POAT GAME LAC

LAC-108 BOS-103

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Injuries are catching up and integrating new players is not easy but also the C's consistently play to the level of the competition...I am not surprised at all.

Rondo has to have his attitude up. He's not with the program. He looks disinterested. Doc was pissed on a play that took for ever for Rondo to set up towards the end.

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bobc33 wrote:Huummm, going to have to look hard for glimmers on this one.

How about Sasha and Carlos looked decent out there tonight for us?

How 'bout 20 and 9 for Krstic?

KG's 5 for 19 killed us. If he just shoots 8 for 19 (42%) we win the game by 1.

Despite all the obvious in this game, we had our chances at the end. I can't be pissed about that. We've seen several times this season where the stars align and nothing falls.

What I am going to be pissed about is if we lose out 1st place in the East to CHI because we lost to the LAC at home late in the season. I'm pretty certain CHI is going to drop games like this to the end of the season, but I just didn't want us being the ones drawing first blood.

Rondo needs some time on the bench. He's regressing back to his first season here.

How soft was Krstic at #5? Jordan looked like Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points against the Knicks! No one physically challenged him. Howard will feast on us if that will be our response!

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How is Chole? Jordan didn't score on one on one post ups,it was all penetration and him backcutting for lobs, so if we can stop penetration, actually come playoff time were gonna have to. Boy do I regret Danny not drafting Jordan, his post D on KG was excellent.

cow

We had some very good looks in the first half and few fell.

Clips got too many inside shots and also made a few to many uncontested three's, to their credit they did play well. We didn't. Dug to big a hole to get out of this time.

Babys beef might have helped a bit as would Shaq's. Off game for several players. Yet despite all the negatives, Arroyo looked good as did Sasha.

Hopefully we compete from the opening tip next game.

beat

Thanks, for asking about Chloe. Eye sight back to about 60%. She went for spinal tap on Tuesday and we should have results in a few weeks.!

Jordan is a stud but we need to send messages to people flying down our lane!

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My video link went down with about 7-8 minutes left in the game, so all my observations are based upon the first 40-41 minutes.

We started out icy and stayed icy for the first half, while the Clips came to play. I have to say, though, I'm not that upset about losing this game. Sure, I want to win them all, but I don't feel we lost because we stunk. I thought we lost because Rondo's tired and KG missed bunnies that you'd bet the ranch on him making. If either one of those two players aren't that, we win.

1. I'm liking Krstic more and more. He's never going to be The Beast on defense, but he does a lot of things better than Perk ever did and probably ever will do. This game would have gotten even uglier if it hadn't been for him in the first. He was the only player that came out of the locker room ready to play. 9 rebounds, 6 of them offensive. God, I love that. 7-10 fgs and 6-7fts for 20 points. I suppose Perk has shot 70% (he was a high % shooter) but did he ever take 10fga? 6-7 fts we know would be cause for celebration with Perk, but is considered the norm for Krstic. I don't know Perk's all-time high score, but 20 must be pretty damn close, and yet I think Krstic could do that again and again and again if we ran the plays for him OR if we executed and made his man leave him alone on the O-boards. Doc asked Larry Frank, in an earlier game, if this kind of offensive rebounding was normal for Krstic and Frank replied "if it was I'd stll be in NJ". It looks like Krstic figured that out, because this isn't the first game we've seen him so effective there. Krstic's developing game and integration into this team is definitely a 'glimmer'.

2. DeAndre Jordan is the new Shaq. DeAndre Jordan is the new Dwight Howard. DeAndre Jordan could have been anybody he wanted last night. The Clips did a good job taking advantage of the Celtics help defense and fed him the ball at the rim. 9-10? Gimme a break. So, the question is "did Jordan suddenly become an all-star, or was it Krstic's fault on defense, or was it something else?". I say 'it was something else'. Unless you are hopelessly overmatched, a player doesn't usually give up that many dunks and I don't think Krstic was THAT overmatched. Our perimeter defense was not particularly good last night. Mo Williams was running away from Rondo. Griffin was feeding Jordan in transition. #1 rule is "stop the ball" and we didn't do a good job last night doing that. That's why I don't blame Krstic for Jordan's big night. Krstic was coming over because other players were letting their guys through, leaving Jordan free on the baseline. The Ball is over, time for DeAndre Jordan to turn back into the pumpkin he has been for most of this season.

3. Rajon Rondo succeeded in making Mo Williams something he never earned before, he made him an all-star. Mo completely outplayed Rondo last night. 9-17 shooting and 5-7 from 3.

