Speaker 1: What is going on?
Speaker 2: Clippers fans, Welcome to season sorry, episode fifty one. Starting
this one off with the way different vibe, but the
last time we saw all three of us together. I
am Chuck Mockler, joined by Adam Oslin and William Updike.
Speaker 3: Thank you for coming and hanging out with Clips and Dip.
If you're listening, thank you if you want to watch
and find us at YouTube dot com Slash at Clippers podcast.
Today we are going to be talking about whatever the
hell happened last night against the Pistons. We're doing a
little bit of a weekend preview and then maybe some
just ethereal discussions about what might happen later in the
NBA season. Adam will how the hell are you guys doing?
After the first fifty point game into it? Courtesy of
Jimothy Harton. Adam will start with you.
Speaker 4: It was pretty cool. That was historic. That was a
great crowd last night.
Speaker 5: People in attendance or whatever.
Speaker 4: It might have been. I don't know what the attendant said,
but it felt full. I don't know if it was.
Speaker 5: Because of this was just this was just the discourse online.
I wasn't there, so I mean, I'm positive there were
more than two hundred people.
Speaker 4: Uh yeah, it was pretty full. It was as fool
as I had seen it all season long, and it
was and it was a good time.
Speaker 3: The funny Yeah, Barack Obama was there, the funniest. After
James Harden dunked and he did his nose bleed situation
or his nose bleed celebration, you could see bomber.
Speaker 1: He turned to Obama, he went, what is going on?
And Obama went, I think like Obama didn't understand the celebration,
which was very funny. It was like two of the.
Speaker 3: Very powerful people not understanding the nuance of James Harden.
Speaker 1: Wall.
Speaker 3: How are you feeling after the game? What a turnaround
from what the vibes were online minutes before that game started.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean they really needed that one. It looked
like they were in a skid that could that didn't
have like a real clear end in sight, and they
were able to turn around on the second nme of
backback and James Harden just indispensable for this team. He
continues to do it again and again. This is what
is fourth game over forty points this season. Fifty is huge, man,
I don't know when that's going to be topped and
into it. That's like, it's you know, I'm glad people
are appreciating because it is pretty historic, like it's you know,
and I know it's just a Wednesday night game against
the Pistons, but it is pretty crazy and it is
wild to watch a player at this stage of his
career continue to produce on it because consistent level like this,
it's I just think a lot of people wouldn't have
pegged this for Harden even a couple of years.
Speaker 3: Ago, especially the second out of a backchback, Yeah, thirty
eight minutes. I also, I was thinking about today, I
was like, the next person who's probably going to score
fifty at into it is James Harden, Like I can't
think of another person on the team who could maybe
do it.
Speaker 4: Yeah, they don't play the Lakers again, so I don't
have to worry about Luca. Luca's taking the record. What's
interesting is so he made fourteen shots his three games
leading up to that game, the two against the Lakers,
the game against Phoenix. He makes fourteen shots in that
one game against the Pistons, uh and he was fourteen
four fifty the last three games headed against the that
game and he gets fifty points.
Speaker 1: Last night got the numerology flying to start this episode.
Speaker 5: He's been laying up stinkers against the Lakers too, which
we can't know later, but yeah.
Speaker 1: Will you mentioned this?
Speaker 3: Like so this was kind of the topic last night
was insane. Harden went for fifty, Bogie and Zoo combined
for forty five. Those three scored over seventy five percent
of the Clippers point I I don't know about that.
Speaker 4: I hope so hey, Bogie is shooting forty three his
last five games.
Speaker 1: What's the what's the per game split on those? The
kind of peaks and like peaks and valleys would be
my guess.
Speaker 4: The same way it is for everybody else on average.
Speaker 3: All Right, I don't know if I'm ready to say
Bogie's back, but he looked great. Zoo shockingly twenty field
goal attempts for the first time this season, Adam, I'm
sure you knew this stat before even looking at the breakdown.
The Clippers are nine and two. When he gets more
than fifteen field goal attempts this year.
Speaker 4: It should be ten to one because of the dam
Phoenix game.
Speaker 3: I mean, that's entirely fair. Well, you mentioned this is like,
you know, the Clippers were in a skid. Does this
game right the ship? No pun intended? What does this
game mean for the rest of the Clippers season? Was
it just a blitz? I'm trying to.
Speaker 5: I don't think it's a blip. I don't think it's
a blip. And like I got to contextualize here too,
because I feel like us both covering the team. I
feel like us as fans, we felt way different heading
into the All Star Break. Like they they went in,
it looked like they were gonna go out with a whimper.
They went out on a three game win streak, three
game or four bread at least three game win streak. Uh,
you know, they came out of the break looking a
little placid, like not looking uh not looking up. I
don't know. I wasn't say something.
Speaker 4: I don't know. They lived the All Star Break.
Speaker 6: Yeah, it doesn't have to be And it's just a
word in general, and then related, these are just words, yeah,
go off.
