Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans? Welcome to season four,
episode twenty of Clips and Dip. I am Chuck Mockler,
joined by Adam Oslind and William Updyke. Thank you for
hanging out. It's a joyous occasion. If you're watching us
at YouTube dot comum slash at Clippers podcast, thank you.
If you're listening to us. We also like that the
Clippers went four and one over our let's go five
and oh stretch. We're gonna talk about that. We're gonna
talk about the Lakers game, and there's real trade rumors,
and I think we have to talk about Cam Reddish
because we've been asked about it multiple times.
Speaker 2: Sure, legally he's a new Clipper in the D League.
Speaker 1: He's a new Clipper. Adam, will how are you fellas
doing after the five? The four and one over this
winnable stretch of five games?
Speaker 2: Great?
Speaker 3: I mean, it wasn't that like what I mean, I
know that's what we were talking about, being baseline, But
the only way of like overachieving that would be to
go five and out, which ultimately they didn't do. But
it's understandable. The back to back throne and there a
lot of travel.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I wasn't mad at the loss as a whole.
Speaker 3: Last night. How many made threes by the Bulls of
franchke five twenty five, two below the record for any
team I believe.
Speaker 2: No the records, I think twenty nine. Okay, so for
Boston Milwaukee. But it was rough. However, it kind of
was playing with house money last night, in my opinion.
Somebody in my comment section yesterday was like, this is
really disappointing. You know, we always lose to the bad teams.
That's what people don't like about this loss. I'm thinking
to myself, you guys know the Bulls were favored in
that game, right, I don't know where you're coming from.
Where we should beat all these teams, and the Bulls
the guy said they were sorry ass team or something
like that. They they might win forty games this year.
The Bulls. They're not that bad, So I didn't take
that as a terrible loss.
Speaker 1: We also got the win against the Raptors, which like
the fashion in which that win was procured.
Speaker 3: I think I was.
Speaker 1: Like that, I'd rather win that one than the way
if we were gonna go four and one, I'd much
rather win that Raptors game than that Wizard's game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the Wizards game was shades of the Raptors
game with once again James Harden coming through late and
having the last six points where he had the last
eight points of the fourth quarter to get into overtime
at Toronto. There was some real character building type of
wins on this trip without Kawhi.
Speaker 1: And I also feel like the team like they over
this five game stretch. They shot thirty three from three,
which is not good, but they were like they were
a bunch of steals. They weren't turning the ball over.
Speaker 2: They won a game with their worst three point shooting
night ever, like twenty six. Okay, it wasn't their first
worst three point shooting night, but it was the worst
they've ever shot while winning a game, and that happened
against Washington because they beat him up and got to
the free throw line a ton uh second chance points
and they capitalize off of turnovers. So they're finding other
ways to win, which is great to see.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the real bad news was the Kawhi knee contusion,
which will what was your freak out level when you
saw the Kawhi alert pop up that he was sent
home alert.
Speaker 3: Deaf con five. That's a low deaf con. You were chilling. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
one is bad. Yeah yeah, as it gets lower, it's bad.
Zero is imminent nuclear war against.
Speaker 2: The clip on his knee.
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. When I saw it was sent home, I
was kind of I freaked out a little bit because
it was just.
Speaker 3: Like confusion though, makes me like a little bit less nervous,
I guess, just in terms of things, I Adam, you're
shaking your head. Do you disagree with that?
Speaker 2: No? I agree, that's like that's how I felt.
Speaker 3: If it was a sprain or something like that, Like
then we're talking about like a deaf Con three or
something a little bit more worrisome, but something like a confusion. Yes,
you do have to deal with the timeline and rehabit
the correct way, but that to me is a much
less troubling injury than something structural or ligament or something.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's not even his right knee, and we
know he already played on it because it happened against
Detroit the last road trip, that last game where they
came back down fourteen, So I don't know. My concern
levels pretty low. And I even said on the show
last weekend that you know, the only way it goes
up is if he's out for the Lakers game, right
which my Lakers game, and I said on that show,
like my guess is he'll be questionable. Questionable is good
news for the Lakers game the day before. That's typically
how it goes in the series of steps to getting back.
Once when a guy is out usually goes from out,
not to just available right away, it goes to questionable.
So just reading tea leaves here, but I always guess
he plays. We'll get but to more of that, Yeah.
Speaker 1: He is questionable for tomorrow, which is great, and now
it's like, all right, whatever and the level again, no
disrespect to the teams that are in the NBA for
those games to be missed.
Speaker 3: Collins missed.
Speaker 1: One of the more how can you next know what
I'm saying, a game against the team where it's a
little more of an even competition.
Speaker 2: He also he went and did an event in Toronto
that weekend before he went back, and I kind of
big brand it Galaxy branded, and was like, maybe he
was on the trip and there was a chance he
could play, but he also needed to be at this
event for the Boys and Girls Club.
Speaker 3: Was there any was there any other co sponsor that event.
Speaker 1: Any particular Okay, just I don't know if he's still
if that could have fulfilled something.
Speaker 3: Harden was getting it done. Adam, you pointed out.
Speaker 1: His drives have been up lately and he's gotten ten
free throws a game over this last five games, which
really helped because he was shooting twenty percent from three.
Speaker 3: But it's nice to see the drives up.
Speaker 2: It could just be that he's not hitting from threes
right now. But I'm not even necessarily talking about the
sport VU tracking stuff that does show that he's driving
it five more times per game in January as opposed
to December. But he just looks like he has more juice,
like he's got more bursts going to the basket. He's
more explosive than he's been in prior years. And the
three pointers are only down by like half a three
per game, so it's not like he's not still trying
to get get them up and he needs to get
out of the funk. So I think he just feels good,
like his legs are feeling good out there. He did
get blocked, probably more times than I've ever seen James
Harden get blocked in a game many times, but he
still got there, and he still blew by his man
to get there. The Biggs were just waiting for him.
I think it's really encouraging. He looks more spride than
he did his first year with the Clippers. And I've
been always wondering if that injury he had with the
hammy in Brooklyn, the further he gets away from that,
even though he's aging, he's also getting further away from
a pretty devastating injury, is that going to help him
where he could regain some of his athleticism and explosiveness.
