Hey to everyone hanging out on the live over on YouTube. Welcome to Clips
and Dim. We were just talking about a show about high school on a
house boat, which we might get to later, but we're doing a live
hang on the weekend. We're gonna talk to Clippers elderly looking back to back.
Adam Oslin is here with a new name tag. Will Uptike is here,
Fellas. We're going to talk the Kings game two, Adam. Adam's
going self promotional to open the podcast. Proof you guys need me. I'm
Matt follow out of may on X. Yeah, I mean we Adam and
Will you guys talked about the game last night on AM five seventy. I
put this in the notes, but it was kind of an old looking loss
versus the Thunder, and kind of an old looking win versus the Grizzlies.
Haggle, no haggle that Will, Oh, you're muted. I think I
think that's I think that's actually very apt. I love that because it was
it was like an older team being able to push through and win a close
game against a less experienced and very shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies. Yeah, Adam,
how are the callers? What was the vibe and we'll get to the live
comments too. So yeah, if you want to put a comment in there,
if you put a hot take, we'll put it on Adam. How
are the callers vibes after that win against the Grizzlies, Well, it's about
the X vibes. I'd follow out of May No, the callers. The
callers were satisfied to an extent, but they want more. Granted, I
couldn't take calls because become a phone issue after the Oka c game. But
after the Memphis game, I asked, will this first off is a win?
A win I don't subscribe to that. I never have. The regular
season is about building good habits. When you're a contender, you're trying to
build championship habits, stuff you can rely on and fall back on in the
playoffs. Tell me the good habits that carry over after last night's game outside
of just getting the victory. That's not a habit that I mean, I
guess it can be. Winning can be a habit, but it's how you
get to that w that's more meaningful. And there were more bad habits than
anything. The two takeaways you can say from last night are Okay, they
found a way to win a ball game they had no business winning. Memphis
was miserable from the outside. The law of averages hit them hard after shooting
forty six percent from three the last two games that were wins for them,
and it fell off a clip against the Clippers, and they really got lucky
because Memphis missed a lot of open shots. You can say, we still
have that belief late in the ballgame. You can rely on that, maybe
that you can turn things around. Because they did and came through with clutch
plays and James Harden going zero for seven and then knocking down that three pointer.
You could say, Terrence Man having that game, having a game that
good. Here we go. We're getting in the chat now too, being
aggressive like that? Who said it? Adam Who? Who said the comment,
this is for shizzle but dizzle? Yeah, uh no, not that.
Yeah, Team Man's hustle was great. Lot of Murray pointed out all
of Terrence's offensive rebounds happened in the I think the fourth or the second half,
like his ramp up after the two early fouls. I hope he can
keep being aggressive because that was, I mean, his best game in a
while, best game of the season for sure. Easy. Yeah, yeah,
and and and it's you know, we talk about this all the time,
but it's like it's so great that we still do have not a lot,
but some youthful talent that can come through in situations like that, especially
because I don't know, I just like with some of the issues that we
have at Wing Depth right now, we're really asking a lot from Kawhi on
a night to night basis in a way that I worry about the sustainability.
So you need games like this and hopefully that is a voter confidence both for
Terrence, but a voter confidence like for across the team, Like I know
the starters know who he is and what he can do, but I think
you just when you're in the trenches like that, I think you know you
can rely on a guy a little bit more. And I think that's one
of those things that that is a really positive takeaway. So thank you for
that, Shizzle Dizzel. I think that that is I think that that's like
one of the silverest linings of this game. That was it was gross.
Charles and I were talking about how gross the game was the entire time.
It was disgusting. I guess you gotta get that right, fishiszl Bud Dizzel.
You don't want to get that one wrong, because I just realized what
Snoop could be saying, Yeah, okay, so Terrence man playing that well
and winning them that game because they have no shot without him putting forth that
performance. Because Paul George and James Harden were awful for the second straight game,
second straight night, Hey what William blast? Hello, sir. They
pulled through late with big buckets, big three pointers from both of them.
But if you don't have two of the big three going and cooking, you
are going to struggle, even against a team like the Memphis Grizzlies sometimes when
you have twenty one turnovers like the Clippers did, which kept them in it.
The Clippers were I don't want to say they were decent defensively because Memphis
missed a lot of shots from the outside, but they shot like forty two
percent from the field. The reason they were in the game is because they
had so many extra possessions, especially also getting offensive rebounds in the first half,
where I think it was twelve to two or ten to two at the
break. The Clippers would flip that around. They eventually tied things up at
fourteen offensive rebounds a piece. But yeah, that's terror Man with five of
them right and most of them coming in the fourth quarter. Terrence Man,
that could be a revelation or a turning point type of game for him.
