All right, welcome in to Clips and Did your favorite Los Angeles podcast.
I am William Updyke, joined as always Charles Mockler and Adam Oslin. Today
we're gonna be talking about Kawhi Leonard and just how we're feeling after three games
of no Kawhi, our concern level about the injury. We'll also look ahead
to a couple of games on the Clipper schedule. We got the Grizzlies and
the Heat coming up. Will preview those games, and then we'll talk about
some New Year's resolutions for the Clippers before we get on out of here.
But before we get started, Adam, Chuck, how's it going. I'm
doing good, I guess, except that my thumbs up display seems to be
gone. For those of you watching on YouTube, YouTube dot columns at Clippers
Podcast, let us know if you're as disappointed about that being gone as I
am. No what, I'm doing pretty good. We had an okay holiday
over here, just pretty low key. Clippers almost blew it but got it
against the Hornets. That was fun to talk with Adam about yesterday on the
radio. But I'm doing pretty good, I think, Adam, How are
you good? To see you guys, Happy holidays, Mary Christmas, and
thanks to all the new listeners and viewers here on the YouTube channel at Clippers
Podcast. I'm good Clippers came through late last night. Was good to do
a little clips and double dip with Chuck post game. But looking forward to
well, it's just good to see two days off between the next two ball
games before they have nine in the next six teams, so important time to
get some rest, especially with the status of Kawhi Leonard, which is day
to day still. Yeah, that's kind of like the first thing we wanted
to talk about. It's the left hip contusion, which I've watched the replay
a couple of times. Seems like it hurts a lot, and when it
happened to him, he's got the dreaded day to day level. What's our
level of concern label? What's our level of concern with this will? Where
are you at now that it has been three game games, given how close
together the games were, I still feel like I'm you know, I'm I'm
at a moderate load, a moderate concern level. We'll see what happens.
Like with as Ada mentioned the days off before the Clippers play again. I
think that's gonna be the time to start to maybe amp up the concern level.
And it's gradually Yeah, and if that, like, if that label
or designation holds true as as the as the hip contusion, I mean,
not super troubling, but anything that's gonna have either Kawhi, Paul George or
Heck, at this point, even James Harden missing any stretch of time I
think has got to be uh has got to raise some concern questions for the
Clippers. Yeah, I'm somewhat concerned, but my guess is, or my
hope is they're being strategic about this. We're just taking on the Charlotte Hornets.
You shouldn't need Kawhi Leonard to win that game, and therefore he gets
three more days off. I'm hoping he's available against the Memphis Grizzlies, who
are in fact good and have won four in a row with John Morant back,
who just hit another game winner. Not gonna be easy, especially because
Memphis has given them issues over the years and Kawhi Leonard's their best defender by
far, and they are completely different ball club when he's on the court.
I'm sure we'll have more to say about that coming up, but low level
concern for me on Kawhi Leonard with his injury. Yeah, I think I'm
at low level two. I think I'm Yeah, I'm low level as well.
I'm disappointed he didn't play against the Charlotte Hornets. I think disappointed and
concern could be two different things here. For sure, I'll take but you
know, it's an Eastern Conference game. Maybe they obviously seem like maybe they
took it a little easy in the beginning of that game and then had to
lock it in. Kawhi would have been nice to be there for that,
But I'll feel, like Will said, more concern and we see what happens
with this upcoming schedule. The time off is great, this is a good
time for this to be happening. I guess kind of give them the rest
that we have and whatnot. So, yeah, we just got to hope
that we get a nice updated on Friday before the Grizz game. You think
about it, they could have lost both those games to Boston and to Okay
see, even if Kawhi was available, those weren't obviously gimmes the game against
Charlotte, that's a game you have to handle your business. I don't care
who's available for that one. They had lost seven straight, they won seven
games on the season, and they gave the Clippers a scare being up by
seven with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. Yeah, that was It
was nice to see them actually get the victory after that, because again,
kind of will you talked about a couple games ago and it was kind of
the I think it was the Boston loss where their body language didn't seem to
be super powdy or like quit or anything like that. We saw good body
language when things weren't going well against the Hornets, which was nice. Where
have we felt about the Clips without Kauhi over these three games? Harden has
been phenomenal. In these three games without Kawhi, defense looks a little rough,
I think, maybe rougher than some of us potentially expected. But Adam,
Adam, why don't you redeem James Harden's defense for us? James has
been good? I don't. I mean, he's not there for that when
he hits six three pointers like he did, and is it time to start
talking about just how efficient he's been so far as a Clipper. The guy's
getting fifteen on forty six percent shooting, but six of his ten attempts per
game are coming from the outside. He's at forty one percent from three.
He has the best effective field goal percentage of his career. According to Justin
Rousseau, he has the second best true shooting percentage of his career. So
he's been awesome with the shooting stroke and he's starting to blow by guys more
often. You saw that against PJ Washington last night with the Charlotte Hornets.
He beat him off the dribble multiple times. That stat that he was getting
to the basket the most infrequent amount in his career the first couple of weeks
as a Clipper, that's gone way up. He's back to about twenty five
percent of his attempts coming at the rims. So the burst is coming around.
He looks to be in better shape now and they have needed him.
That is the perfect game last night what we saw without Kawhi Leonard, where
I don't know if they win and beat Charlotte without James Harden. He was
their best player in that game, especially shooting wise, But you look at
it last season, they needed a Kawhi game winner to win in Charlotte,
and that was the game where he said I'm back. He jumped up in
the air and he and Marcus Morris did like an eighties high five. I
also think, like I think his efficiency as a passer is something that like
that assist a turnover ratio. You know, you know he's a great passer,
but how well he takes care of the ball. It's one of those
things where, like, let's say he doesn't have the scoring out burst that
we definitely needed to get over the Hornets in that game. But I think
just taking care of the ball but still being able to set the offense at
that high of a level is something you really can't take for granted. And
I just don't know that we've had. I don't I would not even know
that we have. We haven't in this two and three era had this type
of point guard that presents such a threat offensively as a score, but it's
also just so damn good with the ball while opening up the offense. It's
something that can like offset some of the turnover proneness of some of our other
ball handlers, Paul George. Since they put Russell Westbrook on the bench,
and he's been good there and had a very good game yesterday against Charlotte as
well. But since that last twenty games, they're fourth in fewest amount of
turnovers per game at just eleven point nine. There's no way that happens without
James Harden being their number one playmaker and being empowered to be that guy.
