Welcome in to a Clips and Dip live edition final Summer League edition is the
Clipper's Summer League run with the guys comes to an end and they lose by
one. Ninety nine to ninety eight was the final, as Memphis moves on
to take on either Miami or Golden State tomorrow night in the championship game in
Summer League. I'm out of Oslind. This is Clips and Dip, waiting
to see the chat here. Get active and make sure we're actually live and
I'm not somehow screwing this up as I have been prone to do. Maybe
I'll check out the YouTube myself to make sure we're live here. Possibility,
Somebody let me know if this is up and fully operational here on the live
side. As the Clippers run comes to an end, Yes, I can
see we are live here. Memphis Grizzlies with Gig Jackson, with Jalen Wells
hitting six to three pointers more than he had hit total in his Summer League
campaign, and the Clippers run. But there were still some positive things here.
Sal says, we are in fact live. Thank you, Sal,
appreciate it. There were good things in this one, even though yes,
it was a heartbreaker, as coach d Sports says, but as may or
mccheesey would point out, best Clippers Summer League by far as he can recall
same here, certainly the best since Oh, I guess the SGA Summer League
team back in twenty eighteen summer of twenty eighteen. Appreciate everyone joining here on
the live as we bring more people in. I was live streaming it or
live threading it, live posting on X. I follow out of may on
X is where you find me throughout this one, as I had done the
first two games of the Clippers Summer League. Look, we'll take whatever content
we can get right now. It's kind of a thing where we're going to
be praying. We would be praying for summer league games with the amount of
downtime we're about to have as the off season starts to slow down here.
Still think the Clippers have another move in them in the offseason. More on
that coming up here. Oh Extra Earning TV says we hear what's up,
Ernie. Appreciate you. So the Clippers lose this one ninety nine to ninety
eight to the Memphis Grizzlies, who will be in the championship game take on
either Miami or the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night. But some really stellar performances
to highlight. I do want to point this out though, one of the
things that really affected the Clippers in this game was just the rule change.
And it's fine for a semi final, I agree with it. You went
from having ten fouls you could use throughout the summer league leading into the semi
finals, so just having six so back to the NBA regulation of just six
fouls and then you foul out. And that's what we saw from Jordan Miller,
and it seemed to affect the Clippers overall in the game because Kobe Brown
had two fouls early on and he only played I think three or four minutes
in that first quarter, maybe just two minutes before he started to get into
foul trouble that affected him, affected the Clippers overall. Still felt like Kobe
Brown ended up showing up in his twenty five minutes. He had seventeen points,
but would miss a free throw to tie the game to likely send it
into overtime with one point seven seconds left. As we have some commentary here
from you, that run in the third quarter was what killed the momentum.
They couldn't score for actually six minutes in that third quarter, as I think
Jordan Miller had to head to the bench because he got into foul trouble.
Eventually filed out, But yeah, Memphis went on a twelve to zero run
and Jalen Wells was just on fire from the outside. More three pointers in
this game from Jalen Wells into Washington State for the Memphis Grizzlies than he had
throughout summer league total six of seven from three. A ridiculous heat check on
the sixth made one a long three porter. Speaking of threes, though,
how about Cam I am him Christi Cam Christy. Guys went six for eleven
from distance, had a summer league high for himself a personal high twenty two
points balled out had the Clippers first nine points. The announcers were so shocked
they couldn't even pick up on it. They thought he only had two threes
to start things off. No, he had three threes right off the bat,
Cam Christie and hit him in different ways, first a step back three,
a tough fallaway three going to his right, then a set three porter
and then a nice catch and shoot three in transition and Cam Christy had a
long two in the second quarter, really good close out on a miss three
in the second quarter as well. His defense has been underrated, guys,
Cam Christy. It seems like a false narrative right now with him coming in
and being so spelt thin, undersized. Even though he's lanky, he has
the width, he has those long arms to him. He just needs to
put a few more pounds on. But Cam Christy's defensive instincts have very much
been there. He had a couple of really fine defensive plays in the second
half, I'd say in this one. But he had another three in the
fourth quarter off a beautiful pass make it. I think it was the third
quarter off of Kobe Brown attack where he went down the right side of the
lane and had a wrap around pass that he was falling out of bounds to
Cam Christy in the far side corner for a three pointer. And then Cam
Christy had some great defense at the six thirty mark. But that three pointer
he hit with about I don't know. I posted that follow out of may
I think a minute thirty left to put the Clippers back up by one.
Huge shot is in his veins from Cam Christie. That was also in the
same far side corner. We've talked about how beautiful the form is from the
outside with Christy, and we have a comment here from coach d Sports Cam.
Christie is a shorter Michael Porter junior with better defense. Who's been saying
it. I said, Michael Porter junior. Immediately when they drafted him the
tape came out. That's what his form looks like. That's how pretty the
shot looks. It's art, guys. Now, I'm thinking it's kind of
in between Michael Porters junior, maybe Devin Booker if you watch Devin Booker and
his shot mechanics. But this is I said it after the first game in
Summer League. It is a real NBA skill he has today that can translate
to the big leagues in the National Basketball Association. The only question is can
he do enough of the other little things right, play good defense, play
within himself, have a good shot selection, move the basketball blend in not
stand out for negative reasons as a young player because he's turning nineteen in three
days. It's crazy. There was another young player in this ballgame in Gigi
Jackson, who played well and has played well as you would expect throughout Summer
League for the Memphis Grizzlies, actually was under his average, had twenty points
when he averaged twenty one in the Summer League, and at times looked like
a man amongst boys. He has the second most points ever scored by a
teenager in the NBA at just eighteen. He had a forty four point game
last season and against the Clippers, I took notice, I want to say,
one of his first games, if not his first game as a pro.