And right now looks pretty good.
Speaker 1: But does that also play into the theory will of
this team is old guys, so they should stay in motion.
And maybe this All Star break could have some negative effects.
Speaker 3: You know. I always like, I think these things can
go either way. I feel like it comes up every
year in the NFL. If you get the if you
get the bye weeks, if you hit the buye week
out of the wild card round, and I feel like,
and this is all anecdotal, but I do feel like
we have seen this Clipper team be a little bit
slow to start outside of the All Star break.
Speaker 1: Certainly this year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I there can be a multitude of reasons
for that. I guess I'm gonna generally side on the
idea that all rest is good rest, so more rest
equals more gooder, and that I don't think that that
alone is going to contribute to the Clippers going on
another bit of a skid if that does in fact
happen after the post All Star break.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he has been having to do just again,
we say it every single year, so much for this
play so many minutes for this team.
Speaker 2: I would imagine buy around the All Star break, they
may have another player on this team to handle a
rock a little bit more. But we can get into
that in a bit interesting.
Speaker 1: One player per clutch Points. There was a Clutch Points
article we're gonna talk about today that does not appear
to be moved is John Coffins, which I am a
static about. Get Collins on the team next year and
for many years after that. He's been playing so well.
I know the three point percentage is going to come down, obviously,
but he's what I like about how obviously I like
that he's playing well. I like that he figured out
how to play well. He didn't, you know, what I mean.
It's not like the Clippers changed his role that dynamically
from what they wanted him to do in the beginning.
He's just more comfortable in the system. So he's showing
adaptability for a team that really needs it given the
injury situation.
Speaker 2: And wild enough, even with a Visa Zoo boss back
and all that spacing taking away that was given to
John Collins from Brook Lopez. It's weird. John Collins is
still shooting the hell out of the ball even with
Big Zoo out there in the starting lad next it's
all's like that spacing thing was a myth.
Speaker 1: I wonder what his contract looks like next year. He's
at what twenty five or whatever right now?
Speaker 2: A year yeah, uh, twenty five to twenty six. I
still don't think it's totally off the table that he's
going to be a Clipper next year. They're not going
to trade him if the right trade package came along,
because he is an unrestricted free agent. It's not like
they have a restricted free agent here that they just
have to pay and they can match with anyone. You
can't afford to lose this guy for nothing. Damn.
Speaker 3: That is true.
Speaker 2: Forgot he was unrestricted, but I think it's more likely
and now they keep him.
Speaker 1: Right, the trade would have to that would be an
interesting trade for College.
Speaker 2: The fact that they entertained it before this thirteen of
sixteen eighteen and three over the last sixteen game streak.
If those reports are true about Demarto rows and stuff.
The fact that they entertained and they shouldn't entertain anything.
In my opinion, there's still nineteen twenty four, but that's
not nothing, and I'm sure they would listen to any trade.
Doesn't mean they're gonna do it.
Speaker 3: Right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I wonder what. I'm really happy they didn't need
the durosm trade. That would not have been.
Speaker 3: Fun.
Speaker 2: I'm with you. I'd love to see John Collins continue
to stay with this team because it was the type
of a prototype of player they were looking for for
a while. They got him. It started off slow, took
him a little bit to click in and get the
chemistry built up and know his role, but once it did,
he has absolutely taken off. And yes, the three point
shooting is gonna come back to earth, but there's a
real good chance he's gonna at least shoot like thirty
seven percent or better from three this season.
Speaker 1: Well, Will and I were talking about this too when
Derek Jones Junior got hurt the first time, Like what
happens when he comes back with the starting lineup, Like
it's kind of an interesting Well, I think we landed
on Collins probably stays for this season in the starting
lineup once Derek Jones comes.
Speaker 3: Back, I think, given his impact in the way he
has turned things around, you know, because I do think
that that was a part of this learning segment, is
that he did have to shift his role a little bit. Yes,
but yeah, you know, in the absence of here's the
other thing. Last time Derek Jones Junior was back, it
was not for an extended stay unfortunately, So I think like,
not only would he have to come off the bench,
I think you'd have to have reasonable, like a reasonable
assurance that he wasn't gonna have another injury. I'll be
at the one in Boston was sort of a freak
thing how it went down, So of course there's nothing
like guaranteed, but you would want to have him have
an extended run to even think about like changing up
that starting lineup, Like everything is going so well, I
just don't I don't see any point into shaking in,
shaking it up really well?
Speaker 1: How long long is it has he been out there
between the two injuries or no, just since since the
second weeks A couple of weeks, damn.
Speaker 2: Because Boston was one of they won six in a row,
then they got blown out by Boston. Jalen Brown comes
back and he gets hurt. In that game, Jalen Brown
has fifty and they they hit twenty four threes. Yeah,
I don't think. I think it's pretty solidified that DJ
is gonna be coming off the bench, especially because they
have Chris Dunn in the starting lineup. They have a
point of attack defender in there, and Colin's playing this
good solidifies his role there. I think it's safe.
Speaker 1: We have to give another shout out to Jordan Miller,
who over the five game streak has fourteen points per
game on fifooting and four boards. I'm surprised to how
good he's been, and I mean that bullain. I Yeah,
now that he's proven it in this role, been like awesome,
Like this is great. We've seen him way more confident.
The reason that we get to see his bag and
all of these moves is because he's so confident, right,
now because he's playing within the system, he's playing well,
and he's getting to his spots like it's it's pretty
rad to see the the Miller renaissance. Miller Miller.
Speaker 3: Exactly.
Speaker 2: It's pretty impressive that he's adjusted back. They adjusted and
he found a counter and he can still go left
now that his handle looks tighter and he's got a
multitude of moves in his bag.
Speaker 3: Where did it come from?
Speaker 2: The guy put in the work, And I do think
it's a confidence thing. It's funny. Over the six game
winning streak, Jordan Miller had I think, by far the
best plus minus on the team and then got she
lacked with a minus thirty three yesterday in that game,
and that's just I don't It kind of tells you
a little bit of trying to rely on that stat
and how fluky it can be in a smaller sample size.