By putting Russ off the bench. They were actually better. They were number
one I think the first sixteen games with that new starting lineup. Obviously Pg's
been out some now, Kawhi has been out some, but fifteen to five
since they made that change looks pretty good. They've still won ten of their
last twelve games now, and you got to give a ton of credit to
what James Harden's been able to do just controlling the offense. He's been the
second best Clipper I think, pretty firmly this year. Outsid of quiet.
Yeah, yeah, I think ka. I think I gotta put James Harden
to well, the first three weeks of the season, I think Paul George,
we were all saying was better than Kawhi Leonard. So he's had a
dip recently, but he had almost a month stretch where he was the best
player. It's up for debate. You can, you know, split hairs
because James Harden has the ball in his hands so much. Uh, and
he's been better as of late than Paul George obviously, who's been struggling a
little bit since he came back, which is five points on twenty five shots
last night. If you look at his per thirty six over these last three
games, they're pretty similar to as usual per thirty six, Like he's shooting
crazy from deep, Paul George like he's still shooting like that's sure forty eight
percent or something on like the second most attempts from deep on the team.
So it's the other side of the ball that that's really and you obviously want
to see his per thirty six go up with Kawhi out just so he's taking
more of the Lion's shirt of shots and whatnot. But it's the other side
of the ball that's Kawhi really helps everyone on the floor with defense. But
PG hasn't seen as locked in or someone posted like he's been doing kind of
these like surprise double teams and stuff on guys and other guys, like what
are we doing? He double team Al Horford against the Celtics, and Ivitza
Zubas looked at him after everything I got him. I'm okay, I got
al well ended up on a three point or wide open one, I think
Derek White. Yeah, So it's stuff like that where it's kind of like
just things like that where you're kind of like, I wish that that stuff
was a little bit better, But I think you are right to the point.
Recently, thankfully, Harden has been the second best guy with Kawi out,
well best guy with Kauai out but healthy. Yeah, the defensive numbers
have been concerning without Kawhi. I was listening to our boss Lucas Hahn earlier
on the Lab of the jam Uh. He was on with who was it
Justin Wilson Yeah, the post game last night and pointed out that with Kawhi
on the floor, their defensive ratings about one eight, which is just right
behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have the best defensive rating team wise in the
league. Without him, they're worse than the Washington Wizards. Now, it's
only been three games. They played two teams that offensively are very good,
and they ended up basically blowing out the Clippers. Okay, see game wasn't
that close either, but Boston played the way they did, knocking down twenty
five three pointers, win by thirty seven. It's gonna skew the numbers.
I don't think they're that bad. I don't think they're the worst of defense
in the league without Kawhi, but it does tell you just how good he
was holding things down on that end, or how effectively he was. And
we talked about it a little bit last night, Chuck, but I think
it's more than just his play. It's the way he's been vocal out there,
because when you were watching that stretch when they won nine straight, he
was demanding. He was making sure everybody was fully focused out there, and
I think they're missing that leadership or just accountability level where you know, if
you miss your defensive assignment, you're gonna hear about it from Kawhi Leonard and
you can't say a damn thing to him. The clough fidens all right.
I don't know about confidence. Yeah, you're not checking Kawhi if he's telling
you to exert more effort on the defensive end. Yeah, the defense.
Yeah, I think the ratings like one twenty six or something like that,
it's like really rough the last three. But I got checked by Brian Semen
last night and I'll take that hashtag humility season. But I was pointing out
pregame how going into last night's game over the Clippers. Last fourteen they were
twenty fourth defensively, but if you just took out the game against OKC and
the game against Boston, they were like seventh. So if you took those
since November seventeenth, the new starting lineup, if you just took out those
two games, they were seventh and they dropped to twenty fourth. Just how
bad they were defensively in two games. So you can't put as much into
it. In fact, I was looking at some of the numbers earlier.
Since November seventeenth through today, their offensive rating is eighth, their defensive rating
is eleventh. So that's where they're at in that fifteen five stretch. Over
the last twenty games. It's it's not terrible, it's they were better,
but there has been slippage on that end. But a lot of it was
just coming out of those two games where they got blown out. Yeah,
that's a good call, And there was also some wonkye stuff where fourth quarters
when they blew out the Pacers, when they blew out the Yeah, and
then they gave up thirty five and fourth quarters, where both teams had already
waved the white flag. So I don't want to say it's too concerning or
overly concerning right now defensively with this team, but Kawhi does make a huge
difference obviously, well when you looking when you want Kawhi to return or is
this yet another with Kawhi specifically that a lot of people have where I don't
care as long as he's just fully healthy. Yeah, I think it's definitely
that. I think it's definitely the ladder. I mean, ideally he's back
for this next slate of games and we get a Kawhi game before the new
year. But if that's not where he's at, I'm fine with an abundance
of caution. You just hate to see I mean, like even bigger than
like the long term concerns or not bigger, but certainly more front of my
mind right now is just the heat, that absolute heater that he was on,
the type of rhythm that he was in. You hate to see that
come grinding to a halt. And you know, not to say that he's
not still a practice and still still training, but you know it's little set
by backs like that that where you have to keep trying to trying to catch
up to things that I think can get set you back a little bit more
than you think. You know, maybe even more than the injury is trying
to get is just trying to get back to that level where you work.