He went back and forth with Kawhi for a second God is kind of
welcome to the NBA moment, but also didn't look like the game was moving
too fast for him. So you get this mix of young guys that have
gotten a little bit of seasoning in the league, rookies just getting their first
chance to play in summer league like cam Christi, European players like Bannon of
the Clippers, an Australian player number fifty one, and then the guys who
have been in the G League and are scratching a clawng to clawn to try
to get more minutes at the NBA level. So some of these games could
be very poorly played. And the Clippers went from not being able to make
a shot early on against Memphis to having a thirty five points second quarter.
But overall props to Dante Jones because the Clippers have looked like they've had a
level of professionalism about them in the summer league, with an identity on the
defensive end, with knowing who they want to play through on the offensive end,
with ray J. Dennis being in control of the offense doing a nice
job for this team. Only had five points, had a bad turnover late
looking for Mussa Diabate, who I felt like after Game three. Musa Game
three was against the Milwaukee Bucks. From that point on really turned his summer
league around. He had sixteen points, six boards, multiple put back dumps
off of missus from the Clippers, seven to ten from the field, a
couple of steals. Musa was a plus ten out there, led them in
that CA category with the starters. Elijah Harkless was a plus twelve and had
a couple of stellar defensive plays, including a strip and score and a dunk
going the other way late in the fourth quarter. That was huge as the
Clippers were, I want to say, down by eight late, made a
run to get back into this one as people are pointing out extra Ernie TV
saying Gig Jackson playing in the Summer League not fair. Well, he's still
that young guys. I think it's completely warranted by the Memphis Grizzlies to have
him out there. Cam Christy Chunk Samson says was born in two thousand and
five. Want of feels Yeah. Ernie Extra TV also says he's proud of
the young guys. I really thought this Clippers team during the Summer League run
to the semi finals, when they went four to zho to get there and
lost to a Memphis Grizzlies team that was just one point better, acquitted themselves.
Well, they played I'm not gonna say above their heads, but just
the more connected brand of basketball than I expected. And yes, we just
gave Elizah Harkless his flowers. Even though he struggled I think from the field
just one of seven. He had two steals in the game, one a
strip that went out of balance off a Memphis player in the first quarter and
then that steal and slam to make it a one point game late in the
fourth quarter. Elijah Harkless really helps set that toad defensively for the Clippers.
Throughout Summer League. Haven't even started to talk about Jordan Miller much yet.
Is art Arch asked we got any roster in for any of these guys or
will they be in the G League. I think there will be another move
coming up with either PJ. Tucker or possibly maybe a Mere Coffee looks a
little bit more. I don't want to say expendable, but move a bull
at this point because of how some of the young guys have played. I
know a lot of people I think it's premature, but have said, you
know, Jordan Miller can be the next a Mere Coffee out there. I
think this game was illuminating in the fact that Jordan Miller ends up fouling out
and some of the defense that the Clippers were able to play in the Summer
League when they got ten fouls, well that changes for you once it's down
to six. That level of aggressiveness you can no longer play with that.
And Memphis played really well offensively in the third and fourth quarters, gain twenty
four points twenty six points. Remember they're just ten minute quarters, and the
Clippers had a little bit tougher of a time as Memphis was consistently scoring no
less than twenty four points per quarter and got to ninety nine and forty minutes.
Clippers still had the highest scoring quarter in that second quarter when they got
really hot and scored thirty five points. But you could see the level of
play, level of competition going up against Memphis was just difference in this game
by far the best team the Clippers had seen. Or remember they didn't have
Zach Eaedy also, so they weren't fully loaded with their complete summer league team
Bows Highland. Yes, could be moved. I could see that happening.
I'm preparing myself for that possibility. As Lawrence Frank talked about it at his
press conference, he kind of lumped him in with Russell Westbrook and PJ.
Tecker is guys that are looking for more playing time, maybe larger roles somewhere
else if the Clippers aren't able to offer that to them. Eddie Kennedy said,
bigs outside of Musa and Brown were atrocious. Shaking my head, yeah,
I thought for the most part throughout summer league. Unfortunately, Bannon really
struggled. Eleven minutes, three points, one of two he did have.
I think it was an and one opportunity. Yeah, those three points came
off and and one off a really nice pass from Jordan Miller, who had
a sequence of plays in the first half. And let's get more in depth
on Jordan Miller in this game, who really showed out and was one of
the best Summer League players, not just the Clippers, best in the NBA.
He had a put back to start with, then a three with a
bad lineup. He really had to take a lot of the scoring load and
put it on his shoulders and carry. Then a layup off a nice feed
on an interior pass I think it was from Harkless. Then he had and
this was the sequence I was talking about Jordan Miller. Jordan went at Pippin
Scottie Pippen Junior on a step through for a nice layup where he really took
it coast to coast, then had that pass abandon for the and one instead
of taking it himself in transition with the Clippers having numbers, and then a
three near the end of the second quarter, went coast to coast early in
the third, fell to the floor. No foul was called, just another
tough layup by Jordan Miller as he showed that level of physicality he can play
with even though you know he's not the biggest guy out there, he still
has that body control. We talked about the acceleration to deceleration that we saw
from Jordan Miller. It was talked about by Justin Russo in an article Rousseau
excuse me, in an article recently where he saw guys doing that to him.
He needed to make that adjustment. You saw it throughout summer league.
But a couple other plays that I wanted to highlight. In this one,
he had a four point play and then another three in the fourth quarter,
started to take over a little bit, but then filed out at the four
to twenty mark of the fourth So for the Clippers to get down by eight
battle back have a one point lead after that Cam Christie three pointer with about
a minute left without Jordan Miller on the floor, It did say something about
this squad level of talent and scrappiness and kind of a will to win and
battle back there. We got a prediction here from Mayor mccheesey. My prediction
is Tucker and Bones get traded in some scenario together. Well, that's probably
what they were looking for at the trade deadline the All Star break, and
they were unhappy and then got sent home, So wouldn't be shocked it all
by that. Jimmy talked about Dennis making a poor basketball or having a poor
basketball. IQ In the fourth quarter they were up by one, he had
a bad turnover trying to probe the interior of the defense within the restricted area
and made a pass that I don't think Mussa Diabate was ready for. That
led to a turnover that was a tough one time and circumstances, inopportune turnover,
you could say, from ray J Dennis, but he also was someone
that shined and then the Clippers that's really needed in the summer league. But
after a Jigi Jackson missed late, it was Kobe Brown who was relentless trying
to force the issue a little bit picked up probably a little bit of a
fortunate foul. I'd say Memphis could have challenged it, although I think upon
replace it would have been a foul, And even the foul on Jordan Miller,
I thought that might have gotten overturned. It was an offensive foul.