Speaker 1: Was that the worst on the team yesterday?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, thirty three is that's rough, But I and again,
I don't think he was that bad or that matches
the eye test of how he was. He happened to
be on the court when they were making those runs.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And I don't.
Speaker 2: Think the best plus on the team over the six games.
That also means he was the best player on the
team every game. You know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's averaging more points per ZUE over the last
five games by like zero point three points.
Speaker 3: But still interesting.
Speaker 2: He's gotta play better, zoo.
Speaker 1: Yeah, let's talk about that. Shout out to Kobe Sanders.
And came Christy, who's also having kind of another like.
Speaker 3: Christie. So he's been better. Yeah, there we goized, Okay.
Speaker 2: Her Frozens Visa you're back. Oh we thought, now you're back.
Now we got that. And there you.
Speaker 3: Charles keeps popping in and out if you're listening to
this after the fact.
Speaker 4: So well you want to talk about he's just so
flustered about a Visa Zobos recent performance despite the Clippers uptick, Adam,
what's what's going on there?
Speaker 3: I thought he was really good against the potential trade.
Speaker 2: His game against Toronto was strong, his first game back
after he missed another game with the ankle issue that
had him miss a couple of weeks. And he was
good and a big part of why they came back
in that game. He played heavy minutes. I thought he
was very so the last two games of the road trip,
though he just he wasn't moving the same. He didn't
have the pop or the energy out there, especially yesterday,
second night of a back to back. Of course, you
throw that caveat in there, but even with that, I
still expect more from a beatsuzubas he just has to
play with more force out there. There was a point
where he missed multiple tipp ins on a just a
bunny shot, just an easy bucket there, just to lay
up a gimme, And then the next time down Harden
finds him in the pocket, roll into the basket and
he just throws it down and it was like he
understood that, Oh, yes, this is what I was supposed
to be doing the last possession, and I should have
just dumped it instead of trying to tip it in
like this. So I just think he's been up and down,
and the injuries don't help being in and out of
the lineup, But he needs to be more steady and
more consistent, no doubt.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, and he's always kind of not always because
I hate to say that, but at times it seemed
like his conditioning has been has had its struggles, has
gone up and down. We see him, you can tell
when the visa Zubots is physically tired on the floor
like it's it's you know, it's not a big secret.
And I wonder if just dealing with all these injuries
has also impeded him from being to where he you know,
wants to be from a conditioning perspective in all of this,
because you're not just rehabbing the injury to like regain
your you know, your regular u range of motion. You know,
you're you're losing all this other stuff to a certain
extent that that you work on throughout the season. I
will say though, that he is still averaging a double
double over the stretch, which, like I know, you know,
we've come to expect that was like what we always
wanted with for a visa Zoobots before his official sort
of coming out party, Like Charles and I were always wondering,
like when is Zoo finally going to be that guy
that averages a double double? So he is still there.
But this is also like a deaf con five to me.
This is like I think, given everything, it's understandable. I
think if you're seeing this same kind of uh, just
loss of focus and like just just the sort of unawareness,
some level of unawareness on the court coming out of
the All Star break then something to be a little
bit more worried about.
Speaker 2: But apparently there was a big Croatian community up in Canada,
and I was wondering if that's why you played so
well against Toronto. That will add in motivation there.
Speaker 3: Hey, how's it going. I'm gonna jump in.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna hurl myself off the freeway after this, So
let's hurry this up.
Speaker 3: Where we talking about Zoo? Sorry?
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're just as play as of laid the injuries?
How much is that a part of his up and
down play? What do you expect from him, Chuck?
Speaker 3: I mean said trade is imminent right now?
Speaker 1: Do we think the rumors are getting to him? These
are the heaviest trades. These are real trade Zoo rumors,
not just people being upset about.
Speaker 3: But I do want to say about the the rumors,
is uh? Till mayor Zarly wonderful?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 3: Right? For the for the Clippers put out a report
today breaking down on the trade deadline stuff, and he
did talk about how there have been calls for Zoo,
especially those intensified during the slump that the Clippers were in,
which again makes sense an ailing team, you would think
maybe they're ready to sell off some assets, but it
doesn't seem like any of those offers were ever very
seriously entertained on the Clippers side of things. So that
to me kind of gives me pause about this idea
of like, oh, our trade rumors like getting to him
or something like that, because I like the report is
like they didn't want to. From the reports that we have,
there's just nothing to indicate that like he should have
any reason to be like packing his bags or list
in his house or anything like that, because it just
doesn't seem like it's been that seriously entertained. I do
think there have been probably the most serious offers that
the Clippers have received on Zoo in his tenure as
a Clipper. I just don't think. I still don't think
it's a at the level of what the Clippers are
looking for are expecting in a rere yeah, and and
B that you know that they're willing to take any
sort of step backwards on this season given the momentum
that they currently have, if it's not going to involve
significant future assets.
Speaker 2: To me, look if somebody's making the Godfather off or
like the Knicks to get Michale Bridges or what Minnesota
did with Rudy Gobert.
Speaker 3: But we haven't heard anything like that, right.
Speaker 2: I think it's got to start at least two first
round picks, and the one that was rejected was just one.
The one they rejected it was.
Speaker 3: Yeah, from the reporting, it was not good enough swap.
Speaker 2: Because my thing is, as much as the Superbots is
having a down year, I think we are exaggerating it
a little bit collectively, the fan base, the proverbial week.
I think, uh, fifteen and eleven per game is not miserable.
From your sen position, it's down slightly from where he
was at last season. If you want to say it's
more than the numbers, I'm listening to that argument. But
if you look at his rem protection within six ft,
it's been pretty good this season. It's just progress isn't linear,
and Aviata Zubos is one of many guys that started
off this season slow, and so when so many guys
aren't playing up to their potential at once, I think
that had an effect. Then the ankle injury, then he
comes to your no. I think it's a lot of reasons.