We've been waiting for him to make that next leap. I'm hoping last night
was the start of something because coach lou has kept his faith in him,
has kept him in the starting lineup, even though he has had good reason
to pull him and maybe start a mere copy or Norman Powell, and he
hasn't. He has rewarded Terrence Man by giving him this long leash. He
has to take advantage of that. Not turned down shots and going four to
eight from the outside last night. That's a special game from him. Just
take that many threequarters. We were talking about Paul George and I Paul George
is I don't think he's one hundred percent. If you look at his last
ten games, He's scored twenty points in two of his last ten games,
which is not He has not looked the same since the groin injury. Yeah,
and I'm hoping it's just a thing where you can take a little bit,
you can take it a little bit easier in game. Still build up
some of that continuity with your teammates and and then hopefully get to one hundred
percent at some point during you know, in the playoffs. Like process wise,
Yeah, the process is getting iron ou which is good. But yeah,
but yeah, Adam, it's not you know, James Hard and him
were bad last night, but the Clippers need two of the three guys to
be at a one hundred scoring capacity in the playoffs. We have some time
to get there, but it'll be nice to see PG figure it out,
especially as we get closer towards what some are saying a difficult month of the
schedule. I'm going to say this again. I said it a couple of
weeks ago. I think you maybe sit Paul Georgia game and give him more
rest and let him reset. And I know they're playing the Sacramento Kings and
might not have Norman pal so this is very much a hot take. But
two things happen from that. He gets a chance to rest up if it's
an injury thing, or just get his mind back into it. And I
think it's mostly just he's been playing hurt. I was encouraged by the fact
that he tried to dunk on chet Holmgren Thursday now, didn't get it to
go. But I like the fact that he had the confidence in his body
to go for that and to just get downhill with a basket. But he's
not going to be defined by his play in the regular season or playing through
injury right now, and if he's pushing things or pressing, and if the
contract at all is weighing on him, this is not when your legacy is
going to be defined. The games that are going to matter are the ones
in the playoffs, and they need you at one hundred percent to touch the
highest ceiling that this team can, which we believe is winning a championship.
The only way that's gonna happen is if he is fully fresh. He has
his legs, he has his bounce, he's putting a three sixty dunk down
in the half court set like we saw right before he got injured against Okay
see last season. So I think it's imperative for Paul George, like only
he knows his body and the doctors. Maybe it is more mental right now
and he's just in a shooting funk because we've seen that too. If that's
the case, Obviously he's got to shoot himself out of it. If it
is about him physically laboring out there, then I think you take one step
back maybe because they could still win that game against the Sacramento Kings not having
Paul George for a game because he can get four days off then between that
and the Lakers game in the next Yeah, he'd have Saturday, Sunday off,
Monday, Tuesday off, Lakers game on Wednesday. But the other thing
it would do is this is a twofold solution to some of what's going on.
It makes James Harden be more aggressive and get more shots up because Paul
George isn't playing in that game and he hasn't been taking as many shots.
He only took what nine against OKC? He only took what eight last night,
and I can understand why because he wasn't shooting it well. Also,
the confidence from him to take step back three in that moment speaks to the
belief he has in the work he puts in on that shot to make that
in that spot was big. But they need him to be more aggressive.
They need Paul George just to make shots. It's not even so much that
he just isn't taking any right. He's got a makeup. That's the issue.
Yeah, they're not falling. I mean I saw this from our boss,
Lucas Hahn. But last thirteen games, Paul George is averaging just to
tick below eighteen points on forty one percent shooting from the field in twenty twenty
nine percent shooting from the outside. We're talking about a month full of games
of him being in a slump. Now when he was their best player the
first month of the season, and then when the offense was clicking on all
cylinders and they looked completely unbeatable and unstoppable during the peak and the eye of
the storm of this run. Once they got things clicking with James Harden,
he was playing amazingly efficient basketball, some of the most efficient basketball of his
career. So something's going on right now, and it's at some point it
could hurt the team. Now, you can make the argument they don't win
that game also without Paul George because he stepped up in the fourth quarter against
Memphis. Sure, so I understand He's not an easy decision to make.
I just don't want to see a guy who's trying too hard to prove something,
right, now in February early March, as opposed to proving something in
late April. Yeah, I agree one hundred percent. Someone put a comment
in here too. I hope the contract's not weighing on his mind. Both
sides seem confident. That's kind of what we've been told. But and who
knows. That's all speculation. It's just something people are talking about. Someone
mentioned all the minutes. Alan Ross mentioned all the minutes that Harden is playing.
He said Harden is too old to play all these minutes. I don't
know if I agree totally with that first part. They said he's getting worn
down. The Russ factor is becoming harder to ignore. Yeah, here we
go. A lot of people have been in the chat about Russ a little
bit. The rotations got really wonky last night, which was probably my least
favorite. Are we going to talk about PJ at some point? We will
definitely talk about PJ because he did have one offensive rebound. But are we
gonna talk about Will's voice being worn out from that clips and double dip last
night? He's too hyped up? Paul George on The Men Day, Yeah,
yeah, do any damn cigars? But Victory cis the Russ thing.
He was good last night. We needed him in. I think it was
the third. It was a lot better than what happened versus the thunder,
which was the bad Russ part of the roller coaster. But something's gonna have
to happen with the variants we're getting from Russ, because you can't we can't
have him out there with one other non shooter. Last night we saw him
out there with two other non shooters when it was him PJ plus and then
like I think Paul George and Harden, like the rust thing is becoming kind
of an issue. Adam, you wanted to get your Twitter set on fire,
so you posted that the efficiency stats close to the basket and Russ is
the worst of two hundred and fifty players of the two hundred and fifty players,
sorry, not two hundred and fifty players. Of players who have taken
or attempted at least two hundred and fifty shots in the restricted areas so far
this season. Russ has the lowest fuel goal percentage there. And some people
will push back and said, well, he's not that far from Tyrese Maxi,
and it's like great, I'm not concerned with Tyrese Maxi plus he's a
three point shooter. And if you watch games, Russ is missing shots that
aren't even being contested at the rim. Some people are saying, well,
he's not getting a call or a fair whistle in there, and he's among
the trees and he's only six' four and that's why he's missing some of
those. No, he got blocked by the rim twice against the OKC Thunder.