Yeah, we see it where guys come back and they're they want to hit
at one hundred and ten percent and your body's just not you know, James
Harden needed to recover to get back into the playing shape. Kauai is going
to have to recover and get back into a little bit of playing shape.
And it's just ripples, right, because when you're back on the court with
Kawhi, you're playing with Kawhi from you know, two weeks ago in your
head, you know, and he's not at that He's probably not gonna be
at that same efficiency and at that level. So there's ripple effects really for
the entire roster to readjust to this as someone rams back up. And he
was so automatic in such a great groove last eleven games, sixty two percent
from the field, fifty two percent from three I don't expect him to just
hit the ground running, but you never know. With Kawhi it may not
take that long. Defensively, it was where they've really been hurting though last
fifteen games. Twenty second defensively now. But again, you take out those
bad two games and it's a totally different story. But I you know,
they have a tough stretch coming up after this homestand where they have two days
off before Memphis, two more days before Miami on Monday. Then it's Phoenix,
New Orleans the Lakers, Phoenix, Toronto, Memphis at Minnesota Oklahoma City.
So I'm hoping that's when I go back to saying it's strategic with what
they're doing with Kawhi Leonnard right now, you shouldn't need him against Charlois.
That gets him three more days off. We'll see how he feels against Memphis,
but there are some really tough games coming up, and you just want
him back at one. Yeah, now, regardless of where he's gonna be
rhythm timing wise, you just want him feeling like he's fully able to perform
at the highest level like he was right before the injury. Yeah, that's
a good call, and it's gonna be a mere Coffee's been for the most
part, okay to pretty good. Uh. In the starting role, obviously
not taking quiet spot in terms of what he does really on the court.
The last couple of games, he's been a little invisible. Terrence Man and
him haven't been able to really, you know, totally coalesce together. So
again back to the hardened thing. If Amir isn't able to really put an
imprint on the game, which is hard to do for him. I'm not
saying this is something we should expect a mere Coffee to do now that he's
starting in place of Kawhi Leonard over these last three games, but I hope
his level of play gets raised up a little bit where it was, you
know, kind of when he first started taking Kawhi's place. I agree,
I do think that overall though it does kind of it does kind of lay
it's tough about to be in it, and it does kind of lay bare
sort of the thinness of this Clippers roster and certainly the loss of versatility without
so many wings. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that Roco or
Batoom would certainly be better, but I'm saying that he probably would be.
I think that's fair, not by a crazy margin, but I think,
yeah, probably a little bit something we saw last night a lot we've been
seeing a little bit more recently is more Russ next to James Harden, and
it has been more effective. It looked like they were trying to lean into
offense, especially down the stretch. They're down by seven. To start that
fourth quarter, it was the Charlotte Hornets going on an eleven two run.
The Clippers answered it with a nineteen to two run, and they closed the
game on a twenty nine to thirteen run to win by nine when they were
down by seven, So a sixteen point turnaround there. Not to get too
messy with the numbers, but it was an impressive flip the switch type of
moment for them when it was a gut check. Hey you're down seven all
of a sudden, when you've been leading the entire game, and they immediately
came out knocked down some big shots. Russ James Harden both hit three pointers.
Norman Powell out of the time out would hit a three pointer right,
and then Paul George, Yeah, he's been struggling in the last couple of
games. Actually Norm Powell a little bit, but Paul George with the dagger
three to put them up by eleven, but it looks like they know,
okay, defensively, we're not gonna be the same. So if we have
to put Russ next to Norm, next to James Garden to close out a
game, just to get the offense going, that is something they can throw
out there. And like I said, the James Hard and Russell Westbrook minutes
have been much better, but again, smaller sample size right now, and
I'm not sure long term how effective that can be. They need it right
now. They need something. They need a little bit more scoring. And
Russ, I thought, had one of his better games as a Clipper yesterday,
especially with the energy. In that fourth quarter. He had the big
block, a big rebound the past to a Viata Zoo Bots down low,
the pass to Paul George to hit that three to put him up eleven,
and then he turned down that three pointer after knocking one down and went to
the basket and slit and split the defense. That was a really awesome acrobatic
layup, kind of a Vinchede Russell Westbrook type of play there in that fourth
quarter. Yeah, we needed him to step up and he did in a
great way. It's gona be interesting to see what happens in this Clippers Grizzlies
kind of Clippers heat situation going on. We're gonna preview that in just a
couple seconds. The ads have been loud for some people. If that's been
the case for you, go ahead and turn that down. We're talking Clippers
Grizzlies and Clippers Heat. Coming up in three two one, and we are
back here on Clips and Dip. Thank you for joining us. If you're
joining us on Spotify, iTunes or over you're listening, thank you very much.
If you're watching us on YouTube dot com slash at Clippers Podcast, thanks
for tuning in. The Clippers are playing the Grizzlies on Friday and then the
Heat on Monday, kind of with some nice breaks in there. We're playing
a surgeon Grizzlies team that's gonna be on their second night of a back to
back after they play the Nuggets, which I feel pretty good about that.
I'm excited about that. But Adam, you talked a little bit about it.
Jahn Moran is back, and the Grizzlies look like a completely different team.
A couple of buzzer beaters. They've won four in a row. Not
exactly blowing team. I was looking at someone's that's their plus five over this
four game winning streak, which they're getting it done, you know, but
they're not exactly uh, wiping teams off the face of the earth during this
stretch. How do we feeling kind of a wonky matchup? It's hard to
look at the season stats for the Grizzlies. Now that John Morant is back,
it's again, it's just a completely different team. He is questionable tomorrow
night with an illness, so yeah, they'll be in Denver. It's the
second game of the back to back in Los Angeles taking on the Clippers.
