What is going on? Clippers fans, Welcome to episode one fifty of Clips
and Dip. We've made it this far, Tomayer as Arlie is here to
ring in whatever the name is for a century and a half. I'm Chuck
Mockler joined with Adam Oslin and William Updyke. We know that those guys are
doing well. Tomayer of Clutch points fame. Thank you for joining us.
How's your off season? We know you're in Denver right now, obviously getting
ripped. What's how's life? I mean, now that I see that Will
is blonde, it's a lot better. Yeah, oh yeah, and Will
has new hair. Yeah I didn't. I didn't know that, but I
like to look though. I like to look Will. I dig it.
It's very nice. I'm going saying it's a super stand one or two.
What are you doing here? Oh too? Okay? All right? Um,
No, offously has been good, man been Uh. I don't want
to see busy because it's just been some some social stuff there was obviously,
don't really give us anything to talk about. Sure, um so in some
sense it's almost cool that we have an off season and just not really having
to worry about anything. But um, I think, you know, for
me, I kind of knew the finals is gonna be something that I was
going to cover, So, um, did you know anything there? Yeah?
Oh, hey man, average here. I was really just curious to
see who the finals seams were gonna because it looked like we're gonna be it.
Literally, it was gonna be Denver in Miami for so long, m
like a week a week off everyone would have time to plan our trips,
and then Boston just Boston in mind be kind of messed around, and thirty
six hours before media Day we found out. So it's been kind of wild,
but it's been fun. It's been fun. It's been all good so
far. Fantastic. Well, thank you for joining us. Amidst the craziness,
we're gonna be talking some Clippers culture stuff, what we're expecting from the
off season, as well as one particular draft person who Lawrence Frank was watching.
But I want to open this up since we just briefly talked about it
and ask Will and Adam this. There's been a lot of talk about like
heat culture lately. It's the one thing they seem to have really figured out
since they've been a franchise. I asked Clippers Twitter if Clippers have a culture?
There's some fantastic responses over at Clippers Pod, but will what is the
Clippers culture? Do we have one? Is it just a bunch of guys
playing basketball together who met in the parking lot before? Where are you at?
On? If the Clippers have a culture? Wait and see? I
think it is pretty much the Clippers culture, how they approached the regular season,
the news that we get whenever there's an injury, and and I mean
with this year, with free agency and not kind of knowing even like who
are who are starting point guard could be for the twenty three twenty four season.
I think wait and see has got to be kind of the motto for
the Clippers. That hurts because it's very accurate. Adam, what is GM
more positive take? Or I didn't feel pretty fair? SLC Punk's not holding
back on this one. I love it. It's a good look. It
looks like Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Dair sothing like he looks good. I
like the hair. It breaks me back to my days when I used to
dye my hair just on the tips, blowde like I was Alex Todriguez back
and oho that's who you were trying to. It's quite a compa. These
are on YouTube. If you want to see Will's fantastic hair, check it
out on YouTube. Um but Adam, back to the series talk now that
you're doing joshing around. I guess it's a fluid situation at the moment with
Clippers culture. But I'm reminded of our first ever podcast on Clips and Dipp.
Didn't we call it the C word? Weren't we talking about culture then
coming into the season, and that the Clippers seem to have a culture of
being a tough minded, high character team with a lot of switchability. That's
what we thought it was going to be this year. Now, I don't
even reason Tank exposed how exactly you define the Miami Heat culture. People talk
about it a lot, but it seems pretty vague or pretty general, And
some of the stuff I just said for the Clippers could be said for them
as well. What's the Denver Nuggets culture? What has been other championship teams
culture? What was the Toronto Raptors culture when they had Kawhi. I think
a lot of it is a little bit overblown. It's just well, we
won, so that means we have a good culture here. Okay, could
you get a little bit more specific? Maybe it's culture, dude, what
don't you understand? Don't marriage? So I actually disagreed that. Yeah,
I don't think you can say that about You can say that about Miami.
They just they won three series they were not supposed to win. And what's
the culture? Well, I'm saying what is their culture? Their culture is
no matter who's coming in there, drafted, undrafted, high pig, little
pig there, they're bringing in everything. They've been to three out of the
last four Eastern Conference finals. They've been good. But like, what is
the characteristic? What is the trait? They're tough? Is that it Jimmy
Butler stuff and they got a bunch of like resilient guys. I think it's
a collective collective toughness. Um the coach obviously, um, a guy who
I think started from the ground up, I would say, really, you
know, and had the backing of a pat Riley. I think all that
kind of just um, you know, put in little bits and pieces and
it creates a culture. I think, Look, if if we want to
joke around about about the Clippers, of course we can all just throw in
the Peter Griffin grabbing his knee and just saying whatever it was. Um,
I don't think the Clippers culture is bad. I think I think it's it's
been pretty good. They've just been unlucky. Um, I think they've they've
they've done everything right from I would say, for the most part, from
the top down, Um, starting with Steve and um, you know,
obviously ty Louise Is is someone who's who's a great leader. I think Lawrence
Frank is someone that a lot of people see as a great leader. And
I think I think at this point it does kind of fall on on the
star players. UM, you know, not to be overly critical off the
bat, but I think, you know, Jimmy doesn't shy away from responsibility,
he doesn't shy away from accountability. And I think, you know,
he said after Game six, we would have won this game if I didn't
play like shit, it was on me. You know, I don't I
don't recall, No, not that that's what you need, but there's a
level of accountability that I think, Um, this Clippers team maybe doesn't have
on that level, I don't believe, and so UM, you know,
I think I think losses need to hit hard. I think they need to
bother you. I think they need to to to really make you want to
win the next game. And I don't know if they have that. Um
I'm not saying they don't. I'm just not sure if they have that based
on what I've seen. So we just I think there's a few things that
go into I think there's a few things that go into um, you know,
having a good culture. But at the same time, they haven't been
healthy, and we just I don't know if we can really judge them fully
on their culture when they haven't been healthy. That's a great point. I
think the health thing is part of it, because I think a lot of
it is people are just frustrated with the path A couple of seasons. Yeah,
um Ron Sooh on Twitter had a great call. He said they were
building a culture, a culture of doing things the right way, maximizing talent
in a positive environment. That's why Winger didn't take other jobs before, and
guys like Reggie and Buttum were attached to the organization. But he noted that
something maybe changed recently, which I thought was interesting. And then another that
comes back to the health though too, Like I do think that there is
a Reggie had to be the number one guy. Yeah, Like I do
think that there is like a cumulative fatigue that sets in when it's like,
you know, I mean like the oh shit, here we go again,
Like it's gonna be the same thing. Um. And and that's you know,
that's that's not anybody's fall injuries or just like one of those freak things
that you kind of have to deal with. UM. But I think that
that has permeated in a way where, um, I guess I just don't
see the same vigor that I even saw maybe last season. Uh. And
that's like throughout the roster, like from some of the from from some of
the other role players. My question would be, when was that moment where
the culture was really good with the Clippers. Was it the Game six where
terrorists Man had thirty nine, because I'm pretty sure the season before that they
went up three one against the Denver Nuggets and lost that series. Did they
not have culture then? Like? When was the culture there? Because to
your point, Tilmare and I do think there's something to that hardworking Miami Heat
team, blue collar type of style team and holding yourself accountable. Beginning of
this season, Paul George was playing poorly, called himself out in the media,
and then had the game winner against the Houston Rockets. Like we have
seen some of that at times when people want to see more of it.
