1 00:00:06,799 --> 00:00:11,000 What is going on? Clippers fans, Welcome to season two, episode sixty 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,679 five of Clips in the Hopefully your paper at Clippers podcast or one of them 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,359 top three would be great. I am Chuck Mockler, joined by Will Upsike. 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,079 Are we kissing the top three on someone's frock? I hope, I 5 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:29,079 hope? So uh? And Adam Osland is here. We're gonna be talking 6 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,280 the Clippers finished March ten and seven. We've got a pretty good playoff debate 7 00:00:33,399 --> 00:00:37,799 kind of brewing right now as those loom closer. If you missed our recap 8 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,039 of yesterday's game, if you're only a YouTube person, which thank you for 9 00:00:41,079 --> 00:00:44,320 watching the videos. We do little recaps when Adam's on the radio on AM 10 00:00:44,359 --> 00:00:48,320 five to seventy that you can listen to anywhere you get podcasts. So that's 11 00:00:48,399 --> 00:00:51,679 if you want kind of our instant reaction to the games. I've mentioned y'all 12 00:00:51,719 --> 00:00:55,079 twice. I've I've been the only one speaking. How are you guys doing? 13 00:00:55,119 --> 00:00:58,719 Will? How are you doing? On this sunny Los Angeles afternoon evening. 14 00:00:58,759 --> 00:01:00,880 Excuse me, I'm doing all right, man, It's Monday. But 15 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:07,200 April fools on everyone, Damn, we didn't set up something elaborate for this 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,480 show. What the hell were we thinking? What was the April Fools just 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:15,159 there? I was just saying it in general. I was wishing. I 18 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,079 was wishing a happy April Fools to you and to Adam and to the listener 19 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,000 as well. Got it, appreciate that. So Will's doing good April Fools? 20 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,719 Maybe, Adam? How are you? Yeah? I just got back 21 00:01:25,719 --> 00:01:29,599 from Doune two. It was awesome. April Fools. Got Okay, wait, 22 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,560 have you seen it yet? No, he's gonna He refuses to watch 23 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,400 it because he read some of the book and didn't think that the first movie 24 00:01:37,519 --> 00:01:41,480 was close enough to the book. I read some of the portion of the 25 00:01:41,519 --> 00:01:45,840 book. I read part one, and then part one disappointed me, even 26 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,519 though he's my favorite new director. Sounds like you're April fool yourself, buddy. 27 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,359 It's worth it. Movies should be long their escapism. We should be 28 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,599 in the theater for up to six hours at a time. That's for a 29 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,239 different podcast called movie Clips and Dip, where we eat chips audibly on the 30 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:05,079 pod and talk about our favorite movie clips. We are here to talk about 31 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:10,639 the Clippers. The Clippers beat the Hornets in a weird game I think they 32 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:16,400 gave up the third most threes they've ever given up and they won, which 33 00:02:16,439 --> 00:02:20,599 is cool. Well, how did you feel about that win over the Hornets? 34 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,039 Were you whelmed? I felt like I was kind of well by, 35 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,240 other than Paul George being absolutely Oh yeah, I was gonna say, I 36 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:30,080 mean, it's great to see Paul George. I you know, it's against 37 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,080 the you know, a team that's really going through it right now, really 38 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:37,439 struggling, really not good. But you know, you still the stot, 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,120 the shots still have to go down, and you love to see him getting 40 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:45,080 into a rhythm and be able to build up that confidence. Overall, he's 41 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,599 been looking a lot better over this stretch of games, with what like two 42 00:02:47,719 --> 00:02:54,280 outlier performance He's He's had like twenty plus point games over the stretch and has 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,360 overall been been as efficient as we expect him to be. So yeah, 44 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:04,240 that was the the standout of it other than that kind of an expected outcome. 45 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,080 But I will say, I mean, it's kind of damned if you 46 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:08,080 do. Damned if you don't with these games, right, Like, we're 47 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,759 not gonna give them a whole lot of credit for putting these games away. 48 00:03:10,879 --> 00:03:14,639 It is nice that they're on a win streak. It is nice that it's 49 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,319 it's looking like they're they're trying to establish some sort of consistency and identity on 50 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:24,280 court. But like a win against the Hornets, clear obviously doesn't mean as 51 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:29,719 much as a loss against the Hornets. So it's you know, they got 52 00:03:29,759 --> 00:03:32,240 they got the win, and I'm happy that this game doesn't have to mean 53 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:37,719 more than it should. So yeah, that's that's what I'm putting into it. 54 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:44,240 That's fair. You see tents about the team right now in what way? 55 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:49,560 I don't know. I feel like they've built a good process. Adam, 56 00:03:49,599 --> 00:03:51,439 do you have a high five? Do we have a high five from 57 00:03:51,439 --> 00:03:54,199 that game? Yeah? We got a high five from that game because I 58 00:03:54,240 --> 00:04:00,240 did find some things impressive and also some things disappointing. We have to touch 59 00:04:00,319 --> 00:04:04,680 upon both where we show off high five or high five highlights from the high 60 00:04:04,719 --> 00:04:11,120 five when the Clippers were in Charlotte yesterday. You guys seeing what I'm seeing 61 00:04:11,199 --> 00:04:16,759 here? Yes, all right, So we can start things off, and 62 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,439 this would be something that has gone under the radar a little bit. Our 63 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:27,319 friend Justin Russeau tweeted about it. We've talked about it at least once before. 64 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,279 But Aviza Zubots, if you didn't know, is a bucket carl Tart. 65 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,519 This highlights for you. So we got James Harden on the right wing 66 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,160 here, Zo's just set the pick for him, a little pick and roll. 67 00:04:39,199 --> 00:04:41,680 There ran a lot of it, add did the Charlotte Hornets against the 68 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,360 Clippers A ton Avitza Zubats gets the basketball in the little pocket pass from James 69 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,199 Harden, gets into the paint and wearing the paint exactly oh from about five 70 00:04:50,399 --> 00:04:57,120 to nine feet out, where Aviza Zubots is shooting sixty nine percent from the 71 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:01,720 field. He leaves the league in afficiency from five feet to nine feet out 72 00:05:02,079 --> 00:05:09,040 by eight percent. The next closest guy is Nikola Jokish. Doesn't mean he's 73 00:05:09,079 --> 00:05:15,480 better than Nikole, does mean likely not does mean that it beats the Zoobots, 74 00:05:15,519 --> 00:05:17,839 though probably should get a few more touches and just went for his season 75 00:05:17,959 --> 00:05:20,879 high of twenty four points. What I like about this, though, is 76 00:05:20,879 --> 00:05:25,639 his defender and Richards actually does recover and it beats the Zubos doesn't have an 77 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,839 issue with that. He didn't need to get there for the dunk. He 78 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,120 just finds a little floater to go, Will float go from Big Zoo. 79 00:05:30,959 --> 00:05:35,720 He looked confident too. Other