Speaker 1: What's going on? Clippers fans? How's everybody doing this Monday evening?
Welcome to Clips and Dip Season three, Episode fifty. I
am Chuck Mackler. We got the full crew, We got
Adam Oz and we got William Updyke. We are here
to talk about what the heck is going on with
the Clippers. We're gonna talk the losing the two games
to the Lakers. We're gonna talk losing norm to injury.
We're gonna talk the Clippers versus Suns preview because that
game is incredibly important. And then we're gonna talk a
little bit about the Jordan Miller contract and how we
feel about the month of March. If you're watching us
at YouTube dot com slash at Clippers Podcast, thank you.
We genuinely appreciate it. Thank you for hanging out. If
you're listening, we love that too. If you want to watch,
you can always subscribe over on YouTube. Fella, how are
we doing? Adam will start with you. How's it going?
Speaker 2: It could be worse? I like what I saw from
KWHI last night. As predicted he'd be off the minister
restriction this weekend. Not as predicted, they'd still go on too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, nice to see the minutes restriction lifted. Some real
bad discourse happening on Twitter about minutes restrictions and how
much the Clippers play against certain teams. I'm gonna let
the listeners discover that themselves. Will You and I were
watching the oscars and the game last night? How are
you doing this morning? Do you feel? I was pretty
down last night. We were watching the game with the
frolic room. I was not feeling it. Have we switched?
How are you feeling?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Not great, man, It's no great spots to be You
mentioned the injury port injury report for the game against Phoenix.
That's not looking great either. It's nice the Kuhi is
a little better. But Adam even pulled up some film
to sully that, so thanks for that, Adam.
Speaker 2: He's not on the engine report.
Speaker 1: He is not on the injine report. He did keep
playing after he was grabbing Adam.
Speaker 3: Why grabbing his knee?
Speaker 1: I think that might be a metal thing. He's just checking.
He's making sure it's okay.
Speaker 2: Every single time Kawhi falls and weight with baited bread, I.
Speaker 1: Mean, come on, how can you not that is true?
The Clippers. In case you missed. It dropped the two
games to the Lakers, and Norm got hurt. Do we
want to talk about the one or maybe two positives
from these games? I say the one positive is Kawhi
Leonard Hey building blocks best game of the season last night.
Speaker 2: He looked great, right, Yeah, you look legit like Kawhi
from last year.
Speaker 1: He did.
Speaker 2: He had a ton of pop out there to his
mid range. Finally, that was the missing ingredient, which kind
of made me hopeful, like, well, he can't be done
hitting shots in the mid range, right, He's too good
at this. There's no way that's the thing that's gonna
fall off. First and last night he was there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it felt good. I felt like kind of watching
another classic like Clipper situation where one guy is doing
very good and it just it can't No one else
can really coalesce around it. Will Howard? Are your overall
encouraged from Kwi looking good?
Speaker 3: I'd imagine, yeah, yeah, of course, how could he not be?
Speaker 1: It is?
Speaker 4: Yeah, probably like the one positive takeaway, especially given you
know some of the other setbacks that it happened since.
But yeah, if Kawhi can get back to being that guy,
you know, it gives the Clippers obviously a much better shot,
especially with a grueling month in which they might not
have Norm Powell, which seems see.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm I mean to be fair.
Speaker 4: If Kuhi is back, now is the time to really
to really shine. Now is the time to really uh
to really let it fly and uh just remind everyone
where he's at.
Speaker 1: Yes, Norm was taken out of Game two with a
hamstring injury. He's listed as a strain on the injury
report for the game against Phoenix, which.
Speaker 4: What did you make of an instagram thing?
Speaker 1: Oh? Yeah, the Instagram post where he said this is
some bullshit. I think he was probably just mad about
being hurt.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he was frustrated. He just got back plays nine
minutes now something else gone wrong. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 1: Just frustration. Yeah, what do we think? We're all doctors?
Of course, famously the only podcast hosted by three doctors,
uh specifically hamstring doctors. Like a week and a half,
two weeks? Is that kind of what we've been seeing
from the hand string strungs strains?
Speaker 2: My medical schooling tells me that, uh.
Speaker 1: My old yeah you got that from.
Speaker 2: I'm going with two weeks and if it's anything less great,
but I'm thinking at least two weeks. But I don't know.
Speaker 1: He's so important to the team and we haven't seen
them rush people back. I know there are some people
thinking that maybe Norm got rushed back or he played
through some kind of injury, but he.
Speaker 4: Was weird for him to be down coming out of
the All Star break.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's fair. Another situation where more rest
makes this older team somehow more fragile. But I think
they have they got to be cautious with Norm. This
team is playing so badly, uh, and we can't have
a sixty five percent Norm out there trying to pick
up some of the scoring slack, because that's how you
get hurt even more. I think right like they're going
to be slow with this.
Speaker 2: I think, yeah, I would assume they're even more cautious.
Speaker 1: Now, Okay, I have one more good thing to talk about,
and then we can talk about all the bad things
that happen in the Lakers game, or maybe some of them.
Justin Rousseau, our favorite French for trapping Clippers Meet reporter
tweeted out that the Clippers this season are top ten
and shot quality per Basketball Index, despite the recent downturn
offensively twenty third in offensive rating and three point percentage
since the all start break, the process has seen sound.
Does that make y'all feel any better? Or are we
just a bad shooting team? Now?
Speaker 4: Made me feel better if teams weren't shooting like their
best percentages against US?
Speaker 3: I suppose.
Speaker 1: I think that's a fair point.
Speaker 3: It can't be both things.
Speaker 2: It can't.
Speaker 3: I mean it is, but not if you want to
wait for success.
Speaker 1: Yeah, not if it's as some are saying our year, Adam,
Does that make you feel any better? Buckets will be there?
Speaker 2: Kind of that account for who's shooting those shots but
apparently are good looks or is it just they're good.
Speaker 1: Good looks taking them? Yeah? Well, and that so we
I don't want to put this, we can. That leads
perfectly into what dude, Bogden shooting has been so bad
the lad He's six for twenty two the last two games.
