need to give him the ball every down and then in those situations. DJ is still very very young and maybe his confidence is not there because they neglect to go to him. On defense he needs to be more disciplined! he has to realize that not every shoot has to be blocked… i would really like to see him fake like hes going to go up because thats when they will try to pass it around him. If they change their minds in the last minute atleast he makes it a more difficult shot.
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
+1
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
That's funny...
As I was watching the game, I didn’t think he looked great, only later when I looked at his stats, minutes, points, rebs, and re-considered those two buckets at the end, the blocks, did I decide he actually had a good game. But Griffin and Paul were monsters.
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
As I said earlier in the season...
…when Mo couldn’t miss, he’ll have some bad shooting games. He’s a very streaky shooter. I was in favor of trading him, but that was before Chauncey went down. He’s the only decent back up point guard now, so I wouldn’t trade him. You just have to hope that he’s hot when it counts.
saxmanager - February 23, 2012
OT
but did anyone see Baron’s highlights last night? Had a ton of turnovers, but he threw a few oops. I don’t miss the lack of closing ability, but I sure miss those oops. I think Rubio will be as good, or better, a lob-thrower, but after that there’s really no one that compares to BD. CP3 included.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
Well, if you listened to Mike and Ralph last night, the king of the lob appears to be Andre Miller...
I swear his only assists were lobs.
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
Miller Looked Really Good On Those Lobs
especially the 60 foot long pass.
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
He's the king of something, all right
And it rhymes with “zouchebags.”
Swami John, do not be fooled by Andre Miller’s passing ability. Not again.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
I called him "miserable and loathsome"...
You didn’t read the post, did you? Who are you, Jax?
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
Haha I know
But you also praised his passing ability. My dislike for Andre Miller is completely irrational. He could save a busload of children, and I’d find a way to think that he did it for selfish reasons. “Pshhh this guy just wants media attention. He doesn’t even like children.”
Erik O - February 23, 2012
No. I didn't. I said Mike and Ralph called him king of the lobs.
I think the guy’s a complete a**hole and believe that he would NEVER save a busload of children from going off a cliff. He would deliberately look the other way.
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
Miller
He’d say he was teaching them a lesson. They’re young. They can’t think they’re just going to walk in here and ride a bus without going off a cliff.
Beasel - February 23, 2012
Ah my mistake
Reading comprehension was my worst score on the SAT.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
Nice
If that’s the way you want to go, I’m game
Jax - February 23, 2012
I actually think Randy Foye is a better lobber than CP3...
He just has to convince himself not to shoot.
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
Paul only throws oops when it is the best play
And because Paul > Baron in almost everything else, the best play for Paul is necessarily the best play for Baron
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
...isn't the best...
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
I hope the days off do Mo good
We need him down the stretch as it is too much for CP3 to have to carry such a load. Any stat freaks know Mo’s shooting % the last 3 games?
PV Mike - February 23, 2012
31.7%, thats including the denver game where he shot 8/16. 41% from deep which includes the 6/8 in that denver game… so except that denver game. hes been pretty bad. he hasnt shot over 40% since feb 4th against the wizards
DannyDodger - February 23, 2012
GSW, not DEN
Steve Perrin - February 23, 2012
my mistake and i had to repeat that 3 times…. its still early lol.
DannyDodger - February 23, 2012
Maybe It Is Just A Coincidence
but Billups last game was on Feb 6th.
Billups absence is hurting the Clippers in a number of ways and I think that this could be one of them. We shall see.
