Clippers fans. Welcome to season two, episode forty nine of Clips in Dip
your Favorite Maybe Clippers Podcast. I am Chuck Mockler, joined by Adam Ausland
and William Updyke. We're thanking everyone who's been watching us on YouTube over at
YouTube dot com slash at Clippers Podcast, and a big shout out to the
new listeners as well. The Clippers are doing well, which means more people
are listening to us, which is great for us because we love bringing you
Clippers content. We're gonna talk the Grammy trip, the game versus the Peals
coming up, and then the PJ Tucker self induced trade rumors. But first
before we get into all of that, Adam and will you guys did a
great live this last weekend. The Clippers are playing great. Adam, how
are you feeling on this rainy Los Angeles easing I feel stupid, guys.
I had the Clippers going for and through on the road trip. I was
way off. Didn't see him beat in Boston. Thought they get to split
the last two games, and yet here we are the Clippers, what just
a half game back of being in first place in the Western Conference. So
this team continues to amaze. Yeah you, uh yeah, can't believe I
got I was surprised when you said four and three. If I'm being honest,
I thought you were gonna be on team five and two. My logic
was, you know, I didn't think they'd get the game in Boston,
second day of back to back, and I thought with the injuries, and
I thought maybe PG would miss more time and that somehow would affect things.
And it's just a tough road trip, but speaks to how damn good this
team is six and one? Baby, Well, how are you doing?
I'm doing good. I mean, they exceeded my expectations as well. I
think when we were looking at the schedule with that five and two number,
I think we all kind of assumed second night in Boston, second night of
a back to back, that one's probably when you drop. And I think
I think I had. I'm pretty sure I had picked the Caps as maybe
their other loss, because they were playing really hot even before the trip started
for the Clippers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I think like around
that time, they had just started beating good teams as well. They weren't
just like slapping up on some like lower level competition. So yeah, they
exceeded my expectations. Man, I'm doing great. It was pretty crazy.
Law Murray had the stat on Twitter. The Clippers franchise has had twenty six
road trips of at least seven games. The Grammy trip was the nineteenth since
the arena in Downtown was open in ninety nine. They went six and one,
which makes it tied with the early season twenty fourteen twenty fifteen trip for
the best in franchise history. And it's only the sixth winning Grammy road trip
for the Clippers ever, which is crazy. And we should give a shout
out to Law Murray who was at every single one of these games, which
is incredible from a reporting standpoint. Yeah, the first two, so I'm
not gonna get many no credit. I love Law. He came on with
me pre game almost every game on the road trip. He's amazing. He's
been crazy. Yeah, losing to the Cavs team, it makes sense.
There's not like a whole lot to be mad at here. What Like,
I don't know what was your favorite part of the trip, Adam. It
felt like Kawhi kind of cemented his MVP status a little bit more on this
trip. People starting to wake up Finally, in the national media saw that
tweet from Anger and war Snowski earlier talking about the numbers he's put up last
thirty games. Nobody's ever been that efficient before Baby fifty seven percent from the
field, over fifty percent from three. It is something to behold with just
how good Kawhi Leonard has been. But also, you know, they've been
winning in a variety of ways, and I don't think they're playing their best
basketball that defensively. Coach leu went after them postgame giving up one hundred and
what forty four points the Atlanta Hawks. Now, I just like seeing that.
I like seeing the fact that they're demanding perfection in Kawhi after the win
against Detroit, saying we're relying on talent too much. It should be about
execution. So they're saying all the right things. Everything with this team is
having one eye in the regular season and another on the postseason. What happens
in the regular season, what can work during the regular season, doesn't necessarily
work in the postseason, So you have to get ready for that because the
expectations are to win a championship. So the mentality has just been great,
And coach lou said before the trip that their goal was to go six and
one. He put a number on it five and two at worst, and
they did it. So I couldn't be more proud of this squad and the
way they're trending right now. Will who is your MVP of the trip?
Do you think other than Kawhi? Sure? I mean obviously other than the
guy who's you know, the MVP of the league. Uh, Big Zoo
for coming back, you're giving him brownie points. I didn't expected it was
unexpected, That's true. I did not expect it came out of nowhere?
Did you see that from Lot Murray as well? He told me this pregame
and then he tweeted it out yesterday. But Big Zoo had circled the Miami
Heat game because he felt like that's where he could help the team most going
up against Bam one Bio, he wanted to make sure to come back for
that game. So he had his own personal goal of winter return, and
it's also wrapped up in a team goal. So I just i'd love that
you're loving the synergy. I love how much you love the synergy of the
Clippers right now. Yeah, Zoo limited minutes in the return, but I
mean they did need him against BAM out of BIO. I think Lucas Han
tweeted out that Harden played, you know, eighty minutes over that last back
to back to close out that road trip, and I knew he'd played a
lot of minutes, but just seeing that from James Harden, with the level
of play he was at average seventeen seven and nine with the steal in the
block like that, I mean, why not that many? Y'all look five?
But yeah, right, that was a fan. He was fantastic.
I mean everyone had to be obviously, but he was a really it was
really cool to watch him be great on this road trip. He has the
game in Detroit where Will and I were getting inundated on the live with people
being alarmists and worried about James Harden and where he's at, even though he
just had a triple double right beforehand, or I think it was against the
Toronto Raptors maybe in the opening game of the road trip, but he had
just four points against Detroit, some people were concerned. The next two games
he has three four point plays, and he leads the league in four point
plays this season by a pretty wide margin over Steph Curry. But that shot
that he hit against the Atlanta Hawks, it was the biggest shot of the
game. It was insane, just luring in Trey Young to draw that foul
and then the bank was open apparently or he was calling game the old Paul
Pierce. It was incredible. Do you think because I wonder, it's crazy
he has so many more than staph considering kind of the frequency of this year
compared to Steph. So I wonder, and I tweated this how long the
NBA, I feel like they're going to figure out a way to outlaw whatever
he's doing to get four point plays. I'm not saying they should, but
this feels like something the NBA, as the league would be upset about,
well, typically in account thing or anything anymore. You know, It's not
like it's not like a technicality. I feel like it's just inherent in the
way that he creates space that a defender kind of has to reach, right.