Sure, of course did Patrick Beverly seemed to bring a more definable, identifiable
culture because of how hard he plays all the time. Yeah, But ultimately,
is this what's holding them back or is it just about the injuries that's
holding them back? Well, I will stay for one thing. I think
I think both Pat and Lou were We're under valued. Now. I know
they needed to improve in another free agency decisions coming up, but I think
I think they needed to value them and the culture that they started that they
kind of brought here more than they did, more than you know, like
just trading Pat because he was going to be a free agent or something or
had when year left in the deal. You know, I think it goes
beyond um bringing in John Wall when you have a Reggie Jackson there who just
played his ass off for an entire year carrying that team, and that that's
year. I think they really built the culture that year without Kay and like
when PG played like thirty games, if you want to say UM that I
think was a really good culture building year because they had similar I would say
it's mime female, a bunch of hard working guys you could never kind of
count out. And this is this is why I'm a little you know,
I don't want to call it the stars too much, but this is like
the worst we've seen Kwai and PG play together, the worst results injuries aside,
like they still weren't playing good basketball when they were out there. I
don't know if that's a product of um, you know, a lot of
you know, one coming back, one being injured, vice versa. Maybe,
you know, I don't know if we want to count those first two
games when Kauhi came off the bench. Those are pretty nasty as well.
So there's a bunch of things that there's a bunch of things you get you
want to look into. But I think I think it does start with the
stars. You know, Paul George did call himself out, and I think
that that's great. UM, it doesn't have to be publicly, but I
think, UM back to kind of when I said, I think losses just
need to hit harder. UM at least when you're healthy and you come back
and UM just play with more vigor, Like Will said, I think that's
that's pretty important. UM. But I think they I think Patton low they
kind of they kind of mess with the culture there by not treating it um
the way they needed to. I think just there's something to have having some
continuity and um, keeping guys around and you know, a bit of a
loyalty aspect um. I think that's undervalued UM today. And I know people
are gonna say they were washed, they were there, they were that sure.
UM. I just think there's something there because you've seen them lack of
leader um like a pat like a loose since they left, and I don't
think that's you know, shocking to anyone really. Yeah. Another person on
Twitter, Lee Kashi, had a quote that I don't know if I agree
with the first part, but I really like the second part what he says
here he says we don't have a culture. I'm not sure I agree with
that, but he said, we've had a couple of players that have imposed
their personalities in a positive way and that's been a big part of it.
And I really like that take because Bev and Lou together, I mean and
to an extent Tress were phenomenal from like you know, we do it for
the people in the back, all this other stuff like that kind of stuff,
and then you look at Russ right like Russ. I didn't necessarily I
wasn't a big fan of the move, but when he showed up, seeing
Russ care one hundred percent of the time, maybe one hundred and ten percent
of the time, made you feel a little more excited maybe to watch the
team play as a whole, and you love see him on the bench and
stuff like that. So I like your point about maybe treating the relationships a
little bit better. Like dude, that last interview with lou Will when he
breaks the bench scoring record and everyone was watching that interview and it was like
something feels off about this, this feels weird. And then I believe it
was the next day that he was traded for Rondo. So I like that
point about legacy. But I'm also I like what Adam you said, like
there's no real way to like fix or if you think it's broken this thing,
If everyone's healthy, I bet the culture gets a lot better to some
point, right well, And I think ultimately too, like it is a
matter of personnel, right, like Tom are brought up guys like Pat and
lou Will and like, I mean, you can say that your franchise's culture
is like X, Y and Z. It comes down to like the people
in the locker room. And I do think that there was a disservicet done
this year, and like not intentional and nothing against him, but I do
think that, like the the addition of John Wall didn't really help that locker
room. I think that it probably and I think that that like that that
has its own ripple effects right to other guys in the locker room, and
that sort of stuff kind of permeates pretty quickly, you know, we saw
I mean even with Tress who you mentioned, who like very much, you
know, like was a part of like building a culture. I think we
kind of saw that, like the how quickly those sort of things can can
switch when there's like a malcontent in the locker room. Can I throw this
out there, because I feel like culture has to be somewhat independent of one
player or a couple of players and personalities, like they start something, but
then it almost takes on a life of its own to where whenever you come
to your franchise, to that franchise, new players come in and they're just
dipped in that culture regardless of who is there, because it's it's from the
ground up and it's just permeates throughout the entire organization. So I don't know
if I believe in that. Like, I still think that it takes like
every person in the locker room to like buy into whatever that is. And
I think that that is what the Heat do effectively, Like they find and
put these like empower people in positions I think where like maybe they buy into
this thing, but like I think, let's say, had the same situation
happened, right, and like they added John Wall to the locker room,
I don't think that suddenly makes him like a Heat culture guy. I do
really think that it is still ultimately down to the personnel, because you know,
you can you can call your culture like whatever you want it to be.
It can be street lights over spylights, it could be whatever thing you
want it to be. But like there has to be some level of buying.
And I do think that that is what the Heat do really well.
And I think that part of that though is as a franchise managing at like
taking a a harder look at like those types of personalities that you're bringing into
the locker room from from that type of a perspective, not just an Encourt
perspective. I agree with that. I'm just wondering. It's almost like,
if if it's just as simple as they lost Pat, they lost trist,
they lost Low, then did they ever have a culture or was it about
them losing some leadership And there's a difference between leadership and culture in a franchise,
and there's that. I think they're intertwined. I think they are in
some way intertwined. Um especially when you're two leaders, the quiet guys,
like they're not the vocal guy. Yeah, they're not that kind of leader.
They're they're not the type of leader that I think this type of team
needs. Whereas I think I think that that's why I think Russ was critical
for them, because they started to believe all the court stuff aside. Russ
I think provided a hard working kind of like accountability, just belief and all
those things that I think maybe they lacked before. Um Or I would have
been you know, even if Russ were to resign and just never play,
I think that'd be fantastic just because like not the hypotical, but like I
think this leadership, accountability holding, you know, making sure guys are doing
the right things. Um, taking losses hard, you know, calling guys
that after a loss. Um, you know I heard it. You know,
after some losses, there might not have been a lot of chatter.
It was kind of as quiet at times. So like, I don't know
if that's the type of thing that you want over and over and over again.
I think maybe maybe there's some guys, but I think that it needs
to be shown in different ways. I guess if if that makes sense,
um, in a way that proves Okay, you know, this isn't good,
this doesn't feel good, Let's let's actually try to get our way out
of it instead of God, all right, let's move on under the next
game kind of thing, you know, and brushing it aside like nothing just
happened. Um. I don't know if that makes sense. I feel like
I'm ramming a little bit, But I think there's I think culture and and
and leadership are sort of intertwined. And that's why I think they really miss
Patton. They really was loot. Um. Yeah, those those guys kind
of offset the quietness of the other two guys. But all the fire and
Knice that they were named fire and nice. So yeah, I mean,
well again, I think you know the I mean outside from the bubble bus,
like the you know, the most promising miss Clippers team looked was in
that twenty twenty one season. We're quite you know, we're quite ultimately ended
up going down. But like what we heard from from Nick Patum and other
guys was like they were not okay with like losses. We we heard that
there was a constant dialogue about sort of like being called out on issues and
and and and talking about those sort of things. So I definitely agree with
you. I hear what you're saying that. I think even Rondo brought that
to some level. I know it wasn't playing well, but I think he
brought that to some level. Um, he'll call you out. He was
called I think Ty was called the Rondo whisper for a reason. I know,
I don't know if they know if you still call it that, but
um, I know there's definitely a level of accountability brought from Rondo's perspective,
Like he got out that he got into it with Kawhi one time at an
end of fourth quarter play on like a near side corner three I remember,
and Rondo is pretty darn good in the regular season. I don't know what
happened in the playoffs there, but yeah, it's interesting. It's a hard
thing to understand and kind of flesh out. But I feel like you you
you know it when you see it. It's it's just it's one of those
things that you just when you see it. I don't know, I don't.
