What is going on? Clippers fans, Welcome to season two, episode sixty
seven of Clips and Orderline playoff edition of Clips and Dim. We're not doing
a live today. I'm Chuck Butckler, joined by Adam Osen and Will I
think as always, I hope you fellas are doing well. We're pretty much
just gonna be talking Clips versus MAVs because it's set in stone. We want
to thank everyone who's listening. I want to thank everyone who's watching us on
YouTube reviews. Help either way, either through a comment on YouTube or a
coming on Apple Pods. Will, Adam, how are you fellas feeling now
that we're locked into yet another Clippers MAVs first round matchup? Adam, you
have an expressive face as I described that. How are you feeling about this?
More expressive than usual? No, I'm getting ready for it. I
was in kind of the minority of Hippers fans who would have rather seen the
Pelicans. Definitely the Phoenix Suns, not just because of the last two games,
but it's the Mavericks That's who you got to deal with, and if
you get through them, it looks like it's gonna be the Denver Nuggets in
the second round. Now, Minnesota couldn't get that victory last night, so
not gonna be easy, but Clippers just got to get done. Will how
are you feeling? We got a week plus to to really wade into this.
I mean, of potential playoff matchups, this one is you know,
we know how difficult this matchup is going to be. I still like,
and I was talking about this with Adam a little bit last night on the
Double dep I still like the Clippers the way they match up against guard heavy
teams. I think that that I think that that presents an interesting challenge for
those teams. And I think too, like, look, this one's going
to be super difficult, there's no way about it. But looking at a
possession game, if defensively on the floor, you have to have Kyrie Irving
and Luka Doncic at all times against Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. I mean
theoretically, I like the way that that shakes out in a close game when
you have to grind out you know, hard shots, uh every time down
the floor. But it's you know, it's it's not a cakewalk. I
know nobody was though, you know, like maybe if you hurt Pelicans or
something, But like, is that the way you really want to start the
playoffs? Like I don't know, like you know what I mean, Like
I guess it'd be it'd be nice like to get out of the first round,
but like you want to dust the team that's not in one hundred percent
of health and then hope that you're ready to take on the Nuggets in the
next round, like iron sharp and iron would iron sharp AND's iron? Like
I think the I think the reason, uh they started off slow against Utah
down two in twenty twenty one is because they win seven games with the Maps
in the first round. So I don't know I would sign up for a
lesser opponent in the first round. But that's not what it's gonna be,
and it's gonna be very entertaining basketball. So we got that coming season a
little more seriously, do you want an ease your opponent in that first round?
You mean, is that a message for Phoenix or somebody else that could
have been? Oh real, it's a message with a team that we talk
about three times. They look he looks looks horrible. Just I wanted to
get that out of the way off top. We're not going to talk a
bunch about what happened. But does that not look like a team that likes
playing for their coach or is going to go anywhere in the playoffs? Right
now they look ready to implode. It looks that bad for the Phoenix Suns
right now. One, two, three, Cancun type of stuff. Now,
it could turn around very quickly. They still have the high end star
power and it showed up late against the Clippers last out at Crypto. But
yeah, something doesn't smell right, Yeah, And I mean if they're looking
at the Thunder in the first round, you know, it's who knows?
Who knows? Like, yeah, I'm like a much less experienced team,
Yeah, who knows? Do we? Okay, so it's Clippers MAVs.
The seating isn't totally locked in here, but looking at the last two games,
right, Clippers have Jazz tomorrow with no Kawhi Leonard, the Rockets on
Sunday. MAVs play the Pistons tomorrow and then the Thunder on Sunday. Who
could be resting? People? Where will were you at? Clippers are staying
at four? Yeah, they just need to win one more and it's all
but locked up, right, Yeah? Magic numbers one if they win one
or if Dallas loses one, therefore they're gonna be four. So they're four
for the most part unless yeah, I mean tomorrow's who knows who the Jazz
are playing tomorrow because they're resting everybody of any meaningful ability in terms of winning
basketball games. I was wrestling tonight for them, So who knows? Yas
do not want to win? They do not. They might try and petition
to start four guys tomorrow. Familiar This is gonna be a fun series legacy
wise, just for both sides. Clippers being three zero vers a team as
good as Luca, you know, as I guess the players goes Luca would
be fun. And then I saw a story on Twitter. Because Luca hates
the Clippers. He's lost to them more times than any other team he's played.
He's lost them nineteen times. Someone had a story on Twitter. I
saw where they were at euro Basket and they like, just had they just
brought a jersey to get autographs from people, and it happened to be a
Clippers jersey and Luca would not sign it, which is very funny, and
I respect that. I respect deep hatred, deep competitive hatred. I am
very pro. So you're right, this is gonna be some high level hoops.
I'm excited for the petty bits. I think that would be the most
electrifying, like Round one series, of any of the matchups. Right,
Like, this is must see TV as must see as a first round can
can be. You have two teams who you know have gone all in and
either one of them, I mean, it's going to be a massive disappointment,
you know, like it'll be a failure. I don't know how else
to call it that. I mean, it sucks because the competition is so
good, but like it will be a failure for either one of these teams
not make it out of the first round. It feels a little bit similar
to twenty fifteen in the first round with the Clippers having to take on the
San Antonio Spurs, the defending champs. They drew them at the very last
day or on the very last day of the season and san Antonio well,
I think it ended up being a three to six matchup. San Antonio was
favored going into that series at the Clippers pull it out in seven games off
of shot from CP three on a bad sane and insane and the to the
series Rember. What coo. I remember Kawhi uh not not playing tomorrow.