He's shooting twenty seven percent on catching threes since the deadline.
Speaker 3: Uh, which on defense too.
Speaker 1: He was getting destroyed on Friday on defense. It's gotta
come back right like this is this is as bad
as it was when he was with Atlanta. I thought
it would come back. Maybe it's just more time. We've
seen it be good a couple of games. But man,
is it twenty seven percent on catching shoot threes when
you're brought here to do one a catch and shoot
threes For the most part, her is hurting the team.
I don't know what the answer is other than more
wide open shots per basketball Index.
Speaker 2: I think they're just encouraging him, keep going, push through it,
because without Norm he is a Norm archetype type player
in a lot of ways. He could Actually he started
the second half when they didn't have Norm, and it
makes sense in theory.
Speaker 1: There's a lot in theory that makes sense for this
Clippers team. In theory.
Speaker 2: He did go four of eleven last night. That's thirty
six percent. He knocked down a couple that brought it
close and gave him a shot late. I don't know.
It's been really really up and down and mostly down.
I think, though he is he's got to be a
little bit above thirty percent now shooting wise as a
Clipper from the outside.
Speaker 1: I don't think. I bet he's less than a full
percentage point above thirty percent as a Clipper.
Speaker 2: Okay, let me see here. I thought he was thirty
percent going into that game. Okay, he's at zero point
two nine eight.
Speaker 1: Okay, so not so if you round up uh, in
Professor Austin's class, that's n F plus. In my class,
that's n F minus. Still, yeah, I don't know. I
want that to be better, Like I don't know what
else to do. He's getting good looks, right, He's not.
He's not going one for twelve, like shooting off a
double team or anything like that, right, Like, he's at
least making good decisions.
Speaker 2: He made He missed two wide open threes in the
near side corner and looked at himself last night, like,
what the hell is this? How can this be happening
to me?
Speaker 1: It seems he absolutely feels like he has the yips.
For those of you who don't know what the yips are,
it's when you're used to doing something a million times
and then you step up to it started in golf,
and you just lose everything.
Speaker 2: He's Steve Sacks right now throwing the first.
Speaker 1: Dude like this is and I'm not like trying to
say it, like this is so shitty to deal with
if you've ever had anything like the yibs, He's brought
here for one specific reason. That reason is not working.
It's just calm. I'm sure it's compounding whatever's going on
in his head.
Speaker 3: He's got to turn it around now.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that yes, we don't have an option. We
have there is because of up until last night, how
Kawhi Leonard looked, because of how James Harden's looked. In
terms of fatigue. There's a lot more stress on the
other guys to hit their shots, and when that's not happening,
things obviously look rough hard. Yeah, and I look, I
love Chris Dunn. We need Chris Dunn. It's a conundrum,
a condundrum if you will, because we need his defense.
But the team, the opposing team is fine. If Chris
Dunn is taking the third most shots, they'll lose a game.
If Chris Dunn is hitting his shots. He is so
good at defense, he should be on an all defensive team.
Like his value is events he's specialized. It's that thing
with the Clippers where we have all these specialized we
have all these specialized tools and when Harden, Kawhi Norm
and I want to add Zoo to this, but he
got forgotten in the game last night. When they're not
able to do what they need to specialized tools. It
just looks a lot it's a lot harder for them
to do anything else. Adam, you rolled your eyes at
the Zubots thing, what the hell? When is this? Like,
I'm not what the hell at you? I understand why
you rolled your eyes.
Speaker 2: I'm almost nearing acceptance with Haavisa Zubots not getting touches,
like it's I don't know what else to do. I've
been freaking out about this for years, but this year
it's like, how can this happen this year? How can
it keep happening? After you just played that team Friday night?
He just he still could have gotten more touches in
that game Friday, and then you get him six less
the next game when you can't score. What is happening?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't understand how the rotation crutch anytime someone's
out ends up falling on zoo right, like the shots
go down.
Speaker 4: Like Norm, you know, left that game after nine minutes,
Like I think that, you know, to see a decrease
in zoos field goal attempts. Had Norm been out there
for for something approaching regular minutes, I feel like, okay,
I mean I could shock that up they're trying. They're
trying to get norm back involved in the offense. He's
obviously a very.
Speaker 1: Big part of it.
Speaker 4: They know what he can do scoring wise, Zoo's role
is a little bit more fixed, I guess. But yeah,
for him to be gone too, it's it's all the
more baffling.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 4: It's it's like they they have this identity, but they
don't know what's good for them.
Speaker 1: Yes, I do.
Speaker 2: There's nothing currently that pisses me more off in sports
than at least to Zoobos not getting touches.
Speaker 1: What about the lucasrade?
Speaker 3: Okay, this is ten of those.
Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, sure.
Speaker 2: Why the fuck did you have to bring that up again?
Speaker 1: These are things we don't speak of.
Speaker 2: I mean, I'll actually talk about.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're like, this wasn't other breakdown. This wasn't I
didn't see this on the breakdown. Okay, we talked about
Zoo getting ignored. What's the remedy for harden Man, Because
tired Harden is not getting back on defense the way
that he should be. Not to say, you know what,
I mean, like he was doing a good job at it,
but when he's tired, you can see it not happening.
He's forgetting guys at the top.
Speaker 4: Of the key. Another conundrum though, because when he has
extended like when he doesn't want to take rest, when
he has extended rest, he comes back a little rusty.
Is this just him sort of still shaking out of
the All Star break? Like is what we're seeing because
it looks like fatigue to the eye, But like, is
this perhaps him just trying to shake some of that
russ off and just get back into sort of the motions,
get that sort of mentum going in. I certainly hope
it's that, because I mean, there's just a lot of
season left, fellas.
Speaker 1: A lot of season, not a lot of time. We
are going to talk about our March record in the
third segment, But I hope it's the rest man. But like,
he looks twenty point. That twenty point third quarter was
absolutely incredible last week. But I'm also like, how much
did that take out of him for the games after that?