For his sixth foul, he was going to his left. They said he
led with his left shoulder. Well, he's a lefty. He was going
into his shooting motion. I don't think that was an unnatural basketball movement.
So Clipper's guy got a tough break there on that fourth foul by Jordan Miller.
But then again late it was Kobe Brown drawing another foul getting to the
basket, which he really did over and over again. To the ball game.
He only made one three, the only three he took, so six
of seven from the field. He was perfect from two. Kobe Brown getting
to his seventeen points, but unfortunately missed that free throw to tie the game
with one point seven seconds left, ended up in a jump ball with point
one seconds left, which means it was pretty much an impossible play unless he
tipped it in off the jump as that ethan legal would have been more of
a miracle than the point for Derek Fisher turnaround jumper where I think they started
the clock a little bit late in San Antonio for whatever reason there, but
that was back in two thousand and four. Why are you talking about old
stuff? Adam Mayor mccheesey asked, did anybody go to the into a dumb
event? Yesterday? Stadium looked incredible. Unfortunately I was not able to attend.
Would have liked to have been there that Mexican underscore. Nara says,
I would like the Clippers to use Norman, Tucker and Bones for a trade.
Maybe Julius Randall, interesting kpj Mann or Miller could take Norman's six man
role. That's been talked about a little bit. Norman Powell. We mentioned
it going into last season. We felt like he was one of their best
trade assets. Not necessarily that we wanted him to be traded because of his
value to this team. I thought he should have finished top three and six
Man of the Year voting, But just because he's a after guy now,
he still has owed eighteen million annually over the next two years. I think
if he was an expiring contract, it'd be a lot easier to move him.
Julius Randall will definitely add a different element to this Clippers team and give
them that more traditional power forward. Move Kawhi back to the three. Then
you have a decision to make. You're gonna bring Terrence Man off the bench
and start in the back court James Harden next to Derek Jones Junior, or
James Harden next to Terrence Man, who finally got the starting job and by
the way the Clippers are about. I don't know forty games over five hundred
when Terrence Man starts, so that would add a different wrinkle to rotations in
lineups. I don't know. Julius Randall. He is a good regular season
type of innings eater, a big body. Obviously settles for jumpers, though
a lot more than I think you guys realize or anybody that's talking about getting
him realizes. The New York Knicks fan base at times has been very frustrated
with him, and his play efficiency has definitely dropped off in the playoffs.
He's had a couple of miserable playoff series for the Knicks. Still a young
player, I want to say, is around twenty eight years of age at
this point twenty nine. And his contract situation, let's check on that here.
I'm not sure because I thought they just paid him. Recently, they
gave him a four year, one hundred and seventeen million dollar extension I think
after that bad playoff series, so he have one or two years left Julius
Randall Orange Julius left on that contract. If the Internet would like to cooperate
with me, it's neither here nor there at the moment. Because it's a
bit of a hypothetical here, we'll move along. Chunk Sampson says, Norm
is a playable post. He's a player with floor spacing. I think he's
more valuable than we give him credit for. I agree with you, especially
when you consider Norm was not just in the clipper best lineup with the Powell
Rangers with him in place of Terrence Man, with the starters, that closing
lineup next to Paul George, Kawhi, Leonard James Harden to Viatza Zubas the
Powell Rangers, that was one of the better lineups when you look at lineup
data in the NBA. They crushed teams and it was that spacing with Norman
Powell, who was good enough defensively even with those guys all around him to
still not be too much of a negative on that end. So probably has
gone a little bit underrated. Now know Paul George, so you can make
the argument that, okay, you don't have the Powell Rangers in that iteration
of it anymore, but has normally been more valuable than because they just need
more of a scoring punch. I really do feel like as good as the
Clippers have improved or as much as they have improved defensively with the moves they
have made, but bringing in not just Chris Dunn recently as that finally conson
mad with Russell Westbrook leaving, but Derek Jones Junior and Nicholas Batoomback is much
of a defensive identity as I think they're creating, which is smart. They
need more creators on the offensive ent. Norman Powell is one of those guys
that is instant offense for them. Without Paul George, you need, I
think another one of those guys. Now. Obviously, Kevin Porter Junior is
being investigated by the NBA for the off the court issues. Some people have
said he could be the replacement for Norman Powell. We don't even know what
his availability is going to be because the NBA is just starting to investigate that.
So that's difficult to say that, Oh, he could just soak up
some of those minutes. And he's a much younger, less proven player,
but has average almost twenty points per game in the NBA. On the court,
he obviously has been a bucket. Art h says, I would love
John Collins to play power forward for this team and let KOHI go back to
the three. He should be affordable to get if Utah is tanking. John
Collins has been a name out there for quite some time. Clippernation any of
them clamoring for John Collins for quite some time. It is getting exhausting.
So I go back to Julius Randall. Speaking of power forwards. He will
be thirty by the end of the season, making twenty eight million dollars.
He has a player option for next season at thirty million, so he has
a good season, he would opt out and become a free agent and look
for another big contract. You may be getting a rental in that situation,
John Collins, if you want to look at him and his contract situation.