He's he's on the injury report. He's out. We're gonna maybe get more
of that way, you can go ahead and just pencil him out against Houston
as well, right, got so, I would think so we were texting
about it earlier. It's like, unless they needed that victory against Houston,
they didn't have it wrapped up yet with the four spot and Kawhi was feeling
great. Both those things were happening. Yeah, I don't see I don't
see him playing to end the season. It's just so his first game back,
I mean, and this is optimistic. Optimistically his first game back is
against the mass having not played in three weeks. Yeah, exactly three weeks
one days. Yes, Yeah, that uh how good? Good sign.
We can talk about it. We're gonna we're gonna talk about the fan poll
that we put on Twitter that we had a very level headed response as far
as things you could put on Twitter ask questions to get responses to how we
feel about the Kawhi thing. I know again, and I want to I
want to preface this by saying, uh, if don't tweet at us individually,
or on the show asking for more information or being upset the team is
not giving more information. We're not gonna get it, we haven't gotten it
in the past five years. Then it will go to a national reporter first
and then and and I get being frustrated by it, but then we're not
getting anything. Take a nibble at the very end. Yeah, will aggregate
that agree. It's also something everyone new going in when they signed Kawhi Leonard
was going to be part of the equation. Yeahnto didn't get it. San
Antonio didn't get it. It's his own private way of handling his health.
So I think it's it's a good trade off overall. It can be a
little frustrating around these times, but there's so many murky reports by the way
throughout the league when it comes to injuries. It's not just Kawhi anymore,
but that's the guy who's become I guess, the poster child for this or
the example just well, it's just the one that we see on a day
to day day. Yeah, we have our own bias there, but everybody
would like more clarity when it comes to injury reports, every fan of every
team. Yeah, it's an exception to get a lot of information about it.
I think Zach said. I think that Zach Love said on his podcast
that the Clippers have zero goodwill when it comes to news about like Kawhi Leonard's
name, Like what what you know? Whenever they're sharing, they've they've earned
zero what they've earned zero goodwill? Could you know? It could be fine?
It could be he's They already know he's out for the season. But
that aside, How are we feeling, just ability wise about the potential twenty
one days? It's a lot of rest in between games. I honestly am
not worried about rust with Kawhi, even though I know he's a machine or
robot. You might have to worry about rust. But if he's healthy,
I think he can be one shot hot. The first shot he hits,
he's gonna be fine. He's gonna be locked in. I'm not that overly
concerned about it. As long as he's one hundred percent ready to go,
I think he'll fall right back into where he was playing, and he was
playing at a very high level before this injury. He was moving so well.
We were just talking about it. The last game he played him was
that game in Charlotte and the guy was blowing past Miles Bridges. So yeah,
it's it's concerning to me. I said earlier. I was talking with
Justin Wilson at Ellie Clippers film. I think it is on X earlier today
he said I'm concerned about Kawhi, and I once again brought up and I've
talked about it here too, that if he was fully healthy, if it
was just load management as some people have called it, saying, oh,
I have a source, he's fine, They're just resting him before the playoffs
and things like that. If it was just that, I'm pretty sure he
plays against that Denver game a week ago. That was a big game a
lot. I don't think Kawi rests that game. If everything was fine now,
it doesn't mean it's serious. They could just be overly cautious right now,
which it'd be well within the right to be. With finally having this
team for the first time in three years, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both
together to start a playoff series, that's what we all want to see.
But I'm not trying to be an alarmist or anything. But when coach lou
last night, he was asked by tomar Azzari. One of the first questions
at the pregame press conference to Maier said, is there any concern Kawhi Leonard's
absence could bleed into the playoffs at all? Coach lou said, no,
not as of right now. And I think part of that I don't know.
I'm just trying to deduce here and interpret. But if it's inflammation,
if it's swelling, then how will you know everything's fine until you get back
to playing basketball in a five on five setting, in a playoff series,
by the way, where things are more intense and more taxing, Like,
we're not gonna know for sure, maybe until he gets back on the court
and he feels great after game one, right, I mean, that just
makes sense to me. So anyone knowing or trying to act like, oh,
everything's cool, everything's cool, everything's fine, it very well might be.
I think that's the most likely scenario. Kawhi learn is gonna be good
to go game one, of course, but time will tell, uh So,
I just I don't know. I don't think it's crazy to at least
bring up the fact that obviously he's been extremely injury prone for people being upset
to talk about it or saying, oh, you're trying to cause a panic
or something like that. It's like, I think, I look about I
look at Kawhi every game to see how he's moving. I've been molded into
this over the years because of PTSD and past injuries and a guy with chronic
right knee issues. It's his right knee. People are coming at me and
saying, well, Jamal Murray, you know he was out for two weeks
same thing, and said in the inflammation, he's back now, looks great.
It's like, well, first of all, it's a completely different player,
completely different body. A guy who's five or six years younger hasn't had
the meniscus, also hasn't had the tendinopathy also, which was reported, and
I'm pretty sure his inflammation was not an his surgically repaired to acl kN.
So I don't think it's a clear parallel. I don't think you can ever
just say, well, this guy had the same knee injury and he's back
already. You're really doing that with knee injuries. I don't know. I
just you know, we're all so I feel I could probably judge, Yeah,
take my qualifications, we've got, Yeah, kind of like Adam,
it kind of feels like we're just kind of like floating right, like we're
you know, everything's probably fine. But again, because of how they handle
the information is kind of like, all right, we'll wait for the next
update. Well, everyone was asking was there an MRI to reported that there
was, and they didn't find anything significant. So that's obviously great news,
right there. Yeah, that's good. Do we know if he's practicing?
I know, they get weird with well qualifies as significant? I guess it
goes back to the question of whether or not he would miss time in the
playoffs. You know, yeah, I mean will how are you questionable for
all of the playoffs in twenty one? So so you're feeling optimistic, is
what it sounds like. Well, this is the class up night copimism.