than the Paul George scoring, Zoo's confidence was 80 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:40,959 really good to see in this game. I thought, Will nothing on the 81 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:46,959 Big Zoo being underrated and not getting the basketball enough. Again, it's expected 82 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,959 Will not getting it. Will want Will wants to go eight no, to 83 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,399 close this damn season out, and if they don't, what are they even 84 00:05:55,439 --> 00:06:00,879 doing out there? All right? Well, on our last high high five, 85 00:06:01,079 --> 00:06:05,680 we showcased Terence Mann, who knocked out a three pointer early in the 86 00:06:05,759 --> 00:06:11,199 first quarter. It's about to happen again as they have Paul George trapped in 87 00:06:11,199 --> 00:06:14,879 the near side corner. Brandon Miller, who looks up to him, was 88 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,480 guarding him at times. They threw a quick double. It was Big Zoo's 89 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,399 man and Richard, so they think they have him trapped. He creates a 90 00:06:20,439 --> 00:06:26,040 little bit of separation here with his left elbow on Miller, who looks like 91 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,000 he just hit the life alert. But uh, Paul George is gonna throw 92 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,560 a cross court pass and it's going to t Man. What did we see 93 00:06:32,639 --> 00:06:35,759 last time out? He was in on the left wing. I believe, 94 00:06:35,759 --> 00:06:39,360 no, it was the right wing. On the other side last time against 95 00:06:39,519 --> 00:06:42,839 Orlando, and he had Paul George next to him, and he looked him 96 00:06:42,879 --> 00:06:46,680 off, got the defender going his way, and then attempted to knock down 97 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,480 the three pointer. Now it's Kawhi. Leonard two is right, does the 98 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:54,279 exact same thing. Looks at Kawhi, gets the defender off him, wide 99 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:58,639 open shot. Terrence Man sinks it. And I was just looking this up. 100 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,439 But t Man in first quarters because of the propensity he has shown to 101 00:07:02,519 --> 00:07:06,319 take more shots early on in ball games. Nineteen of his fifty one made 102 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:13,319 threes since January first have come in the first quarter. The majority of his 103 00:07:13,519 --> 00:07:16,480 made threes are coming in the opening quarter. Yeah, you should be taken 104 00:07:16,519 --> 00:07:18,920 out of the starting lineup. I think that that's a I think that's a 105 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:24,920 pretty valid argument the defense where I was going with it, That's exactly what 106 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:30,040 the evidence is mounting and damning. Get him out of there. That's in 107 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:34,160 the first nice for the rest of the game. Has he thought about that? 108 00:07:35,319 --> 00:07:39,639 Uh? Have you guys thought about Ivitza Zubots getting the basketball a little 109 00:07:39,639 --> 00:07:44,199 bit more as much as I have, because I got more from Vitza Zoombots. 110 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,720 Here here's a Big Zoo. I'm guessing this was a pick and roll 111 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,680 a little bit earlier, but we don't get the full length of the play 112 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:54,439 here in the highlight package, here's James Harden with it. He's in the 113 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,279 mid post near side, backs up just to the left of the left elbow. 114 00:07:58,399 --> 00:08:01,439 Vitza Zubots has the mismatches. His man went to James hard It's Brandon 115 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,600 Miller just hugging him. This should have been a foul, obviously, but 116 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:11,800 James Harden just lobs it over the defense is he have his arm curled underneath 117 00:08:11,839 --> 00:08:16,319 aviza'sz who bots his shoulder here? What is happening? Big Zoo comes up 118 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,079 with the past eddieways there's two men on him, but Liquor where Big Zoo's 119 00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:26,399 eyes goes, he sees a cutting Kawhi Leonard Here a Vista Zoo bots can 120 00:08:26,439 --> 00:08:30,319 be a hub on offenses. Kawhi Leonard has the big throwdown on a nice 121 00:08:30,399 --> 00:08:37,240 feed from Big Zoo. Big Zoo triple double watch playoffs. Can I bet 122 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:46,240 who who can bet on that Zoo will get busted for one person this bet? 123 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,360 Now we move a little bit ahead. We've been watching myself in dime 124 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:58,519 Dropper from a lockdown pod. Now we've been watching Kawhi Leonard and just have 125 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,480 you know, observing whether or not he still has the burst, whether or 126 00:09:01,519 --> 00:09:05,919 not Kawhi Leonard coming off the ACL, coming off the meniscus still has that 127 00:09:07,039 --> 00:09:11,200 explosiveness, so he can lead them in the fashion he did into the twenty 128 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,759 twenty one playoffs before he went down with that torn ACL. Well, here 129 00:09:13,799 --> 00:09:18,519 he is against Miles Bridges. The double comes as Kawhi is moving right to 130 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:24,720 left here in transition, goes behind his back twice here and then watch the 131 00:09:24,799 --> 00:09:30,600 blowby he gone. Gaw I still got it, boys, and there's eight 132 00:09:30,639 --> 00:09:35,679 games left in the regular season and he's looking more spry. He and Paul 133 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,960 George have looked so much better. Paul George over the last month in March, 134 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:43,399 in his sixteen games played guys, he ended up shooting fifty three percent 135 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,600 from the field and forty seven percent from the outside. Kawhi slowly but surely 136 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:52,000 might be turning a corner himself with three pointers right now, which has kind 137 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,039 of flown under the radar. He's been down from three over the last couple 138 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:58,480 of months. The Kawhi turning the corner was so great to see. I 139 00:09:58,519 --> 00:10:03,519 feel like it really popped out in this game because they are a very young 140 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,600 team, right, so they are quicker maybe than some other guys, but 141 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,559 Kawhi was able to get around them. And again another get to a spots 142 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:13,799 game, which is we just want to see more of these as we get 143 00:10:13,799 --> 00:10:16,840 closer to the offs. Now some thing they talk about where like, if 144 00:10:16,879 --> 00:10:20,679 you take a week off from training, you need like two to three weeks 145 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,480 just to get back to the level that you were at. Maybe that's just 146 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:28,960 what happened with the All Star break with our with the I mean, if 147 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,080 you look at the timeline from when they kind of started turning around, it 148 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,440 does line up. I'll just say that I've heard worst theories out there. 