But I just feel like he's kind of their emotional heart and soul, heart
and lungs for this team. He's yeah, he's a little a couple of
seasons the lungs. Yeah, he's the anatomy of this team. But a
couple of seasons ago, remember they went something like twenty one and three without
him. Yeah, that's out the window. Obviously they haven't been the same
team. They haven't been able to hold it down without John Morant, and
it's time for him kind of to return the favor and pick them up and
try to get them back into that position where they could be a playing team,
and they might be. We'll see. He's had a couple of game
winners, both against the Pelicans. The most recent one last night. I
think it was on that lob that he ended up catching to put him up
one sixteen, one fifteen. But you can just see emotionally John Morant is
kind of carrying them right now when they have needed it most. Just a
shot in the arm for them, so to speak. What what what nothing?
Nothing? Yeah, it's uh, it'll be weird to see. I
think he makes everyone better. Last time we played the Grizzlies, they beat
us mostly because there's black Bambo grabbed a bunch of rebounds, which wasn't very
fun. But that was one of the worst losses of the season for the
Clippers, and they didn't foul him late and put them at the line.
It was just brutal. Russ was starting, though, so things are obviously
different than Will. What are you most concerned about with this Grizzlies matchup?
I think I'm concerned about kind of the unknown and what how different the team's
gonna look from what we saw. I mean, that's certainly and pace and
physicality, especially early. It's just something that's going to continue to give this
team trouble. Yeah. The pace, Yeah, I don't have the numbers
in front of it, but I'm serious to see what the Clippers pace has
been over these three games. I mean, it's something that Clip really has
historically done pretty well punishing teams on turnovers in transition, and job is you
know the perfect player to help do that. Defensively, obviously, they look
a lot different without Steven Adams down low. They're you know, they're not
the team that they were that they were like two seasons ago. So yeah,
I mean it looks a little bit different. But this will definitely be
a challenge for the Clippers, and doubly so if it's a Kawhi less challenge
against the Clippers. No Kawhi makes me nervous for this one with Jared Jackson
and all that. I don't know, Adam, how would you feel no
Kauhi for this one? Obviously not good, but I think I think they
would still be favored in the game whatever you put into that. I still
think we could get a better performance shooting wise overall from Paul George, a
better defensive performance from him. He didn't have a block or steel last night.
He didn't get to the free throw line. Some of that is just
a brutal whistle. I still think he came alive late in the fourth quarter.
I want to say he did have Thank God to Jesus. Yeah,
he's had. I looked up as free throws. Actually, you mentioned that
he's had. He's averaged one free throw over the last three games, and
that's because he got three two games ago. He's in the midst of yet
another streak of not getting free throws. He's had two games in a row
of no free throws, which is absurd. And I'm not This isn't me
blaming Paul George. It's usually a ref's issue. Thank God, we have
pardon getting the red line because Paul George he mitigates that. Though he mitigates
that, though he's actually like going to the rim, like with real intentions,
I do feel like I and not to say that he's the he necessarily
bates players. I know that the NBA, that the Referee Association as their
own thoughts on Paul George's game, which is garbage. But I think like
him just being more aggressive and getting down hill more. You have to make
the call at a certain point. You know what I mean, Like,
if a player, if a player of that caliber, and Paul George is
of that caliber, is going to the room and consistently getting too much contact,
at some point, yes he will get a whistle. And it won't
be the most friendly wit whistle certainly won't be Yokic whistle, no shade to
Yokic, but uh, he will get the whistle. I hope he does
it against the Grizzlies, because they foul a tome. They foul like they'll
tenth most time in the league, and opponents of the Grizzlies shoot like twenty
three free throws a game. So I hope we get Paul George. A
couple of outside of John Morant, who worries you most on on on this
Grizzlies team, who do you think is going to give the Clippers the most
trouble? I mean, Marcus Smart just came back, which is a problem.
Desmond Bain and Smart had thirteen points last night. Bain had twenty seven.
He didn't shoot it very well, but they got enough. I just
think collectively, there's just this emotional lift going on right now where they're riding
high because John Moran's back and they haven't lost yet, so we'll see what
happens against the Denver Nuggets. If they win that game, they might put
everything into that one and they could have some tired legs on the second night
of a back to back because of it. Yeah, good luck Grizzly,
that'd be great. And again John Moran is questionable, but he's coming off
a game where he had thirty one. He hasn't scored less than twenty points
since he's returned. He had thirty four to twenty thirty thirty one, so
he's been electric. He hasn't got it going at all from distance. He's
shooting just sixteen percent behind the line. Not that he's a great shooter from
there, but he's not. He's better than sixteen percent. He's a career
thirty two percent shooter from the outside. So it's a dangerous team. I
mentioned those numbers kind of turning around recently with Russell Westbrook and James Harden on
the floor together and since November seventeenth, in nineteen games, the Clippers are
now shooting forty six percent from the field with those two out there in almost
two hundred minutes of play and they're a plus eleven, so it's been better
steadily, it's been getting a little bit better where they're finding some lineups that
work with those two, and a lot of it's I think, been with
Daniel Tice out there next to them, So it's not a beats to zoobots.
But down the stretch last night it was Big Zoo with them, and
I thought it beats a zoobots. He had nine of his eighteen points in
that fourth quarter. He was awesome late. He was probably the best player
down the stretch overall because he was just a force at the rim. He
was getting there relentlessly, and then they had to foul and he knocked down
three of his four free throws against Charlotte. So Big Zoo played big down
the stretch, and we need him to start playing. We need him to
start the game big against Bismack. They don't forget what Bismack looked like against
Sue the last time we played. It was weird how effective he was.
So we need Zoo to assert himself. That's what I'm looking for. We
need you to assert himself physically immediately in this game when he gets that first.
If he's not going to pass out of a short roll and he makes
a good decision. Just go as hard as you possibly came to the rim
and let him know that it's not going to be easy. I also think
they went small down the stretch when Memphis beat him in the last five minutes
of that one. Ooh, and recently the Clippers have been keeping a beata
zubos on the floor during clutch time, where they've been awesome in the past
couple of weeks. I'm not sure did last night's game get to clutch time
because the Clippers were so damn good at the very end where they went on
that nineteen to two run. It may not have gotten to the last five
minutes of a game within five points, but overall there, I want to
say, if you just go back the last let's go back fifteen games here
Clippers in clutch time during that stretch, six and two and eight opportunities in
clutch time, where they've been shooting fifty two percent from the field, just
eighteen percent from the outside, but fifty two percent from the field last eight
games during clutch time. It's a nice turnaround considering how bad they were to
start off the season. There, who's your player the game pick for the
game against the Grizzlies, Adam, I want to take Terrence Man outte.