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
makes sense. it lets the defense put more pressure on mo when hes in and pauls out. foye and bledsoe probably arent as scary to the defense as billups was
DannyDodger - February 23, 2012
Prior to Dallas game
He was shooting 27%. So he has been picking it up some.
mustang6944 - February 23, 2012
well Mo's early season shooting stats were insane
it was only a matter of time before it balanced out. Against GSW he was 6-8 from deep so it depends from game to game
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
I'm more annoyed by the fast lay ups he tries to pull early in the shot clock
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
I think most of those come off of makes that the nuggets had
he wants a quick hitter… to me its not a bad idea… if he makes it lol
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
he has been missing those a high rate
against GSW he missed a couple. He was more effective shooting 3’s then making lay ups :s
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
as a coach I would make clear then Mo can't pull that shit when Paul is on the floor
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
thats what i was thinking too. if paul is not playing i think mo should be able to do that cause usually theres not many other scorers. but if paul is there u cant try to score without letting him touch the ball
DannyDodger - February 23, 2012
Looks at what DJ said
about true clipper fans and bandwagon fans… http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7604526 and its completely true!
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Couldn't hear the whole video for some reason the volume wouldn't go up high enough on my smartphone......
To me what is the BIG DEAL! about a bandwagon fan? isn’t it a good thing? that means your team (you root for) is doing good & people wanna come out and see what all the fuss is about, if they stay that’s a good thing, they might be permanent fans who knows.
Look, I started out a clipper fan when a teammate of mine (Riverside City College) Jarome Whitehead was on the team (San Diego Clippers) in the 70’s, 80’s
that’s the reason I became a clipper fan at this time, I had another teammate that didn’t make the team and I myself had a brief tryout and did not make it! mine was short. I don’t talk about it because it seems like eons ago.
But, like a lot of us we’d switch teams a lot win the nba became besieged with superstars, more notably michael jordan, larry bird magic johnson, ect. we just loved basketball and who ever played it well we enjoyed them no matter what team they were on.
I came back when blake griffin came to the team. So you can call me bandwagoner or whatever but I have a connection that nobody can take away from me.
maybe I don’t know the true definition of a bandwagoner you can school me if you’d like.
yours truly an ex-Clipper sort of!
ThaFoX - February 23, 2012 via Android app
here is jerome whiteheads wikipedia file....
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Whitehead
ThaFoX - February 23, 2012 via Android app
I dislike bandwagon fans
because I feel they come only when things are good which to me beats the true meaning of being fan which is to stick with a team through thick and thin. Bandwagoners skip the thin and head straight to the thick and comeback acting like they have been here all along.
bestclipfan - February 23, 2012
What he was saying was
You can tell the difference between a true clippers fan and a bandwagon… while at the game the true clipper fans are up screaming and yelling the whole time and the bandwagon fans are just sitting there waiting for something to happen.
I think its a huge deal!! We need our true fans when we are at home… you want the crowd to get into it! and more often then not the crowd, other then the true fans, are quiet! The DJ is imploring the crowd to get into on every possession offense and defense but when you have a large group of bandwagon fans how is the crowd going to get into it?
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Funny, Pop loses 3 starters on purpose and gets blown out….Karl loses 3 starters due to injury and they fight tough for 3.5 quarters…
Lawler's Law - February 23, 2012
Lotta George Karl Hate on Denver Blog.
PV Mike - February 23, 2012
yeah insanely much
the guy basically doesn’t flinch for a rebuilding project after losing their superstar. And everybody at the Denver Blog screams: sack the coach!
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
Just proves that fans are never satisfied
I’ll gladly trade them coaches.
bestclipfan - February 23, 2012
I thought it was interesting that Karl didn't mess with his rotations much.
The bench guys still came in at their usual times. He’s an interesting coach. Weirder and weirder looking every year too. But you know, Vinny’s a way-better dresser.
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
Might be a case of shouldn't mess with what's not broken
Until the 4th quarter, the lineups were working. His depleted lineup were going toe to toe with the Clippers starting five. It was until Harrington started to miss the open 3’s that started to seal the deal up. Should it have been time to take out Harrington since he looked exhausted? Maybe, but as it was, the Nuggets were short handed and I’d have to give Karl credit as well as the Nuggets for being able to stick it out even though many of their key players were missing.