149 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,320 Here's the worst play. This is the last one. Are we ending on 150 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:46,200 a sour note? Yeah, we're going uh low? You did that last 151 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,240 time too, right? Oh yeah, No, last time was the Paul 152 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,639 George one. It was the bonus play that ended up screwing them, even 153 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:58,240 though it didn't end up hurting them with the Franz Wagner inbounds play five. 154 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:05,600 This is not the roddening. So there's some plays you can live with with 155 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:09,879 James Harden defensively. We know he's not a great defender. There's some stuff 156 00:11:09,919 --> 00:11:15,240 that is expected. There's also some stuff that still expected of him in this 157 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:22,240 position. And here he is completely losing his man and kind of humiliating fashion 158 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,399 a little bit. Here. James Harden is better than this, but you 159 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:28,159 got to have an eye on the ball, an eye on your man, 160 00:11:28,879 --> 00:11:33,200 and here he loses both of them as Bridges cuts behind him. At the 161 00:11:33,279 --> 00:11:39,240 last second. James Harden saw him. Watch this. Oh, oh, 162 00:11:39,279 --> 00:11:41,919 where do you go? Oh he's gone. It's too late, it's too 163 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,720 late. It's over easy bucket. There there were a couple it wasn't just 164 00:11:45,799 --> 00:11:48,440 James Harden in that game that had defensive laps. There was a play where 165 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,799 Paul George and Norn Powell got crossed up. There was a play where it 166 00:11:52,799 --> 00:11:54,919 beats a Zubas and Terrence Man got crossed up. They didn't know who's guarding 167 00:11:54,919 --> 00:12:00,720 who. But that is one of those plays that just can't have. As 168 00:12:00,799 --> 00:12:05,200 much as he has limitations on the defensive end, he's better than that you 169 00:12:05,279 --> 00:12:07,840 mentioned. Thank you for the high five. We need some kind of theme 170 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,600 music for the high five. I feel like something kind of surf Rocky. 171 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:16,039 Everyone wants to send that in go for it. Yeah, volume on. 172 00:12:16,759 --> 00:12:20,559 Yeah, we'll do volume on for the Surf Rock High five intro music. 173 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:24,159 No problem. You mentioned guys getting crossed up in that game. I think 174 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,480 this kind of takes us into you know, the Clippers finished March ten and 175 00:12:28,519 --> 00:12:33,720 seven. We saw mostly good play towards the end of you know, the 176 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,960 very end of this month, considering how tightly pack the games where guys getting 177 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,879 crossed up, and Justin Russo brought this up on Twitter, tylu kind of 178 00:12:41,919 --> 00:12:46,799 having to tell guys where to be was something that happened a little too much 179 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,039 this month, but I think tailed off towards the end. So I'm hoping 180 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:54,279 we don't see as much of that now that we're in April. I mean, 181 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:58,399 they only finished twenty six defensively in the month of March, so yeah, 182 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,039 he's an improvement over the last two months since the Grammy road trip. 183 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:07,759 They're twenty eighth defensively. Last twenty five games were they're thirteen and twelve. 184 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:15,960 Yes, concerning that is concerning how what's kind of your biggest concerns. I 185 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,679 guess as we head him to the final stretch, the last ten percent nine 186 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:26,399 point eight percent of the season. I think for me it's James Harden because 187 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,919 he hasn't looked good shot. I think about forty percent from the field in 188 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,480 March, thirty percent from the outside. Wasn't getting downhill as much. He 189 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,320 missed two games. They gave him a little bit of rest on that road 190 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,799 trip in Chicago and then in New Orleans, and there's been a little bit 191 00:13:41,879 --> 00:13:46,600 more spark with him getting down hill. I'd say he still had ten assists 192 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,399 to zero turnovers against the Charlotte Hornets. But remember he had the splint on 193 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:56,799 his hand from earlier in the day and played through it jammed the finger, 194 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,720 but he's already had the left shoulder injury going on. I just want to 195 00:14:01,759 --> 00:14:05,360 see him healthy and fresh come the playoffs. There's not much more important than 196 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:09,879 that. When he is the system, you need James Harden at his best. 197 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,919 I'm hoping they can give him more games off down the stretch here. 198 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,039 It's not easy because you've got to manage still winning and holding on to the 199 00:14:16,039 --> 00:14:20,639 four spot. But it's pretty important for James Harden to be at his best 200 00:14:20,879 --> 00:14:24,320 come that first round. Yeah, I wonder if some of what we're seeing 201 00:14:24,399 --> 00:14:30,000 is sort of like in game rest, which which I hope him certainly not 202 00:14:30,159 --> 00:14:33,559 having to take on as much in these weeks coming up to the playoffs. 203 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,279 Like, as long as he's fully healthy, I guess I'm a little bit 204 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,600 less worried about the slump, is what I'm trying to say. I think 205 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,960 if he yeah, if he can get a couple of games off, depending 206 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:48,600 on where the staring the standings are, I think that would be great. 207 00:14:48,639 --> 00:14:54,679 But I'm not I'm not necessarily concerned with the numbers and stuff right now. 208 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:56,840 I'm just eager for him to be at you know, one hundred percent when 209 00:14:56,879 --> 00:15:01,279 the playoffs start, so that, yeah, that would definitely be what I'd 210 00:15:01,279 --> 00:15:05,279 be looking for with him. They can't win if he doesn't have that downhill 211 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:09,519 attack because everything flows out of that. Yeah, it's getting two on the 212 00:15:09,559 --> 00:15:13,279 ball, it's getting into the pain. It's what coach lou has talked about 213 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,320 all the time. That's part of the reason. That's one of the main 214 00:15:16,399 --> 00:15:20,399 reasons you get James Harden. It doesn't have to be him finishing all the 215 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,799 time there, but he has to be aggressive enough to keep the defense off 216 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:28,519 balance and to get the number advantage in their favor. Or they're going four 217 00:15:28,559 --> 00:15:31,279 on three all the time because he's got two on the ball. What was 218 00:15:31,279 --> 00:15:35,519 it two field goal with Temps after the finger thing last game? I think 219 00:15:35,559 --> 00:15:41,440 three made one made a three? Yeah, yeah, I think Harden is 220 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:46,080 a fair thing to be monitoring as because it's what eight games? There's one 221 00:15:46,159 --> 00:15:50,039 more back to back? Maybe two? I know Thursday Friday is a back 222 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,000 to back. Yeah, two more, I think yeah, then Phoenix Phoenix, 223 00:15:54,559 --> 00:15:58,080 go in Phoenix and then Athell versus Phoenix. Uh will what are you 224 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:03,279 what's your biggest what are you monitoring these final light games? I talked about 225 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:07,159 it last episode, but just how these small ball lineups are gonna work, 226 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:11,039 what match like, what machinations they're gonna put together, and how to make 227 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:17,960 those units effective because it's been a really mixed bag overall, kind of trending 228 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:22,799 down, and obviously some of that is due to limitations for what I would 229 00:16:22,879 --> 00:16:27,080 call regular season rotations versus playoff rotations. You know, like I don't think 230 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,200 in the playoffs we'll see a small ball lineup without Kawhi Leonard in it. 231 00:16:32,399 --> 00:16:36,279 So you know, stuff like that is like is fair enough? You know, 232 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:40,600 I can take with a grain of salt, But we're gonna figure We're 233 00:16:40,639 --> 00:16:45,480 gonna have to figure out how to get the most out of the rotation