Because he looks tired at all.
Speaker 2: He's won for his last twelve quarters, He's had one
good quarter in his last twelve. I would say, honestly,
I think the solution is pretty clear. Give it up
to Kawhi. You don't have to do everything anymore, like
take the burden off of James.
Speaker 1: Yea.
Speaker 2: The only positive I can find from what's going on
with the injuries now is it puts more of an
onus on Kawhi to have to be the lead dog again,
and that's where they need to be anyways to get
to their maximum potential.
Speaker 4: Which is Yeah, if we were doing a gentle on
ramp for Kawai's return to the rotation, it's now lift
off that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we've gone from a very casual walk up up
a gradual slope to find the bowl during route. Dude,
you gotta go straight up. Yeah. I like that, Adam.
I think I'm gonna I'm going to try and buy
into that that this will light a fire under Kawhi
and then we get more sets where he's getting looks
at the elbows, he's we're getting some small small pick
and roll or something like that, like there's hope to
be mined out of this and huffed from a big bucket.
Speaker 2: Kawhi was at his best last night. It has been
as of late, I believe with James hardened off the
floor and the numbers will bear that out where there's
a clear distinction of what your role is when he's
off the floor, not playing next to you. But again,
for them to actually peak, they have to figure it
out with both of them on the floor. And I
think think it's clear just let Kawhi run the offense
through him more. That will help James Harden with turnovers
usage rateing's going to go down, his efficiency should go up,
his lakes should be fresher. It's right there. Now, Kawha
is going to miss five more games because the backs
to backs, so at most he's playing seventeen of the
last twenty two. What are you doing those five games?
And that's kind of the problem to me. It's like
you can't just tell to Jim's hardened right now, Hey,
thanks for everything this season. Now it's Kawhi's team because
Kawhi is not going to be there for all these games,
so you have to figure out how to flex and.
Speaker 1: James hard in the same games. Just be like you're
sitting in the same games Kawas. I don't think that
would go over well at all.
Speaker 2: Hey, maybe it Ben was healthy, they could do it,
but now that's a problem. It is like I think
they could have used him last night.
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, He's a guy who makes anyone who makes
James Harden's life easier in terms of setting the offense
up can always be used. Unfortunately, the only other person
on the roster other than Kawhi they can do that
is Ben Simmons.
Speaker 2: Well, you just can't have this evolving offensive identity all
the time and how you want to play out there.
It's too hard for role players. And I know that's
been an ongoing thing in the two to three era
and oh yeah, but it's just there are twenty two
games left. Is there really enough time? It's it's lick
and dire, guys.
Speaker 1: We don't even have a set starting lineup, which some
people have been worried about. For a minute. Is there
anything specifically from the two Lakers games that we want
to talk about before we kind of before we talk
the standings a little bit? The thirty five or was fun?
By the way on Friday, anyone who came out, thanks
for coming out, Spencer DLG. That was a good time. Lad.
I don't know, oh one thing that pissed me off,
and this might be the old man in me, Luca
rubbing the ball on his head to put all the
sweat onto it. Before the free throw.
Speaker 3: Just gross.
Speaker 1: I would be mad if anybody did that. Just gross,
Like you don't see that a lot for a very
good reason. And then it's gross and like and it
could have it could have been a Clippers player who
did it. I would call them out too, but like,
just gross, man, don't do that, shick.
Speaker 2: Maybe that's what didn't like.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, hey, he's the gross crew. He said.
We don't want to be the gross crew. We got
to get this guy out of here. Okay, quick, peek
at the standings because we're gonna preview Clippers verse Suns,
which I don't know how big this game is. It
feels like both of the teams in the game tomorrow,
Like not there's season hinges on it. But it's a
real clash of sad stories, is what it is. But
the Clippers seed six through ten are separated by half
a game. The Clippers have the tiebreaker over the which
I believe is the only other team they have the
tiebreaker over in that list because the Suns are smoking
maybe the Kings. Yeah, the Suns are four and a
half games back of the Clippers and maybe trying to
make something happen. They have the hardest strength of schedule,
but they do have the tiebreaker. Things are coming to
such a stressful end for this month, specifically with how
these standings are shaking up. I'm so happy we have
that tiebreaker over the Warriors because this team and the
play in I don't love the chances. I don't know
how we feel about the standings. Will what are we
think of before we get into this preview.
Speaker 3: A little bit.
Speaker 4: I mean, it's it's tough, it's tight. That tiebreaker over
the Warriors ends up being really really huge. Yeah, I
don't know it. This month is so much hinges on it. Again,
the Clippers are in a similar position where Marsh means
so much to the rest of the season. Look, you know,
other teams around this area could start to slide a
little bit too. I'm still liking the Clippers at six,
but it is going to be that much more difficult.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the fifth seed, just for reference, five games ahead
of the Clippers.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Rockets, that's out of reach.
Speaker 2: It's six or Yeah, six are playing, which.
Speaker 1: Is where we kind of said they would be.
Speaker 2: We said it best they could end up six. That's
coming into the year, and that feels it's gonna be
a challenge.
Speaker 1: Pretty well, I would tell man, Yeah, I would take six.
One of the few things we've gotten right on this podcast. Yeah,
I don't think we're catching the rockets. I've also skeptical
that the Suns can make up four and a half
games on us. Yeah, I've not seen it.
Speaker 2: The Suns have the toughest strength of schedule left. I
think they're cooked, but that doesn't mean they can't win
tomorrow exactly.
Speaker 1: Okay, perfect segment, the professional, the perfect segment. We are
going to be talking Clippers versus Suns, a must win
game for both teams. I don't know. It is disaster
in Phoenix. The vibes are weird in LA. If you're watching,
there's not gonna be a break. If your listener's a
quick audio break. You can avoid those at YouTube dot
com The Shat Clippers Podcast if you want to watch
us see our beautiful faces. We got some ads and
then Clippers versus Suns coming up in three two one.