Speaker 5: So yeah, like it changed things dramatically, and I do think, yeah,
maybe they had to knock off some rusts. You know,
we have seen this team not look great after extended
rests throughout the two one three tenure it. You know,
it is a game of rhythm and runs, so I
do think that there is something to be said to that.
And yeah, it's not like they weren't in the last
one either. That was a heartbreaker to to drop and
we've seen them, you know, sort of just piss away
leads time and time again. But but this was definitely
a step in the right direction. And I'm hoping that
this like gets them back into that sort of that
mentality defensively and just that ability to sort of dig
deep to pull out some of these games.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Adam, how are you is this? We got a
lot of questions last night, specifically, was something born on
March fifth that into it?
Speaker 4: Though, asked Nikob too Man he started, I hope. I
think there's something meaningful to them being able to close
out that game that was a tight contest late because
five when they lost six of seven, five of those
six losses, like we're within five points, like they were
right there in all those games.
Speaker 1: There were some games are so close, like it was
what six points? We talked about it.
Speaker 4: And they've blown so many leads. I think they've blown
eleven games this season where they led by ten or more.
Speaker 5: Ten isn't that much.
Speaker 4: Ten isn't crazy. But I think three twenty point games
that they have lost this season, yeah, two to Phoenix
and one to Indiana. So to see them be in
a real battle late, and by the way, that does
speak to how good James Harden was. This wasn't some
fifty ball in a game that they had secured where
he's just pouring it on late. They needed all of
those buckets, the fourteen he had in the fourth quarter,
but hold on after what happened against Phoenix the night
before and not break against a good Pistons team. I
know it's hard to wrap our heads around it, but
they are at one ten of eleven. I think I
hope that is the big takeaway, that they can figure
out how to close games again.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the closing game. It's it's nice that will You
kind of talked about how they've looked a little rough
with more rest. I like that they have one day
off and then they play tomorrow. I like that this
is fresh in their minds. Their Harden's got to be
feeling good. People didn't want him to play yesterday. I'm
not going to pretend like I didn't think about maybe
he should sit. But thankfully it went the good way.
But I like that they have one day they can
look at what they did right, Bogie can.
Speaker 1: Still feel good head into the game. I think. I
hope something does kind of shift out of this. Will
you look like you wanted to interject.
Speaker 4: The only problem I'd say is it's not a problem.
I hope it's not a problem, but it is. It's
a new configuration of guys that are going to be
playing on Friday. You find a way to win that
one game, and now you've got to figure out how
to win with different guys out there and different dynamics.
And look, the offensive rating on off splits with Kawhi
have been good. They're better with him in every way possible.
They just got to put it together and play with
a little bit more chemistry out there in the biggest
moments and just share the rock. Because they've had so
many good quarters during this losing streak. You're like, damn,
they look great and they can't hold it together. They
can't consistently play like that. The second quarter against Phoenix
I thought was really special with the ball movement, everything
going on there with James. Without James, it worked, so
could they do it for forty eight minutes? Can they
be more consistent out there?
Speaker 3: I like what you said about kind of like it's
a new crew coming in on Friday against the next
which we'll talk about the next segment. But the only
people on the injury report are Ben Simmons and Norm Powell.
So Kawhi is good to go, Derek Jones Junior is
good to go. Done will be in the starting line
up again. We can only assume he was great defensively
against the Pistons.
Speaker 1: Just another is.
Speaker 5: There a timeline? Is there a timeline on Simmons yet?
Speaker 1: Day to day? So it was weird.
Speaker 3: Tyleru said yesterday that him and Derek Jones Junior were
day to day and he didn't know when they'd be back.
But Derek Jones Junior was doing an on court workout yesterday,
so that makes.
Speaker 1: Like, yeah, that does suck.
Speaker 3: Shout out Dime who got to meet Derek Jones Junior
with the bibblehead, which was cool.
Speaker 4: Everyone who wore Jersey could do a meet agreed afterwards.
That's a great idea.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's the kind of stuff the marketing team
needs to keep doing. That's cool shit. But Ben Simmons, Like,
I don't think there's any like he hasn't been doing
on court stuff.
Speaker 4: That I've heard that's a that's a loss too. Oh yeah, unfortunately.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, I like, you know, obviously there's a
lot of factors going on here, but you know it
is a downgrade from Simmons to U Banks there.
Speaker 4: If you look at that leaf. I'm not putting it
all on U Banks for what happened against Phoenix, but.
Speaker 1: A couple of.
Speaker 4: Times was a plus twenty two. He played thirty He
played thirty seven minutes, so they lost by two. In
the eleven minutes he's off the floor, they got outscored
by twenty four points. That's wild.
Speaker 1: I mean, you look at look at the game from
last night. U Banks, Kobe Brown and Jordan Miller were
the only minuses. They were double.