Oh no, yeah, and it's I mean, he's already ruled out for
tomorrow, and then we'll learn on Saturday if he's ruled out for Sunday's game,
which, again, if he's rolled out for Sunday's game, don't be
surprised about that. If they win tomorrow, don't be surprised. If everyone
if we don't run the same crew they ran against the Suns last night.
Yeah, if they win tomorrow. Trying to read into whether or not Kwi's
on the injury report for these last two games and what conclusions you can draw
from that. I don't think there's anything you can take away from that because
of the opponents, because it looks like it's almost a foregone conclusion they're gonna
end up being the four seed. I wonder if Dallas thinking the same thing,
seeing the Clippers' opponents, might start resting guys too, because they believe
obviously the Clippers are gonna you know, they could fall into a victory in
these next two ball games. Eh, Houston, if they really go hard,
that could be trouble so much twelve thirty start, but we saw Utah
we could go They absolutely do not want to win ball games right now.
Danny Ainge has made the call we might see a worse Utah team tomorrow than
what we saw week ago, which is pretty incredible to think about. Yeah,
maybe sex and doesn't even play. I don't know, he's like.
We took to Twitter to ask Clippers fans how they were feeling about this upcoming
matchup, and we have some results right here, We said, Clippers For
those of you listening and not seeing this, we said, Clippers fans,
how do you see Clippers versus MAVs? Round three? Going the options were.
I did not put a sweep on here. I apologize to some people.
I put clips in five, clips and six, clips and seven or
MAVs win the series. Uh fifty one point two percent of the three hundred
and forty votes. Let's call it, dame, Let's call it three hundred
and forty thousand, uh fifty one percent pick clips and six, oh the
MAVs, which I feel like is a pretty rational take for this scenario.
Obviously, the least picked was MAVs win series, and then the second least
chosen was Clippers in seven, which I did think was kind of surprising,
but it's not by much. But I think clips and six it's a fairly
level headed take right now, because that's kind of how I'm feeling. It's
gotta be six or seven, is what it feels like. When I posted
the grimacing emoji face a couple of weeks ago, when the Mavericks were in
the five spot and jumped over the Pelicans for the first time, and you
could see the upcoming inevitable series between the Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. The first
thing I thought was clips and six, clips and six, and there's no
disrespect. This is a series where there's high variants when it comes to outcomes.
You know, I could see the Clippers winning faster than six games.
I could see the Dallas Mavericks winning a series in six, winning a series
in seven. There are so many different places you could land with prognosticating this
series. A lot of it obviously comes down to Kawhi and his health.
If he's fully healthy, and the Clippers play to their potential and the Dallas
Mavericks plays to their potential, I would say the Clippers can win in six
or seven. I think they are just the better team with the higher ceiling.
If both teams bring their a game. If the Clippers, though slip
up and a couple of guys, if James Harden has a tough series,
or if Paul George has a tough series, or if Kawhi misses a game,
their margin for air isn't wide enough where you can count on still taking
down the Dallas Mavericks. Now with Luca next to Kyrie, with the front
court that they've assembled, Yeah, the margin for air is something. Yeah,
that is something rough to try and think about. Will are you on
clips and six? Did you vote in this poll? I don't see your
eye. Voted sticker, which is fair. I did not. I leave
the fan. The fans polled six. Six fields may be optimistic to me.
I I just unless the Clippers are firing on a level that we haven't
seen them in about half the season. I just don't see this going shorter
than seven. I mean, incredibly reasonable. Again, another fair take with
that? What with the half of the basketball we've seen? I think I
just heard clips of nine. Yeah it is. We are in the Ultimate.
Oh no, we are. We are in the Ultimate Battle. This
is horrible. Welcome back in clips and as episodes. We are in.
We're gonna talk about some stats in a sec. We are in the Ultimate.
I don't realize we could do this. This is fun. Oh sure,
this is I love this version a lot more. Actually, yeah,
I'm amongst the screen sharing of like like, yes, the Clippers are what
seven and two in their last nine, It's a very good win loss record.
The MAVs have been playing an incredible level of basketball. We're in this,
like, oh, the flip to switch versus the coming and hot in
the playoffs battle is like at its peak right now between these two teams,
which is very interesting to me as someone who isn't the biggest fan of the
flip to switch method. Not to say the Clippers haven't had some good process,
but the level of process that the MAVs have been on since about a
month ago, especially on the defensive side of the ball, it's pretty crazy.
Before we get into the statue real quick, we got to take an
audio break for the podcast edition. There might be some loud ads. We're
talking more MAVs stats coming up in three two one, Right, all right,
it's inevitable Clippers are taking on the MAVs in the first round. We're
gonna dig a little bit into this. Charles, tell us a little bit
about how these two teams have been performing since the All Star break. I
have a feeling I already know. But why don't you go ahead? One
Knos, Actually I already know how they're performing. I mean I think you
could make a guess, well, the Clippers. Sure, the Clippers are
fifteen and twelve since the All Star break. The MAVs are nineteen and five.