I mean, I think there's a lot of places you
can lace to blame, but bottom line is he's got
two more years and a very team friendly deal. Unless
they are blowing you away with an offer, there is
zero pressure for the Clippers to have to move a
eat to Zubos right now. They have years after this
one with him.
Speaker 3: I think that's what other people are like losing in
these trade conversations. It's like, this isn't an expiring like
you know's really valuable. Con I think you could get
a like I think you could get a first on
an expiring deal for Zoo.
Speaker 2: Like, like, twenty million year is a better deal than
twenty million this year. It's only going to look better.
Speaker 3: Sorry, well no, I agree, And I think that that's
what like, that's got to be part of the calculus too.
Speaker 1: So yeah, and then yeah, it's just he's gonna be
on the team. If you don't like that, I don't know,
pick a new team.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 1: But if like people are some people are so upset
that Zoo is still on the team, and you're like,
just you got to deal with it.
Speaker 3: I don't know what to tell you.
Speaker 2: It's been unhinge. The Zoo talk has been really out
of bounds. It's been way too much, way too far.
Somebody today said.
Speaker 1: I'm out.
Speaker 2: If John Collins is your starting five, get ready for
him to put up prime a minutes if they get
rid of Vista Zoo Boston, John calls is now you're starting.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and again he's because that's what it was like
at every other stop for John Collins.
Speaker 3: It's like, it's these guys that we have tape on too.
It's like, dude, it's it's not like brook Lopez some
unknown commodity in the basketball world. It's not like John
Collins is gonna do something at this stage of his
career that's gonna be like, oh wow, I did not
know he had that in his bag. Like, well, it's
not impossible. It's highly unlikely that either of these players
are going to show you some sort of different look
at starting at the five that's going to suddenly unlock
this team.
Speaker 1: And Zoo's available, which is arguably the most important thing
to be for this Clippers.
Speaker 3: Team, and young Gish twenty eight. Youngish, damn. We do
have not young for the league, it's young for Clippers.
Speaker 1: But we do have to acknowledge that Brook Lopez's rim
protection was solid over this five game stretch.
Speaker 3: Some good shit from Lopez. Oh yeah, Charles Au little
full from meeting all that Crow Lopez Crow.
Speaker 1: No, the only way I'm eating Crow is if they
trade Zoo Lopez starts and shoots forty percent from three,
then all the lunatics will be correct. I want Brook
Lopez to be good. Like we said last week, it
means the team is playing good.
Speaker 3: Probably.
Speaker 2: I think you're right though, even in the shooting, even
in the shooting slump that he has been in, which
has been pretty steep, he's thirteen for existent five. Yeah,
ever since he at nine threes up in Portland, thirteen
of sixty five, that is twenty percent from the outside
the RUSS numbers. They're not guarding him, so like this
whole he creates space. If his man isn't guarding him,
then he's just sitting in the paint and you're playing
four odd five at times. So that whole space thing.
Maybe people got a little bit ahead themselves, but well
everyone knows.
Speaker 3: I think coaches only scout on Twitter and they exclusively
gain plan a spreadsheet.
Speaker 1: That's JJ Reddick.
Speaker 2: While he's in the car wash. Now, he has been
good defensively, and I think all other facets of his
game have been pretty strong during this stretch, and I
think he's still been solid and I think he can
still help his team. And I don't believe he's gonna
go thirteen for his next sixty five from three. I
believe in the overall body of work.
Speaker 1: He found out a way to also get other buckets,
which we saw him match his season dunk total over
this trip. Like that's good to see, you know what
I mean, Like he's it's good, it's great.
Speaker 3: Oh, we haven't even talked about this.
Speaker 1: We also saw Zoo and Lopez minutes over this stretch.
Speaker 2: There are some people that are gonna be in the
comments killing us for saying they were right about this
in the offseason. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Sven suggested that Zoo plays in a big, big lineup
with every backup center that has ever been on the
Clippers roster in his tenure in There has never been
a year, there has never been imagination where people are like,
why don't we do this with two dude.
Speaker 1: We even saw some Tres Zoom minutes and those were abysmal,
Like those were the funniest. They just ran into each
other trying to grab every rebapd It was very funny.
Speaker 2: So in that Friday night big comeback against Toronto, they
did go plus six Zoo and Brook Lopez, Brook Lopez
and Yonick went minus eleven. That did not work very well.
Speaker 3: But it's also like big lineups sound like they're minus five.
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna put everything into one game or say
they can't do whatever again. And I think when they
went back to it against the Wizards, Zoo and Lopez
played like three minutes and they went minus three or
something like. That's not that's nothing definitive where I'm gonna say, oh,
this is crazy or this can't work or whatever.
Speaker 3: So what did you throw Kobe Brown in the man?
Speaker 2: I think so.
Speaker 1: I don't think the offensive rating can go that high
or the defensive rating.
Speaker 2: But they did work pretty well together, like they were
switching really well. And because Lopez can shoot it from
the outside and is just in a slump, the spacing
isn't miserable with them two out there there. There could
be more use for it down the line.
Speaker 1: But Collins at the point plus three, No, Collins is
at the fives, at the four, Brooks at the three, okay,
and then Nico's at the two and Kawhi runs point
with this group the death lineup. This is our death
line that's for who.
Speaker 3: Yeah uh quick.
Speaker 1: Uh quick standings. We are officially at a playing spot
at number ten. We have one more win and one
more loss than the Grizzlies. We are one and a
half games up on the MAVs, which we'll see how
they start playing once the All Star break hits and
they make some insane trade they have. Clippers are two
and a half games back on the Blazers and five
games back on the eight seed Warriors, who are dealing
with Jimmy Butler being out, and the Kuminga situation continues
to get weirder. Dun't Levey's definitely not on Kominga Island,
and apparently no one else is either because there's no demand.
Speaker 2: I don't know if that's the ovation. I don't buy it,
don't leave it. He's trying to just throw chum in
the waters, like make me an offer.
Speaker 1: Guys, It's so weird just the way he's handling it is,
Like what are you doing, dude?
Speaker 2: What did Kaminga have twenty one and twenty minutes after
not playing for a month, Like, yeah, he can be good.
Someone is going to trade for him?