Speaker 4: Jordans were that bad, Like they had a couple of
putbacks each. They weren't that loud with their performances. But
I didn't see a horrible play.
Speaker 1: Jordan Miller fouls so much.
Speaker 3: And I think, look, if you've been listening to this pod,
you know you know that I set up shop on
Kobe Brown Island real Estate's getting short.
Speaker 1: Not for the good reasons. Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 6: Know, additional property, so that way your per your per
share loss is lower.
Speaker 1: Yeah, oh yeah, I'm I own a lot on Kobe
Brown Island. I'm sunk.
Speaker 3: I'm in the sunk cause fallacy, and I'm just I'm
sinking further. I'm trying to start a new fallacy, I guess.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: So they're gonna have almost the full starting lineup back
except for Norm. We gotta hope Kawhi is gonna gonna
do his thing again. We'll talk about more in detail
the next segment. This really helped the standings, though we
needed to win for the Vibes. The Clippers are sitting
in eighth. We're one game out of six. We have
the tiebreaker over the Warriors, which is huge. We are, however,
one and a half games out of tenth place.
Speaker 1: So I think at this point, if nothing is you know,
created out of this what what can be I think
taken from this game in the grand scheme of things.
Speaker 3: Hopefully Bogie stays hot or relatively hot, because I don't
think he'll shoot what was it.
Speaker 1: Fifty from three?
Speaker 3: That would be great, but I don't think that will
happen continuously. Maybe this gets them to give Zoo the
ball more when there needs to be easier buckets. Like
you look at the field goal attempts. No one had
double digit field goal attempts except for Bogie, Zoo and Hard.
Obviously that gets redistributed when Kawhi and Derek Jones Junior
are there, But it was nice to see some more
emphasis on Zoo getting the ball.
Speaker 1: That's kind of all I'm hoping for from this, I
guess is a lot. What Yeah, but he'll score eighteen.
Speaker 5: I think they need to do to take care of
business and like secure a playoff spot, Like is that
thirteen and seven? Do you think that gets it done?
Is that good enough.
Speaker 4: Playoffs? Like a six point?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Yeah, like six pot if.
Speaker 4: They beat Golden State, it might, but they go Warriors
have been so damn hot and they have an easier schedule.
Speaker 5: So thirteen and seven you don't think they'll run.
Speaker 4: I don't think it's a darance.
Speaker 1: I think it gives them a chance. I think it
gives us a Really if you look at the schedule
the same, what do you.
Speaker 5: Project that they do better? That they can do better
than thirteen and seven over the last over these last
twenty games.
Speaker 1: I can't in good faith project.
Speaker 5: That thirteen and seven seems attainable to me.
Speaker 4: I don't.
Speaker 5: I don't even know that I could. I don't even
know that I could get to fourteen and six. To
be perfectly honest.
Speaker 3: We've just we have consistent See stop me if you've
heard this one before in the two and three era,
Consistency is not this team's thing when it comes to
who's available, when it comes to play level or whatever focus,
whatever adjective you want to use for that.
Speaker 1: So I can't.
Speaker 3: It's doable, But it's not like I have a body
of work this season to point back and say, remember
when they were playing like this, that's what they need
to do at thirteen and seven. If Harden scores fifty
every other game, Hell yeah, thirteen and seven. But Kawhi
is going to miss some games.
Speaker 4: You got four more back to backs? Shit, yeah yeah, yeah, best.
At best, Kawhi's playing sixteen games. The consistency thing, though,
or the inconsistency.
Speaker 3: And norm is out until at least the Hornets game
on the sixteenth and ten days.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and he's probably not coming back for that game
since it's reevaluation.
Speaker 3: It's like, right, they reevaluate and they go.
Speaker 4: Like that is yeah, just real tough blow. For him
to come back and play nine minutes after we've been
waiting for him is insane. I will say the inconsistency
issue kind of cuts both ways, yeah, because it can't
be consistently bad for as long either, right, Okay, it
could snap out of it.
Speaker 3: I think one of the ways that can help him
stap out of it, kind of to your point, will
if they do want to get to thirteen and seven,
is feeding off the defense that Chris Dunn has continued
to play even when things are bad, even when the
Clippers have been bad. The defense and the effort that
Chris Dunne has showed, I think permians the locker room.
We've talked about how he's kind of one of those
guys who's maybe a leader by example, just specifically on
the defensive end for this team. So like if they
can buy into that once Kawhi starts stepping it up
more with defensive responsibilities, which happens on Friday, I think
that like there's a couple of things that have to coalesce,
but they're not too far fetched, right, Like this team
is built on defense, so if that gets back to
where it was.
Speaker 5: Yeah, it feels like a little bit of shaky GROWNDI
right now, just because of how we've seen them and
how hot and cold spin and obviously injuries piling up.
But there are some some things that suggest they are
trending in the right direction. Obviously Harden, you know, so
like snapping back into it being able to do this.