It's like, I don't know, like a like an inside low pitch
or something like you're gonna try to swing at it. Like it's just it's
just what happens. So I feel like, yeah, I feel like his
well, his athleticism is like clearly declined from where it was at his peak,
and that MVP season, like his IQ is still off the charts,
and I think like that's a huge part of that is the way that he
knows what a defender is thinking, like he knows when he's got you.
And I think that that is like, I mean, he sets traps.
I'll say that, but like I don't mean that. I don't mean that
in a bad way or a negative way, but like from a mental game
standpoint, he's setting a trap and I think that's why he's getting so many
of them, is you know, he also knows that this is part of
his game that he has to I don't want to say rely on because he
can still get to the rim I mean with the ease apparently, but it
is something that you know conserves him a little bit in game I'll say that
in game rest, like they always used to say about Lebron. Yeah,
the most productive in game rest the four point play probably. Yeah, Yeah,
something to say. I did want to bring up that, you know,
in the postseason, traditionally with James Harden, you're getting less of those
calls because they let you play more a more physical brand of basketball for him
and Norman Palell. It just can't be a surprise when all of a sudden
some of these ticki tac calls on the perimeter are granted, they're working right
now, You've got to be aware of that come the postseason, where they're
just gonna let you get away with a little bit more. Uh. You
see Norm already kind of alter his game right Like, I feel like for
a little while a period there he was fishing for contact and now when he's
like looking to finish aggressively, I still think that's a call. A call
he's getting in the playoffs, like he's getting clobbered and he's yeah, you're
right. I feel like you can really tell when Norm's looking for the foul.
There's times where you're like, we see it. As soon as he
decided to drive on this road trip, Norm shot forty on five and a
half three pointed times per game, which was fantastic. Isn't that that was
average? It might be yeah, because he's oh, that was yeah,
that was Adams player to close out the trip on the on the back to
back in the in the other game the last three games, who could you
pick and be wrong? About though on this road trip, really like so
many guys were thriving. Everybody was a safe Paul George, hey, you
know, seventeen four and three with two steals. He didn't shoot well,
but he was so good. He was solid. Yesterday after those strings of
twenty point games come on, I thought it was more, even though they
gave up a lot of points, and some of that was just really hot
shooting and maybe not being good enough early in the first quarter and guys finding
a rhythm and then you can't turn it off. But I thought for the
most part the last couple of games, Paul George defensively looked really good and
in tune, and knowing that he's struggling with his offense, he has to
bring more on the other end. And that's part of the value of having
James Harden and having a team this deep where Okay, yeah, I don't
have it going right now, how else can I help the team where it's
not necessarily a detriment because you don't have that offensive workload on your plate now.
Because if James Harden has it going, a norm Powell has it going,
if a mere Coffee has it going, okay, find another way to
help this team win. And I think that was I think that was like
a clear success of this Grammy road trip and why it was better than so
many of the other ones. It's like players did have these ebbs and flows,
but everyone was able to kind of like fill in between in a way
that like, you know, we've seen in fits and bouts throughout the two
and three era, but never to this level to me, And I mean
it just got me thinking, like, you know, we you know,
we went six and one on this stretch. You know, a couple couple
less than stellar defensive performances. Offensively, this team is looking unreal. I'm
thinking in a seven game series, there's no way there's not at least one
game. We're all three of Paul Kawhi and hard and hit, and if
they play defense at the level that we know they can, I don't know
how you're not running a team out of the gym. Like seriously, I
don't know how you're not just clabbering the team at least in the first couple
of rounds. I don't know, We'll see, but you're not all three
the three leg parlay. Buddy, I won't be doing this podcast anymore.
No, I mean it's gonna be. They're at one hundred and twenty two
offensive rating or one hundred and nineteen offensive rating I think, or something.
I mean, it's up there with the best in the league, one twenty
two since November seventeenth, with the starting lineup, and probably a little higher.
I pencil in for every Clippers, like for every Clippers the game now.
But yeah, and like once the defensive side of the ball catches up
a little bit, you know, because it's not like the defense is having
to win them games right now. It will in the playoffs at some point
for sure. But I mean, you're you're right man, watching this team.
I people are talking about trades in these things, but I'm just like,
there's not a top nine that's beating this team in seven games right now,
or a top eighty, like there's It doesn't feel like it as of
February six seven. It doesn't. But March's oh, we know there's March.
But that's why Time stamped it at them. That's why I hit them
with the I just don't want to end up prisoners of the moment too much
here. As good as this team is playing right now, and I agree
they can still be much better, especially defensively. There's a lot of quality
teams out there. I don't expect them to do that against Boston. If
they met in the NBA Finals, they didn't have Christaf sporzingis still in that
game. That is a completely different team when they do have him on the
court. So I don't want to overstate or get ak I just I just
want to pump the Jets a little bit still February. We can definitely be
excited, but teams are going to be able to hang with them at times,
Like look at what Phoenix has been doing lately. They're starting to click
in with their big three. That changes things. I don't think the Denver
Nuggets have played their basketball best basketball so far this season, So other teams
I think can make some of the same arguments that the Clippers are now.
Do they look like the best team in the NBA right now? Of course
they do. Do they have a gear they can reach that nobody else can
meet them at? Maybe I think that's a possibility. I think it.
There's definitely for that where if they're at their A plus game and some other
team is at their top highest performance level, that the Clippers still are just
more talented and better, and you can't hang with them because of how much
potential they have offensively and how much how potent they are. It's very real.
It's very real. I'm excited. I was trying not to get super
this Grammy trip changed my mindset. I think that's like Will say, right
like six and one on this and it's like damn okay, Like this is
all real to the nth degree, Like we just keep being proven that they're
caring about it. What happens if they come home and the Pelicans are waiting
and pissed off because they got blown out on their home court by the Clippers
and they run them and win by twenty would that change your mindset at all?