I think he's making around twenty three million, I want to say. And
he's also right in the same situation too, that's guaranteed this season and the
next season. Just like Julius Ndol, he'd have a decision to make after
this year. For a pl option for twenty six million at the age of
twenty eight, he likely opt out regardless, he's young enough to get at
least maybe not more annually, but a bigger contract. I'm not sure.
Still, if we've had a good enough sample size or a good enough understanding
of Kawhi Leonard and what takes less wear and tear off of his body playing
the three and running around the perimeter more, or playing the four and having
to bang in the post more with players that are bigger than him and guard
up more. Obviously, he got injured at the end of last season playing
the four. Before that, he was playing the three and getting injured at
the end of seasons. It's really difficult to kind of delineate the reasons for
all of this. It's just I think bad luck, and it's hard to
ascertain exactly why he got injured or blame him playing a certain position on these
injuries. We have Mayor mccheesey. Again, I saw a potential lineup the
Clippers big screen at the Dome, Harden, Powell, Man, Leonard and
Zubas. That's a possible brand new starting five. I would say in this
case, Leonard's still playing the four and Norburne, Powell and James Harden defensively
in the backcourt. This is great, Bob. Maybe they just hadn't had
the picture yet for the into a Dome. For Derek's Jones Junior. I
don't know if you saw the player profile three sixty on Terrence Man, who
was also in attendance for that when they were showing off the new Halo board
not just dual sided in four K, three hundred and sixty degrees, but
on top of it, some T shirt can is that could reach anyone in
the arena and into a dome. That'll be fun. This is a fun
one. Pooky Lover says Thunder really won the trade. Well, you can
make the argument they haven't gotten past the second round since the trade, and
the Clippers got to the Western Conference Finals. They just brought in Isaiah Hartenstein.
They were the number one seed the West last season and are getting better.
So are things looking like they'll win the trade? Sure, nothing is
guaranteed at this point. I still think the Clippers did the right thing.
I said a month before Paul George ended up opting out and going to the
Philadelphia seventy six ers for over two hundred million dollars that I would not give
him the max. I think the Clippers did the right thing and standing their
ground and not going into that sunk cost of just well, we have to
pay him because he was part of the trade or the reason they trade Sga
technically, even though they did it to get Kawhi Leonard two. And if
you leave that context out in the OKC Thunder trade, oh you're either being
disingenuous or just a casual because that was the reason the Clippers did it.
So I think it's still a little bit TBD. Does it look like the
OKAC Thunder are going to doubling the trade? Sure at this point is pointing
that way, and they have about a five year window. It looks like
that's opening up for them to win the championship. But we always overestimate with
these things and think, oh, this young team or this team is going
to be a dynasty. We thought that with the Denver Nuggets. They lost
last year in the second round to Minnesota, and the last team to go
back to back was the Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors team in twenty seventeen twenty
eighteen. So with the new CBA, it's even tougher to go back to
back in this league and have a run of success like we've seen twenty five
years ago and just five to ten years ago. It changes everything, it
really does. Coach d Sports Review says for closing purposes. I love a
hardened man. Kawhi batoom Zoo slash kai Jones lineup, guys, I think
we're getting a little bit ahead of ourselves with kai Jones. He's gonna get
a shot in training camp to prove himself. He may not be on the
team to start the year. Mobamba's there. Mose Diabate the last three games,
especially in Summer League, looked really good. Can we pump the brakes
please on the Kai Jones stuff? It sounds kind of crazy at this point.
I think he's averaged two points per game as a professional. Let's let's
relax a little bit. I don't think we should be throwing him Intoeddy closing
lineup. I can't, I can't. I can't do it today. Can
we get back? Also the summer league talk a little bit more here speaking
of Musa Diabate, So Moosa had a putback dunk in the first off of
Cam Christy miss from distance, then beat his man down the floor, got
a long outlet pass think it was from Harkless. Had a dunk that put
him up thirty two to thirty after the Clippers were down nine ear against Memphis
in the Summer League semi finals. I was impressed with during a thirteen to
ozhero run by the Clippers, the longest run one sided run in the game.
When they got back into it and took the lead after being down by
nine. He caught a lob that was a little bit too high, put
it on the floor, and then put it back up and laid it up.
Nice to see that decision making for Musa Diabate, not forcing it,
composed himself, got the easy layup to go, then had an oop caught
from the love or for the love of ray J. Dennis in the third
quarter. And I was impressed by this because his man tried to beat him
down the floor on the other end. After catching this lob, Musa Diabate
got all the way back on defense and made a play. It showed off
his motor. That's initially what popped with Musa Diabate, that he was this
high energy guy. I don't know if I've seen enough of that after the
first couple games, especially after the first game he played it against Portland in
that big twenty point comeback where you got to close things out in the fourth
quarter. I think there's been some paralysis by analysis with Musi Diabate where he
hasn't been playing as instinctual as the game was just too sped up. I'm
hoping now going into his third year, things are slowing down from him,
and there were really good signs in the Summer League over the last three games,
especially to that point. Then it was Amari Bailey finding him for an
easy one, but Moose had a big rebound and put back dunk in the
fourth off a ray J Dennis miss and then got a nice push shot to
go in the key. So overall, Mussa Diavate kind of played big down
the stretch of this ball game. Oh no, oh, no, no,
Greg, he says, no Kay Jones at for kJ train in full
effect. Okay, Okay, now we have Jose asking Adam did the Clippers
own their first round pick next year? That is a good question. I
saw in an article from Law that there's something with them and the Houston Rockets
and the OKC thunder where there could be a sweet spot where they might get
their first round pick. I need to read that again to confirm that.
My understanding right now is the next first round pick they will have is in
twenty twenty seven. But that's still the lesser of two first round picks.
Is okayse as the first round pick swap with them, So tough to say
at this point, it's a little bit convoluted. Coach D Sports Review said,
Moosa balld out today, but he is too small to play the five
in the NBA. I don't think that's necessarily the case in two days NBA.