I mean, the last time we saw Kawhi looked really
really good. Didn't ultimately result in a win, but you know,
there's some things trending in the right direction.
Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4: Do you guys believe they are eighteenth defensively their last
fifteen games? This is all stretch. This goes further back
than just post All Star Break. I think some of it.
I think a lot of it is remedied by just
can you all cool off from three against us for
a little bit. Yeah, I think that's a huge slice
of the pie. What's going on? And last night it
did happen in their favor. The Detroit Pistons shot thirty
one percent three.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what is the opponent three point percentage in those
fifteen games?
Speaker 4: Let me check here?
Speaker 5: Use if you filter out if you were to filter
out some of those, it.
Speaker 1: Was if you if you readjust them to the meme,
you know it's.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, it's been like thirty nine percent for a while.
So yeah, it's thirty nine point two percent. That's insane. Yeah,
that is unsustainable. I don't care if you're leading and
they're not.
Speaker 5: Is that is that the worst in the league.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's thirtieth.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I've checked.
Speaker 4: It's not like they're advanced. Uh the analytics say that
they're leaving guys open more or that they're way more
open shots being taken from three, that's not it.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I wouldn't imagine that because like when you're watching
the game, it's not like all like these shots are
wide open. I mean, of course they've let a few
slow whatever. They sometimes you know, will concede a shot
to a you know, the the weakest player on the floor.
But it to the eye test, it's not like they're
just letting them honk, like letting teams chuck them up.
Speaker 1: Well, and look at last night Dennis Shooter five of nine,
Dalton connect had that crazy game against us, Like you're
getting I think it's.
Speaker 3: Two and three hoops. Has I can't remember what it's called,
but I think it's like shitty three point shooter versus
the Clippers club. And they have such a long thread
of guys who were just like, oh, he's seventy five
percent tonight from three, suret why not like it's happened
a lot. Not a total excuse, But you're right, well,
the defense doesn't if you're an eye test person, the
defense does not look broken in any way.
Speaker 4: Even look at a lot of the points per game
against the Clippers as of late, the Lakers didn't put
up much against them. Their defense was good enough. It's
like one and eight it we're talking about up one
hundred and eight points, one hundred and six points. They
lost to the Detroit in Detroit one hundred and six points.
Speaker 7: I don't know, it's clear what the problem does point
to the problem the other side of the ball, to
the other side of the ball being the issue. But again,
if Bogie cannot be statistically one of the worst catching
shoot three point shooters, things are a lot easier.
Speaker 4: He's at Chris, that's all. It takes a few games
nearly nearly average.
Speaker 1: Nearly.
Speaker 4: In back to back possessions in the fourth quarter and
he had a turnaround fade away, like his big game
was awesome. Historday he did a lot.
Speaker 3: Yesterday he had a block, he clocked a steel boards,
a sitting like he can do a little bit.
Speaker 4: We like, is it?
Speaker 5: Do you think this had to do with some of
his playing time in Atlanta? And like he you know,
he is a much more consistent part of the rotation
now than he was in Atlanta, So like maybe maybe
I wasn't giving him enough credit for for that, like
needing the time to readjust and come back into it.
Speaker 3: You're also very ill, right, No, I think the consistent
the playing time is a real thing.
Speaker 1: Like I think this is maybe a bigger conversation.
Speaker 3: I think a lot of the times people look at
stats and they say, well, why isn't that just one
for one at the new place or what you know,
Why why.
Speaker 1: There's a rhythm, there's getting used to a thing. I
think that. I think you're right. I think that plays
in part.
Speaker 4: I think part of it is just it's a low
volume thing too. He hasn't been many games this season.
Like last year he got up about six hundred and
fifty threes this year. I think he's right at about
two hundred.
Speaker 5: Yeah, he's huge difference, and.
Speaker 4: He's playing as his head postgame and said it's a
mental like there's nothing physically going on there. He's not washed.
He looks fine. He just needs I think those two
in the fourth quarter. Hopefully there's a carryover effect then
because those were really clutch shots, maybe that gets them
out of this.
Speaker 1: Yeah, not washed, looks fine. I hope is what because
that's a pretty smolid Yeah.
Speaker 4: I like what.
Speaker 1: I like what you said. Like not the whole game,
obviously the whole game was successful, but having that confidence
from the two meaningful shots in the fourth it's like, yes,
like you can do this in moments that matter to
you know, not not that it doesn't matter earlier, but
you guys know what bigot when it really.
Speaker 4: Is kind he's been a clutch player in the league.
Like that's like part of his rep. So yeah, get
through it, mental block.
Speaker 1: Get through it, mental block. Anything else to say about this?
Speaker 3: Uh, the new baby in the Clippers locker room after
something was born from this this gamest.
Speaker 1: The Pistons. They were upset about the referee. But I
don't know what to tell you.
Speaker 4: I do think that the Clippers got a good whistle
last night and that was rare.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and we I was like, we'll take it.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah like that.