It wasn't Chet Holmgren who blocked him. He's missing gimmes. He was
better yesterday. But the issue, and what it's always been, is when
he's missing those and I got more hate for this too trying to point this
out. It's just math, guys, math up. When he's missing those
shots, he's so hell bent on games of the basket and going one hundred
miles per hour, he's either falling to the floor on the extended baseline out
of bounds, maybe in the first row, and therefore you have a five
on four going the other way. It's just the numbers. A five on
four is happening over and over again. And I don't know if anybody has
the numbers on this, but when Russ misses a layup. I wonder what
the point per possession is for the opposition going the other way, because it
feels like right now it's almost automatic that they're either getting a runout for an
easy layup or dunk or a three quarter. Yeah, I agree, especially
with how old this team is and how they've They've already struggled in transition,
right, Like this has been a constant throughout the T two and three era.
They've never defended that well in transition, Adam, you and I talked
about this a little bit. It hasn't really bit us in the ass that
much in the playoffs, like it hasn't been as big of a factor.
I'm curious though, with some of these Russ minutes, and I don't want
to sound like a hater, but like, why are we chopping up?
Why are we chopping up the starting lineup so much? Like why are we
taking James Harden out only halfway into the first quarter? Like you're telling me
you can't get eight nine minutes out of your starting five guys. I think
that that to open I don't like, I don't like the staccatos of that
point guard change, Like I think, let Harden get eight nine minutes with
the starters to get some run to get like like, let him get more
aggressive, let him get things set. I just I think mentally it has
to do something to you when you're like, Okay, well I'm here.
You know it's minute five. I know I'm just gonna get pulled here on
the next possession. And I'm not saying that he's like dragon ass or anything
like that, but I mean there is something to that. Am I wrong?
I understand what you're saying, Like, obviously their creatures of habit.
You want, especially with just twenty seven games left, to be more to
fur, there to be more certainty in roles, and all of a sudden,
I think it started against Okay, see we saw James Harden taken out
earlier in the first and then brought back in towards the end of the first
quarter. That's something we weren't seeing before. Now yesterday, I do think
is a bit of an outlier. And I don't mind the tinkering because I
think it's smart. With March coming in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies,
you should be able to get away with trying a lot of different lineups looking
for more options because you're gonna have seventeen games in March. You're gonna have
to dig in deep to your bench and still win the ballgame. And that
is a haird whistle. Whistle. That's not a weird whistle, that's a
great that's disgusting. Like honestly, guys, I don't know what those balloons
were, sorry, but it happened against Kawhi Leonard on those two dunks.
Was shocking to me. We're talking about a top seventy five player of all
time and they're just looking the other way, going blind eye when Kawhi is
obviously being hit not just in the face, but Jared Jackson Junior got him
with the body a little bit too. There were multiple fouls on a dangerous
play like that, and Kawhi can't get that call twice in the same ballgame
where he is dunking on guys and obviously in traffic, and you would think,
if anything, they would just err on the side of oh, there
was probably a foul there. They didn't even have to err on the side.
It was blatant. It was obvious to everyone watching it. It almost
makes me, well, I'm not gonna go there, but I that both
the last two games were very poorly officiated. They both, oh yeah,
helped the Clippers this year. This stuff, though, those two Kawhi dunks,
that's different to me. That stuff that is really strange and out there.
To not get a foul on either of those, It's so funny.
Will and I were talking about this that Kawhi dunked three times in that game
specifically, like a gross game against the Grizzlies, and Kawhi just goes up
for like three sick dunks. I think, X mom, I feel like
it's not it's it's not just Kawhi because I like that x mong. Yeah
brought this up because I thought the last two games across the board, we've
been getting like smacked in the restricted area, Like there's been a lot of
contact Thunder game calls. There haven't been calls, and like when we went
when we went on that one for nine stretch, some of that was due
to the Clippers. Some of it I thought. I thought the Thunder were
getting away with uh like sort of a ridiculous amount of contact in the restricted
area. I think it's yeah. Zoo was showing the ref. Zoo was
so fired up. He was like showing the ref the markings on his arm
and Zoo's not usually that guy. What about Terrence Man's second foul after he's
going off in the first quarter yesterday, a completely phantom call. He got
all ball. It wasn't even close. He was adamant about it. And
ex Mango is bringing up the elephant in the room. Do we have a
ref problem since that tylu comment? And I don't want to believe that there's
some retaliation or payback going on because coach Lou went after the refs or anything
like that. I just think there were two of the worst officiated games of
the season happening, and back to back games, and some of those calls
were egregious against the Clippers, not just Kawhi. I just mean those two
Kawhi dumps were so blatantly obvious and as a superstar not getting that call,
it just what's going on? And it was like triple J fouling Kawhi.
It's like, how I mean, the J is known for foiling. That's
why you took so much flak for getting Defensive Player of the Year last year
because he foul so much, so frequently. That's what's and look to anyone
in the comment section and listening to this, please go find one episode this
season where we've talked this long about the officials. We may have made one
offhand comment here and there, we've never talked this long about the officials.
And there's twenty seven games we're not ref we're not ref weenies on the show
like that. You know, I feel like that's never been our thing.
I but I do feel like it has been disproportionately bad the last couple of
games. Yeah, and the refing itself has been kind of rough all year.
There was that game I think against Phoenix where everyone was getting on both
sides, everyone was getting teed up by the refs. You guys remember that
earlier this year. It was super weird. They got the jump ball wrong
with all that stuff. Like, it's been not the best year overall for
REPSG. So what about because I got us off track here, what about
those lineups? And to coach lose credit also, he was not messing around
in the second half against Memphis with lineups. All that stuff pretty much happened
in the first half where you saw Mason Plumbley, PJ. Tucker, and
Russell Westbrook all out there on the floor mace Man. We got it.