Speaker 3: Will it be the Clippers? Probably not?
Speaker 2: If I'm the GM let me tell you if I
got a trade for I don't know. If he has
a brother to bring in Kaminga too, I'm doing whatever
it takes.
Speaker 1: Hey, now you're getting into aspiration territory.
Speaker 2: Where does he have a sanasis?
Speaker 3: Yeah? Is there a fanasis Kamingam?
Speaker 1: I don't I like the chances of maybe catch the Warriors.
Speaker 2: Though I like them a lot, I think that's really
in play and it's unfortunate. I like Jimmy Butler. Yeah,
but nobody feels bad for the Clippers when they got
guys out. You gotta take advantage of an opportunity in
front of you. They don't. Nobody cares.
Speaker 1: I agree. All right, Well here's the grabbing the eighth
seed coming up. Clippers are playing the Lakers tomorrow night,
so we're gonna preview that and then talk some trade talk.
If you're listening to us, gonna be a quick ad break.
If you're watching us, we will you'll be here. Clippers
like Rebe coming up in three two one.
Speaker 3: All right, welcome back into Clips and Dip. We just
talked the road trip that nearly exceeded expectations a mere
one loss away. But the Clippers are back home, so
give them a big mass welcome back, and then taking
on the Lakers in everyone's favorite matchup. This is th
sort of like, you know, the Clippers appear to have
turned things around since what December twentieth or whatever? Is this?
You know? Is this an iron sharp AND's iron situation?
Is this the Is this where you're judging where the
Clippers are actually at? Depending on how how this game
looks win or loss, I suppose I think a little bit.
Speaker 1: I'm really excited for this matchup because of how the
Clippers have been playing, and I think I will probably
put some more stock into like how I know, obviously
we need every single one we get. I'm not taking
any win for granted here, but it's like, yeah, how
can that good run of form? They only have a
day arrest, which sucks after the trip, but like, how can.
Speaker 3: This run a form trip that's your arrest for quiet?
Very true?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna put more stock into this game probably
than I should, because it's it's it's it's exciting to
see how they play against this Lakers team, who is
our excuse me capable of playing very.
Speaker 3: Well, Adam is this is this the biggest test for
the Clippers, and in this renewed look.
Speaker 2: It's interesting because first of all, obviously it's you know,
it's imperative that if if Qui doesn't play, I don't
know how much we can put into this. As long
as the Clippers, you know, they still win, then we're
putting everything into it. We got all excuses because Lebron
and Luca are playing, Austin Reeves is still out. But
this game was actually a big part of the turning
point for Kawhi and the Clippers. If you look at
the last time they played each other, when the Clippers
beat him it into its own one to three to
eighty eight four weeks ago. These two teams kind of
went in opposite directions after that, the Clippers started rolling
and the Lakers went through a lot of different issues
out there. And Kawhi put up twenty four shots in
that game, and it was one of the first games
I think when he got off the minister restriction, he
played forty two minutes where he really started being aggressive,
started more off the bounced threes. He went four to
twelve from the outside. This was a FOURK in the
road type of game for the Clippers, and I wonder
what this next one could produce out of it. Two
teams went in opposite directions after this last game between them.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Luca got hurt in that game, right, I was
looking at the stats the only way nineteen minutes, so
I remember him.
Speaker 2: He got hurt. The Clippers were off though ten early.
This was the game Zoo got hurt too with the ankle.
Speaker 1: Injury was out. It was a weird one. They scored
eighty eight points, which was.
Speaker 3: I like that part. Yeah, no Austin Reeves. I was looking.
Speaker 1: Someone posted some just lineup stats between Luca Lebron and
No Reeves. Luca Lebron without Reeves on the court are
minus two point sixty six NAR rating, which is interesting.
So and both guys are basically one point better when
they're just by themselves and four other guys between Luca
and Lebron, so like, you kind of.
Speaker 2: Don't know what they've never fully meshed.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's which is odd though too because over the
last five games they have a top four offense, so
it's kind of weird.
Speaker 2: Luca has been playing better in January. His shots falling
from the outside. Now he's been shooting about thirty eight
percent from three, but he and reeves the two man
lineup there has been very good. But uh, you know,
independent of Luca has been better. Luca, independent of Lebron
has been better out there on the court. Even I
think going back to last year, the numbers bear that out. Uh,
they're still dangerous Luca against the Clippers. What are we
talking about here? Uh, this is this is scary. He's
gonna try to get is and try to hit a
bunch of step back threes. We know, we know the
formula and what they try to do.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Dunn played three minutes of matchup time on Luca
back in December. Luca shot six or him, which is
awesome to see. Well, how we kind of talked about
this game as a whole in putting stock into it.
This is a game I feel like it's huge for
Zoo abounds back. A good Zoo performance goes a long
way against the slay.
Speaker 3: Christy Oh Yeah, no, agreed completely, especially with eight and
coming like with eight and in this one, it's a
better matchup for Zoo And I don't know, it's interesting
looking at both these teams, because you know, as Adam said,
like the Lakers really fell. I mean I think they
were high as what third in the conference before this
Clipper before this last Clippers matchup, they're now like tied
basically for five and six with the Suns. And well,
their offense has been elite top five in the NBA,
their defenses just outside of the bottom five, whereas the
Clippers are kind of hovering around the middle over this
like last little stretch. And so what it kind of
says to me is like two teams who have been
overall kind of average with very different results, and that
can come at you know, different points of the season
or whatever. But I like, if this doesn't light a
fire for Zoo, then maybe you start to worry. You
start to up that death Con level a little bit,
because I put this when you were off I put
this also out of deaf Con five. But I said,
if Zoo came back from the All Star break looking
the same way, like a little unsure on the court
or something like that, that's when it's little bit more
time to worry, because then I'm starting to worry about
his overall like long term conditioning and sort of those
cumulative knocks that he's taken throughout the season, but this game, uh,
you know, ahead of that is a very is a
very good zyndicator, zy indicator of where he's at and
you know diometer. This is a matchup like him vers
eight and is one that I'll always remember because one
of his his first performances as a Clipper, he fearlessly
contested contested eight not a dunk and got his absolute
head dunked off. But uh, it was like it was
just one of those things, like, man that I love
this guy already, like that, you know, this guy's gonna
go for it. This guy is getting up for this
matchup and he's only had this uniform on for you know,
thirty minutes, fifteen minutes.
