1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,200 Last time that I chat check, it was five chains on my neck. 2 00:00:05,599 --> 00:00:09,759 It was no smile on my breath. Last time that I check, send 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,759 a set and a quartermeal, no sweat, last time that check. Clippers 4 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:20,480 windy one nine a victory in DC over the Washington Wizards. I'm out of 5 00:00:20,559 --> 00:00:25,719 Oslin. They improved a three and one on this seven game Grammy road trip. 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,640 Welcome back into Clippers Talk. Coming up. We'll get back to your 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,439 phone calls eight six six ninety seven two five seventy eight six six ninety seven 8 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,479 two five seventy. But first you hear the music. You know we got 9 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,960 big Will updyke on from clips and dip for little clips and double dip here 10 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,719 on Clippers Talk. Will I've been talking a lot about Kawhi Leonard rightfully. 11 00:00:44,759 --> 00:00:52,640 So his elevation right now, elevation on his jumper is just insane. It's 12 00:00:53,119 --> 00:00:56,560 it may be higher than ever. I am I crazy? Am I am 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,520 I seeing things? No, No, not at all. I was watching 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,480 on the broadcast forty five dunks already this season, which surpasses his entire year 15 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:07,599 last year at forty two. But he definitely looks it on the court. 16 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,000 He's talked a little bit about how he feels more himself. You know, 17 00:01:11,079 --> 00:01:14,799 we know that coming back from the surgery. Like you know, we always 18 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,480 want the timeline to just be a season, but it seems like guys kind 19 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,359 of need to play the better part of a full season and then they're ready 20 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,560 the season after that. So it is something you gotta be kind of patient 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,400 with. And I think last season two it was it was a tall order, 22 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,959 especially with him not being in the starting lineup. But now he looks 23 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,040 I mean, I mean, he looks indistinguishable from what Kawhi looked like at 24 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,200 his peak. To me, at least, I think that he looks as 25 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,640 strong as ever. So it's definitely good to see and we can use his 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,959 physicality, especially with Paul George down for who knows at least the game. 27 00:01:51,319 --> 00:01:55,319 Yeah, Kauhi with four steals in this one plus nine boards, four assists, 28 00:01:55,359 --> 00:01:59,560 those thirty one points on fourteen of twenty five shooting. Yeah, I 29 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,359 remember people saying, like Steven a he should retire. Now he looks like 30 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,799 the best player in the game. I don't know what it's gonna take for 31 00:02:07,159 --> 00:02:10,840 and maybe, you know, the win against Boston certainly woke some people up 32 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,520 and how much winning the Clippers have been doing. That helps, but put 33 00:02:16,599 --> 00:02:21,319 him in the MVP conversation, it looks like, I don't know if the 34 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,159 news came out with Joel Embiid and that knee injury from yesterday. I know 35 00:02:25,199 --> 00:02:30,240 he got an MRI, but this is someone who should be right up there 36 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,759 with Embiid, with Giannis, with Nikola Jokic, with SGA because of what 37 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,680 he does on both ends. The offensive numbers if you just look at the 38 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,400 traditional stuff, Okay, just points, all right, he's about twenty five 39 00:02:42,439 --> 00:02:46,319 per game, but the efficiency is so absurd right now, you have to 40 00:02:46,319 --> 00:02:50,919 take that stuff into account. It's twenty twenty four. Look at the advanced 41 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,080 analytics. I mean, the Clippers are nine points worse per one hundred possessions 42 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:59,879 with Kawhi off the floor. Defensively, he's too damn good and integral to 43 00:03:00,159 --> 00:03:04,000 what they're able to do on both ends of the floor. Yeah, I 44 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,120 mean, I agree with one hundred percent, and I definitely don't want to 45 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,719 discredit what like Embiid has done so far this season as far as the MVP 46 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:15,360 race is concerned, is concerned, he's having a ridiculous season. But it 47 00:03:15,479 --> 00:03:19,039 just looks like with that new games minimum, I think he can only miss 48 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,400 after the night. I think he only has five or six maybe left that 49 00:03:23,479 --> 00:03:29,479 he can miss, So I don't know that that I think that might rule 50 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,479 him out. So then looking ahead, yeah, I feel like you have 51 00:03:32,199 --> 00:03:37,919 Jokic Kawhi, and Kawhi has to be right under him if they're not neck 52 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,280 and neck in the Western Conference. And then I mean Giannis for sure, 53 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,680 with the way the Bucks have looked this year and some of like defensively, 54 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,800 which obviously isn't his fault. That's more of a team thing and a coaching 55 00:03:51,879 --> 00:03:55,039 thing. I don't know if he I could have him in the same tier 56 00:03:55,159 --> 00:04:00,919 necessarily as Kawhi, but I could certainly hear the argument SGA I think is 57 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,759 