We'll talk about Mason at some point. We got a lot to talk about.
No, yeah, no, no, norm though, is I mean,
what do you do with that? So weird? It's weird? I
mean so I tweeted that too. It was like the the butt, like,
hey, if we're down at scoring guard, why not play PJ.
Tucker got some run. He played a scintillating fourteen minutes, three rebounds,
two defensive, one offensive, had forty five seconds of effective play to help
close out the first half. I think I thought was good at the end
of the third quarter. Third quarter, that's what it was. Yeah,
he had the steal. I think at the end of the third offensive rebound
lean to a bucket for Kawhi. Yeah, do we think he's back?
Are like, how did we feel about that? He soaked him up?
I think very effective. But I think in my hope is that they know,
for whatever stretches that they are going to have to utilize PJ. Tucker
as a wing in the playoffs. And you know, we've talked about this
on this show. You can't you can't go from zero to sixty at thirty
eight years old in the playoffs. So they have to figure out a way
to make that work. And in some of these small ball lineups, I
mean at the center position, who would you prefer Russell Westbrook or you know,
or PJ? Like at least he has I mean, he has the
history of demanding a little bit more gravity in the corner, which I do
think a little bit. And you know, it's something to say, well,
you have to actually shoot. You have to didn't dust off those history
books. You have to you have to actually shoot to make that worthwhile.
Chuck and I had when PJ was still in the rotation, we had like
a running tallly of how many quarters had gone without a single field goal attempt
his last five game before his d N P. Street got over yesterday,
it was five games in a row of no field goal attempts. But you're
right, he's gotta he's gotta get ramped up. Here's what I find strange
and a little bit curious. You know, I'm a big proponent for PJ.
Tucker. I think he can help them in the right spots. He
still has utility. I was watching his lateral movement along the perimeter. It
was still solid, guys, it was still good out there. I was
watching it closely, was it like the Kawhi five seconds of d P o
y. It wasn't five seconds of Heaven like Kawhi, which he's having a
great defensive ear and his movement has been great celeveries, I pointed out.
But going after me, You're right, what's what's next? You gonna talk
about? Talk about my nap time? Hey, I mean we can.
They are calling him Pj's Tucker. Some people h but if he doesn't take
corner threes, that's a problem in certain lineups, especially him being out there
with Russ and Mason. Plumble to me was nonsensical and it will once again
make me believe that why can't we see We could see that, but we
can't see Daniel Tice next to a Beata Zubos once. We can't see that
once. You can see that, but we can't see Daniel Tye next to
Viasa. That's so crazy. I mean, yeah, we saw PJ.
Tucker next to a beat that is done. Do you think Tyson is just
fully out of the rotation it's soun no. I think they're trying to make
sure that they get PJ his opportunity, that he gets some minutes in there,
like Will was saying, March is coming and they have to see what
these guys have. And if I Viaz's Zubats can lose his timing over two
weeks as a young player in this league, what's gonna happen to PJ Tucker
if all of a sudden you throw him into a playoff series against Zion or
Nikola Jokics for a couple of minutes and he hadn't played the last three months,
right, he'd get yeah, smacked it is. I think you're right.
They must. They got to be cycling keeping guys fresh. Dwayne Jenkins
Aus, what was your favorite PJ Tucker played last night? Offensive rebound,
getting that lucket for Kawhi Leonard, the forty seconds that he was really good.
They didn't get they didn't get destroyed when he was out there, even
with that lineup with Mason Flumley and Russell Westbrook. Well, you're kind of
tongue in zero stats is incredible. That's at zero status. It's just it's
the offense look. And again I'm shocking up yesterday's rotations. The foul trouble,
no norm, it was wacky. That was like a perfect recipe for
weird rotations. I don't think Tie's seriously gonna play PJ Powell or out PJ
Russen plub night, But yeah, I guess it's time them up to succeed.
If he's going to it's going to be next to Kawhi, Paul George,
James Harden and he's being the small ball five out there right in a
mere coffee. Maybe someone our boss has talked about Otto Porter Junior a lot
as maybe someone the Clippers should sign. I like him. I wouldn't be
mad at that. I would be shocked. I mean if he ends up
on the buyout market. I know that availability has been a huge issue for
him, but yeah, if you could get one healthy playoffs out of him,
I think that could be enough to put this team over the edge.
It's a good little pieced ad right like for the for those minutes, like,
yeah, they may still be monitoring things because remember how upset Clipper Nation
was when they didn't make a move right after Mason Plumbly went down, And
it was because they were waiting for Daniel Tice to be bought out. So
maybe we shouldn't overreact too much that they haven't brought in anyone yet, but
they still have to cut someone, so it's not that easy. Josh Primo
would be cut and guests, I can't say no. All right, we're
gonna keep this thing going. If you're watching, we have to take a
quick break because we are gonna release this as an audio podcast for other people
who like to listen. Thanks everyone watching and hanging out on the live.
We're gonna talk Clippers versus Kings and some more other stuff after this break.
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in three two one. All right, welcome back in if you're watching this
on tube, which you should be. That's right, YouTube dot Com slash
at Clippers Podcast. We never left, so you don't even have to worry
about hurting your ears with the loud ads. Anyways, we talked a little
bit about the back to back Clippers looking a little old coming out of the
All Star break. Let's look ahead to the Kings, Adam, what do
you want to see in this matchup versus the Kings? Right out the gate
for the Clippers PG if he's playing and Jams Harden putting up shots now you
can say in that first quarter against Memphis, they were feeding the hot hand
in Terrence Man, and I like the fact that they first went to a
Viacha Zubats and then Terrence Man to get those two guys going. But eventually
you need your stars to perform, and it shouldn't take till the fourth quarter,
because if it does against the Sacramento Kings, they will lose that game.