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
give them VDN...ungrateful bastards. Other teams would love to have Karl.
tenkaistar - February 23, 2012
Yea this makes no sense to me!
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
well Denver is quite deep
and a few rookies played their mind out last night.
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
Hamilton! how about that guy!
clippers go after that guy! lol
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
He Joins Ekpe Udoh
who only had 0 points and 4 rebounds last night? in the “Nobodies That Light Up The Clippers” club.
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
Seriously!!! WTF!!!
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
he was owning DJ big time
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
I really hope we don't have to bring back the
“superstar for a game” segment. I thought times were achanging when I didn’t feel that some no name guy was going to come in and put up big numbers against the clips, game in game out. Hopefully this break will do the team good.
osamu - February 23, 2012
Still the scariest playoff opponent to me.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
Not for me, no.
Nuggets are a great team, no doubt, but they’re not as experienced, like the Clippers. In a 7 game series in the playoffs, experienced teams scare me much more. Basically almost every team that are ahead of us (in the West only of course) such as OKC and Spurs and also one team below us (Dallas.) Denver is a good team, I won’t discredit that, but come playoffs, if we face Dallas or San Antonio, I’d be more worried. They’ve been there, they’re hungry, they’ve played together for a while, and more importantly, they have more experienced coaches.
San Antonio easily showed us why they have been and still are one of the best in the West and why Pop is easily better then Vinny. Duncan has lost a few steps here and there, but his productions is still somewhat similar. He still plays classic fundamental basketball and I’d take that over Griffin’s wild style. Come playoff time when Duncan starts playing more than 28 minutes, Duncan is only going to get a lot better. Whatever the case is, we tend to like to think that we’re quicker and more athletic than San Antonio, but they’re still a better defending team with experience to back them up. San Antonio is scarier then they look, and they look pretty damn scary.
Dallas is another team I’d be on the lookouts for. Those Texas teams are really worrying me for some reason. They’re also 10 deep with veterans. They’ve fallen a bit off the watch for most fans again, but not me. Same with Duncan, Dirk is still unstoppable. That fade away jumper is still money. They may have lost key players such as Chandler, Brea, and Butler, but they’re still 21-13 while starting 1-5.
And don’t get be wrong, Denver is still a scary-good team, but the 3 (OKC, Spurs, and DAL) are teams that worry me a bit more.
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
It's the mix of athleticism and depth that concerns me
Yes, we have more experience than them, but from a matchups standpoint, their second unit would REALLY give ours trouble, especially if they get Wilson Chandler back. Dallas and San Antonio too. LAL and OKC don’t really concern me all that much for this reason.
But I will contradict myself somewhat and say that Philly and Denver are showing how great depth is, but having a closer is greater. Perhaps in a 7 game series, the closers are the important pieces.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
If they get Wilson Chandler back
yeah they get tons better.
But Dallas has close to 12 deep as well. They’re not the most athletic team, but they have almost everything you’ve mentioned: dept, a closer, and experience.
As with OKC, they look good. Scary good. Their second unit isn’t as good as Denver’s, but they make things look incredibly easily against terrible defense, and trust me, the Clippers have something very close to terrible defense. What’s a 7 point lead against them seems like it can easily be vanished whereas a 7 point lead would mean we need to start scoring FAST before the leads get out hand.
For Denver, however, I’m not completely convinced they are finals material. Yes there are teams that have won without a clear closer. To name one, the obvious team that comes to mind was Detroit. But keep in mind Detroit was #2 in defense that year (probably should be #1 but whatever), and did very well with that. Denver’s defense isn’t even close. Their defense rating is 104.1 (18th in the NBA) which isn’t bad, but they allow 100.9 (29/30.) The good news for them is that their offensive rating is 2nd, but again, I believe defense is key to winning championship, and relying heavily on offense isn’t going to work all the time.