Speaker 4: All right, welcome back into Clips and Dip. We talked
to the disappointing double loss to the Lakers, a little
bit about where the Clippers are sitting in the standings
somewhere the Clippers are sitting better than would be the Suns,
who they are taking on which they are defeated currently
against the Suns on the season three look. We talked
about it leading in. I don't know if in terms
of a tiebreaker, obviously there's nothing at stake here for
either team. What does it mean in the Western Conference?
I mean, it would be nice if the Clippers could
win a game against the Western Conference opponent. Again, not
that they're moving up anywhere, but to not if things
do come to a tiebreaker for that for the last
play ins, for the last playoff spot.
Speaker 3: It's not looking so hot. So in that sense, there
is a.
Speaker 4: Lot on the line for this team and a lot
of the Suns because they always seem to show up
for this this matchup.
Speaker 1: Hate each other, We hate the Suns. The Suns are
also imploding. There's like some vibes with Budenholzer and Devin
Booker and like.
Speaker 4: It seems like they're gonna move KD now, which I
don't know why that would be public.
Speaker 1: They've already talked about it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're like, well, at this point of the season,
like this is their hope. Hey, I know it sucks
right now, but guys, we are going to move Kevin
Durant this summer, so.
Speaker 1: Forward to that, to look forward to. This is the
this is the Paul George shutting down the Podcast of
Actual Basketball GMing. One quick thing it is injuries are
horrible part of the game, but the timing of certain
announcements can be comical. The fact that PG was like,
I'm shutting this ship down because I got a lock in,
and was it the next day that the Sixers were like,
we gotta shut down, Joel and like, get back to
the pod man, It's fine, we're not doing anything.
Speaker 2: Saying that being twelve games under five hundred that now
is time to go out and compete and turn this
around is wild.
Speaker 1: So that's.
Speaker 2: Hours on this.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh yeah, this there would have been some peak, Yeah,
some hate watch potding.
Speaker 4: So for the we don't have to anymore. Wow, I
was the season, be perfectly honest so far. Yeah, I
was dishonorably discharged from the Army of Paul George by
Karl Tart.
Speaker 2: So some smuck said in Philly when they brought in
Paul George, it's our year and they're looking pretty dumb
right now, fools.
Speaker 1: So for the Clippers. There's no norm there's no Ben Simmons,
there's no Derek Jones Junior. I haven't looked up the
Suns injury report, but I can't imagine it's as lengthy
as that one. Yeah, I don't know, man. So since
the All Star Break, the Sons have the twenty ninth
defensive rating since the All Star Break, very large sample size,
the very big sample. I'll take what I can get. Man.
Speaker 2: If you go back their last fourteen games, their thirtieth
in defensive.
Speaker 1: Rating, Okay, there we go.
Speaker 2: Man, there's been bad. They did not there's no help
in the helper going on there.
Speaker 1: They are shooting the lights out since the All Star Break.
The worst three point percentage for anyone who takes more
than four threes a game is Grayson Allen. He's at
thirty five percent. That's not ideal. But everyone else is
over thirty seven and a half percent. And Bradley Beal's
shooting forty five percent from three since the All Start break.
So for the whole teams are shooting well. Against the Clippers,
we're running into a team that's shooting well since the
All Star Break against everybody.
Speaker 4: Can this team even school or confidently against the thirtieth
ranks defense.
Speaker 3: I think it's.
Speaker 4: I think, given some of the absences, is something to
be concerned.
Speaker 1: About because the Clippers have also been bad twenty third
defensive rating, twenty third offensive rating, twenty six in that
rating since the all start break.
Speaker 2: Do you think there's a reason and the reason that
Kawhi is playing this game of the back to back
is we all look at that defense we can feast
and find our offense.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that's a great call because they got
the Pistons on Wednesday, which is a game that we
hope they win.
Speaker 3: But I don't know.
Speaker 1: The Pistons are good, so might as well say, Kawhi,
it's a conference game versus the Suns. I think we're
totally right.
Speaker 4: I mean, or is it more that of the two games,
this one seems.
Speaker 1: More winful, which is crazy what.
Speaker 3: You saw versus the Pistons. I mean, Pistons are good
right now.
Speaker 1: There's surgery right now, Like I know, but like three
hundred and sixty five days ago, if you were like, hey,
next year, it's going to be more advantageous for Kawhi
to play against the Suns than against the Pisson. No, Adam.
I think you're totally right. And I think this is
a team that maybe we see him in the play
in who know, right, Like we don't know what's going
to happen with that, Like I hope because we just
talked to him, they we probably won't because we just
talked about maybe this is the game we get going
with Kawhi initiating more offense, maybe Harden gets a little break.
Speaker 2: I maybe, yeah, this is about building some good habits
and getting two games in a row where Kawhi looks
really good, Like why have them cool off for an
extra day when he just looked that good against the Lakers.
Maybe it's trying to keep Kawhi and rhythm.
Speaker 4: I like that a momentum play that's definitely more positive.
Speaker 1: We're searching, we are we are fine, we are trying
to find it. What do we need to go right
for this one other than and I mean this with
full sincerity, basically almost a one for one performance from
what Kawhi had last night.
Speaker 4: Tomorrow, one of Bogden or Done is going to have
to shoot better than thirty percent from three.
Speaker 1: And I think it's bogged in because Chris Done. It's
found money. If Chris Dune shoots better from three.
Speaker 4: He was great in that first Lakers game. He was,
and not for the fouls, which I mean haunted him
again in the second one, but not for the fowls,
like he could have maybe swung that that first game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's found money to me, right, it's Chris done
hitting threes. I'm like, great, that's I'm not banking on that.
We kind of have to bank on Bogden hitting threes
future wise.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's really no other option going on here. Hey, Amir, guys,
Amir didn't take a shot last night. Did you notice
that in twenty two minutes he was Oh for.
Speaker 1: Oh that clink trillion stat line? I was.