It was only going to be able. They were only gonna be able
to scrape by get by the skin of their teeth because it was Memphis yesterday.
That was the only way that was going to happen. A performance like
that, they play that bad against most teams. Against the next two in
Sacramento and against the Lakers, they're gonna lose those games. So I want
to see And I posted this at follow out of May earlier, before there
was math up. There was following up not at all. I like that.
That's good. So since November twenty fourth, we're going back three months
now the Los Angeles Clippers, and this is a little bit shocking. Will
and I talked about it a little bit last night. I went back even
further in the stats. They are seventeenth defensively over a three month stretch.
Damn Is that at all surprising to you, because it should be because on
the season, I think there's like thirteenth or twelveth So what has happened is
basically the same thing as last year. They started off hot defensively, and
then it deteriorated as the season went along, and by the end of the
season they were basically playing like a bottom ten defense. That can't continue to
happen. That's the first thing that needs happened in that game. Defensive mindset.
Be physical out there. It can't just be a beach of zoobots.
Everybody else has to cover for one another. There's been massive slippage on rotation
coming out of the All Star breaks. We're on rotations. What happened in
the second half against Okac? You getting beat on that many backdoor cuts?
It happened to everybody. It was brutal, and I know it's okay,
see, but those plays, some of those were telegraphed and the Clippers did
nothing about it. Yeah. It I like the defensive thing too, because
this King's defense isn't exactly stalwart, but their offense is top ten in scoring
only in an average offensive rating, but they have a point of attack guy
in Darren Fox, So Bonus versus Zoo is gonna be interesting to watch.
I hope Zoo can set that tone earlier. Like you said, with the
physicality, I think Zoo recently, like the first possessional, he had a
block when when someone tried to go in on the rim, and like that
kind of thing is It was great to see because Zoo also looked his Zoo's
passing was really on point against the Grizzlies, and Zoo physically just looked really
good against the Grizzlies despite it being the second oid of a backback. So
I was encouraged by that from that game. But yeah, double double Zoo
would be great again. Even though we fouled out against the Grizzlies, still
had a double double. He's been a bright spot in the last two games.
The minutes restriction is off, I beats the Zoo bots, looks much
healthier, much more engaged. The only part about his game that at Nitpick
is he's getting into it too much with the referees. Yeah, he's getting
under his snow that. Yeah, I don't want to see. It's one
thing for us to talk about it. It's another for the players letting that
affect them on the court. They're gonna have to fight through it because it
may not get much better. Uh true. It's the Clippers. They typically
don't get a lot of great calls. We've seen this for a long time.
Real one funny note, we are recording this on the one year anniversary
of the Clippers losing one hundred and seventy six one hundred and seventy five to
the Kings. Or Yeah, lotmoy pointed that out. That was a horrendous
game. Yeah, speaking of horrendous, I need more from big plumb guys
outside of that fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors. Since he came back
from injury, I don't know if it's still in his head, if he's
just hasn't caught his rhythm. I'm desperately searching for answers because guess what,
Eventually, they're going to need him badly in a seven game series. He's
their only other seven footer. You can't just have him be benched and be
totally out of the rotation during some of these matchups in the playoffs. They're
going to need him. They got two months left almost but Mason Plumble.
He has to figure it out right now. I don't know what's going on.
He looks lost out there. He's not been effective. It's been lost
three lush smoke Mooster. Are we calling him smoke monster until he gets his
stuff together? He wanted the smoke against the Golden State Warriors. I don't
know it. And he played much better when he was upset. Yeah,
the Kings take a bunch of threes. They take the third most threes in
the league. They take the second fewest twos, So we're gonna get a
barrage of threes last or tomorrow night, Will. Who are you hoping to
shine? What these things keep popping up? Who are you hoping to shine
defensively? Other than Zoo and obviously maybe Kawhi because we know he's gonna be
good. I think Terrence is gonna have to be pretty key. He's gonna
be running around a lot. Yeah yeah, And I mean Terrence isn't like,
like always a high light reel sort of defender, but it definitely helps
the defense. I was just looking back over the last ten games, six
of them the opponents have scored more than one hundred and twenty points on the
Clippers, which is one of those things that you know, just despite a
healthy like a really good Grammy trip and some tough opponents in there, I
feel like the last ten games the Clippers have kind of been playing like a
five hundred ball club or slightly better. And obviously the record is far better
than that. But the biggest thing is like is defensively, they just have
to be better. And I think Terrence can help with that to an extent,
But Harden has to be better. He has to, Like I think
he's taken a step backwards from even what we saw at the at the beginning
of the beginning of his time with his Clippers. And yeah, I don't
know, Paul George could be better. I believe about Paul George is scoring
tomorrow. I want Paul George five tomorrow would be fad. But if he
if he can't, you know what I mean, Like, for whatever reason,
it still isn't going I maybe maybe flip the switch defensively, like just
to expend that effort defensively. I would like to see this team I feel
as of laid like on any night the Clippers are giving up one hundred and
twenty points to it and while I think this offense is really good and we
still haven't seen the pinnacle of it, like this just it has to be
better. I just don't think you're a championship team if every if everyone can
put up one twenty on you guys. It's been since the Grammy Trip they
go six and one. They put a huge emphasis on reaching that goal of
going six and one on the Grammy Trip. Since then they played six games,
They're three and three. They are twenty fourth offensively in these last six
games, they're eighteenth defensively. There has been a steep drop off in play,
especially consistently. It's been what Clippers are gonna show up quarter to quarter,
possession to possession. It just looks like they're going through the motions a
little bit right now. I tweeted this out at follow out of May last
night. Uh, they look like a team that needs a second All Star
break. Guess what is not coming? Not very opposite is coming. Mark.