4. I think it is clear now that Rondo is very tired. Fatigue was in clear display last night. He made a couple of steals and couldn't outrun the competition downcourt. When he did penetrate, he didn't explode into the lane, he just turned the corner and went halfway to the rim and tried to float a shot in. He has been playing a lot of minutes the past few months due to the injury to West and Nate's inability to play point (there were several games where Rondo and Nate were in together, which completely negated the whole idea of using Nate to rest Rondo). What is concerning me a bit now, is that the 2-3 days rest he just got didn't seem to be enough.

5. I think Rondo's replacement, Carlos Arroyo, looked better than Rondo last night. Considering he has only had 1, maybe 2, practices with the team, he seemed to have good courtvision and found his teammates with passes. He took, what I felt, was 1 questionable shot, but his other two shots (which he hit) came out of the flow of the offense and looked good. He's a pass first/shoot second point guard and that's what this team is used to and needs. For all the reasons I mentioned above, we need Carlos to do well and ramp up quickly.

6. KG missed 7 shots from 5' and in. In any other game on any other day, he hits a minimum of 4 of those and we win. It happens. It did happen. Oh well. On the bright side, Blake Griffin's 4-14 wasn't that much better than KG's 5-19. Blake Griffin is still exciting to watch though, isn't he?

7. Randy Foye, who did sooo well in the game against us in LA got punked by the old master. Ray Allen struggled in the beginning (all but disappearing in the second quarter) but came on strong.

8. I'm liking Sasha's defense. He's playing hard and tough. It's possible, and I stress the word possible, that he'll make me change my mind about Euro's defensive play. He must have taken Doc's comments about how "as long as you keep playing defense like that I don't care if you score at all" to heart. Works for me.

9. Troy was a non-factor who only played 5 minutes. I'm still trying to be patient here.

10. One of my favorite overachieving, not-flashy, meat-and-potatos NBA tweeners, Ryan Gomes, had another solid outing last night. I don't think the Clips will ever go far into the playoffs with him starting, but he'd be awesome as a bench player.

Considering we were down by over 20 at one point I think it's good we came back as much as we did.

Chicago is 2 games in the loss column behind us. We are 2-1 against them head-to-head so far and have one more game, in Chicago, left so we're guaranteed no worse than a tie there and we are 4 games up on them vs the EC (conference record is the 2nd tiebreaker for teams that are not in the same division). We still have some breathing room and, therefore, the ability to rest Rondo and integrate our newbies. Another reason why I'm not that freaked about losing this one.

bob

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Hi,
Speaking about RR. Is it just fatigue or there's certain portion of a mental factor?
I didn't watch the 3rd and most of the 4th quarters but what I did watch looked very similar to the game with GSW: 1st half - going through motions, absolutely no defense, 2nd half - "Are we supposed to win? Oh... OK...Well... Let's do it". I hope it doesn't become a trend.

AK

I like reading everyone's post-game comments, but I really enjoy BobH's summaries. With apologies to Bob, I'll offer my own comments since I have more background than most on the Clippers.

1. News bulletin no. 1 -- the Clippers have talent. News bulletin no. 2 -- the Celtics can beat the Clips nine times out of 10 if they decide to apply themselves defensively for an entire game, not just 15 minutes.

Blame this loss on a lack of commitment defensively, not injuries, integrating the new players, or anything else. The Clippers scored 60 in the first half against a team allowing 91.9 a game this season. When the Clippers led 75-59 with under three minutes to go in the third, the Celtics turned on the defensive intensity for the next nine minutes to pull within 86-83. If they'd given half that effort in the first half, the Celtics would've been pulling away in the fourth, not catching up.

The Celtics obviously have a lot of injury issues, but the Clippers are missing their best player, Eric Gordon, and their roster is far less deep than the Celtics'. If the effort is there, this game is a W for Boston.

2. Something is up with Rondo. I don't know if it's injuries, moping over the loss of Perk, or a parasite tunneling into the attitude center of his brain, but whatever it is, they better figure it out in the next month. Other than injuries, this has more potential to derail Boston's playoff success than anything. He had three steals, but his individual defensive was remarkably poor. On offense, that brain-burrowing insect is severly affecting his decision-making. He had only two turnovers, but I saw multiple occasions when he forced a high-risk pass and got away with it because it bounced off a Clipper and the Celtics retained possession. He decided the best way to attack the Clippers' scheme of leaving him unguarded was to shoot it -- he had 15 attempts, four more than Pierce and only two less than Ray. If the problem is that his hamstring or foot is taking away his speed advantage, then why is he playing such heavy minutes? (He's at 38.0 minutes per game this season, 10th most in the league, and has played over 40 minutes in 10 of the last 19,)

3. DeAndre Jordan was a beast, and you saw the upside of his athletic gifts and enormous potential. The hope is that someday he'll be more consistent and maybe develop an offensive game (his effective range right now is about 12 inches). He's young and doesn't really understand the game -- I almost laughed at one point when the Clippers were inbounding the ball after a Celtic score, and Jordan turned around to receive the inbound pass (just get your butt up the court, big guy, the guards can handle it). On nights like this, I'm not sure Shaq or Davis would've made much difference because of Jordan's length (pre-draft measurements show him with a 7'6 wingspan and standing reach of 9' 5.5") and athleticism. The easiest way to neutralize him is to get him in foul trouble, and the easiest way to energize him is allow him to dunk the ball. You didn't see much of the first approach, but you saw a lot of the second.