Or would you still be like, hey, six to one on the
road trip though, if the process is good in that game, it does
not really change my mind. But if they're exhausted, which we're going to
talk about, they might just I think if they got blown out by like
twenty plus points, that starts to become a full on like indictment on the
defense. And where it's been it hasn't been like you know, like it
hasn't it hasn't been great, But I think if you're getting beat by twenty
by the Pelicans, who you know, solid team, but if you're giving
up that much to the Pelicans, I've got concerns. I've got concerns at
that point unless it's one of those losses where you just can't make a bucket
to save your life, and like it's not sure, it's not for it's
it's not them, like losing one or something. It's a lower scoring affair
like their last win. Are we not as concerned about the defense because we
saw when they circled a game against Boston what they could do defensively and just
how good they could be. Is that kind of what we're holding on to
a lot? And the Zoo thing right for me, it's just the Zoo
thing. Zoo's out, he's he. When he comes back, we're really
going to see that it might not be where we want it to be for
you know, like you know, believing in the finals after March and stuff
like that. When Zoo comes back, but it's gonna look a lot better
and it's not a shot at makeson Bunny. Him and Daniel Tye were phenomenal
uh in their roles, especially over this road trip. They don't go six
someone without some of the just you know, little things that those two guys
did. But the team's different with Zoo's on the floor defensively, so that
for me, that's kind of where it might be a bit of a security
blanket. But that's kind of where I'm at because you still does have to
get ramped up a bit. That's fair. You Also you also get glimpses,
I feel like every single game, and like, well, highlights don't
tell the whole story, obviously, because it's a you know, it's an
individual thing. It comes down to team defense. Like when your top three
guys are are expand expand expelling the effort that they are currently on the defensive
end, I feel like that in that situation, I'm giving them the benefit
of the doubt despite even like this this Hawks, this Hawks catastrophe. It's
a weird game playing the Hawks, like you shouldn't count for your defensive or
offensive stats. Hey, the Hawks coming into that game their last four games,
they were the second best offense. They really were playing great and feeling
good about themselves. They hit twenty threes, the Clippers hit twenty one.
The Clippers really took their best shot offensively, and to your point, you're
right when you think about it, not having a beat to a Zoo boss
for the last dozen games or so now and they're still finding ways to win.
Okay, we got to lean into offense more. We have to be
even better in this area to make up for the loss of Big Zoo,
who I do think is the fourth most important player on this team when it
comes to most matchups in the seven game series because what he brings defensively and
how he just changes the landscape in that end. Kind Of going to the
other side of it, what did we think of the small ball lineup during
the Clippers road trip as a whole? Obviously against Atlanta that worked very well.
Do we think we're gonna see that in the playoffs or is that just
we're down Zoo thing. It was four hot basically four Hoffer lineup, and
then like a mere Terrence or norm they I ended up being a plus four
in their time. It looked better than that yesterday when they were getting stops.
Russ has a block, a mirror gets a layup. On the other
end, Russ had that really nice feed to Kawhi for that reverse layup and
that ato that our friend Justin Wilson outlined on Twitter. I did see this
earlier today from Joey Lynn as people were adding me to say, hey,
Adam, you need to own this. He said. In their last ten
games together Kawhi PG, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, they have a plus
thirty seven point eight net rating and the Clippers are shooting sixty five percent from
the field and sixty five percent almost from deep in those minutes. I asked
someone how many minutes it was and they said fifty eight. I haven't confirmed
that, but there there's definitely been progress. We've seen that for over the
last couple of months since they went away from that in the starting lineup.
But I think part of the reason that it was successful recently is because they've
leaned more small ball, as you mentioned there, Chuck, and if you
have those four next to a mirror or next to Norman Powell, it works
better because it's not two non shooters on the court with Russ next to a
Beatsa Zubots or Mason Plumley. And I know he's been in there to a
little bit, but I think it's because they're just spreading you out, playing
extra small. We saw them almost come back against Minnesota doing that, so
it is there's something to it for sure. Will you go on board with
more small ball experiments or do you think it was just I mean matchup base.
I agree with Adam's point, like, really, you just have to
have the most shooting on the floor. That's like the entirety of why the
small ball concept was even invented, and so it definitely depends on the It
definitely depends on the guards in the guards that are in that rotation and the
shooters, and obviously matchup driven, although working against the Timberwolves I feel like
is a pretty good sign of some at least some versatility to it. But
it's just interesting because I feel like now the team is very guard defined,
right, Obviously, your your two best players are wings, but the rest
of the roster I feel like, is pretty guard heavy. And the previous
iteration of this team, which is very wing heavy, Ty didn't seem to
have a lot of interest in going small. So I'm just curious. I'm
curious why the shift. I would say this, No, I would say
this though the type of guards they have are more capable of guarding up.
Russ can guard up, Terrence Man can guard up. Reggie Jackson couldn't really
do that. Luke Canard couldn't really do that. Obviously, John Wall couldn't
really do that. So they do have a little bit more versatility with some
of these guys that even though they're slaughtered in his guards, Like Russ has
been playing the five in some of these small ball lineups and it's been working
against certain I'd also say, like a huge change. And what I would
imagine why Tie feels a little bit more comfortable with these lineups is we now
have like the best facilitator point guard that we've ever had. Right, So
even those guys like I mean, god, I love Nick patomb I love
his passing, but like those those wing lineups, they never had the guy
that was like that guy offensively who could who could you could run the offense
through. So I think that that I think that that showed it's I mean,
it showed its limitations, I feel at points in the previous iteration.
So I think having a playmaker who is like a true blue playmaker, you
know, can be the fulk rum of your offense. I think that that
changes, or I would assume that that changes sort of the machinations on that
for Taylu And you mentioned Russ as the center, Adam that with James Harden
out there, we've seen that back cut alley oop how many times because they're
stagging off Russ and he's able to get bored. So when we when we
get good decision Russ. He is a phenomenal small balls center or I don't
know if center is the right one. People have been using Lynchpin a butt,
but like just someone to kind of like cause chaos in the middle,
a lat terrence sometimes in other lineups, even on that play, the most
recent one, I think it's mostly been where they feign the pick and roll
with James Harden and Daniel Tice, so they step up to guard Tye thinking
he's getting the ball, and then Russ comes running in from the far side
corner catching the lob. So I don't know how many of those have happened
with the small ball without even Daniel Tyson the floor, who has been good
for this team. But you know, another part of it and why it's
been more successful is just Kawhi defensively is better than ever with his back line
defense and he's guarding Bigs two and holding his own against Jokic Anthony Davis at
times, like we've seen it over and over again, he's bigger and stronger
than ever. Like that is the truth. Wwhi Leonard. You know earlier
today I saw or who had this. I think it was Windhorse, Wendy.
Somebody brought up the fact that, oh it was JJ Reddick, who
wasn't given him the credit for being in his top four the MVP conversation recently.