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
I don't think Denver is championship material at all
Just potentially good enough to knock teams out of the playoffs. Maybe 1 round, but that’s it.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
They can't win
They have no closer
Jax - February 23, 2012
Yeah that's proving to be a problem
Kind of showing why a high win-producing team made of Marcus Cambys and Ben Wallaces can’t really win in a playoff setting. If only because coaches are stuck to this system where they iso their best player in the last 3 minutes of every game.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
Well, I'm not into the "win-producing" thing
and would bet if those two were the focal point of any team they wouldn’t win much. Their “wins” are dependent on complimentary players. But I agree with the larger point.
Jax - February 24, 2012
Re: "wins" being dependent on complimentary players
Their “wins” seem more dependent on rebounding and other methods of providing extra possessions, and then the assumption that extra possessions mean extra buckets. Of course, as you say, that’s assuming you can actually score buckets with those extra possessions. Maybe over the course of the game you can, but in crunch time, we’re seeing that without a go-to shot-creator, scoring buckets in the final minutes tends to be hard. This is probably because, as I mentioned, coaches like to iso their star player on the final plays, but until that trend changes (which it never has) star scorers are going to be required for true contention.
Erik O - February 24, 2012
(in the modern age)
Erik O - February 24, 2012
well...
Duncan/Parker/Ginobili > Nene/Gallo/Lawson … and Denver has the rep for being deep, so you’d expect them to have a better chance despite injuries. Still, you never know what’s going to happen. Jordan Hamilton for 18? Think George Karl was expecting that?
Steve Perrin - February 23, 2012
well that is the beauty of having some players injured
it creates opportunities for other players. Ask Lin :)
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
That’s why I don’t understand Pop being criticized (Ireland on 710 especifically) for sitting Duncan and Parker. Not his fault his reserves sucked that night and were just as exhausted!
Lawler's Law - February 23, 2012
A Lot Of People
have the opinion that a coach should play his stars especially when they are good, because a bunch of people buy tickets to watch those stars play when that team comes to town. Its putting the fans before the team thinking.
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
I agree
I think from a larger perspective, Pop would say that the fans don’t know what’s best for them, and if they want a championship, they’ll take a loss. But from the single game perspective, and from the individual fan perspective, paying all that money to see your team throw a game is downright disgraceful. Could very easily have lost 19,000 fans in one night.
Erik O - February 23, 2012
Plus
Lots of teams have won championships without throwing any games mid-season to rest their players. If you can’t win that way, then you probably don’t deserve to win a ring.
I should note, it’s more forgivable (though still annoying) at the end of a season because at least the fans should expect it (and hopefully the tickets are cheaper—-synonymous to pre-season games maybe).
Erik O - February 23, 2012
I Watched The Blazers Whip The Butts Of The Spurs
I think even the Spurs players on the court took the night off. Portland has been losing at home and is right now borderline top eight They had a lot more at stake in this game than the Spurs did. A lot of those guys that played heavy minutes for the Spurs in that game are regular rotation players who normally play fewer minutes. Did the Spurs that played lay down? I won’t go that far but I think they were just going through motions to a great extent.
Denver is also a borderline playoff team so they need every win they can get. Karl was able to get his guys ready and they played hard. Good for Karl, but I wouldn’t use these two games to even begin to think that Karl is as good a coach as Pop. Just saying.
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
That's right...
The Nugs don’t have the luxury of phoning one in. The Spurs do.
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
true
and honestly its not a problem for me for the spurs to give up a game that just give the clippers a chance to get back their spot from them!
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
+1
Buddahfan - February 23, 2012
History Lesson!
The Clippers haven’t, but the Buffalo Braves did. In 1974-75 they notched their 20th win on the 28th game of the season. They would win their 21st game in Game 29 before going on a bit of a losing streak (6 of the next 7.)
Michael White - February 23, 2012
yep! i was born the year the clippers came to LA
so i dont remember them having this start. my best season and worst season to watch was the 2006 clippers, best because they made the playoff and worst because they lost to the suns, which they should have beat and which is why Raja Bell is and will forever be on top of my most hated players list because of that corner 3 her hit.