4. Krstic played a solid game. It will be interesting to see how he plays against Chicago, because I think the Clippers' exposed to an extent his limitations against long, mobile bigs. But he was a solid contributor, getting 20 points on 10 shots and showing life in the first half when no one else did. What I can see him doing against a team like Chicago is competing for rebounds that are ultimately secured by another Celtic who wouldn't get them if he hadn't been competing. When you expend effort like that, it doesn't always show up on your line in the box score, but considering that he does that and his stat line still looks pretty good, that's a big plus.

5. Arroyo looked good. I was surprised to see Doc play him in tandem with Rondo as much as he did (of Arroyo's 15 minutes, 10 were with Rondo). I'd think that he'd replace Rondo more than play with him, especially if Rondo's issues are physical, but we'll see how Doc uses him.

6. One of the biggest shortcomings of the Celtics offense last night was making Ray an afterthought. It seemed like they hardly ever ran plays for him. I was surprised to see that he had 17 attempts, and he was the leading scorer for the Celtics with 23, but I thought they should've gone to him more. I'd certainly be willing to give some of Rondo's attempts to Ray.

7. KG's shot was off last night, and that happens. It seemed to me that he was off defensively too, and that also happens, though not as often. He didn't rise to the occasion in the first half. It's a long season on older legs, and for someone who depends on an exceptional energy level, there are some nights when the energy isn't quite there. I could almost see him thinking in the first half, "Geez, I'm a little off tonight, and we have to play the SuperClippers," though I don't think the word he would use is "geez."

8. Blake Griffin is good, but he is limited offensively to powering over his defender, often for a highlight-reel dunk, or making a spin move, usually to his right. He's started using a midrange bank shot, but he doesn't look confident in it (he missed one last night and didn't attempt another when given the opportunity). KG is the perfect defender for him -- length can give him trouble (Griffin looked short next to KG, and KG has those long arms). Many people have said it, and it's true -- if Griffin develops a midrange game and outside shot, he can be very, very good.

9. The Clippers' complementary players generally did well. Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, and Eric Bledsoe have been doing this consistently enough that I'm surprised when they don't play well rather than when they do. I like Craig Smith too, but he's been limited by injuries. Kaman is coming along after returning from his ankle injury, and I'd like to see more of Kaman and Jordan together, plus Kaman-Jordan-Griffin. What a beastly front line, with Griffin overpowering any 3 that attempts to guard him, Kaman and Jordan's length posing problems for anyone, and Kaman's offensive versatility offsetting/complementing Jordan's post threat. Combine that with Eric Gordon and Mo Williams, plus Foye, Gomes, and Bledsoe, and these guys could be really good. If they could get a new owner (and probably a new coach, but the jury's still out there), I'd actually believe it could happen.

Outside

bob

No 4 on your post is exactly why I'm pissed at Delonte, not the way he plays, he can't get on the floor!! USELESS, finally Danny said if you can't do your job, I'll get someone else.....about time. Because of Delonte, Rondo is ragged,hes not old......its always something with this guy.

Having gotten that out, hope he proves me wrong in playoffs, he better!!!

cow

cowens/oldschool wrote:bob

No 4 on your post is exactly why I'm pissed at Delonte, not the way he plays, he can't get on the floor!! USELESS, finally Danny said if you can't do your job, I'll get someone else.....about time. Because of Delonte, Rondo is ragged,hes not old......its always something with this guy.

Having gotten that out, hope he proves me wrong in playoffs, he better!!!

cow

cow,

I think your point is on the money and West's brittleness is starting to be a genuine concern. I'm happy we picked up Arroyo because he can help and we needed another pass first point, but West's abscence is has cost us until now. Delonte, being a combo guard who can guard up to 3 positions effectively (depending on who the other teams 3 is), would make a huge impact for us. If he was ever on the floor that is!

regards

Outside wrote:I like reading everyone's post-game comments, but I really enjoy BobH's summaries. With apologies to Bob, I'll offer my own comments since I have more background than most on the Clippers.

1. News bulletin no. 1 -- the Clippers have talent. News bulletin no. 2 -- the Celtics can beat the Clips nine times out of 10 if they decide to apply themselves defensively for an entire game, not just 15 minutes.