But he did bring up this point that Kawhi Leonard, this is the
best version of him since twenty seventeen. Now, I wouldn't go there because
I think in the twenty twenty one playoffs, like Kawhi Leonard, I would
take it from there. It's the best since the twenty twenty one playoffs because
he was insane before the ACL injury that first round series, only him and
Shack shooting over sixty percent getting that many points. And Kawhi is doing it
from fourteen feet out. Shack was doing it in the two thousand finals from
four feet out. But movement wise, and you know his athleticism that's still
there, because it sounds like he's just pain free. Now. That was
something that came out in an old article recently where he had been playing through
pain a lot at times, and now he just feels more like himself.
There is something to that, but that he's much bigger is my point than
the twenty seventeen version of Kawhi Leonard with the San Antonio Spurs. He has
just gotten a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger every year. Did
you guys see the uh on the Clippers official account with him giving his jersey
the two chains postgame? Huh, Kawhi look like bleeping Carl Weathers God rest
his soul. Yp Yeah. He I actually feel like he's like Apollo.
I think he's leaner than when I think he's leaner than when he came in
last season, because I laughed that was sure, and he and he talked
about it too, how he got he got too big and maybe it was
to overcompensate to deal with some of that pain, you know, hoping that
a little bit more structural integrity would relieve that. But I mean he admitted,
like he admitted to it, it was the wrong move and right now
I agree. I mean, he definitely does look stronger. He also looks
so lean, like no, yeah, he's so shredded, like he's cut,
like he already has any body fat, You have a freaking apack.
He looked like Apollo when he gave his jersey to two shaves. I couldn't
believe what I was Adam, and I do another hour on this. Yeah,
let's talk. Let's yeh, just the men's fitness magazine get him on
there. That would be that would be such, that would be really funny.
All right, before we get to this Clippers Pelicans preview, Adam,
you talked about a little bit up top. The Clippers are half game out
of first place in the West. The top four are separated by a half
game, which this this top four battle to end the season is going to
be one for the ages. For it's set though, right, I mean
like I don't really see our top four changing. I don't mean the position
with the job with the team's top four for sure, because I think the
four, yeah, four are probably your top four, right, and there's
I think number five is like five and a half games out or five games
out. Yeah, it would be tough. They're really close. The King's
currently the Suns are in six. Yeah, the Kings are five and a
half games back. It's really close. But I think you're right. I
think this is kind of the top four and list somebody goes on a massive
slide. I suppose right. But so if you look at tankathon, we
are you about to pick a team. It could happen. There's still enough
time left. We're talking thirty plus games left in the season. If somebody
gets banged up, maybe someone else has a march where they're playing eighteen games.
I'm not sure about that, but probe if they are hapvy on the
pod, I'll sympathize with you if you look at the strength of schedule,
which this does only take an account kind of winning the team's winning percentage.
It doesn't take an account things like schedule or spaced out of games and how
things like that. For the top four, the Clippers have the hardest.
They're eighth, and then the Timberwls, Nuggets, and Thunder are at sixteen,
seventeen, and nineteen. So they're all playing seemingly based on winning percentage
below average teams. Was from Tankathon, and the Clippers are eighth. I'm
and the Suns have the toughest schedule left, so oh there we go that
hurts them. Sacramento has the fifth toughest, So I think Will's right,
it is pretty secure with these top four baring of major injury, probably,
but that I feel a lot better about the rest of the schedule after seeing
how committed this team is to the regular season, you know what I mean,
Like, when we first see the schedule, you don't really know.
We have the old idea of what the Clippers kind of were and how they
approached the regular season, and now we have this brand new version where I'm
like, I'm a lot less worried. I'm still not you know, still
think about March every other hour as opposed to maybe every hour, but it's
I have a little more belief now after the play that they've shown. Yeah,
you kind of know what to expect with this team. Even within a
game. If they start slow like they did multiple times on this road trip,
they were able to dig out of those holes. I think aginst Detroit
against Miami and both of those games, and you just expect them to make
winning plays down the stretch. They look like a team that has forgotten how
to lose, when at times in this era they forgot how to win Layton
ball games. I mean, nobody's had a better clutch time rating since them.
Since November seventeenth, when you look at net rating and clutch time,
they've been awesome and they just continue to come through. Coach louis pushing all
the right buttons. I think most Clippers fans right now, you've never felt
more confident as a Clipper fan than you do right now with this team.
Yeah, well, how you feeling. You're saying they're going to finish okay
with the schedule, Well, it's gonna change, like I mean, their
strength of schedule though, I would guess they'd be in the bottom in the
bottom ten, probably bottom five after the month of March. Yeah, that's
I feel like it's kind of where you want to be, right you get
those sort of well, they'll be like seven games left that point. It
could still be easy. Yeah, and there'll be a tight gave. Those
will be the standings will be crazy, all right. Coming up, we're
gonna talk Clippers Respelicans. That is happening Wednesday night at cryptocom Arena. But
first, if you're listening to this podcast, the ads have allowed for some
people. If you're watching, you probably got like a pontiac at or something
before the show started. I don't know. So for next year, wait
for the new year, guys. Yeah, of course, don't buy a
car. You got about three hundred and thirty some days before you should buy
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some people. If that's been the case for you, go ahead and turn
it down. We got ads coming up in three two one. Hey,
what's going on? Welcome back into Clips and Dip. We just wrapped up
on the Grammy road trip, looking ahead to the Clippers back at home taking
on the Pelicans. This is gonna be an interesting one. Pels are coming
off of a steam rolling when over the Raptors. I think Brandon Ingram had
forty points. Pretty crazy, pretty crazy. They're playing pretty good. They've
won three of their last four, which is not I know, but it's
been it's been the Spur, it's been it's been like this. It's been
the Rockets, the Spurs, Uh and the Raptors. They lost to Boston,
the Bucks and the Thunder before that, so they went through it.
Yeah, and the Clippers have clean injury report. Zoo's not on the injury
report. Pg's not on the injury report just Musa, which is unfortunate.