I don't think it's a better way to kind of explain it, Like,
yeah, I don't know. I like Box has been like three street
Eastern Conference the three or out of four Eastern Conference finals, but it feels
like their cultures at all a lot of whack right now. I don't I
don't think it's just the losses. I think I think you could tell there's
something just missing there. Um and a scandal involving your coach, which doesn't
help the culture either. How much is the Clippers culture like really about respecting
the regular season, which is something that Lawrence Frank brought up in his offseason
exit interview. We need to get back to respecting the regular season, because
that's something that I felt like Patrick Beverley could raise the intensity of a one
out of a two regular season game because he plays that hard, and Russell
Westbrook has brought some of that back or did in his limits of town with
the Clippers this time around. I mean, the eighth c just made the
finals. In the seventh, he just made the conference final. So how
important is it? It is important, but this just comes down to maybe
having the right leaders and the right actual culture regardless of Windard losses. UM,
Like, I don't think I think mine is very, very unimpressive at
the regular cheese. I mean they were almost, but I don't think they
ever had like a stretch of games we were like, okay, this is
kind of what they could be UM at any point, and I watched them
here and there, but I like, I think they were down three points
in the final playing game and they were we're gonna lose to Chicago. So
I don't I think it doesn't matter. I just think it's more important to
have the right kind of leaders and and players and accountability and kind of everything
kind of set and plays, everyone knowing their roles. Um Terrence Man doesn't
know his role for four years now, it doesn't know his role, Like,
you just can't keep doing that kind of stuff. You can't. Reggie
was a starting point, got then it gets demotive for no reason other than
we signed Joan Wall. Like, I just don't think you can keep playing
around and stuff like that. I think continuity and then having a sort of
set structure matters. Um. I think everyone said, okay, this twenty
twenty one team is good. Once they had Kawai and PT, they'll be
fine. They had Kawai and they had a PG, they lost heart and
signed they added Johan Walls, Like, okay, that's a lot of changes.
That's not you know, Kawhi didn't come and ready, so it's a
bunch of different things there. Um, and Terres still doesn't know what the
hell he's doing he's supposed to do, so Like, I just it's not
set. I don't think they ever really got set. I think they have
a they have something in place kind of, but it's not there yet.
I would say, I like that idea, Yeah, Adam, Yeah,
I mean there's obviously nothing concrete with a few different positions going on right now
and pending free agents and stuff like that. I think Terence's role being a
moving target for so long has been curious, Uh, just seeing him have
to work through that. But on the other hand, whenever he's asked about
it, he's like, I'm used to it, so it's not a big
deal to me. In an out of the lineup, starting, not starting,
he seems to figure it out and play as well. It's just really
about how much he's court time he's getting out there. Yeah, and what
I hope it's more than twenty three minutes per game next year. I don't
necessarily thinks it's first of all, what's he gonna say. He's not gonna
call out it's the it's the I mean, how many different groups did he
have to play with this season. I'm just saying, but all of his
play he looked regardless. But we're lucky that yeah, well lucky's yeah,
he's able to adapt like that. But like starting twenty games then coming up
the bench the final twenty of rush like, um, then PG goes down,
you gotta start, uh, Eric, and then that bench looks different
again. It's just like it's all over the place. Normals out too until
he came back. So like it's just again, health doesn't matter there,
but like these guys gotta have specifically if you're gonna start ter and start him
the entire way. Have these guys playing together for sixty games if possible,
if possible. You can't just keep flip flopping and doing all this shit.
Ultimately though, absolutely yeah yeah all the time during the show. I don't
know if you can do that? Is the culture fixable? When you have
Kawhi and Paul George is your leaders and in and out of the lineup.
I mean, that's all the question, right, Do they have to have
somebody like Russ? Do they have to have somebody like Patrick Beverley to supplement
that? Or are they never going to be able to maximize the potential aside
from the injuries of just having a much more stable locker room. I I
think you need I think you kind of need both. Right If your leaders
are guys who lead by example, which Kauai from my perspective, seems like
a lead by example guy, which is totally fair because the example is elite
when you watch him play. You need someone to kind of be that raw
rod guy like you need to you know, create a mix of like that's
why Russ was good, right, Like you need someone who's gonna be kind
of the annoying guy to take to get everyone hyped up and all that kind
of thing. If the stars aren't gonna be as raw rod and stuff like,
that would be how I see it now. Obviously, you can have
too many guys where it's like, Okay, chill out for a sec.
But the Clippers don't have too many guys that seem like they care too much,
so I think they have some wiggle room for adding those guys. Is
there is there any player on this team that's considered like like a fan,
like one of those guys you like Transes lay up. Yeah, crowd's going
nuts, like besides Russ, I guess sure, yeah it was Russ.
They don't have that. I feel like that that's part of You need that
kind of guy who can who can just one play just spark an entire crowd
sparking team. I think guys who could be that. I think Bones has
potential to be that. You need a guy who can score, Like like
dude, Bev would have like like six four and four and we'd be like,
did you see Bev? Tony passed through on a float over over like
a guy two inches tall in him and he's doing the too small talking to
the crowd and like and it's amazing, Like he just dunked on the dude,
like yeah, and he's doing that every time, Like yeah, sh
you need like you need you need someone who's obviously not like push a cameraman
U Dylan Brooks level, Like you need someone like on that same level of
like this person's kind of an asshole, but you want him on your is
the person I think, Well, do they have enough ass Uh? No,
I don't know. They Yeah, they still they still need like that
guy in that personality, and that that was the most like I mean,
obviously he had his moments on court, but I think that that was locker
room wise, And when they talk about him saving the season like the biggest
thing that Russ brought um and who knows, like maybe maybe maybe if we
get sixty games out of Kwai and Paul George, like that changes and like
we feel a little bit different about that because I do think even just having
those guys on court, even if they're not that guy, I still think
that that does something for a locker room. UM. Although a lot of
what Paul George has been doing post post his most recent injury kind of has
me worried that he is UM very much. Not that guy you mean when
he said anyway, I mean the most we're gonna talk about some offseason stuff.
We gotta take a quick ad break. The ads have been too loud
till they are a lot of people complain to us about that, so we've
we've inserted this disclaimer, so if the ads have been too loud for you,
go ahead and turn it down. But right after the ads are gonna
talking the Clippers off season, and we're gonna try and not talk about the
things we don't like about Paul George's podcast ads coming up in three two one.
All right, welcome back into Clips and Dip. We talked a little
bit about Clippers culture. Now talking about the Clippers off season. Um,
where do you want? Where do you guys want to jump in on this?
Charles? I mean we've talked about some of the we've talked about some
of the different positions that that definitely needs to be figured out. I mean,
I think we have such a huge log jam at the power forward position.