So I actually think, and Adam, you and I talked about this
a little bit yesterday. Do these guys play better when when the games,
when the schedule is more condensed For whatever reason, like I they we just
are going they don't have any time in anytime in the season where they've gotten
more than two days rest. They've looked really rusty the next game. And
I don't have the stats right in front of me, like what their record
is on X amount of days of rest, But I think that this could
be really really good for them. I do in just a stretch where you
have to be locked in, there's no time off. Maybe you know,
if we're lucky, we can rest guys in some fourth quarters and stuff,
but it you know, I do think that it helps establish more of a
rhythm for an older team, which they are. They really are looking a
little long in the two as of late. Yeah, thirty eight year old
PJ. Tuckers got to help us out in the playoffs, like we're an
old team, Like they just straight up are Adam, Are you looking at
day's rest stats? Yeah, I'll find it a little bit here. But
to me, what they need is and they got you are. No,
I just couldn't come up with it in time. And I get this thought
out before I forget. But what they got from Man last night really helps
if that can continue. I'm not saying he gets twenty points. I'm saying
he starts getting fourteen points per over the next month and really trusts his shot
doesn't hesitate, is much more aggressive. That would be big because an older
team like this to get over the finish line in the regular season, they
need a shot in the arm. They need If the pickup's not coming externally,
it has to come internally. They got to improve and somebody's got to
get hot, because all of a sudden, the last couple of games of
Mire Coffee isn't shooting the ball well, he may start to regress. Some
somebody else is gonna have to pick up the slack. If Norman Power is
out, that hurts them. What if he comes back and he's all of
a sudden not shooting fifty percent from three? But the one guy I keep
thinking of that could really help this team. Right now, when you talk
about youth pop athleticism, bones Island, I don't know if it's going to
happen. I don't know if I'm you know, out to lunch and haven't
read the room because obviously he was sent home just like PJ. Tucker during
that game up in Golden State, and he needed to adjust his mindset.
But I think bones Hyland could offer a lot right now. Juice is what
seems to be the word that's in vogue nowadays. Storms out like this sprained
ankle thing. It's like, whatever is going to happen with that Mark Easier.
I'm so curious what's happening with the Bones situation because it's it's it seems
like there's clearly an internal issue. I mean, I know beyond the I
know, beyond him being sent home that first that last game right before the
trade dead line where we saw Brandon Boston in early in a game where we
didn't see Bones. I don't believe until like the final five to seven minutes
I thought that it meant, you know, that maybe he was on the
trade block or something. But there's something going on there internally that I don't
get. But I really do hope they can push through it in March to
give him a look, because otherwise I struggle to see kind of why he's
on the roster. And I know that we all have high expectations or hopes
in the potential of what Bones could be. But yeah, they got to
get that figured out. Part of it, I think is very simple.
He can't play on the court next to Norman Powell. You can't have those
two defenders out there. That is what has kept him out. But if
normOn Powell is out right now, or if you reduce Russell Westbrooks minute somewhat
who hasn't been playing great. Yeah, I know I'm getting flamed for that,
but I think Bones Highland can be Look, guy, we go back
to the preseason, what we saw the first five games of the year.
I know I said it on the come and people got off about that phrasing.
Look people, what it's gotta be a better way say that Field arrested
development, he was turning a corner. He was gonna have a breakout year.
I fully believe that this guy has far too much talent. What we
saw last season when he came over, what he did in the playoffs when
they were down guys, what he did in that Game three. I fully
believe in Bones. Now, if there's an attitude issue that we don't know
about behind the scenes and that's keeping him off the court, I mean,
yeah, that's total I do want to say, and like I don't want
to over make excuses for guys, but like, I think Bones is in
a much better position than PJ. Tucker has been saying all this stuff to
the media, right because Bones coming into this season, thought that he was
the second up point guard on this roster, like he you know, he
saw yeah, and he thought that he was poised for a big role,
And I would be I have extreme doubts that that wasn't the conversation internally,
right, Like, I'm sure that that's what I'm sure that's what he was
told internally, Whereas PJ. Tucker was part of a deal because we had
to take on bad money, like it wasn't there was never any agreement or
handshake deal. So I do think some of that malcontentedness is is kind of
warranted from watching the games. It seems like he's always really engaged and interactive
on the bench. So I don't know, but I will say like if
anyone has a right to feel a little bit scorned, it's Bones Highland,
because I just can't imagine a bigger turnaround from what you thought your season was
going to look like. And we know the heart and thing was looming over
all summer, but still, like, I just I can't imagine you thinking
that you're you're gonna accept up You're ye, could I uh give you those
numbers. Now the Clippers on so many days rest share the screen. Let's
go from the bones to the meat of the issue here, let's five zero
follow you, Adam, there's some interesting data here on zero days on zero
day's rest. Ex ring in the heat saying Will sounds like r f K
JR. You guys are killing me. I'm doing my best. We didn't
even I forgot that you have something about vaccine. Please don't take you off.
I can sure a bench a lot though, which is which is the
mark of a great man? On this podcast, RFK had a weird stand
up comedy like fundraiser in downtown l A the other week with like the worst
stand up comedians possible at it, which I think is so funny. Just
picturing r f K JUNR getting to downtown LA at night is a very funny
picture in my head. I don't think he had a good time anyway,
Sorry, Adam. Of the stats zero day's rest, the Clippers are impressively
six and three. Okay, on one day rest, they are twenty and
thirteen. That's about a six hundred win percentage okay on two days rest.