I mean, yeah, man, they need him against John Moran. He's
likely going to be on him to start. He's their point of attack defender.
Guys, it's been so rough for him. On off one of four
against the Charlotte Hornets, the bucket he got was right at the rim,
and it still looked like he was a little bit hesitant. He had a
pump fake a few times and just seeing the ball go through I'm sure,
I'm sure it helped. But then he knocked down two free throws. But
early on in the game, in the first quarter, his first shot he
hesitated. It was a little eight footer and then he put it up and
missed it and it was just short. And I said this last night to
Chuck, but it looks like he's not shooting. He's throwing like he's just
hoping that shots will fall for him. Right now, he's so out of
rhythm and just you can see the confidence has to be in an all time
low right now. It's just been so tough for Terrence Man. I want
to see him turn it around. But coach Lou gave him a vot of
confidence. Pregame, he'd said he had talked to him earlier in the day
basically saying, you can't let your shooting or lack of shooting right now affect
the rest of your game. And I thought it did against Boston, Like
defensively, he wasn't as sharp, but he was better defensively against Miles Bridges
and Terry Rozier, I thought yesterday against Charlotte. Yeah, I'm gonna pick
Terrence man. I just I want to see him just get into double digit
scoring wise, Just see a couple of three pointers fall, because it's been
getting worse and you can It's understandable, like the more shots you miss,
the more that weight is on your shoulders. Of finally, more are you
thinking about it, which is always a problem for Terrence. Yeah, this
is it's got to be the worst stretch though of his career by far,
shooting wise. I just he looks completely lost at times out there, and
it's kind of shocking to see. Now. Luckily, it hasn't affected them
too much offensively because they have so much firepower out there, and I'm hoping
they stay with him. I'm hoping they don't pull him from the starting lineup
because I don't know if that's going to help his confidence either. And he
can just work his way out of this because they're still winning ball games overall,
ten and two in their last twelve, even with Terrence going through this
rough stretch, with this rough patch. I just want to see him come
out of it. It would be great. You know, remember when Reggie
Jackson a couple of years ago got off to it was the twenty one to
twenty two season. He knew Kawhi Leonard was gonna be out, and he
got off to that brutal start and then his game winner I think against ok
C and then cut a hot streak. It happens to guys like that.
You know. If Terrence could just see one fall in a big moment or
have a big dunk, just something to feel good about himself offensively, that
that maybe all it takes, all right, Terrence Man against the Grizzlies is
OUTA think, will who is your pick? I'm gonna go. I want
to go Norm Powell. I want to see Norm have a big game,
bounce back. Norm. I love that pick. That's a good call.
I'm going Damn Yeah. Norm was two of seven last game, I know
it was bad, but five and the fourth though, so sorry, Oh,
I'm gonna go. I mean Russ was good. I feel like this
is almost player of the game has almost become like who's gonna redeem themselves of
the game narratives and emotions here, I'm going Paul George. I know he
was he had twenty five, four and four, but it was not the
most efficient game. Slow start, too, slow start on both sides of
the ball. I'm going Paul George. He's gonna be feeling a little better.
He's gonna have the Christmas illness away from his body. He's quarantined it.
He's gonna be in tip top shape. He's thinking about that new car
he's gonna buy on New Year's Day before we play the Heats. Boys.
Yeah, all right, and then onto the New Year's Day game against the
Heat. New Year's Day night, Monday night, New Year's Day, the
Clippers play the Miami Heat. Inconsistencies in their lineup, Jimmy Butler day to
day with a calf thing. How do we feel about this one? This
is kind of a wonky one though. Heat are weird. They've won four
or five They've had some good victories in there. They just beat the seventy
six ers, they beat the Hawks, they beat the Magic that's a good
win. Now they lost to the Timberwolves by four. I don't know,
let me see if Jimmy Butler even played that game, because yeah he was
held out. You know what, they won that game against Philadelphia, but
he and Joe LMB were both out, So not a true indicator he was
available in that victory or that loss. As just say by four to the
Minnesota Timberwolves only had fifteen points. Kawhi has I know he owns a lot
of guys, but he has had Jimmy Butler's number. I mean, this
goes back to twenty nineteen. Yeah, you're hoping he's at least back by
Monday, right, Yeah, that that would be a little bit more concerning
if he missed the next two days because right now we're road trip. So
if he doesn't miss these, I'm like, I hope he goes on the
road trip. Like today is what a week? A week ago he played
that game in Dallas, so that was seven days ago, so tomorrow will
be he hasn't played a game in seven days. Yeah, Yeah, this
Miami team Heat culture. I mean they play hard. I know big shot
Bob plom Is gonna hate me saying that, but they they are tough and
they still have other guys who can beat you. Beam out of Bio's having
a great season so far. He's been pretty dominant out there, twenty one
ten boards a block per game in his last ten. So this is some
This is a team that you can't take lightly obviously in the Miami Heat,
no matter who is playing, because they do have those guys that team to
step up. But we'll see. I'm trying to see how many how many
games do they play in between now and getting to the Clippers on Monday.
Will they also be on a back to back I looked it up. I
don't think they are. They they have the Lakers beforehand, they go Heat
Heat. They're in Utah on the thirtieth, and then they come to LA
for US on the first, and they play the Lakers on the third,
So a day off in between after taking on the Utah Jazz. So they'll
all played two games before they take on the Clippers. So we'll see.