They've made some adjustments there. MAVs are scoring at one hundred and eighteen
points per game, Clippers are at one hundred eleven. MAVs are eighth in
pace, Clippers are twenty second in pace, which is interesting when it comes
to playoff basketball stuff because that pace slows down, and I think you know
that's gonna benefit the Clippers a little bit. One hundred and eighteen offensive rating
for the MAVs, one hundred and fifteen offensive rating for the Clippers. Not
super far there. One hundred and eleven defensive rating for the MAVs, one
fifteen for the Clippers. So the MAVs have been plus six points six in
net rating and the Covers have been minus point one in net rating since the
All Star break. So yeah, I don't know, Adam, you were
going to say something before we kind of started this, But the defense is
just that's what pops into your head. Right. If you're one of these
people who's like, oh, the MAVs their defense is bad, you're like,
well, it hasn't been. It has not been bad. That's very
misconception about this team. We've been talking about it, we've been trying to
prep everyone for this. But the dirty little secret about the Dallas Mavericks is
they've been the best defense of their last eighteen games in the league. Now,
some of that they've had an easier schedule, but they've also had great
wins against the Denver Nuggets. They won both those games in Sacramento. I
know the Kings have been down a little bit and they're missing some players,
but they've had good wins, and if you want to go back further,
their last thirty five games, they're eighth defensively, so almost half the season
they have been a top ten defense. Now it's real and they must be
doing it collectively because when people make the argument of well, Luca and Kyrie
are gonna have to guard on the other end, I think teams during the
regular season also have noted that, and yet they're still the eighth best defense
over their last thirty five games. So just to say, I know the
playoffs are different, the way you scheme, the way you attack mismatches,
but it's pretty obvious going into a ballgame any night that Luka Doncic isn't the
greatest defender. He's big, he has some of that James Harden post defense,
and he's been giving a better effort defensively, I think all throughout this
season. But that's not a brain hatch to know that if you go after
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, even in a regular season game, that has
to be part of your game plan. And it hasn't been working for teams,
not to the extent you would expect. That's for sure. They got
the bigger wings. Now it's it's different. Yeah, with PJ. Washington,
I'm guessing he's gonna be on Kawhi. Derek Jones Junior is gonna start
on PG thirteen, And yes, they're gonna run screens to try to get
switches, to try to get matched up with Kyrie and Luca, and that
is the formula for success. Wear them out on the defensive end. I
don't think the Clippers did enough of that though the first two times over in
twenty and twenty one against Luca. Honestly, it's not always that easy either.
But Kyrie is undersized. However, there have been times in his career
where he's played stellar defense. I remember Game one against Steph Curry in twenty
fifteen where he was playing great defense in the NBA Finals. He's just undersized,
but he has quick hands high basketball IQ. I don't think it's gonna
be as easy as some people do when it comes to just hunting their superstars
and putting them on an island with Kawhi and Paul George, like seemingly on
paper it would play out to be. Well, like the thing is,
even with a bad coach, which the MAVs have, you like, your
entire defense, you know, like it's predicated on the idea that that teams
are going to try to attack one of your two like backcourt stars, right,
so like you you know, you develop a system that's going to mitigate
some of that. And then the other thing about this Maus defense that I
think, like again not to discredit get it, because Adam is right,
they've you know, they've shown us a lot more. We've seen a lot
more of who they are versus this like being a fluke or something. But
like, let's not deny that. A huge thing has just been Luca actually
running back in transition instead of arguing with reps when he doesn't get a call
and every in almost every play ending in like a five on four on the
other end, he's trying. Yeah, that's his version of trying is cutting
out the riff raf Yokic had to do it. Yok was a weird hot
head when he you know, kind of had to calm that down. Yeah,
I do like never like Luca though. This is like no no,
no, no, no, no no no. Yeah, that's that's fair.
The other thing with the Mavericks is their top three net rating in the
clutch. They're so good at executing laton ball games, which they always like,
which they have been year over year, which yeah, if they're twenty
three and nine, I don't know. They played in a lot of close
games. I don't know if that makes them battle tested or very vulnerable.
But twenty three and nine, the last five minutes of games within five points
this season is kind of predictable. When you look at Luka Doncics, when
you look at Kyrie Irving, the other what I think is going to end
up being a false narrative in this series that's going to fall by the wayside.
Point has been to downplay how good this Dallas Mavericks team uh has been.
Is people saying, well, Kyrie Irving his last couple of playoff series
twenty twenty two and twenty nineteen, he wasn't very good. He petered out
at the end, teams were able to slow him down. I don't want
to rely on that happening again. I just like I've seen let's stop him
well, I I just mean him having off shooting nights, a player who
has been very clutch and has played in a ton of big games next to
Lebron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers. I don't know if you can rely on
him having another bad playoff series. I just don't. He now has another
Lebron James next to him and Luka Doncics. The pressure isn't on him like
it was in Boston. You can say he had KD next to him.
In Brooklyn, they had a ton of injuries stuff out. I feel like
that. That's like I truly feel like all the nets stuff. Yeah,
I mean you just would from any they had twenty games together, less than
twenty games with him k D and James and James Harden. So, I
I don't know. I think people are bad underestimating this Dallas Mavericks team,
But I hope I'm wrong. Clip The Clippers can still win even if you're
under vastly underestimating. It's just gonna be harder for the Clips to win,
right, like it does match up. You know, we do have the
bigger wings, we do have some more physical defenders to make Like you said,
Luca work a little bit harder. Because he's gonna score, he's got
to make him work hard to do it. Also, one thing, does
anyone considered that, oh, don't go on the Clippers. There was another
thing too with Kyrie especially, is the vibes are good. Kyrie is very
much someone who feeds off of good and bad vibes, and right now the
vibes with him and Luca they're having fun in the layup lines like they're goofing
on each other. I don't like seeing that as the Clippers fan, because
Kyrie is very again, there's no say he's very good. Well, it's
a good point, Chuck, because they took the Clippers to seven with Christaps
apparently feeling like he was completely left out a locker room that maybe wasn't completely
connected. They weren't even totally gelling or meshing and having these good vibes,
and Lucas still was able to take them to seven games. And really,
for everyone being overly confident against the Dallas Mavericks, let's not forget they were
down oh two. And not only were they down oh two, they had
home court advantage, and not only that, they were down thirty to eleven
in Dallas in Game three before they turned it all around and they figured it
out and they had that Clippers magic, the comeback Clippers magic. Kawhi led
them, said get come with me if you want to live, and it
was incredible. I just it was such a close series, and this MAVs
team on paper is better. And what I worry about with the Clippers is
they can't place I think as well as they could. Then they don't have
Marcus, who was very good in twenty twenty one. They obviously don't have
Nicholas Batoum, who was amazing. And if a Viza Zubots isn't able to
stay on the court, that's to me how this series could unravel for the
Clippers. They need a Viza Zubots to be playable for thirty thirty five plus
minutes thirty five plus, I would say, per night to try to offset
the rim runners and the rollers that the Dallas Mavericks have. And that means
Luka Dancis is gonna be looking for him and trying to pull him away from
the basket and try to pull him out on the perimeter, where Luca is
the most confident player ever if he isn't already, when he sees a Viza
Zubats for whatever reason, he never misses. We've seen it time and time
again, and people were telling me on Twitter big Zoo's gonna have a big
series and all this stuff. I'm saying, I hope so, because if
he doesn't, I don't see a path to victory in this series. Honestly,
it's that critical for this Clippers team because they don't have the switch ability
like they did in twenty twenty one or twenty twenty. They don't have this
versatile wing stop lineup anymore. They don't unless a buddy I think that might
happen. Yeah, I think it's a good matchup for us in this series.