that 234 00:16:45,559 --> 00:16:48,279 we have, which I know is every team's issue, but I would say 235 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:52,480 the Clippers are in a unique spot where I mean, like, honestly, 236 00:16:52,559 --> 00:16:56,720 is this playoff rotation deeper than like eight men deep? Like it's it's not 237 00:16:56,399 --> 00:17:02,480 particularly deep at the highest level. And I do think that tylu is the 238 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:07,200 perfect coach to try to find guys that are gonna work together and try to 239 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:08,960 get a little bit more out of guys that, you know, maybe we 240 00:17:10,039 --> 00:17:14,119 didn't see as being that great during the regular season, but it's it's something 241 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,720 a monitor for sure, because so far everyone not named Viza Zubots in the 242 00:17:18,759 --> 00:17:23,400 center rotation has been shaky at best. And you know, our benches, 243 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:30,160 our bench is fairly depleted. So that's what I'm looking at. The rotations 244 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,440 is a really good call. We've seen a very high uptick in small ball. 245 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,799 Excuse me to close out march with I would agree with kind of clicking 246 00:17:37,839 --> 00:17:42,240 down for the small ball. It's just kind of trading buckets. The defense 247 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:47,640 is the biggest ish, and the boards obviously, Yeah, the rebounding has 248 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:49,599 to be better, and then I mean, like, look, the thing 249 00:17:49,599 --> 00:17:53,039 that's killed them is like, yes, defensively, those those units are they're 250 00:17:53,039 --> 00:17:57,319 not going to be very good, but they go through their own scoring droughts 251 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:02,799 that you know, it's just sort of insurmountable at that point. One of 252 00:18:02,839 --> 00:18:06,599 the lineups I'm interested in they used it laid against Philly was two to one 253 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:08,720 three with James Harden, Norman Palla, and Amir Coffee, and they ended 254 00:18:08,799 --> 00:18:12,039 up winning that ball game, and Coffee was a big part of it. 255 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,319 And he has come up clutch for the Clippers many times. And I think 256 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:21,279 part of the reason I mentioned Terrence Man and what he's doing in first quarters 257 00:18:21,279 --> 00:18:26,039 shooting wise from three, he's taking less obviously everywhere else, and I think 258 00:18:26,039 --> 00:18:29,160 that's part of the reason that Emir Coffee got the nod over him and has 259 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,960 gotten the nod over him at times with closing out games. He's a more 260 00:18:33,039 --> 00:18:37,640 willing shooter from the outside. He's also a little bit bigger than Terrence Man 261 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,480 when you're going small like that, So that could be something to look at, 262 00:18:41,799 --> 00:18:45,400 especially if they end up in a series with the Dallas members. Yeah, 263 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,319 which we are going to talk about in the sec Amir Coffee is gonna 264 00:18:48,319 --> 00:18:51,839 be one of those guys who in the playoffs, he's gonna get like two 265 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:56,279 field goal attempts. Maybe he's gotta hopefully make one. But she has been 266 00:18:56,279 --> 00:18:59,559 doing right. I think his stat line from the last game was what it 267 00:18:59,599 --> 00:19:02,400 was too, one of two. He had two assists, a block, 268 00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:04,920 like you add a couple more rebounds and maybe two more field goal at times. 269 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,799 That's exactly what they need from him in the playoffs. It's like an 270 00:19:07,839 --> 00:19:14,279 efficient, chunky stat line, like just kind of the little things like and 271 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:17,519 he hit shots to keep them in games, which has been cool to see. 272 00:19:17,519 --> 00:19:19,440 He hit shots maybe in the third when there's a run happening from the 273 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,559 other team or something like that. They're always kind of timely buckets from a 274 00:19:22,599 --> 00:19:27,319 mirror, which is you need. And while the efficiency isn't at like the 275 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:33,079 superhuman levels that it was, PU, Yeah, he's still been He's still 276 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:37,519 been solid. He's still been good there, so I I yeah, he's 277 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,039 in no way afraid of the moment. And who knows, Like what if 278 00:19:41,079 --> 00:19:45,440 we get another Terrence repeat performance like we saw in the Utah series and at 279 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,720 some point we get in a mere Coffee game like that's gonna be a normal 280 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,839 one too, Like they have some guys who can do it. Yeah, 281 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,680 if you and like, look, the rotation outside of the starters is somewhat 282 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:02,000 shaky in not including Norman Powell. But if you get if you get a 283 00:20:02,079 --> 00:20:04,519 role player game, I you know, I think that's enough to put you 284 00:20:04,559 --> 00:20:10,880 over the edge in less two of the Big three, like dramatically crap the 285 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:19,240 bed. I think I said recently that I craped the bed dramatically, so 286 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:26,319 like you got to put a tent over the house and FEMA game candle it. 287 00:20:26,319 --> 00:20:30,519 They did it in candlelight. I think I said something about a mere 288 00:20:30,599 --> 00:20:34,119 coffee and his shooting percentages falling off after that really hot start when he got 289 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,559 back into the rotation. But he has shot the last two months. It's 290 00:20:37,559 --> 00:20:41,079 only on three attempts per game, but forty percent from three the last two 291 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:45,119 months. So while he's not at over fifty percent like he was in January, 292 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:51,799 he's been more than serviceable from the outside. Before we get into this 293 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,039 playoff debate that's happening, the Clippers have eight more games left for the playoffs. 294 00:20:56,279 --> 00:20:59,920 They're playing the Kings tomorrow, who have no Milik Monk or no Kevin 295 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,799 or the Nuggets on Thursday, which all three of us are gonna be in 296 00:21:03,799 --> 00:21:07,599 the building for, I believe, and then the Jazz on Friday, calves 297 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:11,960 at the Suns, and then home versus Suns the very next day, and 298 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,119 then versus the Jazz, and then they end their season with a brunch battle 299 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:21,039 versus the Rockets. So there's really one game in here, and it's coming 300 00:21:21,079 --> 00:21:22,880 up pretty quickly. That is the biggest, like or one of the biggest 301 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,440 litmus tests, is that game against the Nuggets to see if they actually can 302 00:21:26,519 --> 00:21:30,359 put together this good process, and then that back to back against Phoenix, 303 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:37,519 which could decide the Pacific Division title depending how things go. I know Adam's 304 00:21:37,519 --> 00:21:45,400 got got his eye on those. How do you will what are you pegging 305 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:49,319 their record at over this eight this eight game stretch? What do you want 306 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:55,240 to see? What do you think it's gonna be? It's not easy, 307 00:21:55,240 --> 00:22:00,839 it's not hard, it's it's a little it's tough me or will I want 308 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:06,960 five and three? Oh? I think five, and I think that'll hold 309 00:22:07,039 --> 00:22:10,200 on to the four seed. If they go five and three, keep right 310 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,640 there top of the division. Yeah too, yeah, yeah, So where 311 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,559 do you see the losses? We split the Suns. I think that's happened. 