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Looking through that season, one thing that stood out to me was the number of games played in different cities. The Braves played 6 home games in Toronto and played one away game at the Celtics in Providence, RI. I think that’s a really cool way to expand a fanbase. I realize there are financial challenges which all but rule out this option today, but I think it would be cool if the Clips played 1 or 2 games a year in San Diego. Make San Diego a Clipper town again.
Michael White - February 23, 2012
They did it in the pond for a couple of years...
Back before the Staples Center days, I think they had some home games. I had season tickets then and drove down there for a game. It was far. That’s all I remember.
Is there an arena in San Diego?
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
sdsu maybe
Blakeshow - February 23, 2012
Great article on Kmart!
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers-clippers-20120223,0,7223916.column?page=1&utm_medium=feed&track=rss&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20latimes%2Fsports%20%28L.A.%20Times%20-%20Sports%29&utm_source=feedburner
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Our rebounding!
is anyone else excited that our rebounding has gone from dead last to 12th? i mean thats a huge jump isnt it??? why arent more people talking about that? Can anyone remember a team going from last to possible top 5 in the league at rebounding? At this rate the clippers will be a top 5 rebounding team.
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Our illustrious Steve Perrin
gave us a blog that let us talk about it.
http://www.clipsnation.com/2012/2/21/2815485/los-angeles-clippers-rebounding-and-reggie-evans
mustang6944 - February 23, 2012
Last night
During the game, I kind of thought that it was a possibility that these Nuggets bench players who got to start last night wanted to play extra hard to show George Karl that they are worthy of some extra minutes when the regular starters come back, which is why the game was a battle until midway in the 4th where I think the Nuggets lost momentum and energy.
No matter what lineup Karl had on the floor, it was still a great win for the Clippers. CP3 and Blake played their hearts out and I hope their fire and energy can rub off to their teammates in the 2nd half of the season.
Hengtime81 - February 23, 2012
My one hope now
is that with this all star break vinny is gonna be able to get some rest and then hopefully get into the file room and come up with some better set plays and look at how to better utilize guys like caron for pick and pop scores and how to get DJ the ball in deep post position and how to get easy baskets from time to time so as not to turn us into a jump shooting team
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Good recap there Raffo
Kinda feels like Vinny is still trying to get a better sense of what is the best rotation to use aside from the Clippers starting five. But something like that might be best left when the game isn’t as close as tonight.
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
Yes, he seems to be looking for depth...
I think his instincts are correct. He sees twenty games coming up in March and knows he can’t play his starters 35 minutes a game. He’s thinking… if I can get Gomes and Bledsoe going it’ll be better for everyone.
The problem is when you put out a lineup like Evans, Martin, Williams, Bledsoe, and Gomes, you’re paddling up stream. Williams can’t defend at all, and your three bigs can’t score. And Williams and Bledsoe both pretend to be point guards, but aren’t. Vinny’s got to mix those guys in with the starters… particularly Chris Paul. But Paul is the guy who needs the most rest. It’s a conundrum.
John Raffo - February 23, 2012
On Bledsoe
Bledsoe doesn’t look to have improve much from last year. He’s still wild. He’s like Mike Taylor. He over dribbles. Hopefully Chris Paul can teach a thing or two about ball handling to Bledsoe because it doesn’t seem like Vinny is getting to him. Regardless, I’m starting to believe Bledsoe is not a right fit for us. He’s buried in a team with too many point guards. We can start him at the two, but I rather have a more natural two guard. It’s too bad that Bledsoe’s value is pretty damn low after being hurt and not having much time. Then again, I’ve never really seen Bledsoe blending in with the Clippers, and unlike most citizens, never saw all the hype in Bledsoe. He’s fast and athletic, but I like I said, so was Mike Taylor. To me, Eric Bledsoe reminds me a lot like Mike Taylor: limited range, relies heavily on speed, but doesn’t know how to use their speed.