Speaker 1: And I don't think they like each other very much
because you have the value op yeah, and then you
have that like there I which I like. I think
when Zu gets.
Speaker 3: Pissed offal your offense.
Speaker 1: No, I hate that. I hate the suns the buns,
which is genuinely one of the funniest things. Dime Dropper
calls them the buns and it makes me laugh every time. Uh,
but I don't think Zu likes them, which is cool
and I like that, so I'm excited to see hopefully
Zoo bounce back.
Speaker 3: If you're not getting up for divisional play, buddy, Helma,
come on check your pulse.
Speaker 2: I think the eight and matchup as a factor. Going
up against your former employer and the Lakers is always
a factor for bets a Zoo Botch over the years,
he's been very good against them. Yes, and I was
just pulling up the numbers. So Clippers obviously thirteen to
three their last sixteen games. Now after yesterday's loss. Over
that stretch, they got a top five net rating their
fifth the Lakers, they're twenty third in net rating. Even
their offensive ratings bad. So the Clippers have been much
better over the last month, month and a half than
the Lakers by pretty wide margin. Now there's reasons for that.
The Lakers have been missing Austin Reeves for a while,
Luca was out for some time. But also the Lakers
issues on that we knew we're there with just the
imbalanced roster and having too many one one way players
get on one at the court bat on the other.
The Lakers have real issues. They're going to make some
type of move here soon. So Clippers take advantage of
them before that happens.
Speaker 1: Please, Former almost Clipper Lebron James per per ESPN. Yeah,
and I mean we obviously, I we're all kind of
leaning towards Kawhi playing given the questionable tag.
Speaker 3: So as eight pm on January twenty first, yes, time saving.
Speaker 1: And Harden's drives a look a lot more affected. With
Kawhi out there putting those threes up constantly, he'll probably
take eight this game.
Speaker 2: And with the Lakers defense out there.
Speaker 1: I'm excited. I want col Yeah, I'm I'm hype for
this matchup. The Clippers need to shoot better from three.
We can't be we can't be thirty three percent from
a lot from beyond the arc in this one.
Speaker 2: Honestly, this is my biggest concern because as much as
it was great seeing the thirteen to two run, you
look at the numbers and the Clippers during that time
are shooting thirty nine percent and everyone against them shot
thirty one percent, the worst percentage in the league during
that time. Totally unsustainable. And then you see what happens
against Chicago and you're wondering, is this the correction coming?
It's this the law of averages going back the other
way against the Clippers. I don't know, it might be.
Speaker 1: I know one thing, the Wall is going to be
insane because the Clippers are actually playing better, you know
what I mean, And it's gonna be shout out the Wall.
I'm excited to see what they have in store for
Luka Dungcicic. All right, now, the most important part player
of the game.
Speaker 3: Picks.
Speaker 1: We cannot pick. If you're new to the show, we cannot.
We are legally not allowed to choose Kawhi Leonard to
eat the Zobots or James Hard. We obviously want them
to play well. We assume they will play well. What
about Susan is slump though, all right, we can put
you on the table, but Kawhi, James Harden obviously they
need to play well. Everyone else is on the table.
William Updack your pick for players.
Speaker 3: I'm going Zoo for the reasons previously mentioned in this
up and in this segment.
Speaker 1: Good choice, surprising bit of a curve ball. Yeah, Adam,
your choice has already been picked.
Speaker 2: You know what, I guess I'll go to the guy
playing next to him in the front court and John Collins.
Speaker 3: I thought you were gonna say, Brook club. I was like, yeah,
let's keep this going. Uh No, that's a great choice.
Speaker 2: Why John Collins, Well, I think he's shooting fifty eight percent.
Maybe it's forty eight percent from three his last twenty
three games I think, and sixty percent from two during
that time or from the field. His shooting streak is
not slowed down. And he just looks confident. He just
looks like he's he's prepared for whatever they're thrown at
him every night right now, and where he needs to
be on the court and the Clippers offense and his
defense has been so much better since his offense got
hundred away. His attention to detail and just the back
line defense and the shot blocking and we're talking about
embatic shot blocks out there from John Collins. So I
love his energy right now.
Speaker 3: All right, John Collins, we got zoo. Damn. That's two starters.
You should probably go with someone off the bench. Again,
these are your own limitation. I know, I understand that.
Speaker 1: I want to say Chris Dunne, because it's done. Having
a hot three point shooting night would go a long way.
Speaker 3: He goes three for five, it's a big night. They
have to do another bubblehead.
Speaker 1: They would have to do another bubblehead. So I think
I'm gonna go. Yeah, I'm gonna go Chris Done. He's
gotta be the whirling dervish that he usually is on
the perimeter with his defense, which will be fun. I
think he hates the Lakers too. I have no reference
for that like I did for Zoo, but something tells
me he's not a Lakers.
Speaker 3: He seemed like a man who cares about divisional play.
Speaker 1: Yes, I could not have said it better myself. All right,
coming up, let us know your picks for the game
against the Lakers. Coming up, We're gonna talk cam Reddish
he's back, and then the clutch points trade rumors.
Speaker 2: Against the Lakers. There we go, game man.
Speaker 1: That would that would have to be a pretty big
revenge game.
Speaker 2: That changed by to watch.
Speaker 1: Ad break and then trade stuff coming up in three two.
Speaker 2: Welcome back in it is Clips and Dip Episode four
twenty okay, Season four, episode twenty. Here I'm at Amslin.
We got Jeff Mockler and Will Updyke, and we got
some trade possibilities, some rumors, swirlings. Guttle Butt is on
the horizon and the fact was brought to us by
till Marrizzarli a little bit earlier today from Clutch Points,
we throughout some of the usual names that we've been
talking about, but there's a little more weight to it
when he and Brett Siegel talk about these guys from
clutch Points, Jack, who do you want to start with here?