It will be a monitoring that injury report obviously. Yeah, the heater odd
they're the number one team in three point percentage hero shooting forty three eight game,
just pretty crazy. But they take like the league average. It was
like a couple of years ago when the Clippers were the number one three point
shooting team. They had like four guys over thirty nine or whatever that crazy
stat was, but that was a top five all time three point shooting team.
Yeah, twenty twenty or twenty twenty one season. Yeah, And they
but they take like a league average, like they take like the twelfth most,
so that would be. And they're a horrific rebounding team. They're twenty
seventh in offensive rebounds and twenty fourth in defensive rebounds. So let's hope we
don't punish them there. I did notice a weird part in their stats though,
so in defensive rebounds they're twenty fourth in the league, but they're second
in the league and defensive rebounding percentage, So any rebounds that are available to
them, they really know they're gonna get them. It seems like they just
don't go for fifty to fifty balls or something like that. Like there's just
some I've never seen a team rank so low in total rebounds, but so
high in rebounding percentage for that stat. It's very wonky. But yeah,
I don't know. Hi May's killing it the Pride of Irvine. He's yeah,
he's a thirty Yeah, rude. Do you want to see on hotkns?
I mean, shit, this sounds weird, but like, would Russ
be so much such an annoying defender against him? Nope? Not enough?
Come on, real, be real? Is he starting for them? Is
he starting for them? He did? He did last what with Jimmy out?
Okay, so we don't know if he well, if he's not starting,
that's a weird one. If he's not starting, I guess I would
say, yeah, I don't know who on our bench. I would want
him to go to guard like it's an interesting it's an interesting problem. I
don't know, man, I don't want to tempt fate. But I'm not
that worried about heymihawk is. I mean, yeah, he might get fifteen
or twenty, but I just went for his young career high thirty one,
So bench, I guess Kobe Brown, he's huge. Hey, Kobe was
so good in that second quarter, Charlotte, that's your gotcha, right,
Like Norm's not gonna guard highway. That's not gonna go. I mean,
we know they'll be staggering lineups and we're hoping Kawhi's back and that means a
mirror is coming off the bench, so it could be a mirror on him.
Well, we'll see how that works out. I'm just me if your
entire game plan is about stopping HEIMI hawk as, what are we doing?
They brought Will in special to consult this game. That's all they've been drilling
these last week is how to stop all right? Will player the game for
the Clippers, for the game against the Heat. I really want to see
it. I really want to see James Harden. I just feel like the
heat, the heat or the antithesis of James Harden to me of a culture
and a vibe. I'm sure that he loves Miami, loves the Miami area.
I'm sure they would love to have James Harden and get them into their
cult program whatever they want to call it. But I would like to see
James Harden. Absolutely. Are we sure? Is it that you know that
brings up that this has been on my mind system versus culture? Baby?
Wait, when are we gonna talk more about the Clippers culture? Considering how
Westbrook has looked in the Clippers Jersey, now, how James Harden has looked
in the Clippers Jersey. What is their culture gonna get more love? Over
the years, They've had reclamation projects, they've had guys. I mean,
yeah, it's what the Clippers now. I think we gotta I I till
after the season. I think after this how this season ends, we can
talk about it. I don't think it has to be the end of the
season. I think it's just gonna depend on how they carry themselves into the
All Star break and what this team looks like. I look, man,
I'm I'm high on this team. I think that we've seen the best offense
of the two one three era. We know where these guys can be defensively
when locked in. Very good team. Feel feel very good about it.
As far as like a permeating culture, I just don't know that they're there
yet. But that's not to say that they can't be there. How they
handle March I don't tell us all we need to know about the Clippers culture.
I'm just thinking back to Reggie Jackson was almost out of the league,
Aicholas Batoum was almost out of the league. They have had a lot of
success, and those weren't former stars or anything like Russell Westbrook and James Harden
being number one options on teams. But now you're seeing, Okay, the
Lakers couldn't figure it out with Russell Westbrook, Philadelphia couldn't figure it out with
James Harden. If the Clippers are able to do that with both of them.
I know it's still early in the season. I think they're almost forty
percent of the way through, but it says something to this point that you
go through a six game losing streak, the team doesn't fold, they don't
point fingers, they fight their way out of it. They won. The
guys are sacrificing the birth. They're tiny fetuses. Adams cutting the umbilical cord
every night every major category. I just I don't know. I think it
deserves a little bit of recognition, even though it's still early. I think
the front off it. I think that's a great call. I think this
has worked. This has shown that the front office has figured out, for
the most part, who to take a shot on to reclimate their career.
John Wall was not a correct call, but they've had more right calls than
not in that Will if you're watching on YouTube, is against the Clippers culture
somehow. No, that's me. I have bad culture. I'm uncultured.
Will is doodo culture. Okay, So where are we out on Player of
the Game for this this he game we got hard because because it's the system
versus the culture. Adam, I'm gonna go bold here. Kawhi Leonard Whoa
I'm saying be available that game, Well, we don't even know if he's
gonna be available yet. I'm agreen with you. This is wild. I
love it. I love this take. Whoa is available? That's all?
He drops thirty Butler again, okay, and the Clippers come through with the
victory before they head out on the road. Damn. I love this.
I love it. I'm hyped up on that. I'm gonna go receive cultures
unmatched boys, it's very much match that I'm going. I'm going a mirror
right flying in the face of Adam's take. If Kawhi can't go, I
think Amir is going to have an efficient twelve and then six crucial reboards.
We have a a high leverage receipts versus receipts. Player of the Game here,
I'm not gonna say I I didn't say that Adam was going to be
wrong. I'm if Kawhi can't go, I think is gonna step up.
Who's your loser of the game? Well the heat, himI, anyone.