Speaker 5: I thought that that was a little excessive post game
from the Pistons being like, well they got handed, they
got handed. James got handed twenty points and then we
had seven. No, like the disparity wasn't even that insane?
Speaker 4: I don't know.
Speaker 5: And yeah, anytime a guy get is getting to fifty
in this league the way to get yeah, he's getting
He's getting to the line twenty times.
Speaker 1: Zoo had no free throws. So how about that. I'm
sure there was a couple of possessions of Isaiah Stewart
was follow him.
Speaker 5: It was just wild that it came from multiple members.
I thought in the in the postgame interviews from the.
Speaker 1: Pistons, yeah, I mean it would be frustrating to see
the same guy, but like it was, it's only seven more.
Speaker 3: They must not watched the recent Clippers games. Did they
not watch Clippers games to see how they just.
Speaker 4: You know, everybody's had their turn in a game where
Harden has fifteen plus free throws against you, and it's
the Clippers have Yeah, they face this too. When he
was with Houston, plenty, so it can't be frustrating. But
you know, watch the tape, guys. It wasn't that bad.
But you know, I feel for him because we're gonna
be doing this soon. Imagine if we have the Lakers
in seven game series two thousand and two again, for me,
it's gonna be hell.
Speaker 1: Oh no, you're gonna be breaking out the jersey. Oh man,
I hope you. I don't hope you have to.
Speaker 3: But if it does come to that, I'm very excited
for the listeners who don't know you are infra surprise
if that happens. All right, coming up, we're gonna be
talking the Clippers weekend previous they got a game versus
the next tomorrow night, and then they have a massive
game standings wise against the Kings on Sunday. If you're
listening to us on audio, thank you. Leave a review
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you want to list In the text, uh, we have
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Clippers podcast Quick audio break and then Clippers versus Nicks
talk and.
Speaker 5: All right, welcome back into cliffs and Dip. We just
finished up talking a big win. But the Clippers aren't
done yet. They've got two games coming up this weekend,
starting with one against the Knicks followed by little pactive
rival in the Kings.
Speaker 3: Hell yeah, the pactive rivalry is real. This next game,
like we said, Clippers are going to be without Norman,
Ben Simmons, Derek Jones Junior's back, second night of a
back to back for the Knicks, who are going tonight unclear.
He was out for personal reasons, which Chris Bussard was
to fucking so much crazy shit. Cat missed that game
for very real personal reasons, And there's this weird narrative
that he like was ducking like Jimmy Butler or something
like that.
Speaker 5: The only time that comes in is I feel like
BMB verse Jokic thing, Like there are ones where it's
happening so frequently that it's like okay, but I feel like, yeah,
in a single game scenario, like what are we doing here?
Like with this, I get that the everyone loves the drama.
This doesn't need to be the most dramatic league fucking
every day.
Speaker 1: Oh it should not, but it is. Chris.
Speaker 3: Chris Bussard referenced Draymond Green's podcast to disparage why Karl
Anthony Towns missed this game. Fantastic journalism, Chris Bussard. Anyway,
this isn't the NIXT podcast, but Cat I believe should.
Speaker 1: Be playing in this one.
Speaker 4: I think he plays tonight, is what they're saying. Now.
He did just come back from a knee issue, and
I'll try to see if he's laid back to backs yet,
and it looks like he has, so I would expect
him to play against the Clippers tomorrow.
Speaker 3: Okay, do we think Derek Jones Junior is going to
be on any kind of minutes watch just from what
Ty said yesterday of him still being day to day.
Obviously he's not on the injury report, but is he
just full board going?
Speaker 5: Like I mean, looking at his rotation minutes going into
the injury what do you even minutes a restriction to
even be a factor.
Speaker 4: Right, Yeah, it's he's been on man's restriction. It looks
like if you able to go up getting five or more.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a good call. Happy to have Derek Jones
Junior back the Knicks. Here's what they're not good at.
They're not good at rebounding. They're bottom ten and offensive,
defensive and total rebounds per game. They're okay rebounding percentage
wise eleventh and offensive rebound percentage seventeenth. In defensive rebound percentage,
they're nineteenth in defensive rating. So the Clippers do kind
of have a shot to carry some of this offensive
momentum against the Knicks.
Speaker 4: It's strange a TIBs team that is top five on
offense in near bottom ten defensively. They've had a big makeover.
I still think the defense is there somewhere, like, yeah,
they're better than this personnel wise, but yeah, the Clippers
they should be, especially with the second half of back
to back and then playing the Lakers tonight. Nicks Lakers
is always a big game. Maybe they haven't let down.
Hopefully they beat the Lakers and then don't see a
priority of going full board against the Clippers the next night.
That'd be cool.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I wouldn't be mad at that.
Speaker 5: Pretty cool.