Where are you at? Wait? Where do you want to cut first
on this? On this roster? If I'm gonna I mean so I in
the notes I put we need three wings switched out for one and a half
good ones, which is we need one and a half good wings to switch
out. Like, I don't know what we can do. The CBA has
me all confused. I'm not sure, like is it even approved yet?
Like we need to resign plumbly as a backup. I don't Ramona Shelburne was
on you're all over the place, you're talking? Are you talking? Are
you talking? Wings? Tell are we supposed to do? I want to
get Tommaera's perspective on this, because obviously we talked about the lack of wingstop
all season long, and there was kind of an okey doke where we thought
it was gonna be wingstop and said we got alive gardens, as Will put
it, Tellmer, did that throw you for a loop? The fact that
they had all these guys We thought the team was constructed a certain way,
and then they went away from that and they were playing three or four guards
out there at times. I like that olive garden. That's great, that's
fantastic. We're doing good work over here. Sometimes this is I mean,
this is this is just one of the few things that this is why I
called it the most frustrating year. I've had cover in the scene. There's
so many things that just didn't make sense about this team is a big one.
Yeah, I mean it made no sense. But like I'm really not
sure honestly, Um, I don't know why we didn't see the forwards.
I really was curious about that. I know that, Um, you know,
having some sort of bench depth was a reason, you know, for
for like some of the starting decisions throughout the year, and UM, you
know, obviously small lineups didn't look great without Kawai and PG available. Um,
you do need both of those guys, and um, you do need
both those guys healthy. Not coming back from a five game absence and coming
going back down or whatever. Um, not limited in minutes, not not
playing back to back. So um. But yeah, I mean, it's
it's alarming that we barely got to see it this year. I don't I
don't know why we didn't see it as much, And um, I don't
I don't know why we why we would expect to see it next year.
Um than I do. It did feel like at the end of the year
that we just we just saw a team that had too many good players that,
like Shuck said, could have been swapped for like one really good player.
Um. They had three, three or four players I thought could have,
you know, easily helped another team UM in the right role, but
UM on this team just didn't have a role. UM like I might be
great. I think amer Copy could be a legit rotation player on this on
this team, not when you have Moses Brown needed minutes, buddy, I
mean I really think he has. I don't think I can recall the last
time he had a stint that I was like, damn, I mean it
was pretty bad. Um. But even if he's always just solid, he
never got time like all these guys. It was like I remember when Rocco
was having a play in garbage time with like Brandon Boston and Savior Moon and
people are like, Rocos look very good. You're like, yeah, it's
his first time playing in a week and he's playing with league guys. Yeah.
So like I agree that they I think they probably should have swapped at
one point two or three of those guys would one really good one. And
now with the CBA kicking in, But it's a June thirtieth or July first,
your best your best um at your best avenue to improve would probably be
the trade first are of some sort before June thirty, before July first,
UM, because then you're kind of, you know, making moves based off
the new CBA. I believe, I believe if I'm not mistaken. So
UM, it's it's really kind of unclear, because I a team with Kawai
and Pig, you should be able to to win, UM at a high
level. UM. But even when they were healthy, just it just didn't
look like they had what they needed to. UM. I mean, you
look at Denver in Miami that these two teams are some of the greatest chemistry
we've ever seen. UM. These guys they just they legitimately love playing with
each other, win, lose whatever. UM. And and I just I
don't know if and I don't know if I see that with Kwai and Peg.
There's a lot of things like PG saying Russ is the leader that we
needed the point composition one of the most alarming things that I've ever heard,
UM was it more? Was it more or less alarming than when I said
that Russ saved the season? Uh, right before they lost it was it
was very clear that was very clear rust save of the season. UM.
It's just alarming that a team with Kawai and PG and these championship espirations before
the season like needed that needed the guy who was just yeah, the Lakers
were begging to get rid of. Now obviously a lot of that, but
like, I don't know, I just it's just alarming to me that that
that team needed a buyout guy to start, come up, believe you signed,
I can't even talk be signed, played thirty minutes as a starter,
um off the off the bat, and just it's just it's alarming to me.
I I don't know if a team like that hasn't has what it takes
to win, and that's I just don't know. I think that's, like
ben the issue for me, Like we all talked like coming into the season,
like looking at the depth, it seems like this Clippers team would be
poised to have both a great regular season and be able to sort of tread
water at least while Kawai and Paul George are gone. But I think you
run into an issue where it's like too many like good kind of like Swiss
army knife guys, and you don't have that, you don't just have the
screwdriver or whatever. The one thing is that you actually need. Do you
think that that was Like, are you of the opinion that that was sort
of exacerbated by maybe some difference of opinion between how the team was constructed and
the lineups that the coaching staff ultimately went with. I mean, I think
I think the team kind of accepted who they were going to be once they
decided not to resign Isaiah and give the percentage or whatever all the mL tmil
to John Wall you basically said, we're going to accept not having a backup
center. Zoo is going to be worked to death, and um, you
know, if we need Moses to save us, uh, he'll do that
just like he did. That wasand of years ago. But you know,
I didn't really happen this year. Oh my god, that is wait wait
wait, that is the first biblical reference in one hundred and fifty episodes on
this podcast. Really yeah, and we have we have we said damn a
couple of times. Okay, that's not you know, um, but I
different of opinion. I wouldn't say that because I think to start to you,
I think there was there was an understanding of Okay, we're gonna have
to play smaller Um, she was gonna have to take a big a bit
of a bigger role. We're gonna try playing um the winkstartlined more. But
I think like all of that kind of went to ship when Kawhi didn't come
in ready to you know, handle the regular season workload. UM. You
know, Nie swelling two games into the season is not great. Um.
And he had to miss a month because of that. No, I don't
know if it's because he didn't play five on five in the off season really
conditioned it for that. UM. I don't enough he suffered to step back.
I don't know. Um, but like that to me set the tone
for the rest of the season where it's like, Okay, we're just we'll
get there. We'll get there, we'll get there. Eventually, we'll get
there. Kawhi comes back, PG goes there, we'll get there, we'll
get there. We just never got there, just never ever got there.
So like, um, and I think at one point, with all the
injury, I think tie, I don't know, there was a clear different
opinion on on the rust thing. Yeah publicly which is Clippers team. Yeah
yeah, that was yeah, UM, but it really looked like they needed
then. I think time maybe since that more from a leadership perspective, because
like Kawen, PEG don't like handling the ball as much. I don't feel
like UM handling the ball not just you know, getting to work, but
handling the ball being being primary playmakers. Um, and Pg's not good at
it. He turns the ball over a lot. Chuck, Chuck. Chuck
made a great first blood joke the other day. Then, Oh my god,
I actually was hollering when I read that. I was like, that
is fantastic. I gotta figure out when to use it. It's a very
niche joke. It's amazing. I think that was a big difference of opinion.
But I think Tay kind of sense that, you know, did they
need a vocal leader, a guy who can lead multiple ways the way Rusted?
So, um yeah, I think is that Rust saving is going to
be huh now tell Mara, But that comment about Rust saving the season?
Is that an indictment on the Stars at all? Is that an indictment on
the construction of the team, Like they were still under five hundred with Russ
and he saved the season? Like is that I think so? I think
it's an indictment belief. I think it's indictment on the belief that the team
had in itself that like before Russ, did they not believe I think they
could just do it. No, I think they were just fatigued of seeing
the same thing over and over again, Like this is the year that was
supposed to be different, This is the year Kawhip supposed to be back.