Dallas as opposed to the Pels, but need a size at the point
right in terms of point of attack stuff like he's long, he he was
getting these getting knows how to get in passing lanes like those. That disruption
is going to be needed as I just for a team that has issues with
boards and is small, really out of the Gates because they have PG and
Kawhi move up positions this season. If Visa Zubos can't stay on the floor.
Derek C. Lively, PJ. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Daniel Radcliffe,
these guys are going to feast. Daniel Gafford. I looked it up
earlier. He has had four games of five blocks or more since he came
to Dallas. I mentioned on the last show, but I mentioned that weird
Wilt Chamberlain field goal made streak. He made thirty three straight field goals over
the span of I don't know how many games that was, but yes,
only second to Wilt Chamberlain, who made thirty five straight at one point.
That's incredible. What is funny is they do get the week off right,
Like there's there's always a discussion when a team is super hot going into the
playoffs of any sport, they're like, Oh, is this week off gonna
Is this gonna knock out their rhythm? Is this gonna make them like forget
how good they were? I don't know if it does, because I think
if you're looking back at when you last played and it was the best basketball
of your life, you're probably like, great let's let's try to get that
going again. So yeah, I mean, you know, major themes zoo
in the point of attack when whenever that gets happened, and then like the
calculated doubling right like will we saw it against the Pels and that that game
where we beat the Pels in New Orleans, they did those like the like
very calculated doubles on Ingram, And I hope we don't do the over double
on Kyrie because that, as we all know, when he gets into like
the real meaty triple doubles, that's when things go back. Luca. Yes,
you have to make him be one or the other. He can't be
a guy who's getting thirty five plus points and twelve to fifteen assists. That's
when you're in trouble. That's what happened the first couple of games when the
Clippers got down. Now, part of it was just outlier shooting. When
the Mavericks were at like sixty percent from three those first two games. It
was crazy, and the numbers finally went the Clippers way. That regressions of
the mean happened in twenty twenty one. But if you double Luca now and
throw those blitzes his way. He has a safety valve in Kyrie Irving to
get it too. It's different, It's at a part of me wonders,
I'm trying to look for positives here because this matchup with Luca doncis just always
sperience. He's playing some of the best basketball of his career right now in
your coffee. Does help with I mean, doesn't have the size obviously of
a Morris or of a Tune, but he does help with some defensive switch
ability. Russ is motivating, he's playing well. I almost wonder if it's
a good thing for the Clippers that Kyrie Irving is another option, another high
usage player to have the ball in his hands just to get it away from
Luca for some time. Is that a crazy thought? Like it's almost scarier
when Luca's gonna have it ninety percent of the time instead of seventy percent of
the time. Now I can see that Kyrie is also very good at being
second fiddle, though he is he is Okay, I will say I'd rather
play Luca next to Kyrie right now than Luca next to Jalen Brunson right now.
That's fair. Yeah, hey, yeah, I'll drink that that's super
fair. Yeah, And again this is where also we are speaking as assuming
Kawhi is playing every game of the series, which is kind of a looming
thing to think about. You know, we're gonna do a more in depth
preview for game one obviously next week, but right now we're just we're assuming
he's playing Game one, and hopefully he continues like Adam you said, like
he makes his first one, then he's good to go and we see it
click immediately. So hopefully that the way PG has looked recently gives me a
little bit more confidence too, because he really struggled in that Mad series,
and I don't think that that is thought about enough. I mean, in
the twenty one one he was able to turn it around. He had a
couple of really really solid games, but the first time they played it was
not great. And to the start of that series in twenty one he had
he did not have a great start either. Another thing I'll go ahead on.
No, that's a great point. I want to say, he shot
like thirty four percent in the twenty twenty series in the bubble. Yeah,
obviously he just wasn't right, But like Will said, he turned it around
in twenty twenty one, he got his his sea legs underneath him as that
series went along. Yeah, I'm looking at this. He ended up shooting
Okay, it was thirty six percent in that series in twenty twenty, but
in twenty twenty one against Dallas he shot forty six percent. Still just thirty
percent from the outside. So he wasn't great, but we know he got
better as the Utah Jazz series came, and then when he was solo against
Phoenix he had some great games. Yeah, we need and he's been getting
kind of the you know, the number one alpha treatment right since Kawi has
been out, He's been getting that feeling back, you know, to really
take charge, which we need him to do in the playoffs. Another one
crazy thing about this series, first Clippers MAVs series in the two and three
era with full stadiums, it's there were not full fans and the last one
and there definitely weren't full fans of the move before that. So we're gonna
see an incredibly I'm so excited to see what two seven does. I mean,
the whole staying is gonna be crazy at Crypto for this series. But
I'm excited for fans Clippers fans to be in that building making it absolutely insane,
which good I think it was, and the Clippers they were on the
wrong end of that, I believe in twenty twenty one because it was full.