Blame this loss on a lack of commitment defensively, not injuries, integrating the new players, or anything else. The Clippers scored 60 in the first half against a team allowing 91.9 a game this season. When the Clippers led 75-59 with under three minutes to go in the third, the Celtics turned on the defensive intensity for the next nine minutes to pull within 86-83. If they'd given half that effort in the first half, the Celtics would've been pulling away in the fourth, not catching up.

The Celtics obviously have a lot of injury issues, but the Clippers are missing their best player, Eric Gordon, and their roster is far less deep than the Celtics'. If the effort is there, this game is a W for Boston.

2. Something is up with Rondo. I don't know if it's injuries, moping over the loss of Perk, or a parasite tunneling into the attitude center of his brain, but whatever it is, they better figure it out in the next month. Other than injuries, this has more potential to derail Boston's playoff success than anything. He had three steals, but his individual defensive was remarkably poor. On offense, that brain-burrowing insect is severly affecting his decision-making. He had only two turnovers, but I saw multiple occasions when he forced a high-risk pass and got away with it because it bounced off a Clipper and the Celtics retained possession. He decided the best way to attack the Clippers' scheme of leaving him unguarded was to shoot it -- he had 15 attempts, four more than Pierce and only two less than Ray. If the problem is that his hamstring or foot is taking away his speed advantage, then why is he playing such heavy minutes? (He's at 38.0 minutes per game this season, 10th most in the league, and has played over 40 minutes in 10 of the last 19,)

3. DeAndre Jordan was a beast, and you saw the upside of his athletic gifts and enormous potential. The hope is that someday he'll be more consistent and maybe develop an offensive game (his effective range right now is about 12 inches). He's young and doesn't really understand the game -- I almost laughed at one point when the Clippers were inbounding the ball after a Celtic score, and Jordan turned around to receive the inbound pass (just get your butt up the court, big guy, the guards can handle it). On nights like this, I'm not sure Shaq or Davis would've made much difference because of Jordan's length (pre-draft measurements show him with a 7'6 wingspan and standing reach of 9' 5.5") and athleticism. The easiest way to neutralize him is to get him in foul trouble, and the easiest way to energize him is allow him to dunk the ball. You didn't see much of the first approach, but you saw a lot of the second.

4. Krstic played a solid game. It will be interesting to see how he plays against Chicago, because I think the Clippers' exposed to an extent his limitations against long, mobile bigs. But he was a solid contributor, getting 20 points on 10 shots and showing life in the first half when no one else did. What I can see him doing against a team like Chicago is competing for rebounds that are ultimately secured by another Celtic who wouldn't get them if he hadn't been competing. When you expend effort like that, it doesn't always show up on your line in the box score, but considering that he does that and his stat line still looks pretty good, that's a big plus.

5. Arroyo looked good. I was surprised to see Doc play him in tandem with Rondo as much as he did (of Arroyo's 15 minutes, 10 were with Rondo). I'd think that he'd replace Rondo more than play with him, especially if Rondo's issues are physical, but we'll see how Doc uses him.

6. One of the biggest shortcomings of the Celtics offense last night was making Ray an afterthought. It seemed like they hardly ever ran plays for him. I was surprised to see that he had 17 attempts, and he was the leading scorer for the Celtics with 23, but I thought they should've gone to him more. I'd certainly be willing to give some of Rondo's attempts to Ray.

7. KG's shot was off last night, and that happens. It seemed to me that he was off defensively too, and that also happens, though not as often. He didn't rise to the occasion in the first half. It's a long season on older legs, and for someone who depends on an exceptional energy level, there are some nights when the energy isn't quite there. I could almost see him thinking in the first half, "Geez, I'm a little off tonight, and we have to play the SuperClippers," though I don't think the word he would use is "geez."

8. Blake Griffin is good, but he is limited offensively to powering over his defender, often for a highlight-reel dunk, or making a spin move, usually to his right. He's started using a midrange bank shot, but he doesn't look confident in it (he missed one last night and didn't attempt another when given the opportunity). KG is the perfect defender for him -- length can give him trouble (Griffin looked short next to KG, and KG has those long arms). Many people have said it, and it's true -- if Griffin develops a midrange game and outside shot, he can be very, very good.

9. The Clippers' complementary players generally did well. Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, and Eric Bledsoe have been doing this consistently enough that I'm surprised when they don't play well rather than when they do. I like Craig Smith too, but he's been limited by injuries. Kaman is coming along after returning from his ankle injury, and I'd like to see more of Kaman and Jordan together, plus Kaman-Jordan-Griffin. What a beastly front line, with Griffin overpowering any 3 that attempts to guard him, Kaman and Jordan's length posing problems for anyone, and Kaman's offensive versatility offsetting/complementing Jordan's post threat. Combine that with Eric Gordon and Mo Williams, plus Foye, Gomes, and Bledsoe, and these guys could be really good. If they could get a new owner (and probably a new coach, but the jury's still out there), I'd actually believe it could happen.