We're supposed to make some noise. You know, you expect the injuries here
and there, But when you're two games into the year, you best player
goes down again with the same thing. He comes back, goes down in
ankle sprain again, and then PG goes down with I think it was hamstrp
quad something like that. If I'm not mistaken, Like at that point,
you're just like, okay, we're in January. We're dealing with the same
shit over again. Like you you at that point, it's hard to see
the light at the end of the tunnel. And so I can understand why
guys are, like, you know, tired of it. I understand it.
And that's where I think maybe respecting the regular season was um you know,
needs to be taken into account where you have to play every game regardless
of who's playing who's available, And Yeah, it didn'tdepten on the entire team.
I would say front office, um, coaching staff, players, The
fact that Russ need to save the season like that definitely was an indictment on
on on everyone. I would say, you just don't see how it can't
be. I just don't see how it can't be, assuming like put aside
the RUSS like contract reality stuff. Do you think that it's fixable if this
team runs it back? Or is there a change or a move that you
see out there that could or needs to be made in order to make this
team? You know that team? I mean, this team rarely makes the
move everyone thinks they're gonna make that for Marcus Morris, everyone knew that ship
was coming. That was a bidding more between the two LA teams. Um,
it's hard to kind of pinpoint what what they could need there. Um,
you mentioned bringing in a star this summer. Who would you think is
the most realistic option for season if they bring in a third guy, I
mean, you have to find a way to get Damian Lillard and Will Yeah,
I just don't think he's ever gonna leave. I really don't know,
but I think I think if if you're here and the Blazers have a chance
to get Scoot Henderson, um, you know, possibly a you know,
point guard for the next one eight to ten, twelve years. Possible,
that could be a franchise guy if you decide that, Okay, where you
know, we haven't gotten done Dame, let's just do what I buy him,
trade and where he wants to go, get assets back, build around
Scoot go from there, which would make sense with Simon's people talk about this
trade where it's like Simon's in the three pick and they're looking for an elite
small forward. Why wouldn't you just trade Dame, keep your pick and pick
a good point guard, because because you can never You're never gonna get a
player of Damien's caliber, all right, but rare. It's rare to ever
get a guy like they haven't done shit with its diminishing return way though.
Yeah, it doesn't mean just trade him away. Had a conference they made
a conference final. Come on, unless he's straight up just says all right,
I'm out trade me, they're not gonna do it. Yeah that's true.
Yeah, So like I think you know, you can try to if
you're then you probably go after like a Jalen Brown or Um, I don't
think the Paul George you'll really makes sense for them because he's you might have
some of the lowest value we've seen in recent years. Or it just can't
stay healthy right now. Podcast number sure, I mean number one podcast in
Portland. Sure maybe, um, definitely not knowing Portland, Bro definitely not
Portland. I'm sure there's I'm sure there's the podcast host that never mind.
I was anyway a lot more micro Bruce. Yeah, yeah, Um,
I think I have to be a star otherwise, Um, you trade one
of the two one of the two guys, and and and maybe build around
that. You kind of retool around that. I would say, um,
not really really build retool. But Dame is a guy. Um, if
you can get your hands on a Jaalen Brown, who's you know? I
mean, I don't see an avenue to keep your two guys in trade for
Jaylen Brown. So that's gonna be tough. But um no, it's really
tough because again I don't know the exact CBA rules when they kick and I
believe it's July first, but um, you know, did the Clippers old
By the end of the year, they looked old and Day unathletic. Even
with their two guys healthy, they still look like they were going to beat
the Suns though of healthy, right, we all agree on that. Yeah,
Denver, that probably would have swept them. Okay, so they played
the best team in the West and lose to them in four or five.
It's like supposed to be the best team in the West, is what the
issue is. We're not lay all those games that they swept by the Nuggets.
That is pretty bad. I don't think they would I think it would
be competitive had they faced off and both teams were fully healthy. I know
everybody. I think it's easy to say, now, oh, there's no
way they beat Denver because we've seen what Denver has done this playoff run.
But if they get to own them for a while, I don't put an
I don't put a ton into the regular season or what happened in the bubble.
I gotta be honest that Montrez Harold guardy Nikki is not happening now.
Anthony Davis Gardo, you can't do shit. Who was gonna guard in the
years? Yokis was pretty offensively funny. Yeah, you ever heard of a
seven footer named Moses Brown. Um, okay, so we're talking player acquisition
and things like that. The free agency class also not very good. We
can all kind of Jeremy Grant, Damien him, go get him, but
a lot of Clippers. The hype for Bob Myers is something that's kind of
making my head hurt. So antomarees. Apparently he officially parted ways with the
Warriors this week. I just want to read a couple of quotes for the
people who like, really want us to hire Bob Meyers. Um. Bob
Meyers said the answer to the question why he is leaving the Warriors is because
he doesn't feel like he can give the full effort and engagement needed for the
job. And the other quote he said was four years ago, I thought
can I keep doing this? And how can I keep doing this? Does
this sound like someone who wants to work for another NBA team next year?
Not in that capacity? No, No, Bob, Bob needs a year
off, year off, right, like make a leap year, go to
Europe. Bob. Yeah, I mean, but barring a situation where he
does what Daryl Morey does, where he's like, I need to spend time
with my family, leave the Rockets and then joins the six years like a
couple of weeks later. I don't Yeah, I don't see that because they
actually have been through a ton of stuff and I'm sure a lot of it
hasn't even come out. UM. Well, because the departure was weird,
because like Joe Lacobe had that weird quote where he like didn't know that Bob
Meyers was leaving until like a couple of days ago, and it's like,
well, that doesn't seem like it makes anything. There was a ton though.
I think he called him like his fifth son or something. There was
the whole there was the whole draft thing where you were like, who's handling
the draft? And he's like, um, it's I think I think having
seen the success they had, and it just seems like he actually just needs
a year off, like he just needs to get away from the game and
UM find that desire to to do what he does. And I'm sure the
um but the desire for him, the market for him will be even better
after that. UM next year, UM, when a few teams probably disappointment,
they're in need of a president or general manager. So UM show.
But I don't like I don't like it one bit. Oh no, No,
I really wasn't. I wasn't. I'm saying it feels like it to
me that field I saw that image in a couple years. Yeah, I
just I just don't see him taking a job right now. I think it
makes sense for him to just walk away for a bit and you know,
see Europe. Go'll see France, so'll see You'll see England. I don't
know, I'll see a soccer game in England. England. I'm also all
the opinion Tilmaron. I'm curious your thoughts about this, Like a I think
there's an issue of Okay, so like do you fire Lawrence Frank then,
because like track record wise, like what has he done to the point where
it's like, oh, this guy needs to be out of here. So
I think like, on one hand, you if you bring him in and
you keep Lawrence Frank, there's like a too many cooks in the kitchen thing.
And then on the other side, I'm like, if we're not willing
to move either one of the big two, what do you need this GM
in here for? Like with all these with all these connections and everything on
drafted well, like like truly, what what are you expecting? I mean,
I don't. I don't think you need to get rid of Lawrence Frank.
Like I think again, there's so much there was so much they can
there only so much the front office can do. Uh like grand I think
the biggest mistake they probably had was just going after John Wall instead of resigning
as the art and signed. And that also could have been player pushed.