He just needs to be a little bit stronger. I think he's capable
against certain teams, against certain matchups with how many teams want to play five
out and how many teams will play small ball out there. Coach D Sports
Review, who's still taking that lf for talking about Kain Jones and a closing
lineup? Joshua Smith says, you have people like the pull Up that like
the pull Up Basketball podcast talking about the Clippers should have gave PGA max contract
and this dude works for the Clippers. I do uh, And I think,
well, I know where my bread is buttered. And you can say
I'm biased all you want. I think I can easily make the argument for
not giving Paul Georgia max was going to put them over the second aprin after
what occurred last season. Another year where they're two top players, could not
stay healthy enough when it mattered most. And then Paul George only taking fifteen
shots per game in a playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, where Kawhi in
two games was a shell of himself and they desperately needed Paul George is step
up and at least go out firing please. I think that cemented his fate
as a Clipper. Guys, if you want to get into it a little
bit, we've talked about it ad nauseum on C and D. I recently
just went on with Rogan and Rodney on a five to seven LA Sports on
Friday to discuss this very issue. Because Fred Rogan was talking about, or
at least bringing up the idea of them paying the wrong guy. He was
of the belief that you should have paid Paul George and not Kawhi Leonard.
Let me push back against that. Let me make it simple for everyone here.
So the difference in games missed between Paul George and Kawhi Leonard is lesser
of an issue than the difference of quality performances when those guys are available.
The difference in high level of play versus Kawhi and Paul George is greater that
difference than the amount of games missed between the two of them. Paul George
has only played about five more games than Kawhi Leonard over the last two years.
Paul George, even with Kawhi Leonard missing an entire season due to the
ACL injury, only ended up playing about forty more games in his Clippers career.
I'd rather go with the guy, who, yes, has had more
injury concerns, but when he's on the court in Kawhi Leonard plays like a
number one at all times, plays like he wants to be the best player
on the court, plays like a top five player in the NBA, plays
like, I don't know, the most efficient player ever over a thirty game
stretch in NBA history, which was a run he had just this last season
where the Clippers went twenty five and five over those thirty games, and Kawhi
shot I think fifty seven percent from the floor and three from three over a
thirty game sample size, highest efficiency numbers ever in NBA history over a thirty
game span. I'm going with that guy over the guy and Paul George,
who has said multiple times he's the number two to Kawhi Leonard being the number
one. That is not what they brought him in to do. And it's
one thing to say it, it's another thing to do it. He definitely
plays like the number two. He was supposed to be, the one B
to the one A. He was coming off a season in twenty nineteen with
OKC where he finished top three in MVP voting and top three and Defensive Player
of the Year voting. Here we go, Luis Lemmis says, Adam All,
that doesn't matter because Kawhi is never available for the playoffs. Yeah,
Paul George the last two years, in twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three
wasn't available in the play in in the last game and in the playoffs in
twenty three either. So the difference in miss games, including regular season playoffs
is slight between Kawhi and PG compared to the great difference there is in performance
on the court between Kawhi and Paul George, where Kwhi is just a much
better player. I cannot emphasize this enough, guys, I'm sorry. I'm
always gonna go with the guy who, if available, gives you a chance
and a much higher ceiling to beat anybody. That's who Kawhi Leonard is.
I understand the last four years he hasn't been available in the playoffs or at
least in their final game. I'm still taking my chances with him over Paul
George, who, even if he is available, is only taking fifteen shots
a game against the Dallas Mavericks. This is not hard, My goodness,
all right, I'm having the John Cusack high fidelity moment, a gif I
love where he's just like breaking the fourth wall asking the audience, how is
this possible? One of my favorite movies ever. Jack Black scrating it too.
Yes, Dereck Jones Jr. Locked up Paul George in that series.
Joe depf points it out, Derek Jones Junior made PG unavailable during the playoffs.
Basically, wouldn't you rather have a guy that, when he's on the
court actually always plays like a superstar in Kawhi Leonard as opposed to Paul George
might be playing like a top ten player that night or a top forty player
that night. I don't know how many times do people have to say,
is Paul George just in a place where he wants to be a role player?
How often have I heard that over the years. He's so inconsistent.
Guys, I love him, Glad he got his money, But come on,
Louise Lemmas says, Adam, how many more seasons are we going to
keep defending Kawhi. I'm defending Kawhi versus Paul George as why I'd rather have
Kawhi than Paul George. Going back to the argument Fred Rogan made where You'd
rather keep Paul George than Kawhi, Leonard, No, you would not.
You'd rather have the guy that gives you the highest ceiling when available. Considering
they're both unavailable often, there's no defending that they've both been extremely injury prone.
Joshua Smith says, how would you feel if the Clippers give gave him
a no trade clause to Paul George? Not great? Wouldn't have done it.
They didn't do it with Kawhi. They weren't going to do it with
Paul George. I tried to explain this in January. When they gave Kawhi
that extension, that meant the Clippers were setting the market for their roster.
Everybody else was either going to take a little bit less or Paul George was
gonna have to take exactly that. He could say on his podcast that he
was ready to take that and they weren't offering it. Well, reports and
guys like Tomarrizzarali were saying they were offering it around the All Star break when
they tabled talks. I think the offer was there. I believe the offer
was there then. It certainly was there. Later on Paul George admitted that
and then said, now we're in the ballpark. Well, you said before
you were going to take it, So you were upset because they lowballed you
at the start of the negotiations two for sixty. Oh wait, it wasn't
two for sixty. That sixty was on top of the fifty opting into already
in the last year of the contract, so it was actually one. Ten
was the starting point after two seasons where he only played eighty seven games and
wasn't available for the playoffs. I don't think that's low balling. I'm not
trying to bash Paul George. I'm trying to give you reasons why the Clippers
acted in this way in keeping Kawhi for him, and why they didn't want
to give Paul George the BAX I think it's pretty obvious and trying to clear
up some of the miscommunication or mischaracterizations going on, like, oh, they
only offered him two for sixty, Well, that's ridiculous. They didn't.