And this may fly in the face of what Will said they're eight and oh
damn on two days rest? What about more than two days rest, three
days rest one and oh four days rest, one and one five days rest
one in oh six plus days rest the All Star break zho and one.
Well, there you go. That's that's the small standpoint. There's a pretty
clear correlation. I think we have a pretty straight line from these two things.
Yeah, tomorrow, what's your guys' concern level about tomorrow night? Which
I think all three of us should be in the building, right, Are
we all going to be there? Let's take that picture that from Mark Waverer
from Fear. Yeah, I think we all three be there. So if
you're watching or listening to this and you're at the game, uh, say,
what's up? Well, how are your how what's your level of concern
about these Kings, about this Kings game? Yeah, I feel like fairly
low. I think it'll be nice to have the team back at home.
It's it's kind of tough that after the Grammy trip they had to go back
out on the road like right away. So I'm hoping that that I'm hoping
that that helps just get things a little bit more congealed together. Like I
said, Man, it just hasn't looked that good as of late. And
I know some of that is due to some some tough competition, but it's
I need to see something here, man, I need to see something before
we get into March to feel good. So my level of concern for this
game, I'm going to say is fairly low, but depending on how they
look it, it's going to have fairly drastic implications on my concern level going
forward. I Uh, Jeremy Mormon is in the comments chilling easy w Yeah,
if we look bad, if we look bad against the Kings, like
I think, it's time to start being concerned. If they look bad against
the Kings, the Sacramento will only be four games back of the Clippers if
they lose that game. Right, So, if you think you're out of
the woods it and the standings, you're not. It's not just about staying
in front of the Denver Nuggets. There are teams that are still trying to
figure out a way to break into the top four. Uh. I do
remember a time right after the Grammy road trip where everybody was on cloud nine
and this is it, this is the team. In the lounge, I
had sunglasses on, I was drinking a drink with a large some kind,
you know, like it was that was the greatest day of my life.
I was trying to temper expectations. I was saying, look, it's still
February. I did not think they'd be three and three in their next six
games, and more importantly, playing this poorly though, twenty fourth in offense
last six games, eighteenth defensively last six games. Something needs to change.
And I think that's the other reason that coach Lee was trying to find something
yesterday. He was searching in lineups, which is somewhat telling at this point
of the season when you're that bad defensively for that long, or at least
that mediocre defensively for a team trying to win a championship. Because I looked
at all the other teams over the last three months that are quote unquote contenders
outside of Milwaukee, everybody else is much more balanced with being a top ten
offensive, top ten defense. Clippers meanwhile, second best offense over that stretch
of three months. Great, but they're seventeenth defensively like that, That's got
me alarmed. You got to take notice with stuff like that. You just
have to. So I think Tomorrow's a big game. I just want to
see them play a lead game for the first time since the All Star Breaks,
going back since the Grammy road Trip, really play a complete game.
Would you take the Wayne Jenkins comment? Sorry, well yeah, fo yeah,
Wayne's Jenkins is asking about the fourth spot, or have you guys been
like when will you start watching the standings and and kind of taking some like
more concern for the Clippers and where they sit there. It's been concerned.
I've been watching the stands. I don't know. I don't know why everybody
else is just like, Oh, they're good, they can be they can
be the one seed. They don't have a tiebreaker against any of the teams
around them. Guys, they have the toughest road, the toughest schedule left.
They're gonna need a lot of help. So when Milhaukeey took down Minnesota
last night, I was like, yeah, we're four games, Yeah,
we're Clips are four games up on the five seed, which is the Pels.
The Pells are a half game. So the thing with if you're the
four seed is you're pretty much playing in my what I would assume is one
of the Pels MAVs Kings or Sons. Obviously give me the Kings at the
top of that list in a seven game series than any of those other teams.
I don't think any Clippers fan is disagreeing with me when I say that
would be the ideal four or five matchup. But it's still not great.
It's you got Timberwolves in the second round. Sure, it's still like but
knowing the Clippers luck, we're probably gonna end up with one of the Pels,
MAVs or Sons. You don't want to before, Like, I don't
know if I want because of what Will just said, because they question Wayne,
thank you, But I don't know if I want it to stay out
of the Timberwolves bracket in the second round. I think just because like this
is an old team, like that physical of a series in the second round.
Like I'm not saying that the Clippers can't get past the Timberwolves. I
still like the Clippers in that in a seven game series. But god damn,
that is a lot to ask of an old team in the second round,
and then to still have to go go and win eight more games.
I think that's way too tall of a task. What you want is Minnesota
and Denver to tangle in that second round. That's what you want where you
only have to play the winner. That that is ideal. So No.
Four is not good, not great. I think the ideal situation for the
Clippers, which obviously we can't control, is you get you get a Lakers
Timberwolves first round series there and then that second round series is Timberwolves Nuggets,
and then you know, like whichever team will have have have had as a
much tougher go through than than the Clippers have. But obviously you know that's
fully out of your control. All you can control is is your record and
where you end up. Who are we Adam, No, no, no
salient point. Who are we picking? And the chatt uh YouTube chat you're
open to this too. Now we're picking the most important part of the show,
the Kawhi Leonard Player of the game for Clippers versus Kings, which again
quick reminder, six thirty tomorrow, not at seven thirty. It's at six
thirty, Adam, who are you picking as the Kawhi Leonard Player of the
Game. I feel like we're taking this award even further that it's almost a
show now where we just don't talk about Kawhi Leonard period, because he's so
all the time. No, no, no, I'm just say like he's
so good. It's like, Okay, we're not worried about Kawhi Letterard.