So I think the players probably holding the coaching staff who over one and there
I think it was get some of the preseason stuff. But yeah, I
think I think that they need to hold take some accountability for that. And
you know it didn't didn't work. But um, I don't think Lawrence Frank
like why would he why would he lose his job? First of all,
Like, I don't see why, um on paper the team one and a
half years, they've constructed the team that you know lost Chris Paul and Blake
Griffin and and flipped it to Kawahi PG with with with a good enough culture.
I would say, m a championship head coach, two championship coaches and
Doc and um, let's probably a joke happened Doc and Tyler and so like
I think he's he's done a good job they've they've done everything they probably can.
Health has just gotten on the way. Like I really think they probably
won that twenty twenty one title if Kawhi stays healthy. I don't think any
team really impressed me outside of like the Bucks in the finals a few games,
but like no one really was was it was impressive like that. I
think it was kind of open um this year. I don't know, stay
healthy, You don't know, You never know, but um, I think
Lawrence may kind of done all they can. And UM, if you do
bring in another GM, a Bob Myers or something, um, you're bringing
that person in either eight or a place Frank, I would guess, or
or be with the understanding that there's a plan that you guys kind of want
to work together on. And um, obviously you're not gonna, you know,
get a yes man and agreed to everything you want to do, and
there's going to be in decision and disagreements, which makes sense. Like I
would be a yes man if they want to hire me to be a yes
man GM. Whatever they say, goes, let's do it sounds great,
great idea, Lawrence love Steve, this is awesome. Uh see, I
don't see why I Lawrence has done a great job constructing this team. I
don't think one disappointing year where health played a significant role in the end of
the year really should play a part in that. Um. Yeah, that
that that's what I think, completely agree. And you touched upon something there
and talking about the culture and them going small with guards this season and the
lack of responsibility and maybe guys willing to bring in John wall I heard a
theory out there that it's not so much about coach lou it's what PG and
Kawhi want, the guys in the lab, the jam, the pod.
We're talking about this the other day, that they're the ones at the forefront
of trying to get a guard to just have less responsibility on their shoulders with
handling the basketball. Do you think some of it is about that? I
mean, let's be real, there's there's been a lot of things in the
last year and a half that is just like, Okay, maybe these guys
aren't who we thought they were on that level, Like Paul, you know,
you know, Paul saying he's he's he's the one, I'm the two.
Uh and Ty having to go away wait no, no, no,
I need you to be that guy. Still, Um, you know,
them trying to, you know, get PG to handle the ball more and
and the inconsistencies with ball handling and turnovers got to a point where they just
constantly needed to find a point guard. Um. I think there's just so
many things where I think Ty probably wants them to have that responsibility. But
I'm they're they're not They're not saying I can't do it, but they're kind
of showing you that they would rather I can't do it. In my opinion,
PG kind of said it. Yeah, He's like I was interested,
but then I was getting picked up by Drew Holiday full court and I was
like, Nah, this isn't for me, basically, and then letting Drew
Holiday switch back onto him anyway, That one possession is burned into my brain
for how Paul George of the point guard works out. But continuo, it's
very clear that they that they I don't want to say they can't handle it,
but they don't want to. It's not their skill set. And yeah,
and I think that, and I think that if we're being honest,
your um, highest paid players, your seventh highest speed players in the league
can't be doing that. They can't be doing that. Um yeah, straight
up, they can't be doing that. And I don't think that's why I
don't think you can win right now with these with this type of mentality.
Um, with this don't draw the first play for me kind of thing.
And I know it's just, you know, work your way into a game,
but like, I don't know, it's just I think you need you
need a bit more of a killer mentality, a bit more of a serious
mentality when when the winner puestion this and um, these are the seventh and
eighth highest peed players in the league, they don't want to handle the basketball.
Sixty six percent of your payroll is happy to not be the guy.
You know, Like that's a major issue like that. I just don't know
how you get around that. And what's tough is like, in my head,
you can have Kawhi be Kauhi, which is a top three player when
he's healthy and he's a leader by example. Ideally the number two, even
if they are the number one, is at least you know, in that
same Pat Beab Jimmy Butler mindset where it's like we gotta get this ship every
single game. It doesn't matter. Chris Middleton. I'll take of Chris Middleton
mindset, right, But the thing show you that sometimes Paul will show you
what do you want that for him? He's he has games where you're like,
dude, just do this every game, Like, just do this every
game? Like how many times have you had to say, Paul, just
take ten threes a game, please, Like you're such a great shooter,
just take ten threes a game. Their best playoff run getting to the Western
Conference finals. The ball was in pg's hands a ton obviously those last what
eight games without he was running the show and he was comfortable doing it.
I wonder if some of it is just to get through the regular season.
We like to have it more of a playmaker out there, we'll handle more
responsibility in the playoffs and more of the workload then, But then how are
you taking the regular season seriously as prep for the playoffs? If that's the
case, well, so with thy Lou, it's hard because Tylu, as
every Calves fan will tell you, the regular season for Tylu, if you're
a fan, is kind of a nightmare sometimes because you're trying these things.
So I'm not I'm not disagreeing with you, but I'm saying it's kind of
a perfect storm, right of tinkering Tie that twenty sixteen Calves team was great.
They were great. They were great all the way through. I just
think Tinkering he have Lebron James, just you have Lebron James, Like Tie
was great. I really was great. He made everything he needed to do.
He had a healthy star who was available and knew what he needed to
do. So like that helps that he can argue you didn't need to go
get a point guard out there because you had one, um one who wasn't
shying away from ballhand the responsibilities when you have that, you have to figure
out ways to keep keep things moving, keep things going, and um has
you know to look look good at times, hasn't other times, but um
like that Cavs team look. I think Ty was able to do whatever he
wanted to because he knew he had Lebron and they looked like champions. Yeah,
at some point in the regular season, you can do whatever. You
can pull guys out, you can play small, you can play a big,
You do whatever you want because you have a Lebron James and your team
who can do anything he wants to in the court. Isn't shying away from
anything. So all right, real quick, before we take another break and
talk some draft stuff, Tolmer, what would you say is the number one
thing the Clippers need to fix? What's their number one priority this offt season?
Fix the Wi Fi at the arena? Thank you? Finally someone says
it, Bro, I put my phone on a hot spot. I got
that team mobile five G I can hook you up. It's bad. It's
bad. It's bad. And I use the guest one because it's so bad.
I literally use the guest one in the media. What do they need
to is the four position? Maybe it's either to meets either get a bit
more athletic. Um, especially at that four position. I would say,
yeah, um and define roles. Just just define everyone's roles. Karen's man
should not be playing the six, even if even if he doesn't start Terrence,
just give that guy consistent minutes at that position as as that player.
Um, I think Terns should start, like I'm trying to like, no,
Terns should have been the starter for for the for the whatever it was.
But then Westburg doesn't save the season. So I was like, uh
content, why yeah, yeah, so um, like Westbrook was good.
I think he may have even been better on eventu role. Um, you
know, stagger with some stars, but like Terrens should have started. I
think, I think you're I don't I don't remember who made this comp but
like it might have been Jamal on Twitter. But um, there's there's just
a great misuse of Terrence in my opinion. Um, well, you look,
he's not using them the way he's supposed to. And when you look
when you look at on one team alone, Gabe Vincent, max Ter's,
uh Duncan Robinson and who's the last guy had Caleb Brtin, Like these are
guys who again maybe they got a little hot, but they know their roles
and they're playing well in those roles and not playing above those roles. Um,
I think that's that's important. Um so I think just define roles and
get more athletic, more athletic at the four. I would say it's probably
what they would need to do in my opinion. But um, also find
a way to the healthy. But I don't think you can control that.