Speaker 2: And he had a bad game Friday. Yeah, and he's
a forty three point shooter this year. That's pretty wild.
Speaker 1: More bad news Traumato on this episode.
Speaker 2: Uh, what's wild crazy though, is how he's going to
turn it around in Phoenix.
Speaker 1: Here we go, okay.
Speaker 2: Where it's hot.
Speaker 1: What what are we looking for from hard like this?
I want to look up his games whereas Phoenix this year.
But like I just it feels like we're just we
need the most because our main contributors are older we
need the most like base things or like, I hope
he looks spry, like I hope he looks energized. I
hope he's not forgetting guys at the top of the key, like, yeah.
Speaker 2: We can on guys just physically having it every night
sight do they have it tonight? Do they have their legs?
And I really hope that wasn't just Kauhi had some
pop that night. But the next two games he's going
for eighteen to twenty again.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that is definitely something to watch for. Okay,
Harden has been pretty good against the Suns this year
just by us losing. Yeah, man, I don't know. I'm
trying to find some positive. Gives Zoo the ball. Let's
give Zoo the ball. That's something that needs to go right.
I know we say that every single episode, but like
except for that two weeks where they were doing it.
But Zoo can make a lot of this stuff easier too.
Speaker 2: Who's guarding him? Bull bull?
Speaker 1: I think so is either they're starting.
Speaker 2: I don't I know, he's had some numbers here and
there recently.
Speaker 1: And he kills the Clippers. We've watched him be like
a unicorn against the Clippers. And been like awesome, and
then people he started their last game against the Timberwolves
that they lost by almost twenty points.
Speaker 2: I swear to God, if a Ziza Zoobas doesn't get
up thirteen shots tomorrow, you're done. I'm this close to
really this close.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean there are They are not playing good
basketball they had I did not watch Phoenix versus Minnesota,
but you can't have a starter in Nick Richards played
twenty five minutes and not attempt a single shot. They're broken.
They're They're a little broken fundamentally.
Speaker 2: Y, which is at Nick Richards that didn't even help, which.
Speaker 1: Is hey, slotbusters, right, this is what the Clippers need.
We need a team that has broken internally to build
some good momentum again.
Speaker 2: But they're so do as well. I hate that. I
wish they got that win against Minnesota for many reasons.
Speaker 1: Well, and Booker didn't have a good game, Like.
Speaker 2: Booker, is that a good season? Like yeah, somebody said
we should trade a Visa's Zoo boss and Norman Powell
for Devin Booker this summer. I'm like, no, I'm not
giving up just Norman like Powell was better than him
this season. I mean, I probably would, but I'm definitely
not doing both.
Speaker 1: I would probably do Norm Powell for Devin Booker future
I wouldn't do. Would you do Zoo for Devin Booker?
Straight up?
Speaker 2: I don't think I would.
Speaker 1: Well, it's not like the backup center. It's not like
we have anyone to slide into that backup center roll
to pick up any of the slacks, like you know,
I could see it.
Speaker 2: I think about it, but I'm not doing both.
Speaker 1: But I'm not doing both. Yeah, man, if we can't,
are we are we more worried about we know what
the offense is.
Speaker 4: One thing on the offense though, so we're We're six
and nine, I think in our last fifteen and those
games correct me if I'm wrong, but they almost perfectly
coincide with Harden has in that same fifteen games span.
H he has nine games shooting sub.
Speaker 1: From the floor.
Speaker 3: And I believe woof.
Speaker 4: I want to say that that account that that is
every one of those losses.
Speaker 1: I can see it.
Speaker 4: Ooh ooh, Nope, we won, we won. We won a couple.
It looks like we won two games, maybe three games.
Speaker 3: It looks like, yeah, so.
Speaker 2: The shooting numbers are on our side. Yeah, some games
we shouldn't have.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we won two games we shouldn't have in the
fifteen gamespan where we went six and nine. Yeah. Man,
I feel like, are we more worried? So since the
All Star break? I mentioned they're twenty third defensive rating
twenty third offensive rating, which isn't too far away from
where they've been all year. I think they've been stuck
at twenty two ish. Are we more worried about the
offense or the defense this game? I'm gonna be honest, specifically,
I'm so worried about this game because our top tier
guys are not playing well enough to make up for
the fact that Derek Jones, Junior, Ben Simmons, and Norm
Power are going to be out well.
Speaker 2: I will say they were plenty good enough against the
Lakers both games. Defensively, they were Dalton connect going off
like that his best game since November, right, A couple
of those they were not wide open. You had like
a step back. It was ridiculous.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and Shake.
Speaker 2: Milton going two of two from three, who is having
a rough year. That was brutal. I mean they won
the minutes Friday night when Luca and Lebron were on
the court. They won those minutes against.
Speaker 1: Them, but they got they did not win the other minutes,
which are the minutes you gotta win.
Speaker 2: But that's why coach Luke came out afterwards that, like
Friday night, he said, this is a game we should
have won. This is a game you gotta win. If
you win the Luka Lebron minutes, how do you lose
the game? Well, their bench was bad. I think they
had fourteen points off the bench, and I don't know
if that's gonna get much much better without Norm right now.
Speaker 1: Or Derek Jones junior or right like, because it's.
Speaker 2: Bogie's gotta be better, but he might be starting, so.
Speaker 1: Yeah what he kind of take a shot? Yeah? Will
you were You're more worried about the offense. Yeah, yeah,
we've seen the defense be very good, so it makes
sense to not be worried about him. This offense just keeps.
Speaker 4: You would just I mean, you would just hope you
could do something against the thirtieth rank defense. You would
hope that you could get a little something going.
Speaker 1: We're gonna need I mean, Carden, Kawhi, and Zoo are
all gonna have to be at twenty points to get
the win. Tomorrow because like Jordan Miller's gonna get time tomorrow. Yeah,
with how little guys we.
Speaker 4: Have, can he be the remedy the Clippers bench scoring was.