Speaker 3: That would be great for everybody involved except the Lakers,
but who cares about them? I'm looking forward to Chris
Dunn in this one. The Knicks don't take a lot
of threes, but they're top ten in three point percentage,
So his perimeter defense with Derk Jones Junior like Adam
To your point, I know it's kind of the ragtag
group because Norm's not there, but like defensively, Derrek Jones
Junior and Don should kind of be able to make
things happen in this one.
Speaker 4: Done also two big threes that were wide open last
game knocked them down. Those were big shots. Uh yeah,
I look forward to that that he's.
Speaker 5: Not shooting over the last fifteen games too much.
Speaker 4: If DJ is back, I wouldn't mind seeing more of
his minutes during crunch time when they are leaving Done
wide open and electing to let him shoot those those threes.
I would rap because of.
Speaker 5: The versatility, just because of the versatility of DJJ Or
you think he's a sign better at three point.
Speaker 4: Shooter, It ain't. It ain't significant, but I think he's
he's better. I think he's better, and Done is I
don't know, it hasn't. Maybe I'm wrong, and last night's
game is the turning point. But the narrative surrounding him
being left open late in games and how many opportunities
he has had as of late against the Lakers to
hit him, against Phoenix, to hit him, and they're just
not falling.
Speaker 1: Over the last fifteen games. Chris Dunn is shooting from.
Speaker 5: Three hardy, so he's like at his average, he's higher
than both over the.
Speaker 4: Last That's that's a little shocking to me. What is
he at fourth quarters?
Speaker 1: Okay, hold on, let me see if I can parcel
it out.
Speaker 4: Give me those parameters.
Speaker 1: Okay, hold on, fourth quarter? Get stats he is suh.
Hold on, I gotta scroll a little bit. Get somebody
shooting from three and fourth quarters over the last fifteen games. Adam,
your guests eighteen it's a round number. If that helps.
Speaker 4: Ten percent?
Speaker 1: Yes, Holy.
Speaker 5: How many attempts though.
Speaker 3: It's not a lot of attempts. It is point eight attempts.
Speaker 4: Yeah, but we know what type they are. You're wide open.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think that's an easy swing. Though you make
two of those. I mean, you're turning that whole damn
thing around.
Speaker 3: Will is like just this next one, baby, Yeah, I
hope Derek joege Well, we're gonna see both, right, Like
in this scenario with Norm out in the fourth quarter,
it's probably gonna be both.
Speaker 4: I think we'll probably have Bogie in.
Speaker 3: Yeah, do we Kawhi's fourth quarter minutes? How we didn't
really talk about this against the Phoenix game. There was
some discord about people wondering why he sat out a
certain amount of minutes he did in the fourth and
then came back in comparison to when his minisula versus
the Lakers. Are they just going by feel per game
basis with the minute.
Speaker 1: I was a little confused by it.
Speaker 4: I'm not gonna yeah, I asked law about it. Didn't
seem like there was any clear understanding of why he
came out for a minute and a half. Was it
just I'm trying to think he had played the entire
fourth quarter of the Lakers game, right, and if he had,
if he had stayed in in the game against Phoenix
and didn't come out for that minute and a half,
he would have played the entire fourth quarter. So maybe
we're not doing entire quarters with Kawhi. That's the deduction here.
Speaker 1: I don't know, let me check it because we played
him on the second Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3: And again Tylu has alluded to kind of you know,
there was the game where Harden was out there for
forty minutes.
Speaker 1: He was like, oh, that was my fault. Kawi played
the full fourth versus the Lakers.
Speaker 4: On the second game, then maybe it's just well, he
just played forty minutes, so we can't do another forty
point game forty eight hours later.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the minutes roach the minutes management's been a little
wonky recently because TYLERU talked about it.
Speaker 1: You know, it was his fault.
Speaker 3: Harden was out there for forty minutes in that one game,
and then I don't know, I guess it'll be interesting
to see tomorrow, like if it's a close game down
the stretch, like we need these wins, and if he's
able to play the full fourth against the Lakers, like,
let's do it.
Speaker 1: Depending on the other.
Speaker 5: Three full quarters isn't like new for Kawhi, right seeing
it shifted consistently to the fourth, that would probably be
advantageous for this team versus his like normal first full
quarter stints in previous seasons. But yeah, I don't know.
It's so hard because I just feel like there's no
clear cut answer as to what is going to aggravate
the me you know's there's nothing like which is I
feel like, I feel like We've just gone through so
many different things, and it's like not playing and you know,
a whole lot of rest doesn't seem to be that beneficial.
I mean, you could definitely make a strong argument for
an overuse issue last season, but you know, it wasn't
a problem at least my understanding, until all of a
sudden it was. So I think I understand the concern
in terms of managing minutes, but I just feel like
there's no way for you to game it. Like there,
you know, there's truly no way for you to game it.
So if you could keep him h if you were
going to have him play full quarters, I would I
would rather come at the end of the game then earlier.
Speaker 4: Maybe just thought he'd looked gast, because I think he was.