really interesting. The thunder are such a great story and what they've been able 58 00:04:03,759 --> 00:04:10,039 to do this season. But yeah, I haven't heard his name seriously mentioned 59 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:16,959 in any conversation that's that's veered towards the MVP talk, and it is pretty 60 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:20,160 shocking to me, especially when you look at his availability, which has really 61 00:04:20,199 --> 00:04:23,759 been the biggest knock on him. Right, I feel like that's the only 62 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:28,959 thing you can discredit to Kawhi. His skill set his career so far has 63 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,199 been some injuries, like some bad injury luck well, and we've both been 64 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,519 going off about him not being a starter in the Western Conference for the All 65 00:04:36,519 --> 00:04:40,920 Star Game, and I understand this is not something he cares about. He 66 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,199 just wants to Larry o be. But we're gonna stick a form. We 67 00:04:44,319 --> 00:04:47,959 are Clippers fans, obviously. I know my bread is buttered, and I 68 00:04:47,959 --> 00:04:54,600 don't think it's a subjective, biased opinion to say Kauhi has been as good 69 00:04:54,759 --> 00:05:02,240 as anyone this season when you take everything into account, and it's really difficult 70 00:05:02,319 --> 00:05:05,240 to wrap my head around the fact that a top seventy five player of all 71 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:11,360 time who's having his best regular season ever and his team's top four in just 72 00:05:11,399 --> 00:05:14,279 a game and a half out of being the number one seed in the West, 73 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,800 isn't getting more recognition. And it makes me think that, yeah, 74 00:05:16,879 --> 00:05:21,199 well, when you're not even a starter in the Western Conference, you're still 75 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:28,839 that bleeds into being also overlooked for being an MVP candidate. Yeah, No, 76 00:05:29,079 --> 00:05:30,360 I mean I agree one hundred percent, and I think, look, 77 00:05:30,439 --> 00:05:34,720 I have nothing but love for Lebron and and what he's done for the game 78 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,560 and what his career has been same for Kevin Durant. But if those are 79 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,199 the forwards that are starting above Kawhi, I mean, I feel like it's 80 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,160 lasable and both you know, both guys obviously all time greats. Kevin Durant 81 00:05:47,439 --> 00:05:51,079 really good season, but like it's not the same, especially on both ends 82 00:05:51,079 --> 00:05:54,800 of the floor. Is what Kawhi is doing. And I get that, 83 00:05:54,959 --> 00:05:57,720 you know, the All Star Game isn't about defense, That's not what it's 84 00:05:57,759 --> 00:06:01,959 about. But I still think that like the talents and what he's what he's 85 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,399 done this season should be acknowledged and praised that I mean honestly the highest level 86 00:06:06,399 --> 00:06:11,600 because you just don't get to see there's not that many players this special. 87 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,560 There's not that many guys like this, and careers in the NBA don't last 88 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,279 forever, and I think like these moments are, like I said, our 89 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:23,000 thing is that deserve to be celebrated because what he is doing is truly special. 90 00:06:23,079 --> 00:06:27,079 And obviously he'll get in tomorrow as a reserve when the voting comes out, 91 00:06:27,639 --> 00:06:32,000 but I don't think it's nitpicking to go after the fact that he's not 92 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,600 going to be a starter. I understand it's a popularity contest, but to 93 00:06:36,639 --> 00:06:42,639 me, it is the twenty twenty four All Star Game, not the lifetime 94 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,959 Achievement Award All Star Game. It is who's been the best in the twenty 95 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,839 twenty three twenty twenty four NBA season, And that's how it should be looked 96 00:06:50,879 --> 00:06:55,240 at when you look back on it. Historically, that's supposed to tell you 97 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,720 who was at their best that season. So that's where I'm coming from. 98 00:06:58,759 --> 00:07:00,199 We can move on from that, though, Will. I'm just glad I 99 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:04,000 got somebody with me on the grind when it comes to getting a little bit 100 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:09,800 pedantic about All Star Game voting. How about Brandon Boston in this game? 101 00:07:09,839 --> 00:07:14,079 Will his best game of the season? I think easily because he actually was 102 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,920 in there for meaningful minutes in that second quarter with that small ball unit that 103 00:07:16,959 --> 00:07:21,959 did some nice work. Yeah, this was an interesting one for me just 104 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,879 because of where he sobbed into the rotation over some other players, which I'll 105 00:07:26,879 --> 00:07:30,439 get to in a second, but it's nice to see him step up into 106 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,399 the opportunity. Kind of more of what we know from Brandon Boston GUI right, 107 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:40,160 a bit of a chucker, not particularly efficient. I like the effort, 108 00:07:40,279 --> 00:07:43,439 and he is definitely more aware on defense, but he doesn't bring like 109 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:47,360 a whole lot of facilitating to the table. He's a he's an interesting piece. 