That's just well, come on, Tomara, if we knew how to find
a way to stay healthy, I think we'd be talking. We'd be a
much more fun podcast. We'll be talking about the Clippers in the finals,
and it'd be a great time. You need to buy hyperbolic time chambers for
everyone and just throw them in there. They don't get to go home,
they just go sleep in there. That's out of the next game. Adam,
can you source us some hyperbaric chambers? Adam is a He was doing
a much of cryo earlier in the season. I sent myself back in time,
so I didn't watch all of this season. Actually, I was still
in twenty twenty one watching the Clippers went on Earth too? Yeah, bro,
Clippers on Earth too unstoppable? All right, Coming up, we're being
closed out of the show with some draft talk, a couple of shout outs
for some former Clippers who, hey, you know, happy for them.
But first, as we mentioned, Tomara was complaining about it earlier. We
have some ads coming up the Little too Loud. If they've been too loud
for you, go ahead and turn it down. We're talking draft and other
random stuff coming up in three two one. Welcome back in Clips and Zip
episode one fifth. We've made it to this point. We got Will Updyke.
I'm at a mazin chef Mockler's here and tomare Azarely from clutch Points follow
him there. He's got thirty k followers already, and clutch Points has the
most unhinged graphics you will ever see this story. You're perfect, I mean
creative, I mean crazy wild, and they work. I love it.
I will say Clutch Points Brazil on a whole different level than than any other
other clutch Points. Really well, that's the one that was the Clutch Points
Brazil did the h Was it Kawhi holding someone's head like Kathy Griffin. No,
they took like a Kawhi fishing pick and like someone was on like a
player was on the line of it, and everyone was like, oh yeah,
it was a little crazy. Chuck. You pulled up this draft store.
You want to lay it out here for somewhere. Yeah. So the
draft is coming. The Clippers have the thirtieth pick and the forty eighth pick.
It doesn't I don't want to say it doesn't really matter for next year's
success, but does it? Lawrence Frank, you can find another tierce man
and not play him if it will be great. Hey, maybe we can
find other feet and play him a bunch. So Lawrence Frank was at the
Clutch Pro Day, which some people will be upset about, but he was
watching a Duke freshman named Derek Lively. He's seven foot one, he's got
a seven foot four wingspan. He did make fourteen straight corner threes in front
of NBA teams, but this was literally never on display when he played for
Duke in game. He's obviously a center, he's springy, he's a good
defender. My thing with this is every single player the Clippers have been scouting
is someone who, every time I look at their draft profile, is slated
to be drafted doing much higher, much higher than the thirtieth or forty eighth
spot. So I guess my question is would we actually move up on the
draft to take a center when we have Mousa and does do these workouts make
us think that a trade up is happening maybe or just in the idea because
they're they're looking at people like we did an episode last week and they were
looking They had a pre draft workout with like the best shooter in this draft,
who's like a maybe like a lower lottery pick. So to Mary,
do you think they make a move in this draft? We know they buy
pick some things like that. But how do you think they're approaching me?
I mean it is the thirtieth pick of them. I'm mistaken, right,
thirty and forty eight, So I mean the thirty means you need a guaranteed
rosters. That's a guaranteed contract as a first rounder. So I would imagine
you have you would trade that. Um, I mean you can keep it.
I just I don't see the point. Like Brandon's boss is not gonna
play, um, Xavian Moon is not gonna play. I don't think they
drafted him. But Moose is probably not gonna play. Um a mere forgetting
a mere ship play, but he's not gonna play. Yeah, he might
be the four, the athletic four they need, actually, but like until
until you see that, I just it's hard to say they can find another
Terrence Man because I don't know if anyone else getting that kind of role or
that opportunity. Yeah. Rather so, a first round pick is a guaranteed
contract. So unless they're unless they're getting awesome guys contract, I don't even
know what their payroll looks like this year. Do you think Frank is scouting
for somebody else? He's ready to trade that big consultant work. Yeah,
if you're in win now mode, what does the first round pick do for
you? When both Kawhi and PG are over the age of thirty right now
on a team that already has young guys as you mentioned that are playing.
They have thirteen guys signed, including Eric Gordon's don guarantee not fully guaranteed.
Like what, I don't know what you're what you're doing with with with a
draft pick. You don't need that draft pick. So do you think maybe
move down or actually in some way just move out actually picking the skip card?
Yeah number what we was picking twenty nine hit hit the skip and have
we choose not to pick? Yeah? Yeah, um yeah, I just
I don't know what what what what a pick does for you? If you
keep that pick, it's a guaranteed contract, Like I don't I don't know
what that player does for you unless, yeah, I don't know what that
does for you. You gotta sign you know, Mason Plumley hopefully Russell Westbrook
would be fifteen players, I believe. Um, So, like, what's
the point in kind of signing you're not racing and trading someone? Yeah,
I mean you Roco Morris and thirty for Jeremy Grant sign and trade. Who
does that? I would do that? So I think too is like I
mean you I think, yeah, the Ontario Clippers posted highlights I think yesterday.
I'm just like how there were some crazy buzzer beaters and like Moosa was
having these double doubles and Brandon Boston's junior was obviously there was that stretch early
in the warlder Clippers G League team was just like destroying the other G League
teams. But that doesn't matter like for the for the l A Clippers,
that does not mean anything because those guys, you know, Bones is a
better version of Brandon Boston junior, and I think is kind of Brandon Boston
junior ceiling. Um, So like, yeah, do we just hoard second
round picks to try and like trade or something like I actually hadn't thought about
that perspective. Tomare of like why even draft someone who's gonna be a guaranteed
pig if they're not gonna come in and make an actual impact next year?
Yeah, I mean they're they're less you, um draft I mean the who
they think they took a mussa last year? Um, they took Quentin rhymes
that traded Um. Yeah, I just I mean a lot of the picks
have been trader Like I just I just don't see the point. Um really,
I really don't, um, especially not a first round pick. But
it's a guaranteed contract. Yeah, unless you're climbing into an area where you
really really like a guy and and he's someone that you believe can be part
of the rotation. Um. And even then, Um, I believe they
did they trade for Brandon. I think they traded in for cash. I
believe, yeah. And then I believe yeah. So like you, I
just don't see that that pick helping the help with the Clippers. And if
it's a guaranteed contract, it's just taking up a spot. So to Mayer,
who do you think of Batum, Morris, Rocco? How many of
those guys are going to be there when the season starts, when we talk
about a lot of jam at the four, how many of those guys are
gonna be there? Um? One of them, two of them, all
three of them. I will say one. I will say, um,
I think it makes sense to keep two. But I don't know how happy
Robert is after the role he had this year. Oh if I was Robert
Covington and Terence Man. I'd be like, yeah, yeah, I'm asking
out. I mean, the thing is, Robert is signed. It's not
like he has he has anywhere to go. Yeah, um no, none
of these guys have have are freedience. But like I really think that,
um, Roco and I think Rocco and Nico will be here. I think,
Marcus, um, you're selling low. You gotta sell low though.
On him, I mean he's in expiring, but other than that, it's
kind of like he's very clearly not you. You trade him. You trade
him to whoever has the twenty ninth, taking another thirtieth thing and be like
here you go, that's not a bad call. Um, all right,
why we we're gonna wind this thing down. There was just some breaking news.