He started the quarter oh four, Only that's very real too.
He got to tip in off a zoo miss. I
think at the him that was the only shot he made.
He just thought, I'll give him a minute and a
half breather here and hopefully he's reached charged and could
knock down and jumper. I don't know. Yeah, one asked.
Speaker 1: That's all well. Time for some of the media at
all of accountable, please don't do that, Please don't.
Speaker 4: If there was a statement out there, I didn't hear it.
Speaker 3: One thing I'm kind of looking for. As we know,
Brunson one of the most efficient scorers in isolation in
the league. There was some discourse over who was guarding
who and that Son's game would be pretty cool to
see Kawhi step up the defensive responsibility stuff. Not saying
he's chosen not to, but this next game offers an
opportunity for him to guard a couple of different positions
of guys who can score pretty well.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I should give that.
Speaker 4: The Phoenix game, there were a few possessions down the
stretch he was guarding KD a few possessions. He was
on Booker. That was good to see. I should have
put him on Cailespie apparently. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Robert Flaub had a good tweet where he was like
the Clippers coaching stash should lose sleep over this. I'm
kind of on his side on that, Like the man,
that was crazy.
Speaker 4: Hard. You got pretty cooked the end of that game,
Bogie got worn out by Gillaspie at least.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Bogey's Bogey's defense is not what he's on the
team for.
Speaker 4: Thankfully it was rough. Yeah, oh man Gillespie game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, will do you have any other thoughts about this
next team. It's kind of an up and down next team.
Speaker 5: Yeah, definitely. I don't know. There's there's a lot of
question marks and we'll see. I wish I felt better
about this team being able to pounce on on an
opponent on the second night of a back to that act.
I just haven't yet seen it once this season. So yeah,
rest advantage kind of means nothing to the Clippers, which
is great, just good stuff.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that Friday night Lakers game, that was a great opportunity.
They couldn't get that one. They were on the second
night back to back. It's frustrating the Knicks, Like you know,
I'm going to watch the game obviously later tonight, but
I'm a little bit surprised that they are fourth in offense. Yeah,
they're shooting thirty from three on the season. They're upper
ash low attempts though little attempts. Yeah, but against the Clippers,
you know they could go up.
Speaker 3: Yeah, this is this will be the first game where
a team makes thirty threes. That's what will probably happen.
Then the Clippers get the Kings on Sunday, which is
a monumental game for the standings. The Kings are a
half game behind the Clippers. The Clippers are two and
overs the Kings this season, but.
Speaker 1: They have one more game after this one, which is
the second to last game of the season, which could
be one of the more stressful games of the year
depending how things are going.
Speaker 3: How are we feeling about this King's team? It's kind
of new look after their pretty lateral move that they made, Like,
I don't know, Will, How are you feeling about the
team from the big Tomato?
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean it is a different look, which I
guess is a little bit more concerning. I'm always like
on notice about the Kings, regardless of our head to
head record against them, But I feel good about this one,
and I would love to see a Western conference win.
Speaker 1: Well not just a Western Conference.
Speaker 5: It feels like it's been weeks. A division win, I
mean a division win that's worth five Yeah.
Speaker 1: Where's the points system?
Speaker 5: We win against the Kings. That's by thirteen and seven.
Speaker 3: Adam, How you feel about this game? The Kings are
eleventh and net ratings. Since the Lavine trade, they're eighth
and three point percentage. They turn the ball over a lot,
Like it's kind of you never know what you're gonna
get because they're kind of an average team, so like
maybe they'll be above average, maybe we'll be blow average, don't.
Speaker 4: Yeah, they have enough talent where they're capable to put
them up with Zach Levine. Now he had a forty
point game I think already for them. He always scares me.
He's had some big games against the Clippers specifically. This
is a team that is fighting for something now. It
looked like at first they might fall apart after the
trade deadline. I was looking really bleak, and Doug Christie,
interim coach, rallied the troops a little bit. And they've
been playing better defensively, which is typically their issue out there.
So they're talented enough Sabonis, Zach Lavine, Demarto Rosen Tigan
Murray that they can It's not shocking to me that
they've been able to stay afloat even with doubt deer
at Fox. I felt like they're not going to be
that much worse after this trade. Honestly, Yeah, you don't
have to.
Speaker 5: Worry about having a crazy outlier of three point shooting, right,
very true. They just don't take enough attempts. I feel
like you're good.
Speaker 3: They're a wild card. I don't know what's gonna happen
in this game. The Clippers are kind of a wild
card too, right now, right we there's gonna be no
Norm probably know Ben Simmons is my guess, like it could.
This is gonna be a weird one.
Speaker 5: It's either gonna be get in timeline on this tired
this brother?
Speaker 1: When do we get in the timeline? Come on? We
just golling for Norm?
Speaker 5: Well, like we can only assignments are due.