Speaker 1: I was interested that they're not actively shopping Bogie. That
was explicitly stated, and I was a little surprised because
the man is not available.
Speaker 2: That sounds like we're not giving them away for free.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And it is part of that just because it's
an easy way to create sixteen mili in cap space.
I mean, like you're you're essentially handing somebody sixteen mili
in cap space because.
Speaker 1: Basically that could we get, yeah, or like, how does
it work that we could replace him with someone who
can play basketball, who is healthy.
Speaker 3: Not to derail this, but I did think another another
interesting part of this is, you know, sort of I
don't even know if it's an elephant in the room,
but like the Clippers need to clear up two roster
spots to convert Miller and Sanders, and like that has
to factor into any deal. Like they're obviously they're gonna
have to be sending out more than they're taking back in,
because that seems if nothing else happens, that has to happen.
So there has to be some sort of consolidation move
just to make way for that.
Speaker 2: Who's taking Kobe Brown a CP three is based to
do with The article said, that's five million right there combined.
Speaker 3: But I'm taking you look at this turnaround for the Clippers.
You wonder if you know it happens sooner, maybe they're
not sitting there.
Speaker 1: In five they mentioned that there didn't seem to be
a lot of interest in Chris Paul shocking, but yeah.
Speaker 2: He's been on the block for two months, right.
Speaker 1: He was a legend.
Speaker 3: He was one of the greatest Clippers ever. But this, yeah,
not even from like the Timberwolves or something. I just
don't think he has the juke, Like no, yeah, no,
you're right.
Speaker 1: I like Conley great, that's that thing too, of like real,
oh god, it's a real god. I just think and
I don't think like if he comes back and you
want him to play any any tangible I don't even
want to use the word real, but like tangible minutes right,
Like he's gotta work his way back into shape. He's
been playing Mookie Betts in one on one like he's
not with the team. It's such a and I'm not
like saying this to bad mouth because what else would
you do when you're forty, But it's just from a
trade value or from an act, not even it's not
even a trade. They're giving him to somebody from an
acquisition standpoint. It's a hard thing to move off of.
Another reason why you should know that the Clippers did
this for good reason, because what a headache from every
possible perspective.
Speaker 2: I'm guessing the reason he hasn't been moved yet is
because they knew towards the trade deadline. More teams are
gonna know what they need, and while they don't necessarily need,
he's gonna be packaged with somebody else, like maybe Kobe Brown.
Somebody just takes a flyer on him, and it's a
two for one type thing.
Speaker 1: It's kind of like negative two for one, which we
still come out on the Clippers. He'll come out on
top with any transaction because that means, as well said,
we're converting Kobe and uh Jordan.
Speaker 2: And one way or another, that's happening. That's not something
you guys need to be concerned about Clipper.
Speaker 1: They're going to make it seem it's a priority. Clippers
were linked to Kyle Kuzma. Will is this another? Is
he and the the Clippers should trade for him? Hall
of Fame with John Collins?
Speaker 3: Yeah, because the biggest thing that I saw in ward, Yeah,
the biggest thing that I mentioned in the article, which
again great reporting, but it seems like there there is
uh an enthusiasm on Kuzma side to return to Los Angeles.
Great man, who wouldn't want to, Like, you know, it's
not like it's not like he's in a position with
that franchise where he can be like where he gets
to dictate the terms of of where he's going. I
mean there to l a Kyle shut up exactly exactly,
like you know, it is just not really panned out,
So I don't I would not even say that there's
smoke to this one, like I you know, there if
where there's smoke, there's fire, there's there's nothing here. They're
they're sitting in the breeze, clear air, no smoke signals.
Speaker 1: Man, they can't even there's no flint, there's no spark,
there's no not even oxygen, I do not.
Speaker 3: I like from a theoretical perspective, maybe, but what's Kusma
you in at this year? Isn't he thirty mili twenty?
Speaker 2: So he has the rare uh de contract de escalating contract.
Speaker 1: Les Bridges does too. I was looking at his contract
because people were asking if we would trade John Collins
for Miles Bridges.
Speaker 3: No, but he has a de escalating contract too.
Speaker 2: So Kuzma was making twenty two and a half this
year and then twenty million next year, and then.
Speaker 1: Okay, I thought he was like when he ate it,
so Bogie CP three and Kobe Brown gets it done.
Speaker 3: Maybe, I mean that's the deal. There's no way it
would be.
Speaker 1: But I would take that deal to a heartbeat.
Speaker 2: That would probably mean also that Milwaukee's already trade the Giannis.
Speaker 3: Yeah, like they're.
Speaker 2: Not getting better out of that.
Speaker 3: No, They're getting much worse. Yeah, that would have to
Like that would have to be the first tip to fall.
They would have to deal at. They would have to
decide to deal at the trade deadline.
Speaker 2: Who I am kind of a Kuzma fan, not to
Joseph I Award extent, but I have been a fan
of his for a while. And think there's a proper
motivation thing with Kyle Kuzma. And he was in a
really bad place in Washington for a while.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but he's been in a really good place, really good.
I mean, I guess you're right.
Speaker 2: Has been been unstable themselves. Uh, he's always shooting thirty
three percent Santo from three this season, saying that he
shot last year, like the three point shooting getting worse
is concerning.
Speaker 3: The contract goes down for the.
Speaker 2: Right d I'd be interested, but also where you putting
him if you're keeping John Collins. He's a power forward,
so he's coming off the bench. He plays a lot
of power forward small forward. But the contract does make songs.
He's Kuzma's off the books next season too.
Speaker 1: Zoo Jannis, Zoo and Collins for Jannis and Kuzma. Plus
plus filler plus filler is my favorite part of trade
season because people just say it. You're like, of course,
of course, you just put the filler in there, Yes,
of course, grab that dirt and fill the bag. That's
the filler.
Speaker 2: They don't want to name names and offend anyone. They
just call him all filler, right, Uncle Piller.
Speaker 1: Yeah, other players the Clippers have been linked to are.