And you’re right. Playing Evans, Martin, Williams, Bledsoe, and Gomes are against the odds. Spot on on Williams being unable to defend and the bigs not being consistent in scoring. Playing hard defense doesn’t make it good defense. Williams just doesn’t have the length to bother opponents. I just don’t see why Vinny doesn’t rotate the starters more. Just because the best results are usually having Griffin and Paul together doesn’t mean they always have to be together. Paul can play with Martin and Foye while Griffin can play with Butler and Mo and etc. That’s not to say Paul and Griffin can’t play together at all, but without one of the two on the floor, our offense looks dreadful. Kind of reminds me of Golden State, the offense is all over the place.
One thing I absolutely hate seeing is the 3 guard line up. I can’t stand watching a combination of Paul-Williams-Foye or Paul-Williams-Bledsoe or whatever. I rather see Gomes in, as much as I hate to say it. I’m not fond of Gomes, but he provides much better defense than Foye and he doesn’t chuck up as much shots.
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
I think your overreacting about bledsoe just alittle bit
you forget that hes only in his second year and has surgery on his knee! i dont care who you are but thats going to affect your play and progression, especially if you’re young with a fragile mind.
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Yes and no
I like to think my analysis on Bledsoe’s game is fairly accurate:
And yes, it is his second year. But how needed is Bledsoe when there’s Williams and Paul? Bledsoe should be a 1, but he plays like a 2. If we had a real 2, Bledsoe probably wouldn’t even be playing any minutes.
I guess the difference for me is I never saw what other people saw in Bledsoe. Lol. Never really saw him as the point guard for our future (even with the Bledsoe-Gordon-Griffin-Jordan era.)
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
hmmm i dont know
ive seen flashes of what he could be and when he does it looks great. And again you keep saying limited range, relies heavily on speed, but doesnt know how to use their speed…. ummmm i dont know about you but that pretty much sounds like a lot of second years plays still trying to figure it out lol give it some time some guys take longer to develop then others
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Every player has flashes
Mike Taylor gave us a false glimpse of 35 points at one point. Al Thornton looked to have Vince Carter potential. Heck, even Ike Diogu showed promise. The idea here is that all these players had potential. Does Bledsoe have potential? Hell yeah he does, but the question is how far will he get him into his game? I simply just don’t see Bledsoe taking it a notch above and being a star. And maybe we don’t even have to say star, but a quality starter on a good team.
You can disagree, but that’s okay. Opinions differ. I don’t see Bledsoe in our future, especially since the current position is being occupied by Paul. How likely is Paul to stay after two years? You and I both have no clue, but as it stands, the Clippers are going to want to invest around Paul and Griffin. Which means that if they need a trade asset, Bledsoe is an option.
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
Don't get me wrong, any win is a good win...
but the defense was atrocious for most of the first half, and the team has played mediocre basketball ever since Billups got hurt.
82-0 - February 23, 2012
Trade Options
Earlier someone mentioned Morrow & Ridour as trade options – who else do people feel is out there & maybe available? I agree with Barkley – if we got J.R. Smith (and stay healthy) we’re in the Western Conf. finals. Now we are a shooter away still…
John M - February 23, 2012
They could benefit from another shooter but
Foye, Mo and Butler went 8-34 last nite. If they shoot better, this would be no contest.
rouse77 - February 23, 2012
This is all a product of design.
Vinny isnt optimizing these guys to play with their best potential… Mo will have cold night just like every shooter in the league will have at one point. Foye is a good slasher just a horrible decision maker but vinny insist on having foye with the ball with 4 seconds left on the shot clock. Butler has an amazing midrange game but vinny is content on leaving him on the 3pt line instead of getting the ball to him more with pick and pops.
My dukie twinkles - February 23, 2012
Yes
clips03bg - February 23, 2012 via mobile
No
chrisd - February 23, 2012
Hmm maybe
Erik O - February 23, 2012
JUMBACO!