Speaker 3: I am the crap pulling you down from the from
getting to the top of the bucket.
Speaker 1: Right now, all right, anything else on this Kings game
before we pick our player of the weekend picks, which
again has to be someone who plays well over both games.
Speaker 4: They should win it after beating the Knicks on Friday
and make this three game homestands special because you win it,
you have the tiebreaker against them, had to head. You're
feeling a little bit about your place in the West
and just to keep some momentum going. And yeah, they
need a victory against uh not just a pac divity
anybody in the West. Right now?
Speaker 1: Are we still below five hundred conference play. Probably we
might be at five hundred one.
Speaker 3: I was wrong, damn it. Yes, hey, let's get to
five hundred offerings play. That would feel great. I like
what you said. This game is huge for the tiebreaker.
Let's just get this. Make that second to last game
not as big a deal for them. Will your pick
for the Kawhi Leonard can't pick Norm Powell because he's
not playing James harden avitza Zubats player of the weekend
who has.
Speaker 4: To before when playing he just didn't know yet.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's true. They have to play good over both
of these games. Who are you picking?
Speaker 5: I'm gonna go Djjay. I hope that he is a
I hope he has a nice return. It'd be good
to see him knock down some of those threes that
has Adam put you feel slightly less worried. Then then
when Chris downs taking him wide open, especially in that
fourth quarter. Apparently, and I just we said this in
numerous times, but I like the athleticism. I like the
look of this starting unit with DJJ in there. I
doubt that he'll be back and starting line up maybe
for the Knicks, depending on what they want.
Speaker 4: To do there.
Speaker 5: No, no, no, yeah, yeah, Bogie, No, they'll they'll go DJJ.
I don't imagine. So, you know, the guy just had
a bibblehead. Let's have a let's have a couple of nights,
string together a couple of nights.
Speaker 1: Adam, your pick for player of the weekend.
Speaker 4: I'm going with the fourth quarter three point marksman that
I too believe in. And Chris Dunn. I'm going with him, damn.
Speaker 1: Okay, I mean the defense will be needed.
Speaker 4: Yeah, hey, it just went to for two against the
Pistons late in the game, at least in the second half.
Build off that we're gonna be all right. And I
love Chris Dunn regardless. You never feel that bad. It's
not Russell Westbrook. It's not the same thing, just because
they can play off of him, because his defense is
so insane on the other end that I still feel
like he's a net positive out there even when they're
leaving a wide open.
Speaker 1: All right, I thank you for not saying it. I'm
doing the biggest wild card. Bogey Bogue's gonna have two
good games in a row.
Speaker 4: Wow, he just did true.
Speaker 1: Okay, four, I'm offered that to four.
Speaker 5: We get to four.
Speaker 3: He's gonna shoot, He's gonna shoot, well, he's gonna put
on the floor. Maybe a little small, small pick and roll,
who knows. I think Bogue's gonna be key. If the
Clippers want to win both of these games, I think
they'll probably split. But I think Bogey's gonna play good.
And here's the Kauhi playing some good isolation defense. I
think we can coming up.
Speaker 4: I feel like they're gonna get both. I probably shouldn't.
I'm probably just riding the high off last night.
Speaker 5: It feels, I mean, it feels far more attainable than
I guess any stretch sense coming out of the All
Star break. Yeah, which, to be fair, not the easiest
stretch of games either.
Speaker 1: Yeah, not wrong, It wasn't. I said you're wrong.
Speaker 4: Eight game road trip, that's crazy.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a lot anything else in the Clippers sphere.
Before we wrap this thing up. We all right, there
we go. Thank you for hanging out. We're probably gonna be.
Speaker 3: Doing some postgame stuff on Sunday for sure. Check out
Adam on Clippers Talk after and during the game tomorrow
versus the next I'm gonna be on a Knicks podcast tomorrow,
which should be a good time with Andrew Claudio. Will
where can listeners? Tell anyone who wants to hear it
where they can listen to this podcast.
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, you can listen to this podcast wherever you
get podcasts. If you have to listen over on Apple
Podcasts or Spotify, go ahead, leave a little rate and
review It helps us out. The best way to consume
this podcast is over on you to dot com slash
at Clippers podcast. But hey, whoever you watch, whoever you listen,
you know we appreciate you.
Speaker 1: Very much.
Speaker 3: Do adam one positive thing to send these Clippers off
on their weekend.
Speaker 4: You know, we all thought James Harden was tuckered out,
he was fully fatigued. There was no way he'd have
a performance like that on a back to back. I
guess he's still got plenty of left of the take here, guys,
so we're gonna need him, especially with four back to back. Still,
we don't expect why I'd be playing in those games
left in the last twenty games. So I was very
encouraged to see James Harden throw it down last night
and into it. I'm on his way to fifty.
Speaker 1: Pretty awesome, there we go, Thank you, so much for
hanging out.
Speaker 3: Here's to a successful weekend and as always, let's go clips.