312 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,079 No matter what, that's a travel back to back. I could live. 313 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,920 I could live with split in the Suns, lost to the Calves, 314 00:22:29,039 --> 00:22:33,440 and then maybe uh an end of the season lost because we don't we don't 315 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,440 play everybody because the Rockets game is at twelve thirty. Yeah, so okay, 316 00:22:37,519 --> 00:22:41,119 yeah I would love that. So yeah, so we lose that, 317 00:22:41,319 --> 00:22:45,359 we lose one of the two to the Suns, we lose to the Calves, 318 00:22:45,839 --> 00:22:48,240 uh, and then we kind of we throw a game if we're safe 319 00:22:48,319 --> 00:22:52,079 enough at the fore seed at the end. So you like them on Thursday 320 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:56,599 versus the Dugs and tomorrow, Yeah, I like them tomorrow for sure. 321 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:03,240 Well yeah, that one would that would kind of undo this three game win 322 00:23:03,319 --> 00:23:07,400 streak if they were to like lose to a short handed Kings. Kings are 323 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:12,240 desperate. I think that's a tough game. It's not like Bus Fox, 324 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,720 that's an easy game. But I like them, so I'm encouraged by having 325 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,880 undo the three game what extreak if they lost us a bonus and Fox and 326 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,559 Sacramento. Yeah, they've beat crap teams. It's like it's only in like, 327 00:23:26,599 --> 00:23:32,680 it's only if they continue the good habits and the good work. Otherwise 328 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:37,680 it doesn't really mean that much. Orlando is one of the better wins of 329 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,000 the season. Orlando for sure. Yeah. I said a couple of crappy 330 00:23:41,039 --> 00:23:45,599 teams. That doesn't mean all of them. I heard crap teams. All 331 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,279 right, all right, we're going semantics about crap. We're talking about dramatic 332 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:55,839 craps of the bad of the band. Uh. Five and three out of 333 00:23:55,839 --> 00:24:00,559 what do you see for the record? Five and three? Call now? 334 00:24:00,599 --> 00:24:04,440 Who they lose to? Yeah? Sorry, I think they probably split the 335 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:11,079 next two. I don't know which one they win or lose. I just 336 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:15,200 feel like they could look ahead to Denver also because they're coming up on Thursday, 337 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:22,319 and that makes the Sacramento game tougher. Uh, Cleveland, they should 338 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,880 be focused. Favorite game. They should. Yeah, they're thirteen to twelve, 339 00:24:26,799 --> 00:24:32,839 so that'd be nice. I'm just going off of you know, how 340 00:24:32,839 --> 00:24:37,559 they've been playing overall Cleveland right now. I'm wondering how much they have to 341 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,960 play for in the East and how much maneuvering that they can do. Obviously, 342 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,839 it's a team that they don't match up well against, but Cleveland's been 343 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,319 really beat up and up and down. They lost to them. That was 344 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:52,240 the one team they lost to on the Grammy road trip was the Cavaliers, 345 00:24:52,279 --> 00:24:56,759 and coach lou just straight up said, yeah, we don't match up well 346 00:24:56,759 --> 00:25:00,480 against them. They're in the three seed, but they're only up of the 347 00:25:00,519 --> 00:25:03,799 four seed, held by the New York Knicks by a half game, so 348 00:25:03,519 --> 00:25:07,000 things are tight right there. They need to win. They're unlikely to be 349 00:25:07,079 --> 00:25:10,960 a top two seed, but they like the Clippers, they're trying to hold 350 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:12,559 onto the third and East Clippers trying to hold into the four spot. So 351 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:18,680 that's gonna be a really tough game. Uh man, those two in Phoenix. 352 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,160 As the Suns are just trying to the two against Phoenix, sorry, 353 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,319 as the Suns are just trying to get out of the plane. It's just 354 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:33,200 seeming less likely. But yeah, I don't know, I think five and 355 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,079 three. I'm going five and three. I'm going five and three. I 356 00:25:36,079 --> 00:25:40,240 don't know where somebody are gonna land losses and wins, but I think it's 357 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:44,240 very likely. I'll think, right, I think we're all consensus five and 358 00:25:44,279 --> 00:25:47,799 three unless they lose tomorrow, in which case Will wants to see seven and 359 00:25:47,839 --> 00:25:52,799 one to redeem for whatever the hell happens. Well that likes, isn't it. 360 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,160 Yeah? It's six and one at that point though, isn't it. 361 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:57,279 Yeah? Sorry, yeah sorry? Eight seven one over the whole, the 362 00:25:57,279 --> 00:26:03,720 whole eight. All right. Coming up, we're talking this emerging debate amongst 363 00:26:03,759 --> 00:26:08,680 Clippers fans of who the team should prefer to play, between the MAVs or 364 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:14,799 the Pels, because that's very much a possibility. There's some ads coming up. 365 00:26:14,799 --> 00:26:15,960 If you're listening to us, Thank you for listening, by the way, 366 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:18,119 to all of our podcasts. If your watch, we're still going to 367 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:22,960 be here. We got ads and then MAVs or Pels talk coming up in 368 00:26:22,079 --> 00:26:29,960 three two one. All right, welcome back into clips and dip. So 369 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,200 now we're talking to the playoff debate as things are kind of tightening up here 370 00:26:33,279 --> 00:26:37,960 during the last stretch of the season. It's looking like the two most likely 371 00:26:37,039 --> 00:26:41,759 outcomes for the Clippers are either the Dallas Mavericks or the New Orleans Pelicans, 372 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:48,079 one team we have a pretty storied and long history against in the playoffs. 373 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:53,319 The other one we have a pretty storied and long history against in the regular 374 00:26:53,480 --> 00:27:00,400 season, and they have bounced us from playoff contention before too. So yeah, 375 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:04,440 where where are you guys at on this? Where where do you want 376 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:11,440 to start? Well? I know that Adam has been uh doing the good 377 00:27:11,559 --> 00:27:21,720 work of kind let me let me finish, okay, because this isn't right. 378 00:27:21,759 --> 00:27:25,160 This isn't the same quote unquote MAVs team we've played two times before. 379 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,119 They've added Kyrie Irving. It is a different beast of a Maps team, 380 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:32,799 I will say, compared to the scene, and they're playing incredibly well right 381 00:27:32,799 --> 00:27:37,880 now. I don't know between these two teams. I can't tell you which 382 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:42,599 one. If you're watching this on YouTube, you can see Will's fantastic name 383 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:52,440 bits. I don't know who I want them to play. I guess I 384 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:57,000 guess I prefer the Pelicans because mentally it's new and I'm not gonna have a 385 00:27:57,079 --> 00:28:06,039 horrific time, know reliving past series against this team, like we went against 386 00:28:06,039 --> 00:28:07,960 the Maps or something like that, which is a completely selfish reason. I 387 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,079 understand there's no realige with that reason, but I think Adam might help back 388 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,440 me up with some statistical reasons why we should not maybe want to play this 389 00:28:15,519 --> 00:28:21,440 Maps too well. After the Dallas Mavericks last night, beat the Rockets, 390 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,000 the first team to beat them since the Clippers did three weeks ago, and 391 00:28:25,039 --> 00:28:27,720 then they won eleven straight ball games and got themselves into a position where they 392 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:32,920 can be in the play in It became official last night that currently they're matched 393 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,240 up against Dallas in the four to five. Dallas is leading their division now, 394 00:28:38,119 --> 00:28:41,400 and so I did a little bit of a deep dive. First. 