I'll tell you who's the loser of the game. Anyone who doesn't buy a
car on New Year's Day because you're missing out on some deals. Apparently according
to Adam Oslin, it's common knowledge. Guys, I don't know why you're
trying to should make fun of this. I'm isn't that not when Toyota than
Is or Lexus Sales of the season or Les jeep Thalm? Jeez? What
do you work for? Kelly Kelly blue Book? Will over here? I
wish I worked for Kelly blue Book. I know what the best sales days
are? All right? Coming up, we're talking New Year's resolutions for the
Clippers and then letting you know where you can hear us. Next. The
ads have been allowed for some people, So if that's been your case,
go ahead and turn it down. We've got ads coming up in three two
one. Hey, what's up? It's Clips and Dips Season two. I'm
Adam Alls, and we got Chuck Mackler and Will Updyke still in Montana.
It's good to be with you guys at Clippers Pod on Exus, where you
can find us at Clippers Podcast on YouTube, where you could see my new
name tag. Not worried about HEIMI keep this receipt. Let me clarify.
I'm just not building a game plan around stopping HEIMI hawkis That's that's all I'm
saying. That's wow already asterisk season. Huh. Good player, good player,
but uh, it's a little bit early. And if you watch some
of those runs with Paul George at UCLA, he puts it on high.
Meet Hawke as that is so nasty. I'm hoping we see it at the
NBA level now. But he was the perfect guy for the Miami Heat,
and I was always wondering if they have to give him up to bring in
Damian Lillard. But like Kanye said, I guess we'll never know. He's
not a lot. Yeah, So what else? What what do we want?
We're talking New Year's resolutions. We'll probably have an episode out before twenty
twenty four, but who knows? What do you want to see the Clippers
be better at in twenty twenty four. Could be basketball related, could be
more choreographed celebrations from the bench, could be some rotation stuff. Adam,
we know you want to see more of your coffee, will Adam? Where
you guys at? What do you want to see the Clippers maybe change for
the better in twenty twenty four? Out of marketing because it's perfect. I
got my phill of coffee. I'm good there. I h he's been playing
plenty now, it's fine. I want to see Bones Highland be the savior
in March for them when I'm not sure about this, but I believe they
have seventeen games. You look at that schedule. It really surprising down today.
I want to see Bones have in a mere coffee like month for them,
where it's memorable and Bones Highland helps carry them at times when they have
tired legs and he can still make an impact this season. The skeleton key
Bones Highland. How about that? I forgot about how good of a nickname
the skeleton key is for Bones. That's a good call. Well, what's
your Clippers New Years resolution lest Bones Highland? Yeah? No, I was
gonna say something more about about more of him there. You weren't to do
culture. H culture is saying I was going to say the exact same less
PJ Tucker. Well, hey, I'm not going to argue against Yeah.
Sure, I guess it's twenty twenty four already. Are we going to trade
him or are we waiting for that? What do you guys think? I
don't know, get his ass out of here, though, geez. I
still think if he'll buy in and stop going, he's going to I don't
think he's man. He's getting acclimated in his new role. Okay, well
he's had to adjust the most Yeah, and he's learning that for him.
I think he could still be that there's only one ball quote basically yeah.
But so that was taken a little out of context. It was what no,
pretty Now that was taking out of context because he was just like,
there's there's such ball dot Like. It wasn't a dig at the Clippers.
It was like, oh there, you know, there's not a back.
We have great players. We have a lot of great players. I'll tell
you what. I'm a I'm a better PJ defender than PJ is maybe a
defender. I love it. I knew idn't want to hate that one.
I think for me, for the Clippers in twenty twenty four. I mean,
boards could he get on PJ. Tucker? You think none? Absolutely
none? I could draw. I could draw an offensive foul if I let
him elbow me in the face trying to get you could You could definitely draw
a charge on PJ. Tucker. You could stay in front of that old
man, no problem. I could draw the charge. I couldn't hit the
free throws because I would be on the ground. I don't think like your
back is broken in this. Yeah my back, Yeah, my back looks
like a song. But it looks it's just my resolution for the Clippers.
I don't know. Man. The year we got that winning streak kind of
late in the year, which makes you feel good about the team. The
bones thing is a good call. I know. It's do do culture?
Maybe just yeah, shout out songs? Uh? What songs? Songs are
a bong that's shaped like a Z. I don't know what else to do.
Famously Famously, I believe Michael Phelps got caught hitting one and it was
like a big scandal. Yeah, I think he would. He was somehow
a bigger deal than his d y, which is let me check hold on,
you know, news resolution. I hope the Clippers put out a song.
I would love a Clippers song. Actually, oh yeah, Zong is
still alive and well, oh yeah, wow they make candpipes, which doesn't
make any sense because they're a Z shaped bong. Anyway, we're off track
here. I'll take a cang with the c Yeah. I think, well
you brought up kind of like meaningful not garbage minutes, but like time for
guys lower on the roster, or maybe it's more meaningful basketball. You know
most of that hope that was centered around the homet Island. Yeah, right,
that's kind of wright. I about too, like bones. And then
if people think that PJ. Tucker is going to play in the playoffs,
he actually is going to have to play at some point. We can't just
be like you've been d n ping all season, get those legs loose in
the round one peage like it doesn't look like it. What about a what
about a New Year's resolution involving a move by this Clippers team this season?
I was texting about Joseph ryan Ward, who still thinks they're one move away.
That guy hits the song. Okay, the thing about Joseph, Joseph
was sending me trade ideas on like Christmas Day, and I was like,
I don't I don't even I can't think about this right now. He's relaxed,
straight up. That's my New Year's resolution. No trades. I don't
want any trades. I don't know good as is. I think we're I
don't perfect. Okay, I didn't say perfect. I did not say perfect.
There's issues with this roster. I don't see a trade right now that
jumps out at me that takes something away from the Clippers and adds enough that
puts them over the edge. After what we saw during that wind streak,
which I don't even think was their best basketball. We've talked about it.
Terrence Mann wasn't very good offensive leader in that stretch. Things like that,
Like, I don't know, I think they should maybe stand pat pad Bev,
do not trade for Bev. No. I just I don't know.