That wasn't true. It was a misrepresentation or just an omission by Paul George.
I don't know if it was on purpose, but everybody took that two
for sixty and ran with it when it was really one hundred and ten million
dollars which was the starting point of the negotiation period at the beginning of last
season, where then, as Lawrence Frank put it, said, as soon
as they realized how good this team could be with James Harden, they uped
the offers without the agents of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard even asking they upped
it. From their side, I think they were being more than fair.
Please, Oh here's somebody, Please say your name, say my name.
We have to fire Lawrence Frank and get the Warriors on Jim. You can't
even remember the guy's name is Bob Myers. Now I think Lawrence Frank is
the guy I'm going with. L Frank. I love everything he said at
the press conference. I love everything they have done so far this offseason.
This is the first time in a while you really get to see Lawrence Frank
Cook because the restrictions are off with them being under the second apron and the
first apron. Now you're getting to see them play a little bit and build
a team the way they would like to. Let's see here. Jordan Pollard
says one to ten was the starting point national media with a lie. Well,
it was. They were just going off what Paul George was saying.
You should push the truth more to the media. I do. I follow
out of may On X. I do it often a lot. Let me
change the title of this episode while I'm talking here if it lets me Clippers
lose in semi finals, just to be a little bit more accurate here won't
let me at the moment, and I don't want to leave what we got
going here. Oh I think it did, so I'm sorry if I'm ranting
a little bit, but I just want to be very clear to the false
narratives, the casuals out there, the false narrative pushers and the casuals out
there. Can we be accurate with our information and that can be the starting
point of any conversations about the Paul George situation and everything else. Let's get
the right information out there and then have a dialogue. I hate when people
say that I hate myself right now, have a conversation. Let's not make
it anything bigger than it needs to be. Luise Lemmis says, I think
Man and Zoo will step up as leaders now. Hope so at twenty seven
and twenty eight it's time. I hope the Clippers allow Wow them to leave
more. I hope the Clippers embolden them, encourage them to take more shots,
because you got a lot of touches that can be redistributed now between multiple
players. With Paul George gone from this team, a lot more guys have
to take shots. A lot more guys have to be cogs or not coggs.
They have to be part of the machine on offense. To me,
if you're going to be successful this season, Big Zoo has to be much
more involved offensively. I said in the series against Dallas, I wanted to
see him get seventeen and ten. If the Clippers are going to win this
series, Big Zoo was my X factor. He has to average seventeen and
ten. Well, what happened in that series. In game one he has
a twenty in ten game he was being featured, he was looking dominant.
He was making the Dallas Mavericks look very small out there with Daniel Gafford and
Derek Lively. Big Zoo was feasting and the Clippers won that first game by
twenty and Zoo was the best player on the court, So he didn't end
up exactly averaging seventeen to ten, which maybe when they lost the series,
he was at sixteen and nine, but I need around there around seventeen and
eleven. During the regular season this year with the Viza Zubas, I thought
he and Terrence Man were better than Paul George relative to expectations against the Dallas
Mavericks. Here was my order of best performers in that series with the Clippers.
James Harden obviously no debate. Sorry, Russ fans, it's over.
He was always better than Russell Westbrook. It was always obvious to most people,
but Russ stamps. If it's not more clear than now, well,
Russ opted in because his value was not high enough to make any more than
the five million dollars. Love Russ, but I think the Clippers in the
front office had a pretty clear picture of who is the better point guard who
has been especially at this point. James Harden averaged twenty one points in eight
assists in that series on forty five percent shooting from the field and thirty eight
percent from three against Dallas. He was their best player. Second was Big
Zoos sixty to nine dominant times. Third to me was Terrence Man. One
of the reasons that Luca was struggling in that series relative to Luka Dancis against
the Clippers, still average twenty nine points, but was shooting forty percent from
the field twenty three percent from three. Guess who his primary defender was,
Terrence Man. He was awesome and still averaged nine and five boards and a
couple of assists. His defense was elite, best defense he had played ever,
honestly, and after a season where I thought he got better as it
went along, certainly is shooting from the outside. Terrence Man stepped up defensively
in that series, and he was my third best player. Fourth, Paul
George. Can't happen, Just can't. You can't take only fifteen shots per
game, not with Kawhi only playing two games, not with how much they
needed him. Clippers didn't lose that series against Dallas because of their defense.
The Dallas Mavericks ended up averaging only one hundred and seven points per game.
That's nothing in today's NBA. It's the Clippers offense that killed him in that
series, only averaging one hundred points per game. That was the difference.
So I agree Abacha Zoobots and Terrence Man probably the two most important guys coming
into this season. I thought Terrence Man could possibly be on the trademarket just
because they brought in Derek Jones Junior. I didn't want to see it necessarily,
but he has a contract extension coming up. If things weren't going well
there, would they try to move him for Zach Lavine or somebody like that.
I don't think that's happening at this point. He's been one of the
faces of the organization. He was just the into it dome, Halo Bard
and Bailing. I think they love Terrence Man rightfully. So Coach d Sports
review says, I hop on Kai gets a shot, or I hope Kai
gets a shot. Adam not feeling it, but harden Ky Lobbs will feed
family as I stand on it. Sure he'll get a shot in training camp.
I think, but guys, him missing Summer League was huge. He's
way behind the eight ball now. They didn't bring up bring in Mobamba for
no reason. I hope he gets a shot too. Please say your name,
says Coach D. I believe it would be good, but looking at
as a GM, it's better to get the four to zero young Clippers for
culture and future plus chemistry. Coach D, I'm not sure what he's trying
to say there, guys. Coach D Sports, Oh okay, he's responding
to him. Coach D Sports is saying kai Jones is six to eleven two
twenty more athletic than Musa Musa's six ten to ten. If he wasn't crazy,
he'd still be on the Hornets. Lol. He's dealing with some mental
health issues. We shouldn't even read that part, guys. Kai Jones has
had a few good games in the NBA. He has a lot of potential
because of its athleticism. He also in the NBA has played in sixty seven
games total, and his average two point seven points per game and two rebounds
per game. Let's relax, please, uh, Lewis Lemmis says, What
are we doing with Tucker and Bones? We need these guys trade asap.