110 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,120 Still very much feels like a project for the Clippers. But I am 111 00:07:51,199 --> 00:07:55,639 a fan of his game. I do like especially when it's going well for 112 00:07:55,759 --> 00:07:59,759 him. I do like seeing him play offense. The thing that I alluded 113 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,800 to, though, it was interesting seeing him come into the rotation so much 114 00:08:03,839 --> 00:08:09,160 earlier than Bones Island. Boston saw minutes in the in the second and played 115 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:15,360 twenty seven. The Bones is just five minutes and it you know, it 116 00:08:15,439 --> 00:08:20,480 begs the question is that indicative of a potential move on the horizon for the 117 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,560 Clippers. I know there have been some rumors out there. It could have 118 00:08:24,639 --> 00:08:26,160 just been, you know, he's six to seven, Bones is what six 119 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,279 ' three or something like that. They didn't want to go that small because 120 00:08:30,279 --> 00:08:33,240 they didn't have a big on the floor and Norman Terrence Man and James Harden 121 00:08:33,279 --> 00:08:37,919 and Russ were out there. But yeah, I've seen the same rumors we 122 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:43,600 talked about well there, Yeah, yeah, I was just saying, has 123 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:48,840 it stopped tylu before? No? Well, this season though, like he 124 00:08:48,919 --> 00:08:54,000 came in, they said they're gonna take it more seriously. He said multiple 125 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:58,159 times the numbers aren't good when they go too small, and for the most 126 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,519 part they have not gone small. They have been playing bigs much more often, 127 00:09:01,639 --> 00:09:05,799 and when they did go small today it worked. But it looks like 128 00:09:05,879 --> 00:09:09,000 Bones definitely seems to be out of the rotation. But we knew that when 129 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,120 James Harden came in. Bones also get the guy that was going to take 130 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,840 the biggest hit. I mean, I call him the skeleton key before they 131 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,840 had James Harden. But now, yeah, obviously there's trade rumors and you 132 00:09:20,919 --> 00:09:22,879 don't know what's going to happen with a guy who's just not getting minutes right 133 00:09:22,919 --> 00:09:28,080 now who you want to see get minutes for somebody because he's good enough to 134 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,200 he's good enough to be a consistent rotation player gaining twenty to twenty five minutes 135 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,279 a night. So we'll see what happens with that, if he's long with 136 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:39,000 the Clippers or not. Still like the fact that he had that big throwdown 137 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,720 near the end of the fourth quarter, but a mere coffee, I mean, 138 00:09:43,279 --> 00:09:46,519 minutes are at a premium because guys like that have stepped up to this 139 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:52,039 degree once again without Paul George, he gets the start he has seventeen and 140 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:56,600 just look for the part out there. He doesn't make mistakes, he just 141 00:09:56,759 --> 00:10:00,720 blends in. He plays good defense. But he also has just been on 142 00:10:00,759 --> 00:10:03,600 a heater. I think over his last what fifteen games or something, he's 143 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,919 shooting like sixty five percent from the field and over fifty percent from the outside. 144 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,159 Is he knocked down two more three to three pointers today in Washington? 145 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:18,559 Yeah, he's absolutely unreal. I mean just the efficiency tonight, seventeen points 146 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,919 on seven shots is just absurd. And I look, the thing with Coffee 147 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:28,799 is he's like one of the most consistent figures with the Clippers organization, right 148 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,279 and it's always been a question of, you know, when's he going to 149 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:37,240 get a real shot. And I just think that he's surpassed everything that they've 150 00:10:37,279 --> 00:10:41,840 asked him to do. His scoring, especially is at a level that I 151 00:10:41,879 --> 00:10:45,240 didn't think that he was this far developed. And I've been a big Coffee 152 00:10:45,279 --> 00:10:48,440 advocate, I'm a big Coffee fan, But what he's able to do like 153 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,480 that, I mean, that's such a big ask. He's filling in for 154 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,960 Paul George, He's filling in with you know, the the one B or 155 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:01,320 you know the number two on this roster and sure you're playing you're playing the 156 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,320 Wizards, but he has that kind of trust. And not only does he 157 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:07,360 have the trust, but he can step up in those kind of moments. 158 00:11:07,399 --> 00:11:11,000 And I'm I'm just really excited for him because you know, depending on what 159 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:16,279 he does in the playoffense, I imagine he will be a part of the 160 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,360 rotation. I mean, he's looking at a potential life changing sum of money 161 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,120 when his contract is up after next year. Yeah, he's on a very 162 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:30,080 team friendly deal right now. Clippers team win in one twenty five to one 163 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:35,120 O nine in Washington over the Wizards. They'll be in Detroit on Friday. 164 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,000 He is Will Updyke of course from Clips and Dip. We got a new 165 00:11:39,039 --> 00:11:43,120 YouTube coming tomorrow. Will thanks for the double Dip tonight here on Clippers Stock 166 00:11:43,159 --> 00:11:48,360 with me, my friend. Absolutely always a pleasure. Coming up next, 167 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:54,000 your phone calls will close things out and we'll preview Friday's contest in Detroit against 168 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:58,440 the Pistons. This is Clippers Stock here on the M five seventy ELA Sports