Maybe no more guards, maybe no trade, maybe no trade. I'd like
to see a Margins move, I guess, like maybe not even a trade,
but a signing and a cutting. I'd like another I just feel like
i'd like another wing in there, and not somebody like not somebody of a
starting level caliber, but just a little extra depth is the only trade or
like move that I guess I would really like to see right now. An
athletic four could still be helpful for this team, just to have that other
dynamic and dimension out there. Who and for what that's like, I'm not
I don't think that. I know people are screaming Jeremy Good. I don't
know if that's gonna happen. No, I mean a caliber smaller than that.
That's way too much money. That's that's just way too much. Yeah,
this is where I get bogged down or I'm like, there's these little
moves, but I'm like, is it I don't know. They were so
good during that wind streak. I don't know what's coming back. PJ Washington
up too, and we just saw what's this contract was talking about training for
PJ Washington. But these are moves where where I'm like, is after bad
take, but we love you, Joseph, But like, is that move
gonna make the Clippers now? You know what I mean? Like, I
I don't know if the vibes are good and that move isn't gonna extend us
an extra ten percent towards more of a clip favorite or something like that.
In my head, I don't see why. What if there's a Caruso deal
out there and have to see it. But I kind of where your head's
out with that. I mean, we have to ship a guard out too.
Yes, who is that guy? Will Russell Westbrook would love Chicago.
There's no way that they're trading. I don't eve think they should trade Russ
because the locker room would implode. But they can't replacing them. No,
you're replacing him with Crusoe. Did you miss this part of the trade.
It feels like you weren't listening. I don't think moving Russ is the idea.
I don't think that helps this team. Somebody has to go in.
Norm Powell for me, is too high of an asking price. Coming into
the season, all the talk was, hey, Norman Pale can be that
trade chip. Now Powell rangers Norm Core he's been too damn Probably the trade
for that I would hate to get too much. I agree, like,
see this is this is the impass right Russ in twenty thirty and the pick.
Yeah, all right, Chicago's going to ask for it for They're going
to get it first for Cruso. Yeah, they absolutely will rus whatever salary
filler either. If the Clippers don't do it, the Lakers are going to.
I'm not worried about the Lakers for the championship. That's fine. They
can take Carus. I remember hearing this last year, and then they were
in the Western Commerce Finals. Yeah, but go ahead and take a look
back at that Western Conference final. They take a look at it in every
game in the fourth quarter. I mean we had to take a look at
it, all right, No more we can. I looked. I watched
every day. How many games did they win in that Western Conference? They
didn't. They lost the champs, but they were in every fourth quarter.
I think better now, I'm just saying every somehow lost every single one of
the games. Yeah, they ran out of gas. I'm good, that's
all right. Or Russell was well, he's yeah, he's been bad either
way. No trades for the Clippers. Would I would be okay with that
Plumbley's coming back, that's bold. Sure. I think might end up being
a yeah, Kauhi for two Kawai's. I would do that. If the
Kahi factory calls us and says we need the original Koi back, we'll give
you two. We need to we need to restructure the genome project. We'll
give you two. We'll give you two Kays. We'll give it too.
It's like multiplicity. They're a little worse. They're a little bit worse,
all right, They're not worse on the court. They're just weird. They're
just a little Yeah, they're just weird though. They get those lens of
chatty Kathy. Yeah. One of them just only eats the cheese from those
crackers and cheese packers. That's all. Then he functions on let us know
your Clippers New Year's resolutions. You can comment on this video at Clippers Podcast.
You can tweet it us at Clippers Pod. What you want to see
from the Clippers in twenty twenty four unless you were someone that never wanted James
Harden No, no, no, I don't know if you can't take that,
whatever, you can say what you want. For the most part,
I guess, uh, we're unhinged. I want to see more wins,
but more unhinged drawn from Eric. Oh, I will say that I would
love for the Clippers to work with Eric. That's my resolution for them in
twenty twenty four. Have a scary stories. Drawing to me is immaculate.
So goodbel because I remember that book so well even before he said this is
from Scary Stories. Oh I knew immediately. Yeah, man, shout out
Eric. All right, we got some double dips for you after the upcoming
games. Need some Apple reviews, we'll read them on the show. Check
out our YouTube. Well where can these people tell their family to listen to
us if they want so? You can check out the audio portion of this
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Podcasts or Spotify, that would really help us out. If you want the
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That's at clippers YouTube dot com slash at Clippers podcast. If you subscribe,
we'd be really grateful trying to get those numbers up. And you get to
see a bunch to goofy stuff. You get to see our faces, you
get to see some strange name tags, you get to you get to keep
receipts on adam, which is always fun. You can don't do that.
You can also chop it over with us anytime, especially if you want to
call out some receipts on Adam. That's over on Twitter at Clippers Pod.
That's where you can check us out and then Adam one positive thing to send
these folks out on a couple of days before the Clips game, two days
or two games in the next six days for the Clippers. That is a
break in the schedule a little bit. That's like the All Star break for
this team, considering how rough their schedule is. That's that's a big time.
And I'm still hopeful that Kawhi Leonard is okay. Didn't he come out
and say, you know, I'll be back soon, I'll be back the
Terminator hit, I thought, I I thought I saw that somewhere. He's
wearing a shirt that said what I'm about to say is from the movie Terminator.
And then he said I'll be back yeah. And then Linda Carter whatever
was doing those weird pull ups in jail. What else do you do in
jail? Dude? Am I thinking of Superwoman? Who? I think you
are thinking of Supermo? The Hamilton? I don't, I don't know.
I don't think it was an animalton. All I know is the kid in
Terminator two? What's his name? Do you know anybody from the terminator.
He got really fat. Robert Patrick is T one thousand. That's true.
All right, we're getting a little off the rails. What Adam said was
mostly positive before we got to the body shaming of people who were in the
terminator too. We thank everyone for listening. Here's to a great twenty twenty
four, and as always, let's go clips