We haven't really talked about that, but it sucks that he broke his hand
like it did. Yeah, that's definitely one of the bigger talking points that
we've glazed over this that segment coming up. Yeah, well, but's what's
we're leaving that for March. We're gonna have very much another segments Bot and
then maybe we can follow the Hot Bob commercial. Yeah, Adam talked about
that blowout when we had against about a month ago. Ingram shot horribly in
that game. CJ was bad, Train Murphy was bad intensively, the Clippers
were good. Yeah, Zoo's back. Are we gonna see like Kawhy is
we getting double? I imagine we throw Ingram those kind of goofy little double
teams that we were shuffling that last game. That was kind of a weird
one too, because that was Kawhi had an off game. Paul George had
twenty plus points and that was like, that was a rough Kawhi one,
which we are not accustomed to scene really at all. Guy was under fifty
percent, He was just seven to fifteen. How dare he? What is
he doing out there? Does he show up, but that was that game
too. We got a lot out of the role players, like Terrence was
great, Norm was great, Mason just had garbage time. We won boards,
which was really surprising in that one. But one thing I noticed when
I was looking back, and that we lost the possession battle by ten field
goal at times. But that also could have been just because they were missing
so much. I don't know. That was something that was kind of if
the shooting splits would have been a little more in favor of the Pelicans.
That is something that I'll be watching for in this game, is how the
Clippers take care of the ball and take advantge of their opportunities. Yeah,
they did have four more offensive rebounds and five less turnovers in the game.
And Zion left early, right, didn't he get hits? Right? He
took a weird knock early maybe third quarter, But at that time, because
of how dominant they were in that game on the road, and I don't
think anybody expected it because the Pelicans had owned them and stuff. That was
the new Oh, this is the best victory of the season. It was
really impressive the way the Clippers dismantled them. It was that second quarter where
they went on. They won thirty to fifteen. They doubled them up in
that second quarter, and really it was over going into the fourth. The
score looks a lot closer than it actually was. One eleven to ninety five
Clippers was the final. I don't think the Pelicans. There was like eight
minutes of garbage time in that one, and we're a bad garbage time team.
Is really bad for the net rating, for the Clippers for the garbage
time. They're just trying to live up to the name of garbage time.
That's what that's what's about, right. It happens everybody, but they tend
to be in these situations where, you know, when you're up by twenty
five, and I think Kawhi is not played in like four or ten fourth
quarters so far this season where the other team still have some of the players
in and the Clippers are throwing out you know, guys who hardly get a
run. Did Moon play in that game? I don't think. I don't
think Xavier Moon got any time in that one. Bones did. Yeah,
Bones, We're gonna talk about the Bones Highland Trade stuff that came out today,
which I was kind of surprised by just the terms of it. Yeah,
this was I remember we talked about that article by Jackson Frank about the
Clippers pick and roll, and he used this game as an example of how
good it was because the Pels through everybody at trying to figure it out and
they couldn't sag Off, Paul George. They couldn't, you know. And
like Zubot's back is back again for this one. So Harden is going to
be, you know, really in control of this game, and it's gonna
I hope he's you know, good at dictating early as he has been,
so I don't know why he wouldn't be. But they're still a good defensive
team. I hope he's getting some cryo therapy after playing eighty minutes the last
couple of games. Yeah, it's so many, it's crazy. Yeah,
I don't know. And the double teaming of Ingram will be interesting to watch.
What did we think? I noticed this too, some people are cheating
about this on the road trip. A lot of zone being thrown at the
Clippers over the last handful of games. It felt like that we saw more
zone against the Clippers kind of in these hands, like recently than before.
And I'm wondering if the Pells will try and do anything like that because it
does kind of mess with the rhythm early at least, well, the intention
is to keep Kawhi off of his spots really, like just eliminate some of
those like you know, fourteen footers like this stuff, you know, avoid
them from getting to the rim, and keep the guys out of the spots
where they like to be productive. It makes sense. Oh absolutely, I
just feel like seeing it so much more. It's like, oh, this
is how teams are trying to stop the best offense in the NBA right now.
I think it's at their own peril, or it eventually will be.
Because you look at the first quarter against Miami and the Clippers were one for
eight from the outside. They just couldn't hit shots. You want to bust
the zone. Well, they have the best three point shooting team in the
league. The last three quarters of that game they win fifteen to thirty one.
So eventually, yeah, if you leave them open, you are going
to pay for it. But I think it's good for them to get through,
like throw every defense you can at them during the regular season and build
up those reps so the Clippers figure out exactly how to play against anything in
the playoffs, because you do see weird stuff like that in the playoffs,
like you're we're going to see some really wonky zones against And it's like it's
the same thing with doubling Kawhi. Like with the level of talent that's on
the floor for the Clippers, there's no way you should feel comfortable throwing a
double ever, like and if you do, like you should get punished on
that every single time. There's just too much talent. There's just too much
talent to throw a double at somebody. I'm trying to look up how many
assists Kawhi had in that game, because I can't remember if they were doubling
him. A bunch in that one quietly had two assists. So I bet
if they throw the doubles at him this time, he's gonna be in the
you know, not incredibly much higher, but like the five or six range.
With how the team shooting. I'm surprised at just how good the Pelicans
really are this season. They've kind of flown under the radar a little bit,
and maybe this recent because they had a nice run before going five and
five their last ten games and losing to the Upper echelon teams, but they
have the six best. They have a top ten net rating. They were
great last year for the zion injury. Yeah, I mean when they're healthy.
They've kind of had some of the same issues as the Clips the past
couple of seasons, but their fifth and net rating on the season, So
this is a very dangerous squad. Yeah. No one scored over twenty points
for the Pels last time, which I would bet maybe changes, Yeah,
was the highest scorer. Yeah, that's that's crazy. They'd wrecked them just
doubling brandon Ingram, like make him a passer? Can he do that?
Is he there with his game yet? And that was something I think a
lot of people wanted to see from them because he always seemed to light them
up in first quarters. Especially Coach Lou talked about that coming into the ball
game, and they executed that game plan to perfection. I'm I don't know.
I mean, obviously, you know, Clippers go as far as Paul
George and Kawhi and James Harden are going to take them. But in this
game, we'll be interesting to see how Zoo's looking movement wise, health wise,
everything like that, because even healthy last time, Valentin has kind of
did his thing a little bit on the boards. I think he grabbed eleven
or something like that. So that's such an interesting cover for Zoo too,
Like Alan knows, I mean, he's hit how many threes against the Clippers,
Like it's it's it's interesting the way that he can stretch the floor and
is still like very physical despite taking some knocks and being a little bit older.