I think that time may come. This thing started off talking about the Summer
League, and I have veered in two different subjects pertaining to the Clippers in
this offseason. But the Clippers just lost in the semi final by one after
Kobe Brown unfortunately missed the second free throw at the line with one point seven
seconds left. Ninety nine to ninety eight is the final. The Memphis Grizzlies
are going to the Summer League Final tomorrow night against either the Golden State Warriors
or the Miami Heat. I haven't talked enough about maybe Kobe Brown overall after
he got into foul trouble and only played a couple of minutes in the first
quarter, picked up two fouls right away, only get six in the final
or in the Summer League playoffs after getting ten, and he showed that he
was having an issue with foul trouble throughout the Summer League. It reared as
ugly head again, but he came back in and was aggressive. I love
seeing that from Kobe Brown had a three pointer in the second quarter, then
had a spinning push shot after beating his man off the dribble going to his
left down the left alley, he spun back around and got a little hook
push shot to go, then had a scoop layup in the second quarter.
Looked athletic a Kobe. I mentioned this earlier. That wrap around kickout to
Cam for three in the third quarter was beautiful. I put the highlight up
at follow out of may in a bank shot to start the fourth. It
was the first field goal the Clippers had made in six minutes. That's when
that twelve zero run occurred with the Memphis Grizzlies that you could say, in
some ways was the beginning of the end or helped a side this ball game.
Had an and one in the fourth went at Gigi also for a tough
layup, but unfortunately, after forcing the issue and trying to get to the
free throw line, he missed the second of two and the Clippers fell by
one. I'm gonna make this comp I talked about it on our recent podcast
on Friday Night with Chuck Mockler and Will Updyke. But I see people have
talked about Draymond Green. That is a high level comparison or very aspirational.
Asking a lot and putting a lot of pressure on a young guy. Yes,
I see it a little bit. He's a connector out there. He
can bring the ball up the floor at his size. I've talked about him
being Anthony Mason in some ways with his body type, but he's not nearly
as strong or developed as Anthony Mason was. The guy who I think he
reminds me of. He's a more athletic version of slow Mo Kyle Anderson with
that connectivity with doing a lot of things really well, and he's bigger and
stronger and more athletic, but not looking like at this point he has one
elite skill set that's okay, you could be a great role player doing that
stuff. Kyle Anderson just got paid twenty seven million dollars by the Golden State
Warriors because of that. He just had a really good year in Minnesota.
Not everybody is going to be an All Star that you draft, even thirtieth
in the first round. I went over a ten year period from two thousand
and six to twenty sixteen, only twenty five percent of the one hundred top
ten picks in the first round. Only twenty five percent of those guys became
All Stars. It's really hard you get a good role player that stars in
their role. I think Kobe Brown can be that. That's a great pick.
Here's somebody talking about him, coach d Sports Review. Kobe really impressed
me when he dribble drives. Yeah, that looks better than ever power forward
with some ball skills. The Clippers have a need at power forward. My
god, Luis, I would really like market at the four uh so with
everyone. They don't have the assets, man, I'm sorry, I just
guys, we gotta be smarter in this Market's gonna require our three first round
picks at least and a couple of really good players to get Stop bringing up
his name. For the love of God, the Clippers can't get him.
They don't have the assets. The team with the fewest amount of first round
picks over the next five years does not have the assets for lori marketing or
lowry marketing. Stop please bringing that up. You're telling everyone you're casual.
Louise. I'm sorry, man, got to be better in this. Gotta
be better in this. Please, let's have some realistic conversations here on CND.
They give me a damn ANEURYSM. Gray Sambay Narana uh Pack to Kobe
Brown. Kobe Brown could end up filling a need on this Clippers team.
Right now, it looks like Kawhi Leonard still your starting power forward. I
don't know if that's ideal unless they want to play Nicholas Batuman start him there,
but I think but Toom's only going to play eighteen to twenty minutes a
night. So if you start him in that first stint with Kawhi and he
plays the first eight minutes of the ball game, you have what ten minutes
left to play him the final three quarters, and it'll likely be in some
closing lineups. But Toomb's still like that. He's still that good. He's
a snatch him change in burning tattoos. He's like that. Nicholas Batoum is
an option there sometimes, but I don't know if it's a great option to
turn two in the starting lineup because he'll be playing limited minutes at least in
the regular season. Save him, preserve him. Could you play Derek Jones
Junior there? I don't think so. He's smaller than Kawhi. He can
guard up there at times, but I think you'd rather have Kawhi there.
Can you play Terrence Mann there? Same situation smaller. He can do it
at times, but Louis, what are you doing? He is trying to
kill me. He's trying to kill me. Let's bring back Morris. If
we can't get marketing, we're bringing back Morris. This is not the way,
guys, This is not the way. Even though Marcus Morris played a
little bit better after moving around the league and playing some for the Cleveland Cavaliers
last season, shout out Marcus Morris is still a good clipper. Overall,
things didn't end great, but I get it. Not an option. So
could Jordan Miller play the four? I don't think so, not right now,
not heavy minutes. There could still be a move being made. I
don't think k PJ. Tucker is gonna end up being the guy starting at
the four, even after he somehow started a must win Game six in that
position. I think it was a minus ten the first five minutes of the
game. Didn't understand that move. Uh, this is kind of interesting.
Coach de Sports Review getting a lot of love here in the comments. Kobe
remind you of Randall without a mid range numper. Not really slight comparison Randall.
I think that Kentucky team did they get at least to the final four.
Was in the championship game. I mean, he was an absolute beast.