I believe in Texas. In Dallas it wasn't full years when Game three
was going on and they were up to eleven on the Clippers, when their
backs were fully against the wall staring at going down three, the crowd was
absolutely on top of them, which made it even more impressive for the Clippers
to come back. And the Game six performance with the forty five spot by
Kawhi Leonard, which is an all time playoff performance in NBA history, to
me, yeah, absolutely, Yeah. Is there anything you know? Like,
I don't know this. It's gonna be very difficult. I don't want
people to think that we're saying that the Clippers are going to lose. It's
just going to be an incredibly If you think this is something other than an
incredibly difficult series, this is not the podcast for you. I don't know
what to tell you. Because the Clippers can win, they should win,
but it's going to be a war. Even if you thought the rosters were
bad last time for the MAVs like it was still a war, right,
Like, it's not like, yeah, it's and the Clippers have gotten they
figured out how to use their piece as well. Right, Tyler's been pulling
the right strings for the most part. Recently, Russ playing well. Everyone's
citing this, Oh the Clippers are seven and two since he's come back from
his injury. I don't think it's that deep. But he has been playing
very well. I don't think he was very good against Philly Orlando and both
those game I'm not sure if that was about Russ. Yeah, now the
last three or four games definitely, Obviously the game in Phoenix where he was
shot out of a cannon and almost in a triple double in the first half
unbelievable. And I do like Russ matchup wise in this series. I think
he can guard Kyrie and Luca. I think that's somebody who can holm them.
Somebody gave Themvin Durant Jersey because when Russbrook, when Russell Westbrook is going
up against kd like, there is a different level to him. Yeah,
you can tell the vendetta is real. Yeah, he's going over screens every
time, he's fighting through Like, oh my god, oh man, and
we haven't seen Russ in Dallas in a playoff series. Yeah, they are
going to hate him, the fans because it's I mean, it's just that
kind of place, right, Like they don't like, they don't like opposing
players like that, and he is gonna thrive in that environment. And they
played a ton. I want to say they matched up at some point in
the playoffs when he and KD were together in a round, but obviously,
yeah, they're familiar with thr Us. This game a stat that law Murry
has been tweeting out as it's happened. The Clippers are ten and oh when
one of Kawhi Paul George hardener Man get ten plus rebounds eleven now this year
eleven though this season, Let's watch those rebound numbers go up because I think
Kawhi and PG both it's like two and a half more per game in the
playoffs. Points obviously goes up like five or six per game for those guys.
So keep an eye on the rebounds. You know, when we were
talking about going small, like that's the big issue with going small. It's
giving up extra possessions and stuff like that. So I'm excited to see Paul
George's rebounding continue to be on the upswing. Two. What I what I
worry about? And it goes back to Vita Zoobots and how important it is
for him to play well and for the Clippers stick to stay believing in him
because you're gonna need him to win this series. Is obviously Coach lou was
more comfortable going small often. We just saw it in that third quarter when
the Clippers were up thirty seven on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday Night and Phoenix
went small and instead of punishing them and feeding of Vitza Zubots, who was
being guarded at times by Eric Gordon down low, they eventually gave in as
Phoenix was making a run and the Clippers matched them and they went small themselves.
I would love to see Avitza Zubots impose his will and secure his spot
on the floor. Uh. It was make themselves so invaluable that they can't
take you off the floor in this series against the Dallas Mavericks because he will
have the size advantage against their bigs. They're gonna have the quickness, they're
gonna have the rim running, the athleticism, and that's part of the reason
they need a Big Zoo out there. But I don't know if the game
plan is gonna be okay. If Lucas hunting that matchup, we're not switching
on those anymore and having Big Zoo go on him. He either takes that
shot or you fight through the screen. And that's where it has to be,
because if he's one on one Luca versus Visa Zoo bots, it's barbecued
chicken. His shack would say, it has been. I don't know what
I remember in the twenty twenty one series. I think I pulled the numbers,
the mashup data when it was Luca taking a shot with with the beats
Zoobots on him, and I want to say it was like seventy five percent
field goal percentage stuff. It was insane, even when we're talking about good
defense too. With his hand up right, you just you just lure them
in, You just let him continue to shoot over Zoo doesn't have any sis.
He's just gonna do that high arching shots that he's just gotta do,
high arcing shots. You tire them out. Well. That was part of
how they won that series too. So much was on Lucas plate. He
shot under thirty percent. I believe in fourth quarters in that twenty twenty one
series he gassed himself out. I don't know if we can rely on that
known though, now, because Kyrie Irving's going to take some of the offensive
scoring load off his plate. Now, it's crazy. This series. We
got Norm, we got twenty one Norm. Now he's gonna be hyped up.
He's been on a playoff, he's been playing in the playoff wars with
Kawhi. That's nice to have. This is gonna I'm in the coach battle
as Lou or as as Will has already talked about the MAVs coach, I'm
interested to see what Tylu who's already been preparing for the MAVs for him,
I'm excited. But he has cooked up. That's a good point too,
though, Chuck, like people trying to compare those series. They had a
different coach. They had Rick Carlisle, they have Jason Kidd. Now.
I know Will does these good coach apparently, but Will and I are on
the team. He's not a good coach. Inconclusive at this point. If
you if they win this first round series, uh sure, hey yeah,
yeah, it was it was all Jason Kidd like this, He's gonna have
to do something clever to beat this Clippers team in TYLERU right, I mean
he will. I wouldn't want to have to match up against Tilou in a
chess match in a seven game series for one quarter? What the hell do
we do? Shorts on. Yeah, this is gonna be a fun one.