Outside

Outside,

I think the Clips are 1-3 years away from being a legit, solid playoff team that falls into the 5-8 slots.

They need:

1. A legit, starting SF and move Gomes to the bench where his steady play will stabilize the second unit.
2. Time. They just need some more time to develop Jordan, Bledsoe and Gordon's games.

A new owner would be HUGE, but I don't see Donald Sterling selling. He's like the nerdy kid at school that's popular with the "in crowd" because his dad bought him a hot car. Being an NBA owner in LA gives him access to Hollywood.

I think you made good points above. Where I might differ in saying that Shaq couldn't contain him. IF (IF!!) the Cetics played better perimeter defense, then I think that the bigger body would have kept Jordan out of his 2' range. Krstic had to help defend and then, by the time he got back to Jordan, he was too far under the basket to keep Jordan away.

Mo Williams is a veteran, and that's much needed on this young Clipper team, but he's not a pass-first point guard. Without that, I don't see this Clipper team getting up to the 1-4 slots. Are there teams without pass-first point guards that are in the top playoff seedings? Sure, Chicago comes to mind, but Rose is a superstar and is surrounded by complementary players. It's hard to put together a team like that and have it not be vulnerable to defenses that take out the superstar.

Still, the Clips making it to the playoffs, in any seeding, is a major step up for that franchise and it's hard to go from doormat to contender in one year. Even the 79-80 Celtics, led by rookie Larry Bird, needed Nate Archibald.

bob

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Bob,

LAC tried to sign LeBron this past summer which would have been incredible for them. With a LeBron, Blake, DeAndre front line, they would have had to regularly change out the baskets because of the amount of dunks that would have occured...
I think they might have their SF of the future in their first round draft pick Al-Farouq Aminu. It is too early to tell but I like his game quite a bit. He is a long 6'9 and could back up the 3 and 4 if LA decided to bring in a veteran 3.
Gordon will be the starter when he is healthy but Mo is a great back up to have.
I could see LAC fighting for the 7th/8th spot in the West as early as next year. Without major changes, I think they will be better then Utah, Phoenix and maybe Denver next year. After a disasterous start, they have gone 20-19 over their last 39 games and in 1/2 of those games Gordon didn't play.

Bob,

I agree with your points. I didn't mean to imply that the Clippers were about to become an elite team, but they are poised to break into the bottom half of the playoff bracket. It's just so tough in the West. Assuming that five spots will got to the Spurs, Mavs, Lakers, OKC, and Portland, that leaves the Clippers fighting with several good teams for three remaining spots. If things hold together for them, I'd say they have as good a chance or better than most other contenders.

Donald Sterling, alas, will never sell. We get the print edition of the LA Times, and his ugly mug is all over it for charity this and benefit that, and it's all to raise the visibility of his real estate and legal enterprises (plus offset the negative publicity for the discrimination awards against him). Being Clippers owner gives his other businesses visibility far better than newspaper ads, and he'll never sell for that reason alone. Plus, he's consistently made money with the Clippers, for years by putting out a substandard team on a low payroll, and now by generating a little buzz after lucking into Blake Griffin (and still having a low payroll). Even more, being owner stokes his enormous ego and feeds his superiority complex. As you pointed out, it makes him a quasi-Hollywood something or other, at least in his mind. The far better decision for the franchise would've been to relocate from San Diego to Anaheim/Orange County, where they played and sold out games and which has a separate, distinct, large, and relatively wealthy population. Instead, Sterling chose LA, where they will perpetually be second fiddle to the Lakers, because it's closer to Sterling's Beverly Hills home and he wants to sit in the front row and bask in the glory of all that is his. He is a despicable, sleazy, greedy scumbucket who is responsible for the Clippers being awful for so many years. When he dies, I hope he has multiple money-grubbing heirs who will force a sale.

Can you tell I don't like Donald Sterling? If they Clippers become a good team, it will be despite him. If I had to bet, my money would be on things going poorly, Gordon leaving as a free agent, and Griffin doing the same, relegating the Clippers to the NBA wilderness yet again. I hope that doesn't happen, but that's the way things have gone in Clipperland with Sterling as the owner.

Outside

tjmakz wrote:Bob,

LAC tried to sign LeBron this past summer which would have been incredible for them. With a LeBron, Blake, DeAndre front line, they would have had to regularly change out the baskets because of the amount of dunks that would have occured...
I think they might have their SF of the future in their first round draft pick Al-Farouq Aminu. It is too early to tell but I like his game quite a bit. He is a long 6'9 and could back up the 3 and 4 if LA decided to bring in a veteran 3.
Gordon will be the starter when he is healthy but Mo is a great back up to have.
I could see LAC fighting for the 7th/8th spot in the West as early as next year. Without major changes, I think they will be better then Utah, Phoenix and maybe Denver next year. After a disasterous start, they have gone 20-19 over their last 39 games and in 1/2 of those games Gordon didn't play.