That was the team that ended up beating Wichita State. Great game in
the tournament. Julius Randall got drafted that high for a reason and then broke
his leg immediately early on with the Lakers. But he's been an All star
in this league. He might have been an injury replacement. That's high mark,
high bar to reach. I don't see that many similarities. I see
him as more of a jack of all trades, maybe a master of none
at this point. That's okay. He's still young and that can get you
minutes. In the NBA do a lot of things really well. You don't
have to have a perfect skill or an elite skill in one particular area to
get minutes. That may be who Kobe Brown is right now. That can
still get you on the floor. And I felt like when they gave him
that ten game sample size in November last year, he was getting better and
adjusting to the league the longer he played. I remember against the Golden State
Warriors, he struggled at times, had a really bad close out and foul
on Klay Thompson, I think on a three pointer, and he still is
dealing with some of those fouls falling for fakes. The game's still moving a
little bit too fast. If it's happening in summer league, still, it's
going to be happening at the NBA level. I don't know if he's ready
for, you know, a plethora of minutes yet, so we'll see.
I'd rather see them get some of these young guys minutes, and I think
that's what the Clippers aim is and what could be a transitional period the next
two years. It's hard to make the art you lose Paul George. Even
with the way they reloaded, I think it's admirable. I think it's the
right way to go. They're leaning into defense. But it's hard to make
the argument that without Paul George they're championship contender. I think it would have
been hard to make, maybe even with him, because of injury conserves.
So this could be a period where the Clippers are biding their time a little
bit and looking for opportunities while staying really competitive because they have flexibility on the
payroll to do that. So young guys should get more opportunities, and I
think they will. I think it's a time to develop. You have to.
The new CBA demands you to play young guys to find out what you
have with these young guys. I just I don't know how you get by
if you're not in the NBA, If you're not having young guys out there
for spot minutes here and there to play real minutes and rotations next to stars,
how can you have sustained success with the new CBA. You have to
draft well. The only way to know if you drafted well is to play
guys. That's what I'm looking forward to seeing. I truly believe this Clipper's
front office and coaching staff is aligned in that fact. That hard truth now
that you just know that young guys are gonna have to play, and you're
gonna have to go through the going pains with them to let them develop in
this league. Denver has been really good about that the last two years and
still win a championship doing so. We'll see Clibernation, as always, really
appreciates you love doing these lives. This will be the last one after a
Summer League game, as the Clippers fall by one. Ninety nine. Ninety
eight was your final in favor of the Memphis Scrizzlies. They move on to
the championship game tomorrow night against either Can I get a score date? Can
I? Can I get a Summer League score update? Anyone watching that game
going on right now? I think it's happening live between the Oh I Got
it for you at the half the Golden State Warriors up forty seven to forty
five over the Miami Heat. So good one that will decide that the Memphis
Krizzley's face in the championship game tomorrow night. But I thought there was a
lot to take away and a lot of positives, mostly to take away from
the Clippers during this Summer League runs to the semi finals. This was as
encouraging as you could get with the progression we saw from Jordan Miller turning into
a guy who coming into this game was averaging twenty five points per game in
the Summer League and had another twenty point game in this one, fortunately in
a losing effort where he would file out, but he had twenty eight points,
so his average is only going up. Make the argument was one of,
if not the best player this Summer League. I don't think a lot
of people expected that. I don't think people expected the three point shooting to
be there at the level it was after I think he only shot thirty percent
over the last year in the Summer League. But maybe it's something he's working
on. Another tool to his toolbox be a three three and D players.
That's what we thought he could project out to. I see some Trevor Ariza
in his game, a little bit like that from Jordan Miller. Trevor Revesa
was a good role player in this league for a long time three and D
guy. But Kobe Brown finishing with seventeen after a slower starts in the Summer
League a strong finish for him, even though he missed that free throw.
MOUs Diabante same thing that took him a little bit to get his sea legs
as a Clipper finished with sixteen points six boards. Came on in the third
game against the Milwaukee Bucks, continued strong play afterwards, and then Cam Christy
his best game in a clutch opportunity in a must win situation to move on
at twenty two points, a clutch three in the far side corn to help
them take the lead seven of thirteen from the floor. Six of those seven
makes from Cam. I am him Christy with his brother in attendance, once
again watching him and doing a court sided interview. I want to hear it.
I follow out of may on X twenty seven minutes, twenty two points,
six three pointers for Cam Christy had the first nine points of the game
for the Clippers. Can't say enough about him. He's starting nineteen in three
days. Guys. Awesome, awesome pick from the Clippers. Let me ask
you this. If the draft takes place today, here's what I'm saying.
I don't think Cam Christy's going number forty six. He might get into the
first round with how good he's looked in summer league. I'll ask you that.
Get to me. I follow out of May as we're ending this pod.
But I think Cam Christy has shown enough and enough people i've taken notice
of that sweet shooting stroke that he would be maybe a late first round pick
if the draft started today. I really believe that that's how far he's come
this quickly, just by the way he's performed in summer league. So one
more guy to highlight here. For the love of ray J. Dennis thought
he was good overall, help control the offense. Had a bad game today,
five points with just five turnovers to for assists, with five turnovers too
many to for assists, but overall he showed out Elizah Harkless that defensive intensity
from him and made the Summer League MVP for the Clippers. Dante Jones,
their head coach, said he's trying to make sure these guys are ready and
staying ready and playing the right way so that when they move up to play
under Coach Lou they'll be prepared for those minutes when they should come. Stay
ready, Clippers, stay ready, so you don't have to get ready.
I think Montrez Harrow was the first to say it back in twenty eighteen.
This has been another live edition of clips in Dip. Amouna Moslin for Chuck
Mockler for will Updyke, signing off. We love you guys. We'll talk
to you on a future episode of the Clips in Dip podcast. I have
a good rest of your Sunday. Check out Game of Thrones House the dragons
been better than I thought. Turns out more dragons there better