That's the major key for the Clippers. Well, I know he had six
turnovers, but I ain't worried about Kawhi Leonard whatsoever. That's steel and dunk
incredible. Uh. I'm gonna go with Terrence Man because I want to see
this turn into not a one off game with him having that level of scoring
output and that much confidence. This is what Man can do. This is
what Terrence Man can be at this point at twenty seven years of age,
not every night, but once every couple of weeks, and then the rest
of the time he's just giving you steady I don't know, thirteen to fifteen
points per game. I would love to see that from Terrence Man aside from
the defense, and he's gonna have to guard dere Tearn Fox a lot.
I dodn't want to see him be a threat offensively because it's probably gonna be
a high scoring game against Sacramento. Will your player of the game, Norm
Powell? Oh, you think he's in I'm hoping that. I'm hoping that
he's in Fortune Favors the Bolts, So I'm hoping that he's in the second
episode. We've said that we need to stop saying that on the podcast.
I've never heard that before. I thought we coined that. Yeah, well,
hey, no pun intended, so we got norm I'm gonna go junction
saying Westbrook's gonna shine tomorrow. I picked Westbrook for this streak. It's not
go He really made me look like an idiot in the first game. I
was trying to believe, Adam, don't roll your eyes at me. I
was trying to have hope. I've had it. I've had it too.
But you know what I loved about that fourth quarter because Russ did have a
really good stretch in the third, a couple of layups, knockdown a three
pointer. Still probably shouldn't take four threes, but he was pulled after that
fade away three pointer with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. That's
the type of stuff that is going to have to happen in a playoff series.
So I'm going James Harden, James Harden twenty piece tomorrow. We're gonna
see aggressive shot James Harden. He's gonna make more than thirty two percent of
his shots from three to ten feet. It's gonna be great. Wayne Jenkins
saying, PJ hits a corner three. If any bookie is giving you odds
on that, call the police. That person wants to kill you. That's
entrapman. If your bookie's giving you odds on PJ corner threes, that's entrapman.
If you're searching for the if you're searching for the line on that,
it might be time to call the hot line. Call the hotline. Every
state has a different one. It's very difficult, but please call the hot
the BOVA on a hot line to place that bet. Yeah, man playing
bets over the phone. What a time. We're about to wrap this one
up. We want an update, Adam. Do we have any shipping updates
on the Zoo bobblehead. You can rest easy check it's been sent out.
I was just asking, I didn't know it's saying it may be there today,
I sing, I think I said it Thursday. I hope the story
was real and that guy's just not keeping it for himself. Oh, I
would be a touching story about his kid. Yeah, I would respect that
though too would be good. It's like a who who's afraid of Virginia wolf
situation. We'll sweet well, we'll see each other at the game where it's
gonna be a good time. We all were picking the Clippers to win right
there. We're going two and one over those three and four. Yeah,
all right, got the Lakers on Wednesday. Adam wants Paul George Durest tomorrow.
We'll see what happens if he's hurt. If he's hurt, which he's
not one hundred percent, don't know if he's hurt, but he's not one
hundred percent. Will Where can people find this podcast if they're listening or tell
their coworkers that they have to watch us. You can find this podcast wherever
you get your podcasts. You got to get the full experience, and that's
over at YouTube dot com slash at Clippers podcast. Normally my voice sounds a
lot better than this, So if that's if that's the hold up on you
subscribing, I can assure you that it's it's not always like this. You
can also chomp it over with us anytime over on Twitter or ex or whatever
you call it, dot com that's at Clippers Pod it is. You can
follow Adam there at at follow Adam A if you missed the first part of
this show. We're gonna have a double dip after the the game tomorrow.
Adam, could you explain what the double dip is and then send us out
with with one positive thing? That's one of these two fun gentlemen, including
RFK Junior our future. Uh you guys so much. I didn't do this
comment. Will actually was filling it as the lead singer for Cannibal Corpse last
night, giving it to you right now. I'm sorry. Well to push
through this is what I goes through, dude, not like I mean,
I'm surprised we haven't gotten into a doc Rivers conversation on this pod with how
Will sounds. Uh So one of these two guys comes on with me postgame
on Anti seventy l A Sports, the official home of your Los Angeles Clippers.
Clippers Talk is the call in show. They come on as a guest
every single show when the phones are at least working. So we'll have that
for you tomorrow night because the phones we back up. As for the Clippers,
looking for Positives, Looking for positives, here's a hypothetical positive. I'm
pretty sure about this. I'm not positive. I would love for somebody to
get to me out follow autam May because I was searching for the data frantically
during this episode of what the Clippers defensive rating is in the half court the
last three months, because I'm yessing it's much better than seventeen and it's the
transition defense that is weighing down that overall defensive rating that I brought up earlier.
That does sound like a little bit of a panics guys following type of
thing. I think in the half court defense they have still been much better
than that. They're likely top ten. I'm gonna guess, So somebody please
get to me at fallout of Me so I can confirm this optimism and sanguine
thought before we get out here. I think, Yeah, I love that.
I love it. I'm pretty sure that's great. We'll be back with
the double dip. Maybe do a post game after the game live, who
knows if it's interesting. Thanks everyone for hanging out on the live. Thank
you for all the comments. Thanks to all the new subscribers. If you're
listening, we appreciate that too. And yeah, we will see y'all later,
and as always, let's go clips. What do you guys think about
what Lloyd said?