TJ,

Gawd, could you imagine the Clips if they got LeBron? Blake can play off the ball, certainly Jordan can and that would have allowed LBJ to play ME-Ball without asphixiating his team's offense. One of his current problems is that DWade is an "on the ball" player too.

Aminu might be their SF of the future, but that still plays into my 1-3 year seasoning requirement. If they bring in a veteran, then he can take his time. Gomes is a more than adequate backup 3.

If Gordon becomes good enough to start, then Mo would be a very good backup. One of the things this Celtic team has going for it is they have other teams' starters coming off their bench. Green and Arroyo both started for their earlier teams this season. Krstic started for OKC, and is starting now, but it is considered to be going to the bench when Shaq returns. Delonte West started for Cleveland last year. That's a starting team coming off our bench (and if JON comes back, then it's really ridiculous). If LAC can justify moving Mo and Gomes to their bench, they'll have 3 starters there (Kaman). That's pretty damn good depth for a team just arriving from hell.

You're right about fighting for 7/8 next year. What I was trying to say when I described them as a "legit, solid playoff team for the 5-8 slot" was that they would be in there NO DOUBT (as opposed to "fighting" for one of the last slots). We're agreeing on this.

bob

.

Outside wrote:Bob,

I agree with your points. I didn't mean to imply that the Clippers were about to become an elite team, but they are poised to break into the bottom half of the playoff bracket. It's just so tough in the West. Assuming that five spots will got to the Spurs, Mavs, Lakers, OKC, and Portland, that leaves the Clippers fighting with several good teams for three remaining spots. If things hold together for them, I'd say they have as good a chance or better than most other contenders.

Donald Sterling, alas, will never sell. We get the print edition of the LA Times, and his ugly mug is all over it for charity this and benefit that, and it's all to raise the visibility of his real estate and legal enterprises (plus offset the negative publicity for the discrimination awards against him). Being Clippers owner gives his other businesses visibility far better than newspaper ads, and he'll never sell for that reason alone. Plus, he's consistently made money with the Clippers, for years by putting out a substandard team on a low payroll, and now by generating a little buzz after lucking into Blake Griffin (and still having a low payroll). Even more, being owner stokes his enormous ego and feeds his superiority complex. As you pointed out, it makes him a quasi-Hollywood something or other, at least in his mind. The far better decision for the franchise would've been to relocate from San Diego to Anaheim/Orange County, where they played and sold out games and which has a separate, distinct, large, and relatively wealthy population. Instead, Sterling chose LA, where they will perpetually be second fiddle to the Lakers, because it's closer to Sterling's Beverly Hills home and he wants to sit in the front row and bask in the glory of all that is his. He is a despicable, sleazy, greedy scumbucket who is responsible for the Clippers being awful for so many years. When he dies, I hope he has multiple money-grubbing heirs who will force a sale.

Can you tell I don't like Donald Sterling? If they Clippers become a good team, it will be despite him. If I had to bet, my money would be on things going poorly, Gordon leaving as a free agent, and Griffin doing the same, relegating the Clippers to the NBA wilderness yet again. I hope that doesn't happen, but that's the way things have gone in Clipperland with Sterling as the owner.

Outside

outside,

As always, looking for the silver lining here, Donald T Sterling was born in 1933. That would make him 77-78. With luck, the air quality will take their toll. I know, this sounds horrid of me, but he's an asshole with a sleazy rep and the long suffering Clipper fans deserve better. Hell, at least the Cubs fans know their management is TRYING to field a winning team.

bob

.

Outside wrote:I like reading everyone's post-game comments, but I really enjoy BobH's summaries. With apologies to Bob, I'll offer my own comments since I have more background than most on the Clippers.

1. News bulletin no. 1 -- the Clippers have talent. News bulletin no. 2 -- the Celtics can beat the Clips nine times out of 10 if they decide to apply themselves defensively for an entire game, not just 15 minutes.

Blame this loss on a lack of commitment defensively, not injuries, integrating the new players, or anything else. The Clippers scored 60 in the first half against a team allowing 91.9 a game this season. When the Clippers led 75-59 with under three minutes to go in the third, the Celtics turned on the defensive intensity for the next nine minutes to pull within 86-83. If they'd given half that effort in the first half, the Celtics would've been pulling away in the fourth, not catching up.

The Celtics obviously have a lot of injury issues, but the Clippers are missing their best player, Eric Gordon, and their roster is far less deep than the Celtics'. If the effort is there, this game is a W for Boston.