And the way that, like trying to dispose of a wasp nests is
fun if that makes sense. Very difficult strategy wise, but once you once
you're done, it feels great and you move on to the next thing.
Yeah, the next thing is Denver, a much larger wasp nests with the
best wasp in the planet inside of it. Yeah, let us know on
Twitter what you think is gonna happen over at Clippers Pod or you can find
Adam at follow Adam a on x dot com formerly Twitter dot com, chatting
it up on don't hey, don't chat it up too are. There's still
like a week and a half until the first playoff game, which also is
probably gonna be in the afternoon. Sorry to burst everyone bubble, but everyone's
saying that Clippers MAVs Game one is gonna be like a twelve game or something
like that on Saturday. There were some people prematurely celebrating Sunday's game like the
last of the twelve thirty. Sorry, yeah, not even close. Hell
hope, it's an eating game. I feel like, like I said,
I do feel like it's like the premiere. It's like, yeah, from
year round one matchup. It should be Marquee Luke would be the face of
the league when Lebron retires. Yeah. Absolutely, coming up, we're gonna
talk just the final regular season weekend at Crypto. That's coming up. There's
a Steve Bamber giveaway on Sunday for a bobblehead, which is pretty funny.
Yeah, we're talking that. There's gonna be some ads that might be allowed
for you listening to this. We thank everyone for listening. Uh yeah,
so turn that down. Ads coming up in three two one. Welcome back
in It's Clips and Dip season two, episode sixty seven. I'm at a
Moslim. We've got Big Chuck Mockler and Will Updike here. If you missed
it last night, we did a little Clips in double Dip on Clippers Talk.
I believe this week's been like a whirlwind for me. Chuck you were
on me last night last night. I guess I'm thinking because the Clippers lost
that it must have been Charles Odd But it was Will powering through that.
Clippers lost last night with Bones Highland, by the way, having a career
high thirty seven points. Do you think we should acknowledge that Bones with the
green light is dangerous? I sure hope he earned himself a chance in the
playoffs. After that, he just gives you a different look. But uh,
yes, it was Will if you want to check that out. That
section of the podcast from Clippers Talk was also uploaded on the clips in dip
pod. We're at Clippers Pod on x We're at Clippers podcast on YouTube.
Chuck, what we got here? What are we looking for in these last
two games? Harden's questionable. I'm fine if he doesn't play. Really,
all that I want to see is maybe Ruskin is two hundredth triple double.
That's the only meaningful thing that can happen in these last two games. Right.
He just got his first as a Clipper right in that Phoenix Suns game
on Tuesday in Phoenix, which was kind of surprising, right, his first
as a Clipper, not this season, but his first overall is a Clipper.
I believe. Yeah, I think you're right. And he was unbelievable.
And that's guys, that thirty five to four start. We're never gonna
see anything like that. I'm not I don't mean watching the Clippers. I
mean watching any NBA game. You will never see that again. What was
it, fifty six to fourteen at one point? You will never see that
again. The only game I could think of, because sadly I'm from Sacramento
and the Sacramento Kings in the eighties. This is I think this is the
record. They were down to the Showtime Lakers in nineteen eighty seven after the
first quarter forty to four. The KEYESUS was the only game that came to
mind watching that Clippers Phoenix Sun's game. No, Will and I were dumbfounded
watching that game. We were it was like it made no sense. I
don't like, yeah, it was wild, I was We're just used to
that happening to us. I feel like, yeah, it was. It
was kind of nice to be on the other side of it instead of sons
and four sons got four and they're down thirty five to four. It was
so purple. They were booing, oh they don't sit until they score their
first point and it took like four minutes. Yeah, believe good stuff.
If you hate the Suns and the city of Phoenix, which I will go
on record saying I hate both, who do we think? So it's it's
the rest is two hundred triple double and you are right, Adam, he's
only had one as a Clipper. Let him get it against the Jazz tomorrow
and then let's just let's see what Kobe Brown and Brandon Boston can do.
Kobe Brown some decent play in that in the last Sun's game, too,
not bad. Something to it. That feed from Bones Highland for the two
handed jam from Kobe Brown was pretty impressive. That was fun winning basketball plays.
I mean, he was getting a bunch of deflections, he was getting
his hands in there. He looked, he looked pretty good, pretty solid.
That last game against the Jazz last Friday, I'm checking to see because
the Clippers did start that one, yes, very fast as well. They
were up forty one to sixteen. That needs to happen tomorrow night. Leave
no doubt. Do not let the Jazz think they have a chance, because
even if there's systemic tanking going on, and I don't know if that's true
or not. I just know they've lost a lot of games recently. You've
the NBA is trying to do away with but the players out there still want
to have good game tape to give to their agent to show to perspective Team
Tames. So guys are going to play hard. Whether or not the most
talented players are available for the Jazz Tomorrow night isn't a different story. Uh
Lowberry had a really funny tweet. It said the LA Clippers will not have
Kawhi Leonard guard Bryce sends the ball for tomorrow's game versus Utah Jazz. They
may have James Harden bring the ball up against Kyante George as he is questionable.
Paul George will be available to possibly shoot against Taylor Hendrix. Like,
that's pretty good. That's what we're getting into tomorrow. Who do we think
addresses the crowd on Sunday for the final regular season game at Crypto? Oh,
this is good, this is good? Right, probably Paul George?
Right? Yeah, either PG or RUSS they will eat it up. And
it's Russell Westbrook section two O seven. Oh, that's true for sure.