The Pistons just hired Monty Williams for six years, seventy two million dollars
deal six years. Yeah, it's a ship ton of money, yeah,
which I think make him pop is the highest paid at eleven point five a
year? Does that make money the highest pad? I'm not I keep close
right now. I think he's closed, Yes, he's he's yeah, highest
paid damn. Hey yeah, wow wow right. Shout out Detroit. We
gotta give a couple other shout outs Reggie Jackson, Jeff Green, and DeAndre
Jordan. Congrats on making the finals. We hope to be there someday.
I don't know, would you guys everything else to say about this? So,
Mary, did you talk to any of the guys or did you ask
any questions today the press conference for the finals. I didn't catch Reggie.
I didn't catch h DeAndre, and Jeff. I did catch Reggie. We
spoke for a few minutes in the hallway. Um, yeah, he's happy,
man, He's uh, he's like, he's like this weather is a
close. You know, it's a one A one B because right now it's
been really good in Colorado. It's been really nice sunny. Um, it's
a one A one B to LA. But still got love for LA,
still got love for all the fans, and shouted out assistant coach once A
Bow and Norman Powell um for their recent birthdays. Um didn't mentioned to you
a little bit? Um? Yeah, So, I mean he was bringing
a heat on this podcast, saying we're the cooler. Yeah. No,
it was funny because Reggie, actually I think he was getting like annoyed with
one guy's questions. He was like asking about the twenty twelve finals and how
much suff not to play, and Reggie was like, all I members that
we lost. Yeah, and he goes and he asked him kind of fallow
up, and Reggie clearly wasn't into it. So I just went. I
picked in my head it kind kind of most of the guys went and I
went, Hi Redge, and he left. He goes, hey, how
are you. What's up? You're the cooler a familiar face. Yeah,
yeah, so kind of saved him from from a bit of an awkward moment
there, But um no, he was cool. It was always all fun
and games. You know, we'll see each other, uh this entire trip.
I'll be in this entire finals trip, which hopefully goes longer than four
So you talk shit to Mike Malone or anything? Any weird in her action
there? Me personally? Did he did he get snippy with you? You
suck? Had I had to make a business decision. It was either talked
to, you know, talk to Michael Malone, or talked to Reggie Jackson.
I chose Reggie because they both talked at the same time. A little
wall though but I'll get I'll get to hear Michael complain about how they're underdogs
tomorrow. It's not like I missed out anything big. Hey, it works,
you know, and it's not then the game two or Game three whatever
it might be. So yeah, So I my head, my head says
Nuggets in five, my heart says Heat and six in six six, Yeah,
I think I think I'm gonna go. I think I want to go
Miami. Um wow, there's something there's something weird about this Heat team that
just you just can't count out. You just hold sure, I don't I
don't know what. Maybe we're maybe this is one of those shares that you're
overthinking and that it's it's really as simple as they got the MVP. Jomal
Murray's playing like a animal and they're just gonna blow through. They have a
size advantage, they have a an experienced advantage, they have depth, like
they have everything they need health, Yeah, Tyler Hero might not be back
to the game three, maybe game four, so like they have Denver has
everything they need to possibly sweep the series. And I would not be surprised
one bit if they sweep. But something about Miami just just they're peaking at
the right time. They're just like they're doing what you want to do in
the playoffs, They're peaking at the right time. Like like like the amount
of mental and emotional fortitude it takes to bounce back from that Game six loss
when you thought you had a final birth at home on some bullshit buzzer beater
where the only way of the ball could have bounced would have beat you,
and it did. And to come back from that and win Game seven in
Boston, Like, I just that that takes so much that I don't I
don't know how many teams could do that. Um and so like I think
there's some something specially for the Miami team. I really do. Like Denver.
Denver's just blown through the competition because they've been amazing, But something special
about this Miami team to me, I don't know. I'm I'm gonna say,
I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say head in six just to be different
because everyone's picking the nuggas. I'm gonna say he did in six heat and
six from tolmare. Uh. Thank you so much for doing this podcast.
By the way, we know you're in Denver. We know the altitude's got
y'all crazy. Um, is there anything that you would like to promote for
yourself before we send these wonderful people on their way. You Also, we
have to say thank you for your Clippers coverage this year. This is a
very difficult year to cover the Clippers. You were fantastic, very much the
Clippers fans, thank you for what you asked, the tough questions. You
help the you help people, accountable, help organization. I created change.
I created change, Yeah, but what asked the questions? Hey, you
broke the Hardenstein story, right, yeah, the Hartenstein thing, the betumb
starting thing. Yeah, that was a couple of things we need. Now,
please promote yourself for the sixteen people who listen to this podcast. No,
I mean thank you for the kind of words that's that's too much,
but I do appreciate it. This was definitely, um, by far,
the toughest year I've had in my seven years covering this team. Um,
but it's just I think it was it was It was still fun, um,
you know, all the relationships you make and everyone you meet there,
so I actually really enjoyed it, but it was tough. I don't really
have anything to promote than like my you know, I'll probably put some word
out so some some workout from the finals, and um, I'm trying to
get trying to get someone, um an interviews with a clipper. Um hopefully
soon that I can push out if they answered the damn phone. Um,
I'm trying to get on podcast. Let's go. So I'm using this as
no, Um, we're the steppings down and then this podcast people will take
it. Please tell people that that's how it works. All these guys do
is talks about podcast. P This is not gonna work podcast, but go
on. UM No, I don't really have anything to promote. Just I
mean check out. I'll probably get some get some content out on some written
content out over the next couple of weeks, the next couple of days from
the finals, get some cool video stuff from the finals. Just follow along,
support there and U yeah, I just I appreciate everyone for all the
sports last couple years has been. It's been fun kind of hoping to to,
you know, break through eventually. Um, I was I still gonna
justin the other day and I was like, dude, I'm never going to
cover up finals team. Next year, in sixty five days, you'll be
there. I mean, look, a couple of glasses of wine in I
was I wasn't of the best minds, but hopefully, hopefully what kind of
wine? What's your wine go to? I go with the the justin justin.
I don't know about any wine. I think it's like it's just in,
Um, it's a cab. There is something called earthquake that I get
from bev moo. We'll just do a free, free, free promotion over
here. Yeah, and the last one is is it Josh Reserve that I
like to drink? So cool? I'm getting into the wine game. My
brother works at bev moo. He got me into the wine game. And
then I have to say, I'm in it's expensive, but I'm in red
wine Ray. When Will drinks too much red wine, he becomes someone known
as red wine Will. So y'all, y'all could have a pretty entertaining sports
debate show. Yeah, we will get into a point where I was watching
these conference finals sipping on sipping on the glass, and I was like,
Yo, this is this is this is cool. I like how the feels.
There. We go, well, thank you for being on the show.
Adam Will anything to tell these wonderful Clippers fans while we send them on
their way on this chilly Wednesday evening. Just thanks for listening. You can
check out this pod anywhere you listen to podcasting. View us over on iTunes
or Spotify. Check us out on YouTube. That's at Clippers Podcast. You
can see Tomare's very revealing outfit on the show. It's very scandalous and you
chop it up with us anytime on Twitter. That's at Clippers Pod. And
he's at toemrazarli A Z A R L Y on Twitter for all that good
finals coverage. There we go, we need it. We'll be back with
you next week. Kelly Washington's going to join us digital news producer over at
Good Day LA and a fantastic Clippers fan. Thanks for rocking with us,
and as always, let's go Clippers