2. Something is up with Rondo. I don't know if it's injuries, moping over the loss of Perk, or a parasite tunneling into the attitude center of his brain, but whatever it is, they better figure it out in the next month. Other than injuries, this has more potential to derail Boston's playoff success than anything. He had three steals, but his individual defensive was remarkably poor. On offense, that brain-burrowing insect is severly affecting his decision-making. He had only two turnovers, but I saw multiple occasions when he forced a high-risk pass and got away with it because it bounced off a Clipper and the Celtics retained possession. He decided the best way to attack the Clippers' scheme of leaving him unguarded was to shoot it -- he had 15 attempts, four more than Pierce and only two less than Ray. If the problem is that his hamstring or foot is taking away his speed advantage, then why is he playing such heavy minutes? (He's at 38.0 minutes per game this season, 10th most in the league, and has played over 40 minutes in 10 of the last 19,)

3. DeAndre Jordan was a beast, and you saw the upside of his athletic gifts and enormous potential. The hope is that someday he'll be more consistent and maybe develop an offensive game (his effective range right now is about 12 inches). He's young and doesn't really understand the game -- I almost laughed at one point when the Clippers were inbounding the ball after a Celtic score, and Jordan turned around to receive the inbound pass (just get your butt up the court, big guy, the guards can handle it). On nights like this, I'm not sure Shaq or Davis would've made much difference because of Jordan's length (pre-draft measurements show him with a 7'6 wingspan and standing reach of 9' 5.5") and athleticism. The easiest way to neutralize him is to get him in foul trouble, and the easiest way to energize him is allow him to dunk the ball. You didn't see much of the first approach, but you saw a lot of the second.

4. Krstic played a solid game. It will be interesting to see how he plays against Chicago, because I think the Clippers' exposed to an extent his limitations against long, mobile bigs. But he was a solid contributor, getting 20 points on 10 shots and showing life in the first half when no one else did. What I can see him doing against a team like Chicago is competing for rebounds that are ultimately secured by another Celtic who wouldn't get them if he hadn't been competing. When you expend effort like that, it doesn't always show up on your line in the box score, but considering that he does that and his stat line still looks pretty good, that's a big plus.

5. Arroyo looked good. I was surprised to see Doc play him in tandem with Rondo as much as he did (of Arroyo's 15 minutes, 10 were with Rondo). I'd think that he'd replace Rondo more than play with him, especially if Rondo's issues are physical, but we'll see how Doc uses him.

6. One of the biggest shortcomings of the Celtics offense last night was making Ray an afterthought. It seemed like they hardly ever ran plays for him. I was surprised to see that he had 17 attempts, and he was the leading scorer for the Celtics with 23, but I thought they should've gone to him more. I'd certainly be willing to give some of Rondo's attempts to Ray.

7. KG's shot was off last night, and that happens. It seemed to me that he was off defensively too, and that also happens, though not as often. He didn't rise to the occasion in the first half. It's a long season on older legs, and for someone who depends on an exceptional energy level, there are some nights when the energy isn't quite there. I could almost see him thinking in the first half, "Geez, I'm a little off tonight, and we have to play the SuperClippers," though I don't think the word he would use is "geez."

8. Blake Griffin is good, but he is limited offensively to powering over his defender, often for a highlight-reel dunk, or making a spin move, usually to his right. He's started using a midrange bank shot, but he doesn't look confident in it (he missed one last night and didn't attempt another when given the opportunity). KG is the perfect defender for him -- length can give him trouble (Griffin looked short next to KG, and KG has those long arms). Many people have said it, and it's true -- if Griffin develops a midrange game and outside shot, he can be very, very good.

9. The Clippers' complementary players generally did well. Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, and Eric Bledsoe have been doing this consistently enough that I'm surprised when they don't play well rather than when they do. I like Craig Smith too, but he's been limited by injuries. Kaman is coming along after returning from his ankle injury, and I'd like to see more of Kaman and Jordan together, plus Kaman-Jordan-Griffin. What a beastly front line, with Griffin overpowering any 3 that attempts to guard him, Kaman and Jordan's length posing problems for anyone, and Kaman's offensive versatility offsetting/complementing Jordan's post threat. Combine that with Eric Gordon and Mo Williams, plus Foye, Gomes, and Bledsoe, and these guys could be really good. If they could get a new owner (and probably a new coach, but the jury's still out there), I'd actually believe it could happen.

Outside

"Many people have said it, and it's true -- if Griffin develops a midrange game and outside shot, he can be very, very good."

I'd say he's already very, very good. 22.5, 12.5, 3.7 and over 50% shooting are numbers that no rookie has put up in decades. Shaq (more rebounds, less assists), Duncan (a little less in all three categories) and no one else in the past 20-30 years.

tjmakz wrote:Gordon will be the starter when he is healthy but Mo is a great back up to have.

bobheckler wrote:If Gordon becomes good enough to start, then Mo would be a very good backup.