395 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,359 I put out the tweet with the screenshot of the standings and just using the 396 00:28:45,519 --> 00:28:52,960 uh oh no face emoji face, the gritch er teeth something bad is coming 397 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:57,839 this way emoji face. I don't know what they call it. Yeah, 398 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,759 it's it's a one. And some people resonated with because Dallas and PTSD and 399 00:29:03,799 --> 00:29:11,640 all that. Others said right away, we want the Mavericks, dude, 400 00:29:11,839 --> 00:29:18,160 and I was like, lol, okay, dude, Like there was some 401 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,799 you know, consensus that everybody in Clipper Nation wants the Dallas Mavericks. And 402 00:29:22,839 --> 00:29:26,319 how do you not know? You casual that the Mavericks are obviously the better 403 00:29:26,359 --> 00:29:32,519 matchup for the Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans would be. And I'm pretty 404 00:29:32,599 --> 00:29:37,640 sure that position is completely hinging on the fact that on the season, Dallas's 405 00:29:37,759 --> 00:29:42,599 bottom ten defensively, so they have this glaring flaw, unlike the Pelicans, 406 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,960 who are much more balanced and have had a top five net rating for most 407 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,720 of the year. So then I actually went into the numbers and said, 408 00:29:49,759 --> 00:29:52,720 well, Dallas made a lot of changes at the trade deadline. I wonder 409 00:29:52,759 --> 00:29:57,920 where they've been at recently defensively. So I went back to February, so 410 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:03,440 twenty four games ample size and Dallas is now top ten defensively. Over that 411 00:30:03,559 --> 00:30:07,960 span, they are eighth while having these second best offense. So when we 412 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,119 talked about good moves of the trade deadline and said the New York Knicks made 413 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:15,319 some good moves and the Dallas Mavericks made some good move moves. Those moves 414 00:30:15,319 --> 00:30:19,119 has worked with the athletic big men they have brought in as much as we 415 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,319 have mocked one of them and people saying he should be on the Clippers, 416 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:32,119 Daniel Radcliffe wait Terry Potter. Who am I thinking of the backup from uh 417 00:30:32,759 --> 00:30:36,720 gaffer Daniel? I mean he should be on the Clips. I wouldn't mind 418 00:30:36,759 --> 00:30:45,839 a wizard. That'd be Swiss Army Man, Swiss Army Knight for this team. 419 00:30:45,759 --> 00:30:49,519 But then I thought, okay, what about clutch rating. I knew 420 00:30:49,519 --> 00:30:53,839 where the Pelicans were at there because the Clippers just played them recently and they 421 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,839 beat the Clippers in the clutch, even though they only scored like seven points 422 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,799 in the final five minutes and the Clippers only had five. Well, the 423 00:31:00,839 --> 00:31:04,599 Pelicans are twenty eighth in net rating in the clutch. The Mavericks are third, 424 00:31:06,119 --> 00:31:08,920 which is what you would expect because they have Luka Doncic and they have 425 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:15,319 Kyrie Irving. But if your entire argument is attached to, well, Dallas 426 00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:18,720 isn't a good defensive team and they can't stop the Clippers while the Clippers, 427 00:31:18,759 --> 00:31:22,759 meanwhile, people are telling me that, you know they can play them straight 428 00:31:22,839 --> 00:31:26,200 up. They have Kawhi, they have Paul George, put them on Luca, 429 00:31:26,559 --> 00:31:30,079 put them on Kyrie Irving, and you can play those guys straight up, 430 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:36,799 right, because that's how the NBA works, even though we've seen multiple 431 00:31:36,839 --> 00:31:41,640 series against Dallas over the last four seasons where you try to guard guys straight 432 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,119 up and this is what happens. I found an old sweet from twenty twenty 433 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:49,839 one from myself making this argument of how folly it is to believe you can 434 00:31:49,839 --> 00:31:55,640 play straight up against the Dallas Mavericks with the best miss Mutt match hunter in 435 00:31:55,720 --> 00:32:01,039 the game in Luka Doncic Because all the hopeless casuals on TV back then when 436 00:32:01,039 --> 00:32:04,759 the Clippers were down two to ohero in that seven game series in twenty twenty 437 00:32:04,759 --> 00:32:07,480 one, we're saying, why don't they just put Kawhi and Paul George on 438 00:32:07,599 --> 00:32:10,440 Luca. Well, I don't know, guys, because they set screens left 439 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:15,000 and right, because it's the modern NBA and it's not nearly that simple. 440 00:32:15,079 --> 00:32:21,000 Because while you're fighting through a screen, you're giving a guy an opportunity to 441 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,119 take a wide open three pointer. That's why you have to switch sometimes because 442 00:32:24,119 --> 00:32:27,839 if you try to fight through it and you give up space to a shooter 443 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,680 like Luka Doncicic or Kyrie Irving, now they're going to drain a wide open 444 00:32:30,759 --> 00:32:37,400 jumper on you. So that is also a fallacy and a false narrative going 445 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,160 on in this series. My only point would be this, I'm fine with 446 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:45,680 you wanting the Pelicans or warning the Dallas Mavericks. I just believe if you 447 00:32:45,759 --> 00:32:49,720 think it's obvious or a no brainer that they should want Dallas over the Pelicans, 448 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,480 you haven't been paying attention recently to how the Dallas Mavericks have been playing 449 00:32:52,799 --> 00:32:55,079 and the fact that I don't know, the Clippers still had to take them 450 00:32:55,119 --> 00:33:00,279 to seven in twenty twenty one to beat them. It's a different Clippers team. 451 00:33:00,519 --> 00:33:04,319 They can't probably play as well small as Will talked about earlier with some 452 00:33:04,319 --> 00:33:07,799 of those lineups they don't have, but Tom, they don't have Marcus Morris 453 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:12,920 anymore. And it beats a Zubots has been food for Luka Doncic whenever he 454 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,680 matches up against him, which he's always hunting for that switch. I was 455 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,839 also told by the same person that you know, I'm sure it beats a 456 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:22,680 zoo Bus will play a lot in that series. I don't know, man, 457 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:28,359 Luka Doncics is gonna be trying to find him every time down. So 458 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:34,000 I think I see Dallases and the Pelicans as a coin flip. I think 459 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,920 it's really close. I see the being problematic with either team. There's just 460 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:43,640 this false confidence about the Dallas Mavericks and how the Clippers match up so well 461 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,720 against them, and who are they gonna guard Kawhi and Paul George with Well, 462 00:33:46,759 --> 00:33:51,319 I don't know, but recently they've gotten wins over Denver. Okay, 463 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:53,200 See, they just beat Sacramento twice. They just beat a team that won 464 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:57,359 eleven straight games. They just beat Phoenix. That's nothing new. Luca always 465 00:33:57,359 --> 00:34:02,160 beats Phoenix, but they've had a top ten defense for two months. So 466 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:06,519 why are we acting like the Dallas Mavericks are the same old Dallas Mavericks and 467 00:34:06,559 --> 00:34:08,800 all you have to do is score with them, and like they aren't gonna 468 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:15,880 be able to slow you down at all. I agree your argument is very 469 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:19,559 valid. Will the other crazy thing is the Clippers, even if they play 470 00:34:19,559 --> 00:34:23,280 well, might end up the still the five seed, right, Like there's 471 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:25,920 still his room for the Clippers to maybe slip. And then all of a 472 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:30,079 sudden we're on the road against Dallas. Yes, it was like a damn 473 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:35,360 nightmare. Which of these teams are you coin preferring? I guess the coin 474 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:45,679 flip the fall. I don't know. It's a credirect answer. Difficult decision, 475 00:34:45,119 --> 00:34:52,000 that's the correct answer. It's like both just present really interesting things. 