That's it's an interesting cover for Zoo. I think they both show up
for it too, you know what I mean. It feels like they both
get oh yeah, definitely. And it sounded like postgame after the Miami Heat
game, he only played eighteen minutes and coach Lou said it or he said
it that the game just felt too fast. It still was moving too fast,
which is amazing to me because I know he had missed a couple of
weeks, two and a half weeks or whatever it was. But like sometimes,
you know, it's the old cliche we think of them as robots or
these guys are professionals. It's like, no, that timing those reps,
the rhythm, all that matters, because a guy who hardly misses any time
ever, in just two and a half weeks could completely felt like the game
was moving too fast form or feel like the game was moving too fast form.
This Pelicans team, by the way, they're the second best team.
I don't know if it's shooting very in so, I mean we're pretty far
into the season, but when it comes to three point shooting, they only
teams rolling shooting just over thirty four percent against them from the outside. That
is their defense. Yeah, that's a good call. That shout out norm.
We're gonna have Norman. Yeah, they shot. We shot forty two
percent basically against them last time. So we've wrecked that season average for the
Pals, and we're gonna need that again. Right, We're gonna need a
similar the blueprints there for the Clippers to beat them, right, Like you
said, it's doubling Ingram and it's shooting around thirty eight from three. I
think my favorite just like that, like that, that's right there, I
run the shoot. I mean most times down I'm that. Yeah. I
think the favorite thing to me on this road trip that I've picked up on
though, was this Clippers team. You know, we talk about all the
different ways they can beat you, but they really showed what they can do
with points in the paint. It started with the Lake game right before they
left, but I think over the next three games they were averaging something like
seventy points in the paint. So they brought it with them on the road.
And that's just a different wrinkle from this Clippers team that you know that
was an area of concern really in the two one three era. They don't
get enough easy buckets, they don't get into the paint quite enough. And
then on the road trip you started to see, oh, they didn't shoot
well from three throughout a lot of the road trip, and it didn't matter
at all. Yeah, this is I wish they weren't playing them coming back
from this road trip, but it is a nice test of what the team's
going to look like after a seven game road trip and a really good opponent.
Did you hear coach lou post game? He was like, that's not
right that we have to play a day after and come back on this road
trip and we get one day off. Has he seen March's schedule? He's
trying to live in the moment, Like why he can't he can't do that
right now? Yeah, one of the tail all, but he'd hit you
with the I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. If road's March,
I'm not going anywhere. Who is your player of the game pick for
this one? Can we uh question for player of the game? Should we
not say Kawhi because we know that he's going to be dominant or is he
still an available player of the game pick for us? Do you want him
to play? Yes, that's what I'm saying. Where are you a member
of the play party? But I mean, if you want to pick Kawi,
go for it. It's just a very You're just a casual with casual.
You're a casual of Kai is not m v P. You're a casual.
If you pick Player of the Game, there's no winning, there's no
I really feel like putting that pressure on the media where if you don't have
Kawhi and the upper rational and of m VP candidates, then your casual.
I really think that came into a fact over the last week. I think
it's been it's been huge. Nach Loves heard that. He was like,
Oh, okay, I gotta talk abou Kawhi. Leonary, Yeah, Will,
who's your pick for Player of the Game, who may or may not
include Kawhi? Leonard I'm gonna go Norm. Yeah, Norm is coming off
of a great addition to the road trip. I think he's going to be
in tempo. And yeah, we talked about offensively. If they can mitigate
one of the things the Pelicans do really great on the defensive end, I
think that that makes a win all the easier. I hope that we get
some garbage time in this one like we did last time we played the Pels
in Smoothie Can Arena, which is my favorite arena name. I like what
you said about tempo because it sucks they have to play the next day,
but the tempo is going to be there for the shooters, right like,
It's not like that thing or maybe some rest after a couple of days rest.
But yeah, Adam, who's your pick for player of the game.
I'm gonna go with Russ I thought maybe misremembering, but I thought he was
really good in that second quarter in New Orleans when they pulled away, And
that was part of the reason why because the pace he is playing at.
But when you talk about guys having low energy or just not being reacclimated being
back home yet and they only have one day off, you might need Russell
Westbrook and what he brings to the table in a game like this. That's
a yeah. I like that's a good call. Yeah, I wonderful go
small against him, because that would be if Russ is playing well, he
would be a nightmare against at Pell's team as a center. Right there.
I am gonna go with Kawhi Leonard. I think he's gonna play great in
this game. Now. I think Paul George and even on more niche pick,
I think Paul George is gonna have a bounce back shooting. I think
we're gonna see over twenty points Paul George. He's not gonna spill anyone's drink
with a pass or anything like that. We're gonna see. Yeah, we're
gonna see twenty point Paul George. It's gonna be great. That's a good
call. I like that. Hell yes, I did it. Well.
It was either that or Kawhi. So I was between the row. Some
people are casuals at him. You know, it's not your fault. Okay,
if it wasn't for casuals, then I wouldn't look so smart. Right.
Oh wow, well said speaking of casuals, there was really I don't
usually uh read the live comments, but someone referred to us as bandwagon fans,
which I thought was the funniest thing in the world on the youtubeer on
on the YouTube. I thought it was really funny. I was like,
yeah, you know, do you guys? Do you guys call it YouTube?
Yeah? I call it the YouTube? What else is it? Mario
YouTube? Yeah? The YouTube? All right, come you watch it Mario
on the YouTube. Yeah. So I'm saying to my nephews when I go
visit, Uh, you remember back when we didn't cover this team until they
went on this run where they've won thirty one thirty nine, bro fair Weather
fans. Yeah, we brought the biggest Clippers heater in the world on the
pod. That for fairly there. All right, coming up, we're talking
the Clippers trade rumors, and then a friendly reminder to get your bets in
order, and then a friendly PSA. But for those of you who have
been listening to this on the audio, we appreciate you. The ads have
been loud. Ads are coming up in three two one Welcome back in It's
clips and Dip episode forty nine of season two. I'm at a Maslem.
We got Chuck Mockler and Will Updyke. If you missed it, we did
a little C and D clips and CNDD double dip last night on Clippers Talk.