Two things.

Gordon is a shooting guard, Mo is a point guard, so it's not an either/or situation. They both play. Mo is replacing the departed Baron Davis, not Eric Gordon.

Second, Gordon is a stud. He's a hidden gem on the Clippers, but he is one of the best young players in the game. He did well on the USA squad at the World Championships last summer. These are stats from this season, his third in the league:

Min - 37.2 (19th in the league)
FG% - .465
3pt FG% - .360 (1.9 per game on 5.2 attempts; his % is actually down a little from prior seasons)
FT% - .821 (5.9 per game on 7.1 attempts; his attempts are 10th in the league, an of those with more attempts, only Durant and Kevin Martin have a higher %)
Pts - 23.7 (would be 9th in the league, but he's been out too many games to qualify officially)
Reb - 3.0
Ast - 4.4
Stl - 1.2
TO - 2.5

Offensively, he's making himself into a complete player. He has an outside shot, he drives to the hoop, he has a midrange game, he passes well, and he performs extremely well in the clutch (10th in points production in the clutch, among other things (http://www.82games.com/1011/CSORT11.HTM). He's also good defensively. He's played extremely well this season. As I've said more than once, he is the Clippers' best player, not Griffin. It's unfortunate that he's had this wrist injury, because he is having a breakout season. He may not be All NBA first team, but except for time lost for injury, he's played well enough to belong on second or third team. Plus, he conducts himself in a respectable way. About the only thing negative I can think of is that he'd probably be on the all-ugly first team -- the poor guy isn't handsome, that's for sure.

Outside

Outside wrote:

tjmakz wrote:Gordon will be the starter when he is healthy but Mo is a great back up to have.

bobheckler wrote:If Gordon becomes good enough to start, then Mo would be a very good backup.

Two things.

Gordon is a shooting guard, Mo is a point guard, so it's not an either/or situation. They both play. Mo is replacing the departed Baron Davis, not Eric Gordon.

Second, Gordon is a stud. He's a hidden gem on the Clippers, but he is one of the best young players in the game. He did well on the USA squad at the World Championships last summer. These are stats from this season, his third in the league:

Min - 37.2 (19th in the league)
FG% - .465
3pt FG% - .360 (1.9 per game on 5.2 attempts; his % is actually down a little from prior seasons)
FT% - .821 (5.9 per game on 7.1 attempts; his attempts are 10th in the league, an of those with more attempts, only Durant and Kevin Martin have a higher %)
Pts - 23.7 (would be 9th in the league, but he's been out too many games to qualify officially)
Reb - 3.0
Ast - 4.4
Stl - 1.2
TO - 2.5

Offensively, he's making himself into a complete player. He has an outside shot, he drives to the hoop, he has a midrange game, he passes well, and he performs extremely well in the clutch (10th in points production in the clutch, among other things (http://www.82games.com/1011/CSORT11.HTM). He's also good defensively. He's played extremely well this season. As I've said more than once, he is the Clippers' best player, not Griffin. It's unfortunate that he's had this wrist injury, because he is having a breakout season. He may not be All NBA first team, but except for time lost for injury, he's played well enough to belong on second or third team. Plus, he conducts himself in a respectable way. About the only thing negative I can think of is that he'd probably be on the all-ugly first team -- the poor guy isn't handsome, that's for sure.

Outside

outside,

If Gordon's a 2, then they still have their problem not having a distributor. There's nothing wrong with Randy Foye at 2. Even if Gordon takes his spot, Mo is still not a pass first point guard.

If Jordan and Kaman and Griffin are in at the same time (talk about a BIG frontcourt) then Mo would be ok because they'd be setting picks for him all over the place and somebody would get open.

bob


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sinus007 wrote:Hi,
Speaking about RR. Is it just fatigue or there's certain portion of a mental factor?
I didn't watch the 3rd and most of the 4th quarters but what I did watch looked very similar to the game with GSW: 1st half - going through motions, absolutely no defense, 2nd half - "Are we supposed to win? Oh... OK...Well... Let's do it". I hope it doesn't become a trend.

AK

Sinus, I'm pretty sure those are connected. From things I've heard, the most taxing part of the season is not physical, (although that is pretty taxing), but it's the mental fatigue that wears a player down, the difficulty in focusing and staying up for the game..

Interesting discussion about the loss to the Clippers folks. The bottom line is that this is a game we SHOULD have won and won easily. No excuses. The Celtics again failed to show up to play the game. It is, frankly, becoming a bad habit. On our schedule are a lot of games coming up against bad teams. These are games we are going to have to win if the Celtics are going to hold on to the #1 seed, a critical step in winning a ring this year. You think we have the only tired injured team? Think again.
No more excuses guys; time to put the pedal to the metal.