476 00:34:52,039 --> 00:34:58,800 I mean, the maths are scary too, because the playoff experience, Like 477 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:04,559 both of these guys have have been deep in the playoffs. In Kyrie and 478 00:35:04,639 --> 00:35:09,639 Luca, I generally like the way that we line up against against guard heavy 479 00:35:09,679 --> 00:35:15,960 teams, right just because of in most years the size and everything that we 480 00:35:15,039 --> 00:35:19,599 have. But as everybody gets a little bit older and with Harden out there, 481 00:35:20,079 --> 00:35:22,599 I don't know that that we're gonna be able to stop them as well. 482 00:35:22,639 --> 00:35:28,039 And I think it just depends if that's the matchup that you're hoping for. 483 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:31,079 Tell me which one you think is more real? Dallas who has been 484 00:35:31,119 --> 00:35:36,519 an offensive like has been a historically good offense since their time together. But 485 00:35:36,519 --> 00:35:39,599 what do you believe in more their improved defense for the last two weeks or 486 00:35:39,639 --> 00:35:45,880 the Clippers bottom three defense for the past like for the past what month and 487 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:49,199 a half? Which one of those is more real? Because I think that 488 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,960 would say who will win the series? And obviously things are different than the 489 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:57,199 regular season. It's not you know, we don't just compare stats and that's 490 00:35:57,199 --> 00:36:00,639 what happens. But I think that it's something that can like, if this 491 00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:02,360 is real for this Dallas team, they somehow got rid of Grant Williams and 492 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:08,559 got there and got and made their defense better. That's a big issue, 493 00:36:08,559 --> 00:36:14,199 man Like that that's huge, and it puts this is what the issue with 494 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:20,119 the flip the switch strategy kind of BS is right because like we're all we're 495 00:36:20,159 --> 00:36:23,320 a bottom ten defense, and it's like so yeah, like they're gonna flip 496 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:28,639 a switch and be a top three defense right off the bat once this thing 497 00:36:28,679 --> 00:36:31,880 starts, Like no, we got to see some real like we have to 498 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:37,719 see a top ten defense over these next eight games to really think that they 499 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:42,639 would have, as you know, a cup not comfortable as comfortable you be 500 00:36:42,679 --> 00:36:45,519 shot at stopping the MAVs right like, because I love your point, where 501 00:36:45,559 --> 00:36:49,199 like what do you believe in? More like, do you believe that the 502 00:36:49,199 --> 00:36:52,239 Clippers can all of a sudden turn on this defensive switch, because you know 503 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:54,639 one guy can, but that's still asking for kind of a lot. I 504 00:36:54,679 --> 00:37:04,119 believe in Daniel Radcliffe get them out there. They bring in PJ. Washington, 505 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,679 They have this rookie and Derek Lively, They have Gafford. Now, 506 00:37:09,159 --> 00:37:15,559 they have a bunch of athletic none of them are huge, but they're all 507 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:22,920 athletes that you have to account for in the front court. Like it seems 508 00:37:22,039 --> 00:37:27,039 like it would be hell you already take into account. They have Luka Doncic, 509 00:37:27,039 --> 00:37:30,599 who I think is one of the greatest players of all time, already. 510 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:34,480 I have seen enough. I'm fine if you want to put him as 511 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:38,320 a top seventy five player. Now, Luka is that good? Kyrie Irving 512 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:42,000 was the top seventy five player ever. People are pointing said, well, 513 00:37:42,039 --> 00:37:45,760 Kyrie Irving has had some down playoff years recently. It's like, you really 514 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:50,039 want to bet it on that? On that? Continuing with Kyrie Irving, 515 00:37:50,599 --> 00:37:52,440 who's also been one of the most clutch players ever. Who just hit that 516 00:37:52,559 --> 00:37:57,800 left handed push shot on Nikola Jokics from fifteen feet out. They have all 517 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:05,280 this right, he's catching lobs from Luca. Yeah, you really want to 518 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:09,280 test that. I get that they don't have much to guard Kawhi and Paul 519 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:13,079 George, but with all the work they're going to be doing guarding on the 520 00:38:13,119 --> 00:38:15,920 other end, that is their best defense, really, the Dallas Mavericks. 521 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:21,280 That is what will slow them down on the offensive vent And again, you 522 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:25,039 can't you can't just say stick Kawhi on Luca and we're good. They'll cancel 523 00:38:25,159 --> 00:38:30,079 him out. He'll take him out. It's been tried, guys. He'll 524 00:38:30,159 --> 00:38:34,800 be calling out every single switch until he gets the matchup that he wants. 525 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:40,719 Uh. Yeah, I'm not looking forward to either of these scenarios. But 526 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:45,480 they get time off. That's good, right. They get time off starting 527 00:38:45,519 --> 00:38:47,480 early because their last game is at twelve thirty, so they might get more 528 00:38:47,519 --> 00:38:52,639 rest. And it's not to say that the Pelicans doesn't feel like hell too 529 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:57,519 with Zion Williamson and how do you stop him down? He's starting on court 530 00:38:57,519 --> 00:39:00,119 work or something like that, so he should be back fairly soon. They 531 00:39:00,159 --> 00:39:06,079 have Herb Jones, They have Jose Alvarado to guard guys is crazy. Yeah, 532 00:39:06,079 --> 00:39:12,039 they're a deeper team than the Clippers, which again, you know playoff 533 00:39:12,079 --> 00:39:15,760 rotations are shorter, but still I think having better guys is still always going 534 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:20,480 to be to your benefit. I like that theory. That's as good as 535 00:39:20,519 --> 00:39:27,760 he sucks stardom, which is the greatest theory of this show. We got 536 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:29,960 a little bit, so I kind of want to go back to what we'll 537 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:32,760 talk about with rotations wise. In the first segment, you talk about that's 538 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:36,400 what he's looking for over these next eight games, which I totally am gonna 539 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:39,039 be looking for that too, the backup center. As we've gotten further into 540 00:39:39,079 --> 00:39:49,239 these discussions about the Pels and the Mavericks, that might be my second biggest 541 00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:52,920 area of concern for this Clippers in terms of we still kind of have question 542 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:58,360 marks at what we're throwing out there in the playoffs for non zoom minance wise. 543 00:39:58,719 --> 00:40:02,000 In terms of effectiveness too, we just haven't like we don't really know 544 00:40:02,039 --> 00:40:07,599 what we're getting from either of the actual backup centers kind of and the small 545 00:40:07,639 --> 00:40:10,519 ball lineup still needs work. So we'll see it more of these these next 546 00:40:10,559 --> 00:40:15,400 eight games. But that's I think what I'm the second most worried about. 