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
nuggets fan here
great game last night. always a thing of beauty and frustrating as hell to watch cp3 do his thing. the hate that you see on the nuggets blog for GK stems mainly from his rotations and suspect substitution patterns. playing small, not utilizing the rookies, etc… his late game management has been horrendous as at least 5 of the last however many games we lost, we had leads in the last 6 minutes of the game. part of it is the players fault for not making baskets, but when you have old guys like harrington and miller who play from the middle of the 3rd quarter to the end of the game with no rest, its hard to drive and hit shots, even if they are open. an example of the bad sub patterns is on jordans put back dunk at the end of the game. he took out faried (arguably our best rebounder) and put in jordan hamilton for offense. a good idea if you are actually capable of rebounding the ball. but blake and jordan vs al harrington and corey brewer is not a rebounding matchup in our favor. expand choice like this since the playoffs last year and that is why there is so much GK hate on stiffs.
again great game. hope to see you guys in the playoffs when both teams are at 100%
Kevin #3 - February 23, 2012
You have NO idea what truly horrific coaching is...
we witness it every night. I’ll take GK’s rotations over a lot of VDN’s rotations any day of the week.
82-0 - February 23, 2012
Good example
but same goes for Vinny. Mo Williams, Ryan Gomes, Eric Bledsoe, Reggie Evans, and Kenyon Martin together? That’s horrendous rotation. I agree that Harrington looked dog gone tired, but you have to admit that George Karl > VDN…
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
Not to mention
the VDN has some pretty bad timeout management also..
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
i would agree with that
but thats where the GK hate is coming from. most of us feel like we should be fight you guys and the spurs in the upper echelon instead of fighting to stay in the playoff hunt
Kevin #3 - February 23, 2012
I think most Clippers fan feel the same
that the Nuggets are a good team. But I’d give GK a bit of credit. He has no stars yet the Nuggets are in the hunt and the Nuggets stayed very close despite missing three key pieces last night.
Yeah I probably wouldn’t be too happy if my Clippers lost a close winnable game, but if my team stayed close without Butler, Paul and Griffin, it wouldn’t be too bad.
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
My god man
What did you do to Kevins #1 and #2? Are they safe??
Erik O - February 23, 2012
Poetland...
JackduhSun - February 23, 2012
Oh no...
Erik O - February 24, 2012
Caron needs to bring it
I get that he might have tired legs, but as much as folks say DJ and Foye are off, I’d say Caron is barometer at least offensively. He non-existent last night and seems to bring little else when his shot’s not falling. Also, forces VDN to play the three guard lineup or worse, Gomes, to spell him, which then compounds are rotational issues.
ganima - February 23, 2012
Butler has been remarkably consistent
for a guy that depends on mid range jumpers for a lot of his offence.
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
I don't really get this
whole season we complain that Paul and Griffin are unable to really connect, that Paul needs to be more dominant, that Griffin needs to be better. Then you get a game were Paul and Griffin take over and play like the dominant PG-PF combo we hoped and everyone is disappointed.
On sunday this Denver team + Lawson fought OKC all the way and OKC was lucky to get to overtime.
Boxscore
Durant and Westbrook scored 91 points, Ibaka had a blocking triple double, Harden and Cook combined for 3-18 at SG and bench scoring for OKC except for Harden was non-existent. And everyone was mighty impressed by that.
We do more or less the same and everyone goes: oh no…
BelgianClipper - February 23, 2012
I'm not going to speak for everyone else.
But to me, that Thunder box score is exactly why they are beatable come playoff time (That and no true post up game). Durant is going to get his obviously, but you make Westbrook have to beat you. I would run a 2nd defender all day at Durant, and rotate to Harden and Cook, but leave Westbrook open. If he beats you, fine; however, I’d take my chances with him over Durant any day, especially over a playoff series.
MikeV7297 - February 24, 2012
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