Speaker 2: It was not yesterday.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 1: People were so mad yesterday. They're like, how could we're
playing Kobe Brown and Jordan Mill. It's like, guys, you
get mad when tylu doesn't play the young guys. Then
there's foul trouble and we're down a guy and you're
mad that he's playing the young guys. It's okay to
just be frustrated at the whole product. It's just be
frustrated with the whole thing. Don't try and zero it
in right now. There's a lot of issues you can
be frustrated at. But like the fouls undone were crazy.
Is that we're not gonna.
Speaker 2: Good whistle last night at all.
Speaker 1: It was bad, But like we're here now, we're on
the play of the young, Like we're gonna see some
young guys tomorrow. Let's hope Jordan Miller can shoot over
forty or like whatever the hell we need, Like when
he drew you banks to be good tomorrow because he
will be getting minutes.
Speaker 2: He was pretty good yesterday.
Speaker 1: I gotta say, Okay, you're ordered the jersey right now.
Speaker 2: Hold on, guys, I'll bear it back.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm getting a half world, be free, half of
you banks jersey. It's what I'm kidding out of it.
Go ahead.
Speaker 2: No, I was, I'll be honest. I think they had
already gone two minutes scoreless at that point. Coach who
said I need some energy I got. I'm looking for something.
As you mentioned, guys are in foul trouble, they're down
norm pal, they have to do something. I was fine
with the idea of it. I don't think that was
the reason they lost the game. Now, the Clippers ended
up going seven minutes and thirty four seconds without making
a point, not a shot, just scoring a point to
end the same and that was that's an all timer.
Speaker 1: That is like, is that the longest stretch? I mean,
what's in the last five years, what's the longest stretch
of basketball they've gone without scoring a point?
Speaker 2: And k why was out there for like four minutes
of it?
Speaker 1: Yeah, it can't be far off of seven forty five.
I don't know anything else you want to say about
this must win game. If so, this is what bothers
me about this game. I do have one thing else
I will say, if the Clippers lose this game, this
is the game that gives a team like the Suns
a hey whoa oh shit, mabe.
Speaker 3: I think it might be past that point.
Speaker 1: I agree. But if there's one team to give a
team belief when they are fundamentally broken and the star
player and the head coach are kind of having a
public spat through the media, it is this Clippers team,
and it is this Phoenix team to be dickheads and
get the win and then have some scenario where we're
staring at the ten seed because we don't have the tiebreaker,
handedly do not have the time breaker.
Speaker 2: I don't think Phoenix can get back into the play
and maybe they can.
Speaker 1: They do have talent, but norms out for two weeks.
Speaker 2: They can definitely win this game. I completely agree that
they're looking at the Clippers like food. This is the
team we always beat and have a mental edge over,
because if you look at how they won those first
two games this season. The first game into god damn
first gave it into it. They're down nine with three
and a half minutes left. They come back, take an
overtime and win the second fing game, the Clippers were
up twenty one, and they went fifteen of fifteen shooting
to start the third quarter. Things I'll never see again
in my life. They hit fifteen straight shots. They got
confidence against the Clippers.
Speaker 1: That they do Okay, player of the game picks, everyone's
on the table. We're throwing out the rules because the Clippers.
Kawhi has not played good enough consistently. Harden looks exhausted.
They don't care that Zoo's out there. Will, who is
your pick for the Please? Can we just get a
win against the Suns. Player of the game and we're
not doing I know we haven't talked about the game
against the Pistons. That game feels like a punt at
this point. Kawhi is not going to play. I can't
imagine they bring Norm back for it, and I hope
they sit Derek Jones Junior. So like that game's maybe
off the table. I'm very negative right now. I apologize,
Will your pick.
Speaker 4: I'm going bogey, I'm really really I'm putting it all
on the line here. Man.
Speaker 1: That the craziest take ever said on this podcast. But
we need it.
Speaker 4: It's yeah, it just shoot above thirty from three Man like,
just do that and you'll you'll win the very prestigious
Player of the Game award from I. And who knows, uh,
this could actually spill over into the Pistons game as well.
Speaker 3: You never know.
Speaker 4: It's pretty crazy world out there. Pretty crazy things can happen.
But yeah, man, he's got to turn it around and
uh going up again distress against the thirtieth ranks defense
would be would be the time to do it?
Speaker 1: Okay, we have will with Bogey.
Speaker 3: I know it's an insane thing.
Speaker 1: Oh no, bro, Every the last forty minutes, I feel
like I've been descending slowly into insanity talking about this team.
Adam your pick for player of the game against the Suns.
Speaker 2: I see your Bogey pick. I like to live dangerously too.
I'm taking Norman Powell.
Speaker 1: Just the fuck.
Speaker 2: The vibes from Norman Powell and the Vet. No, uh,
we can take anybody, fine, you know what. I'm taking
James Harden. He's been worse than Logan the last two games.
Speaker 1: Sure in terms of rolling everything ride.
Speaker 2: For thirty six s twenty five percent from the field.
Speaker 1: Are you kidding? I think that's a perfectly reasonable pick
and a good reason to do it all right. I'm
not gonna say Kawhi or Zoo, but we very much
need the three twenty club to form tomorrow night. Who
is laught? Who else is on the roster? Man, I
don't know.
Speaker 2: Take a mirror, do it? He might take a shot.
Speaker 1: It's it's got well. We need like we need every
I'm gonna yeah, I'll go a mirror. We need a
shot of espresso. Like he hates the suns, I think
let's go a mere. I do not feel good going
into this day. I help clippers talk a ture for you, Adam.
I can't imagine. It was very fun. After the Lakers games.
Speaker 2: I had a guy collin last night named Rick, and
he's like, He's like, we're not a championship caliber team.
I'm like, look the do I didn't hit him with
the due. I said. The idea was, you get healthy,
you have a healthy Kuhi and seven game series and
you can compete with is about anybody in the West.
And I still believe that.
Speaker 1: I do. Okay, I don't know if it's ever.
Speaker 2: Gonna happen because they're more banged up now.
Speaker 1: I will defend your right to believe things I don't
believe in At him.