Chuck came on the show. It was a great time after the Clippers
went six and one on the road trip. But now after previewing the Pelicans
game, we got to talk about some random stuff, some rando because I
don't know, there's this thing called the trade deadline coming up on Thursday,
kind of a big deal. But I didn't see this. Did this come
out earlier today from Ome? In this quote from PJ Tucker? Chuck,
give us some context of this. When was it said? I thought,
I'm not feeling I'm on trial tonight. Uh, this was this was a
couple of days ago. It was a report that PJ. Tucker is actively
looking to get traded. Om was on a podcast and he said, I'm
not saying they're going to make a massive move, but they did just get
a beat to the Zoo, bats against back against Miami, and so now
they have three bigs, and of course they do have PJ. Tucker,
who wants to be traded, has made no secret about that. He even
told me that just last week in Toronto. I think his words were actively
looking to get traded, like yeah, executives like, guys, please come
on, please, hello, I make this happen. I'm just like,
so he's like, I don't know if he's like he's gonna get money out
of his own pockets of the team and he goes to or something. I
don't think he's like leaking this because I don't know if it's a leak.
If he's directly a reporter you want to be traded. I feel like it's
bigger than the leak, But like, what what's the move here? Yeah,
like if the right trade is there and it yeah, I'm sure they'll
figure out a way to accommodate PJ. Tucker, who hasn't played since I
don't know, uh November at this point. I don't think he's played in
December. I'm I'm still happy with the fact that even though he has made
these comments of the media here and there, there isn't a disgruntled guy when
you look at him on the bench. There isn't a guy who isn't still
involved cheering guys on and being a good teammate and a good vet out there.
I've seen him multiple times when Terrence Man was going through his struggles.
He came to the bench after turning down a couple of three pointers. I
forget what game it was. Coach Lou pulled him. He goes to the
bench. It was like in the midst of the deepest part of the funk
that he was in, and you could see PJ. Tucker was trying to
console him, put his arm around him, trying to tell him some positive
stuff to keep his confidence up. So I'm appreciative for that. That's fair.
And I still think if he did stay on this team, he has
utility in a playoff series. He doesn't have it in the regular season,
so I'm not sure how he'd have it when it matters more. He can
guard Yokic guys, he can guard Zion Williamson. Maybe we'll see him tomorrow.
That would be player to player of the game, PJ. Tuck.
You asked me where I would lose faith if they played PJ Tucker tomorrow is
where I lose faith. And when they go on to ten, oh run
with him, you won't. Well, he's not ning part of any of
the field goal attempts, so maybe that would happen. Bones Also, he
should just wave his he should like opt out of his He shouldn't have opted
out into his second year. That's why he's still on this team. Probably
would be my Yeah, I don't think he's willing to wag the second year?
Yeah, is that something you can do at this point? What did
it have to be? Oh? I don't know, Like that's what I'm
saying. It's like a handshake agreement or a verbal that hey, I'm go.
I think Yeah, I think it would have to just be an unsaid
instead of an IOUs he is an unspoken message here, it's you. The
more, I guess. Pertinent important news was that Bones's fate. Uh.
It sounds like the Wolves and Hornets would offer two second round picks for Bones,
which I would not want to see him on the Wolves in the playoffs.
That was my first thought. Or next year or anything like he's locked
in for like no money the next two years. It's like two point four
this year, like four next year. Two seconds. I guess I don't
know what the value was, but I hope he goes to a place he
plays that's not the Timberwolves. Yeah, I mean the guy's on the comb,
Yeah, Will I don't think two seconds is enough. I like,
look, I I know that he's not in the rotation right now, and
I might be abnormally high on Bones given what we saw at the at the
start of the season. Season. The thing like the thing to me,
the Bones are also my dollars, But the thing to me is you need
talent that's that's locked up at a low price range. And do you think
with one of those seconds or ideally both of them, you're gonna get you're
getting a better player than Bones, because I think the way this team is
playing right now, look, unless you were like the perse, like the
sort of the prototypical six to eight wing that the Clippers are looking for,
I don't see a lot of time for young guys or developmental guys or project
guys. So I just I think I'd rather have the asset than two second
round like something like something tangible rather than two seconds. I guess, yeah,
I guess we would refleinish the seconds that we lost, but I don't
know they gave up two seconds for him, right, I agree with you,
like, are you going to find a guy with either of those seconds
that has the upside that Bones has shown in limited time with this team?
But he has shown it again. That Game three where the Clippers got screwed
against the Phoenix Suns, he had a three rim in and out after I
think he had twenty points maybe all in the second half of that game.
He was electric. And then the start of this season as well mentioned you
look good. He had I think a seventeen point game, an eighteen point
game, and everybody talked about him in training camp and just the difference in
him even coming off last season with the Clippers, and how the progress he
had made. Kawhi Leonard was taking him under his wing. Obviously, I
don't want to see Bones leave, especially if he goes a team like Minnesota.
That would be rough. But in the right move it it may have
to happen. I don't know. It may be the big sweetener. What
about three seconds in a different move for sure, like the second rounders,
that just doesn't really move the needle to me. And we talked about players
being great on the bench despite their playing time. I can't name like Bones
is the is the top of the line for that, and he kind of
man like he thought in trading camp, like he thought coming into the season
he was gonna be the guard, Like maybe the you know, like maybe
the sixth man guard, but like he thought he was gonna be playing a
significant position and it's you know, he's now just like racking up Yeah,
he's just just racking up cnds. So I don't know. Yeah, it's
tough. It feels like, yeah, maybe trade him for a package deal
because everyone was like, oh Bones for second two seconds, that's pretty cheap
that the Clippers got him for. Like, I don't I don't understand.
Yeah, it would just I would feel bad for Bones. It's weird.
I don't want him to go to the Timberwolves because they're in the Western Conference,
and I don't want them to go to the Hornets because they're so bad.
But he would get playing time, you know, Yeah, I think
backing up LaMelo. I guess LaMelo's been hurt often. Uh, he will
shine somewhere when he gets playing time. It is going to happen. It
feels like a GIBBT with Bones. I want to see it happen with the
Clippers. But this is the balance you are trying to have when you're a
championship contender but also a team that is lacking first round picks moving forward,
where you want to hold on to guys that have youth and potential and are
all cheap contracts. As will was laying out, it's kind of what the
Golden State Warriors, you know, the back end of a dynasty. Things
usually don't end pretty, and they're kind of dealing with that this season and
now all of a sudden, finally Kaminga is getting some run and showing what
he's been able to do. But it's a horror thing to balance, and
I think that's where the Clippers are at. They're in a tough spot.
Tough spot. I hope Bones goes to the best place possible for him.