I think we've talked about all these guys, Colin Sexton,
Anthony Simons, Kobe White. They're in need of another ball
handler and playmaker who could spell James and Kawhi. I'll
tell you what Colin Sexton for what I think the
price would be. I think training for Anthony Simons is
a zoo trade. I think we could get Sexton without
giving up.
Speaker 3: Yeah, what else? Like, what else do you have that
like really moves the needle for Boston, Like with is
Collins intriguing enough? Wigs like they though? Yeah? No, I
mean that's the most like that's the most appealing asset
from the Celtic.
Speaker 2: And Colin Sexton. I was hoping they were going to
get him last year, talked a lot about it. Now
he's in a contract year. It's an expiring nineteen million
dollars that he's a restrictor free agent. They're not going
to be able to get a ton for him because
he's expiring in Charlotte, right, was that?
Speaker 1: What's their record Charlotte?
Speaker 2: They got like nineteen wins.
Speaker 1: So they're not in full fuck it mode.
Speaker 2: No, I think they do want to, Like actually, Kobie Brown, yeah,
I I don't think it would take a ton And
then that's another guy like John Collins I'd like to retain.
And by the way, they played next to each other
in Utah. Yeah. Yeah, you get both of them on
short term contracts after this season when they're understracted free agent.
That's that's not a bad deal.
Speaker 3: How bad.
Speaker 1: Numbers you got. They gotta figure the filler out and
then I think they'll make the call. And then the
biggest signing, the only one of these people who actually
is an official LA Clipper. A lot of Cam Reddish
fans out there after the news today, which, Hey, happy
to have you join the Clippers bandwagon. We need as
many fans as we can get. Well, Scan, what's your
defcon level for the rest of the league now that
Cam Reddish is in the Clippers system?
Speaker 3: Here league, fuck it's over. Also, the San Diego Clippers,
I've given up how many first round picks now, I
don't know a lot. I don't know. Hey, they're trying
to be like the big guys. They're trying to do
Clippers moves. I've learned it from watching you.
Speaker 1: Cam Reddish is bad at shooting the basketball, and I
do not think he will play any meaningful minutes for
the LA Clippers.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, Hackle on that unless Adam you kind of posed,
what do you got?
Speaker 2: What do you this is the This is a low
percentage chance. But if there was some selloff, then all
of a sudden he'd be playing. Yes, I don't anticipated,
I'm just saying it would. It's not the worst thing
in the world to have him waiting in the G League.
Speaker 1: I think that is that is factually correct. It is
not the worst thing in the world that he is one.
Speaker 2: Here's what's crazy about camp. He's played in two hundred
and fifty NBA games. He has started one hundred and sixteen.
He has real and experience, given he was the top
guy coming out of college. Unfortunately, the three point shooting
has never been there close to consistent. He's thirty two
percent three point shooter. His defense is good, he's a
good athlete. He's still only twenty six. But the three
point shooting, it's just it's been a real issue. The
Lakers gave him a ton of opportunities try to make
something out of him with the Darbenham I mean he
started a lot, so it didn't work out.
Speaker 1: Yeah, just not his stats are Lithuania aren't even that good.
We were looking those up.
Speaker 2: I think how many games he started in the NBA
is what has people like, WHOA, this is a good get,
Like I saw him a ton for the Lakers. It's like, yeah,
but they were really.
Speaker 1: In those brilliant the brilliant ham era of the Los
Angeles Lakers ham kits.
Speaker 3: Sometimes I think it's like almost like a Gene Parmesan
effect where people who like don't follow the league super
closely are just like, oh, I've heard that name before.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I want him to be good, right
if he's.
Speaker 3: Like sure, but what are we talking about? Man?
Speaker 1: Yeh?
Speaker 3: Get like we're done. That actually is a great spot
to end.
Speaker 1: We're gonna do a happy hour hang on Friday at
five thirty pm. Adam will have you covered for pre
and post game for the Lakers game. They have a
game against the Nets this weekend that we're going to
talk about during that. I'm gonna do a full ep
on Monday, Will Where can these people tell us that
all our takes are wrong about it eats the sabots?
Speaker 3: Where have people been doing that? Yeah, if you want
to tell us all it takes are wrong. You can
yell at the wall. If you have something constructive to contribute,
you can do that over on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
You can, of course comment on every single video that's
over at YouTube dot com at Clippers podcast. That's the
best way to watch this show. Subscribe over there, hit
the little bell for notifications so you know when we're
doing stuff like the aforementioned lives. But however you listen,
whoever you watch, you know we appreciate you.
Speaker 1: We very much do. Shout out to everyone who watches
this on a TV. I think that's I appreciate.
Speaker 3: That a lot. Extra points if you have like the
nineties drug dealer, super thick TV with the speaker and
the base and perhaps a fish tank on top.
Speaker 1: And let me know how much you're willing to let
that bad way.
Speaker 2: Go for They have played duck hunt again.
Speaker 1: Yeah, gosh, holdly my terms, Adam. One positive thing heading
into the Lakers game. We need it, man, We've been
so negative this spisode.
Speaker 2: As I mentioned earlier, to the people who were freaking
out about them losing in Chicago, Remember they had a
blip against Boston. They responded afterwards. They won the next
game against the Golden State Warriors without James Harden. They
lost a game to New York in New York, a
tough game. They responded one sixth straight. This team has
had losses along the way during this thirteen to three
stretch where they have jumped right back into the win
win win calm. So, I know, people are you know,
they've been winning so much, they've they've become a victim
up their own success. Yeah, so they lose any game
and people start to freak out. Oh no, here we go,
They're gonna get back to the six and twenty one team. No,
They've already had some losses here and there, and they
responded immediately afterwards. So I'm hoping for the same thing
against the Lakers, who have not been playing great basketball.
So the Clippers, you know, as well as they have
Kawhi Leonard, hopefully they should be in good shape.
Speaker 3: There we go.
Speaker 1: And I like what Will said too about how like
the defense has been so low for the Lakers, but
the offense has been so high over the last five games,
whereas the Clippers are kind of like they're both in
the middle play wise. So yeah, here's the Quhi playing.
Thank you for hanging out hope everyone has a great
middle of their week and as always, let's go clips.