Speaker 2: With the way you Kawi look last night. I'm like,
that's that's your number one guy, That's what you did.
And if they could get back to playing the level
of defense they were consistently and teams, you know, just
start missing. Because the last fifteen games they're shooting thirty
nine percent from three against the Clippers. It's the highest
three point percentage against anybody. So I still think there's
a path to make noise in the playoffs. Lost gotta
changed soon. But this guy was like trying to compare
them to the Lakers and saying how the Lakers try
to compete every year, and like, wait a second, dude,
because they got handed Luka Doncic on a silver platter
does not mean you should be criticizing the Clippers, Like
why didn't you get Luka donci They got super lucky
and everybody knew before that they were going nowhere fast.
They maybe went around maybe two at best, but their
ceiling was pretty low. I mean, I can't, I don't know.
It's just that is part of what's going on right
now with the vibes. Look at the Lakers, look at
them versus us. It's like, look at them, everybody they
all wanted. Rob Polinka fired a month ago, and now
because Luca fell in there, they're doing things right and
the Clippers are doing things wrong.
Speaker 1: Have the Clippers considered fleecing a GM for a top
three player of all time? Has that even crossed their mind? Yeah?
I don't know.
Speaker 2: Lawrence Frank should have had highs at Nike that go
back twenty five years with Rob Polenka, like he met
Why wasn't he there?
Speaker 1: Foolish? My hindsight crazy good, That's all I want to say.
My hindsight is some of the best out there. All right,
coming up, let us know your picks over at Clippers
pod on Twitter or at Clippers podcast on YouTube. We're
gonna talk March and then some Jordan Miller stuff and
then we'll get out of here. There's some audio ads
coming up, and then March and Jordan Miller talking three
two one.
Speaker 2: Welcome back in episode of fifty of season three, Oh
Clips and Dip. I'm at a mawesome We've got Chef
Moppler and Will Updyke and Chuck's favorite subject, Marsh. They
are about to be upon us. I think that's middle
of Marsh what that means. But we'll be there soon enough.
But it's not as dire as it was last year
when there was seventeen games in March that was the
real test. Now it's only sixteen child's play. This is
a walk in the park for the Clippers, right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, extra practice day, Are you kidding me? Yeah? So
we got the Suns Pistons back to back starting tomorrow,
then home versus the Knicks, day off, home versus the Kings,
and we fly to New Orleans for a Pel's Heat
back to back. Then a four game home stand against
the Hornets, Calves, Grizzlies and Thunder, and then away for
four games against the Knicks, Nets, Calves and Magic. Calves
and Magic is a back to back. There's no easy stretch.
All of it is difficult. There is one or two easy,
easy games, which is Hornets and Nets. Everyone else is
a very difficult opponent for the Clippers team. The Clippers
are already oh and one in March, will Adam, what
is your prediction for their record this month? They're already
oh and one? So unfortunately, I know you guys were
talking undefeated talk off air about March. That was that
was the whole group chat, was what's our point difference
we're gonna be when we go undefeated in March. Will
what is your pick for the record in March? Not
what they need to be to be a sixth seed,
which is probably twelve four looking at it. March third, six,
twenty six PM. I can understand settling for a mate, Adam,
what say you e two? Adam? The lines of March jokes. Yeah,
we got some listeners, might not have. They're not as
well learned. I don't know. They probably don't more.
Speaker 2: Do you guys have to remember, like memorize fifty lines
from Caesar in high school? I know we had some reason.
Speaker 1: Yeah, pizza Pizza, I said that fifty I got your lye. No,
did you have to do that?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: That sounds like something they'd make you do at a schoolhouse.
Speaker 2: It was tough. This English teacher had a wild hair.
I don't know what his problem was.
Speaker 1: How much do you remember of it?
Speaker 2: I remember none of my lines at all. They say
you forget stuff like six months after the class is over,
like you're pretty much so. I don't know what the
point of school, and the point the point is in
the first.
Speaker 1: Anti school, this podcast school, I want to make that
very clear the.
Speaker 2: Whole education thing if you forget it six months anyways,
I don't.
Speaker 3: Even think how weird you find this. I don't think school.
Speaker 1: Sounds like you remember that though.
Speaker 2: Okay, all right, if I'm being alter, if I'm being realistic,
eight and eight, yeah, with the injuries. It's because of
the damn injuries. Otherwise I'd probably go I might go
ten and six, and that is health.
Speaker 4: It being improvement over six and nine.
Speaker 1: Ten and six does unfortunately feel like miles away from
eight to eight when it's really not right like, so
it's not that crazy. But if Norm is out for
because there's a lot of games coming up, So if
Norman is out for those, and then Derek Jones Junior
is banged up, Simmons is hurt, it seems.
Speaker 4: Like like ballpark Norm is gonna miss at least seven games.
Speaker 1: Let me look up this. I don't know how I
don't have eight and eight feels pretty good. So he's
missing let's go ahead and chalk it up. He's missing
Sons and pistons. There's two. I don't think he would
play on March seventh or March ninth, which is against
the Kings and Knicks. Then there's a back to back
the eleventh and twelfth, so he's probably missing one of
those if he can come back, and the twelfth would
be under two weeks. He's missing at least six games. Yeah,
eight and eight with nor missing minimum six games, I'm
feeling good is not the right word. I'm I'm feeling.
Speaker 4: I mean, that's something to put your hat on eight
missing norm for seven games.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you hang your hat on that and then it
immediately falls, it comes out of the wall because you
didn't put it into it.
Speaker 2: That's gonna put him in the plane. If they go
eight and eight, they're.
Speaker 1: Just gonna be in the plan. I think more likely
than not. It is an anomaly that they have the
tiebreaker over the Warriors, given how we've watched them play
against every other conference opponent. Are we nineteen? We're twenty
and twenty in conference play. It's a bad record. Yeah,
they're going to be a playing team, and you know,
I'm going to be there and I'm gonna be weeping.