I hope they make zoo do it. Terrence. I feel like Terrence would
be kind of interesting. Has been there, kind of de facto press guy
too. He's in the ads for the Wall and and that stuff. He's
kind of been there. Is not gonna do it. Don't sleep on the
tuck Wagon showing up. He's just he's like the home you know, he's
like a homegrown talent. Not from Los Angeles obviously, but I mean like
he's one of the players that the Clippers have. Actually, yeah, yeah,
yeah, true, yeah, I'm here. Let's go real quick though.
You're calling PJ. Tucker the tuck Wagon at you never heard that.
I have not. I've not heard the I don't know how far it goes
back. You gotta hit yourself to the tuck Wagon. Uh baby. I
don't know if it's from his stops in Houston or Toronto Wagon or recent stops
in Miami or Milwaukee or Philadelphia, but somewhere along the way. I think
it's on his basketball reference about it right now, it's on there. It's
his only nickname. What's up, hey, egg on my face? I
guess we're not knowing the tuck Wagon. My best friend growing up was named
Mike Tucker. We used to call mother Tucker. I love that for a
Tucker. I would not call PJ. Tucker that. Okay, and I
think we need to give out a keyword. Someone on our YouTube commented that
they thought they got all three, which I'm gonna I'm gonna sorry j Bos,
you did not get it. The first one is positivity, correct,
but eclipse is not the second one and inevitable is not the third one because
we haven't even given you. I mean, honestly, for us not giving
the words, I feel like that was very well done. Jabo's incredible.
Jabo's if you see us in public at the game or ever, shout something
and I'll buy you a beer for a deer or something like that, or
we'll I don't know, give you whatever is in my right pocket. That's
like there was this guy on Survivor that used to, without any hint,
just goes searching for the idol throughout the island and he would end up finding
them somehow, like he's just digging everywhere. He had this knack for it.
Okay, So the first one though, is positivity. That is correct
if you are listening or watching the first tear of his positivity Adam, what
is the second keyword to win the James Harden and comb bubblehead. I don't
know if we should game the first one, make him go back and listen,
but uh, I believe it is Chuck. It really should be you
giving this out. The second keyword process, get that right, exactly what
it is? So positivity and process. The third one, which we know
and we'll give out on the double dip tomorrow, is very funny. Uh,
Will, are you doing the double dip? Or am I doing the
double dip? I think it's all right. There was talk of the way
that will delivers this particular keyword is very funny, So Will you might have
to come on. I will. I'll interview just for one word. Yeah,
just pass the phone to me. That would be great. We'll probably
be hanging out, so that sounds perfect. Actually, what is the third
keyword? And I'll pass it. I'll go, mister updyke your call?
Uh and Will will then say the keyword. So we have positivity and process.
That's it. We're gonna definitely remember to give out the third one.
Bad guys definitely dropped the It's a good don't worry about it. I love
I love you putting the pieces together in Fearing Out. Well, I was
kind of wondering if Chuck was going with a different way about this game where
you would have to guess based upon themes we were throwing at you in episodes,
which isn't a terrible way to go. It could take longer to win
the prize, but that's okay if you're watching more of our shows. I
mean, half our listeners when they watch our show read Scientific American. We
know that for a fact. We have documentation that that's true. We have
a very smart audience. If you listen to the show, you're very smart.
Half of you. The other half you're not reading Scientific American. I
don't know. I think that. How about all the Mavericks fans watching now?
Oh the oh, So that is a very real thing that we should
address that there's gonna be a bunch of MAVs fans watching these videos. When
Will and I hosted Lockdown, Clippers are most listened to episodes. I believe
the top two most popular episodes we ever did worthy two times that we did
a post game after the Clippers were down to the maps. Because MAVs fans
engage with podcasts and things like that. It's a very uh uh deep YouTube
fan base. I feel like the Raccoon Squad, I think is what it's
called over all, the lockdown MAVs. So yeah, engage healthily would be
my advice for Clips and MAVs fans. Will do you have anything to say
to the Mavericks fans? We love Nick ag stat we we don't mean anything
malicious. I like Dallas more than Phoenix as the city. Who are your
guys favorite Dallas Mavericks players in the past. Nobody that's going to be seen
in this series. There's Dirk, I don't. I mean, yeah,
I don't. I don't Pine for years past. Man, I'm going with
Jim Jackson, but whatever. Okay, your first opponent in NBA jam and
Jamal Mashburn. That's pretty sick. Will do you have anything to say to
the Mapps fans, We're gonna be watching, Hey, let's have a good
time. It's gonna be so toxic, it's gonna be horribly toxic. Try
and not engage with the toxicity. To the rational fans of MAVs country,
welcome. We try and not be your reactionary. But I don't know if
the Clippers win by forty at some point there might be some wild stuff talked
about. Will if MAVs fans wanted to tell their grand peppy where to listen
to our show so they could get more intel off the Clippers, Where could
they do that? You can check us out over on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
You can leave a rating and review over on those two platforms were also
available wherever you get your podcasts. Best way to view the show, though,
you gotta be honest with you, So we're on YouTube dot com at
Clippers podcast, easy enough to remember even for an e MAVs fan like yourself.
Away, No thanks, So what you're rocking with us? Oh?
No? All right? Uh? Flip flapping that out of one positive thing
before we get out of the here, as we do on every show.
As much as I have praised the Dallas Mavericks for the run that they have
been on and what a difficult series it could be, as I try to
ingratiate myself with Dallas Mavericks fans, I still got clips and six. Maybe
it's clips and six. It's clips and six. Thank y'all for hanging out.
We'll have the double dip with the final keyword tomorrow on AM five seventy
and then maybe a podcast on Saturday or maybe Sunday. We're trying to figure
it out. Thank you for hanging out, and as always, let's go Clips