547 00:40:15,679 --> 00:40:20,679 I think they'll need a lot of what we saw last year with Russell Westbrook 548 00:40:21,199 --> 00:40:23,960 and his defense in that series against the Phoenix Suns, where he was setting 549 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:29,760 a tone at times going up against his former teammate Kevin Durant. They need 550 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:35,599 him to do some of the little scrappy, dirty things that guys like Marcus 551 00:40:35,639 --> 00:40:37,559 Morris used to do for this team in the playoffs. And Nick Batoum, 552 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:43,800 I'm not saying that's an easy ask. I'm not saying that he is in 553 00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:46,840 the mold of those guys. I'm saying that is the situation they're in. 554 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:51,000 They need some of that from him. They need some of that from a 555 00:40:51,119 --> 00:40:52,960 mere coffee norn palace, not going to give you that he's going to give 556 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:58,039 you better defense than he has in the regular season. He'll be better there. 557 00:40:58,519 --> 00:41:06,440 But Russell Westbrook has the ability to guard a lot of different guys and 558 00:41:06,519 --> 00:41:09,960 that's why they've tried him at times with the five. Hy about the five 559 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:14,519 with four shooters is what hopefully we see in the playoffs because that's playing that 560 00:41:14,639 --> 00:41:17,960 cog role right that we saw earlier in the year. Yeah, well, 561 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,159 what are your thoughts. I think it's kind of a negative take to him 562 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:30,440 on how you filed out the backup center rotation. I mean, I think 563 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:36,440 there's ways to find to work around it. It's just the margins get slimmer 564 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:39,320 and slimmer, even with like the great top tier talent that we have, 565 00:41:39,599 --> 00:41:45,559 So it just changes. It just changes like how you can execute things, 566 00:41:45,559 --> 00:41:51,800 Like you just have to be so much more on point in everything. And 567 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,119 I think that's yeah, I think that's like why the MAVs thing I like 568 00:41:54,119 --> 00:41:59,599 that Adam brought up, like Aviatza Zobots and how that matchup has has historically 569 00:41:59,639 --> 00:42:04,440 worked out out, Like that's asking a lot like if one of your if 570 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:08,440 twenty percent of your starting of your starting rotation isn't going to be getting like 571 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:15,800 their normal minutes. That's asking a lot of whatever other rotations you can cobble 572 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:21,039 together with not a lot of room for error. Yeah, you either. 573 00:42:21,559 --> 00:42:25,400 All Dallas is going to do is say you either have to fight through these 574 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:31,119 screens where we're trying to get aviatsa zubatch into a switch on to Luka Doncic 575 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:37,400 where he's going to get an open look, or Zoo's going to have to 576 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,639 defend him out on the perimeter, which then negates the point of having him 577 00:42:40,679 --> 00:42:45,079 as one of your best defenders and your defensive anchor at the rim. It's 578 00:42:45,119 --> 00:42:50,239 going to be a crazy chess match that I don't need to see for a 579 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:52,840 third time. Now. Do I think they can beat the Pelicans and the 580 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:57,679 Dallas Mavericks. Of course sure. I'm just saying, what's the least pull 581 00:42:57,719 --> 00:43:00,519 your hair out opponent? Yeah? Who can we? And I think it's 582 00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:05,639 really close. And everybody or a lot of people universally were initially saying, 583 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:08,960 are you kidding? We own Dallas. It's like, do they own this 584 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:14,159 Dallas Mavericks team? I don't. I don't think so. It's different. 585 00:43:14,199 --> 00:43:16,880 I wish we saw one more time in the regular season that would be well. 586 00:43:17,559 --> 00:43:21,440 The good news is they have the tiebreaker. Chuck is less of a 587 00:43:21,559 --> 00:43:24,400 chance of Dallas catching the Clippers for four, that is true. The one 588 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:30,519 that's well, that's the one team we have the timewreaker. I thought about 589 00:43:30,599 --> 00:43:34,360 wraps it up for clips and thank you for hanging out, thank you for 590 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:37,760 listening, thank you for watching. We're doing a double dip after the game 591 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:40,519 tomorrow, Adam, what is the double dip? That's for one of these 592 00:43:40,559 --> 00:43:44,239 guys, and I think it's gonna be big. Will tomorrow come on with 593 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,599 me post game on the official Clippers post game show, Clippers Sock, where 594 00:43:46,599 --> 00:43:52,079 we take your phone calls. Sometimes they're angry, sometimes they're happy and joyful, 595 00:43:52,199 --> 00:43:55,280 like last night after Paul George had forty one. Uh. But we 596 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:59,039 have guests on too, and one of these guys always comes on with me 597 00:43:59,159 --> 00:44:02,159 post game and then we snip that out, we put it and upload it 598 00:44:02,519 --> 00:44:07,920 onto the Clips and Dip page as well. That segment we do on Clippers 599 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,119 Talk, so we call clips and doubles dip, double dip. Yeah, 600 00:44:10,159 --> 00:44:14,880 it's very fun. We're gonna do an episode on Wednesday most likely, and 601 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:20,800 there's gonna be a YouTube live from the press box after the Nuggets game on 602 00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:24,119 Thursday. We need the reviews. Well, where can people review this this 603 00:44:24,199 --> 00:44:30,800 podcast? You can review this podcast over on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I 604 00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:32,320 think Spotify will even let you put in multiple reviews. So you know, 605 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:35,960 maybe sometimes we're a five star to you. Maybe sometimes we're four and a 606 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,599 half. Maybe then you're feeling back to a five. Who knows. Anyways, 607 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:43,960 you can listen to this show wherever you listen to your podcast, but 608 00:44:44,079 --> 00:44:46,360 if you want the whole experience, you should check us out over on YouTube. 609 00:44:47,159 --> 00:44:52,480 That's YouTube dot com slash at Clippers podcasts, and you can you know, 610 00:44:52,559 --> 00:44:54,239 you can comment there, you can like you can do whatever, do 611 00:44:54,320 --> 00:45:00,199 whatever you want. But however you listen, we appreciate it. You and 612 00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:01,840 Adam, do you have one quick positive thing before we get out of here. 613 00:45:04,559 --> 00:45:07,440 Clippers can't really control who they play in the first round most likely, 614 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:14,159 so all this will be for not We just kind of take it. I 615 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:16,880 just it feels like a toss up right now, so they can't control it. 616 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:23,039 I guess this is us just hemming and hauling over over nothing that we 617 00:45:23,079 --> 00:45:28,320 can actually affect. But I still think it's an interesting debate, but it 618 00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:31,000 is a debate. It is a debate. It's not just we can't see 619 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:34,840 the Pelicans because they beat us so many times in the regular season. We've 620 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:37,880 beaten the Ballast Mavericks when they were a different configuration a couple of years ago. 621 00:45:38,239 --> 00:45:42,880 It's different now, it is different. Yeah, go ahead, and 622 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:47,599 I'm scared of both, scared deeply of a nihilist to take to close out 623 00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:52,280 the end of the pot. But we appreciate it and as always, we'll 624 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,119 see you next time. Let's go clips.