Something that we've been talking about on this pod that we're going to talk about
one more time and probably again. Get your MVP bets in for Kawhi do
it. It's not as good of a bet as it was yesterday. They're
going on about that one day. One day went from plus ten thousand to
what plus fifty five hundred. Yes, it is a plus fifty five hundred.
Stats Williams put out this tweet today. In the past thirty games,
Kawhi Leonard has a twenty five and five record while averaging twenty six point four
points per game, fifty seven percent from the field, fifty one percent from
three, and ninety two percent from free throw. He's the first player to
average twenty five points on fifty five to fifty ninety shooting splits over any thirty
game span. Ever, I figured, I mean, the only other guys.
I was thinking, Okay, maybe Steph had done it, maybe KD
had done it, maybe Jokic had done it. But I don't think the
three point shooting. I don't know if he had that long of a stretch
or was ever that high in his MVP seasons. Those are the only guys.
It's insane, which is why it is so perplexing and downright frustrating that
he hasn't gotten the love that he has deserved. Because it's not going to
last forever, So how about we celebrate it while it's going on, because
if they're not paying attention to it now, then if he goes on a
cold streak in the next couple of weeks or missing some games in March,
it's totally going to be forgotten. So that's why I felt like there should
be a sense of urgency with talking about Kawhi for MVP and hashtag claw for
MVP, and I'm always adding people and you know what, I'm not going
to say who it was, but somebody was like, could you stop.
One of the reporters that I was adding said could you stop adding me on
these? And it had only been like three so far, but because so
many people like them and retweet them all that those notifications pop up for him.
It's like, I mean, I'll stop, but can you talk about
Kawhi Leonard being this damn good? I mean, you're doxing people for Kawhi's
MVP, not doxing anything. What are you talking about? I'm acting them
on. I think that's pretty far off from that. Tell us who it
was after this, because I think I have a guess, but I don't
know. I'll tell you afterwards. And then final PSA put Norm in the
three point contest. Yeah, just do it. He wants to do it
and he'd win. I don't know. It's the three point contest more exciting
than the Dunk Contest at this point. Yes, did you see the contestants
for the Dunk contest last couple of years? It definitely has been this year.
Hold on, let me look at it because I think Woe's tweeted it
out. Uh, this year, it's like Obie Toppin's brother as mcclong Jalen
Brown. It's Jacob Topping, Mac McClung, Jimi Hawkes, and Jalen Brown.
I didn't I still don't think Hawk has has bounced like that to be
Uh. I saw him at U c l a lot. I'm a little
bit surprised by that selection. I just think they just want to play.
I didn't think they want anyone to do it. Mac McClung will probably win
again. Yeah, they're pulling guys out of the G League. Yeah.
I wish they just grabbed the best dunkers in the world from Team Flight and
have them put on a show, because it will be more spectacular. You'll
actually see new stuff you've never seen before, at least at that level.
I don't know, and One Mixtape Tour had it right. I think you're
right. Well at three point contest and maybe the skills skills is cool.
Three point is definitely overshadowed ever since the Zach Lavine Aaron Gordon Dunk Contest,
which was amazing. That was the last really great eight dunk contest and the
best of all time. I think so I don't know. Since then,
it's like, how do you top it. There was a time where they
went away from the dunk contest for a couple of years in the late nineties
early two thousands. I think he should do it again and switch it out
for one on one. Guys won't do it. They talked about it.
They had the Game of Horse that one time with Kevin Muran and who else
was out there. They did it outdoors. It was bad. But guys
they won't do it because of endorsements and if they lose. And yeah,
I mean it's the reason I think Lebron James never did the dunk contest.
And yeah, I mean Lebron not doing the dunk contest. It's everything to
lose, not much to gain. Yeah, it's not like the nineties where
it's yeah, like that was a major driver for you. But yeah,
get norm with that three point contest? Is it like a reserve thing,
like somebody drops out and he's in or can they add a guy? Maybe
it's like when you work at a restaurant and if you don't have a clean
enough uniform, I'll just switch someone else out. There's people who will wait,
so maybe pick up a shift. All right. I think we're pretty
much wrapped up on this episode. Adam, Is there gonna be a double
dip after the Pels game tomorrow? Yeah? Just not with you guys.
No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Who's coming with me? Baby?
Who's coming with me? I believe it's Will's turn? Oh what happens if
they lose? Though? Is Will still coming on? I guess probably not.
Busy signal and then maybe another press box live. I don't know.
That could be fun, depending on something crazy. Oh that was fun.
That was a good time. Are you guys going to be there? Yeah?
Yeah tomorrow? Yeah, oh dope, let's take a picture. Let's
not go to the game, dude, you know you said we were gonna
be friends. And then we're gonna do a tripod for you on Thursday,
And then since there's a brunch paddle on Saturday, we'll be doing a live
YouTube hag afterwards, because what else would you want to watch the day before
the Super Bowl? Then the Clippers play the Diston's at twelve thirty in the
afternoon. Really, that's one of those matinee stars that you're okay with?
Yeah, Well, where can these people review and maybe subscribe to us.
You can rate to review this podcast over on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. You
can listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts. We're on Amazon Music,
Google Podcasts, Stitch your deezer. But if you really want to get
the full clips and dip experience, you gotta head over to YouTube dot com.
Not the YouTube, just YouTube dot com. And that's at Clippers podcast.
And you know you can only leave one writing and review over on over
on Spotify and Apple podcast which you should do. But you could comment on
every single episode over on YouTube if you fell so inclined. Yeah, I
think there's only like eighty nine videos up. It wouldn't take too long.
Adam, so rainy week in LA. People might be feeling a little bit
down even though the Clippers are playing. So well, what's one positive thing
you want to give to Clippers fans before we send them into this night?
I actually thought the last episode of True Detective was pretty decent after really mediocre
season. Oh uh, well there's only two more, so they got really
it's only six Yeah, well it's been rob since season one. Man.
Uh, you know what? I think the Clippers are gonna get some type
of heroes. Welcome tomorrow night. Because everyone has bought into how good this
team is. They've missed them. Absence makes the heart girl fonder and it
is going to be loud at Crypto dot Com. And therefore that home court
advantage where they have been really good so far this season at home, it's
gonna come into effect against the Pelicans. They may get ambushed. The Cryptocom
arena is gonna be rocking tomorrow, per Adam Oslin, that's gonna be a
good time. We'll talk to everyone after the double DIMP. We'll see a
couple times later this week, and as always, let's go clips.