Speaker 2: But it's a real path. There's a real path to
playing the Lakers in the first round this year.
Speaker 1: Will and I were talking about that when things were
getting bleak last night. I'll tell you what. I want
to avoid that at all costs. Let's be in the
play in and lose instead of playing the Lakers in
the first round get shit rocked.
Speaker 2: Not the year where you feel most confident in that meshup.
Speaker 1: No, despite it being our year, which is why this
is so difficult to kind of wrap my head around.
Speaker 4: I mean, we did win Ron and lucam in it.
You gotta figure and they would play pretty heavily in
a playoff series, so.
Speaker 1: Hell yeah, yep, No, I like this logic. I think
you're not.
Speaker 4: Less bench playing those playoff games, so kind of liking
where the Clippers are at.
Speaker 1: Well, it helps the Clippers too, because I means Bogie's
not taking shots. If there's less bench play man, things
don't feel good right now? Okay, yeah, I'm gonna go
eight and eight. You know what, I'm gonna go nine
and seven, you pessimists, I'm going nine and seven. I
have no other logic other than we really need it
and maybe Kawhi starts hitting his stride more. I like,
I'm really gonna be watching what Adam said about, like,
what does Kawi look like tomorrow? Does it look the same,
because if it looks the same. I feel a lot better.
I don't feel good, but I feel a lot better. Okay,
more uplifting news. I guess Jordan Miller signed a full contract.
He gets part of the non taxpayer mL ee in
his for in his four year deal one point one
million this year, two point two, next year two point four,
the year after that two point six and twenty seven
to twenty eight. The final three seasons are non guaranteed
and the final season is a team option. How do
we feel about this contract? Does this mean anything? I
don't want to sound disrespectful. I'm very happy for Jordan
MILLERBN steal or.
Speaker 2: Not that big of a deal.
Speaker 5: Steal or not that big of a deal. That should
be the new haggle, no haggle will Where are you
at on Jordan Miller? Everyone was very excited about him.
He looked good a couple of games and then looked
like he was getting his legs used to playing real
NBA competition. And I think it's fallen out of favor
with some fans who yet young guys.
Speaker 4: I think it makes sense a little up and down
start to his career. I think having an actual roster spot,
you know when the contract does sort of change things
could be It just depends on how you look at
the Clippers' sort of future plans, like are these young
guys an actual step towards development or is this just
kind of, you know, waiting, Like is this sort of
just waiting the tides until they can make a big
swing in in free agency twenty twenty six? So yeah,
so I think like depending on how you view the
Clippers future, I think is sort of like the lens through,
which is how much merit or onus you can put
on any of these sort of contracts.
Speaker 1: He should get time next year because, as you mentioned,
there's gonna be also everybody either put your seat belt
tighter or take the seat belt off, depending on what
you want the results to be. Next year is going
to be very similar to this year. The books open
up after next year. Yeah, yes, it's going to be harder.
So Jordan Miller should get some time to show and
get some development next year.
Speaker 2: You want to know what's hard? Do I see the
Warriors pass you in the standings in real time? Watch
and the Skippers are in the plane?
Speaker 1: Are you serious?
Speaker 2: The Warriors are about to beat the Charlotte Hornets and
they will be thirty three and twenty eight, Clippers thirty
two and twenty eight.
Speaker 1: Good good, feeling good on a Monday.
Speaker 4: Oh god, So now we're both Sons and Pistons.
Speaker 3: Games must wins.
Speaker 1: Yeah we're not going to but yeah, Drew eu Banks
is gonna go for thirty five and ten against the Pistons.
That's what we need to happen. Bogi will make two threes. PJ.
Tucker will come out and play some good defense.
Speaker 3: We'll pick him back up.
Speaker 1: We'll pick it back up. I think. I think once
you've been in the NBA long enough, you should just
get a pass that you can appear for one game
for every team.
Speaker 2: It's crazy a guy like that. It's just out there.
Speaker 1: Really, it makes you think, really makes you think. Man,
a lot of shit started going down hill. We'll see
what's off the team, all right, anything else or something
I could anything else about Jordan Miller before we send
these Clippers fans mercifully into the rest of the week.
Speaker 2: Obab, he plays well tomorrow, I agree with you. He's
gonna be getting run probably the next two games.
Speaker 1: There we go. Terrence Man had a feud with Luca
a time for Jordan Miller, the newest full time Clipper
to start a feud with someone on another hated team
that we don't like. All right, thanks for hanging out.
This is a onetle more dark episodes. You'll see if
Clips and Dip usually were pretty positive. But it was
a pretty rough weekend except for you know, happy some
certain people want oscars. That was cool. We might do
some postgame streams this week, possibly tomorrow against the Suns.
We're gonna have a full episode on Thursday, just because
of the back to back and whatnot. Listen Adam on
Clippers Talk call in and be friendly. Will Where can
people when they're being asked, what are you listening to?
Where can people tell? Tell their first dates to find
Clippers talk to very much ensure a second day.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you can find this podcast where you listen to podcasts.
If you happen to listen over on Apple podcast or Spotify.
Go hey, leave a little rating and review helps us out.
The best way my opinion, to check out this podcast
is over on YouTube dot com Slash Eclippers Podcast. Subscribe
over there. Hit the little bell so you can know
when we come out with new videos. We do stuff
like this sometimes a little bit more upbeat, but we also,
you know.
Speaker 3: We do lives.
Speaker 4: We have fun over there, and we want you to
have fun too. So yeah, however, you hope you can
sue the show though you know we appreciate it.
Speaker 1: We really do an Adam the hardest job so far
on this show, this episode in particular, Let's leave Clippers
fans with one positive thing before this back to back
against the Pistons and sons of the Pistons.
Speaker 2: Did you see Cohi later night? You look and Lebron
Lebron looked his age for once. Kawhi was moving, Kawhi
was turning the corner on guys, and that was just
game two of him having the minutes restriction off. So
what could be coming tomorrow? Against the Phoenix Suns who
everybody hates.
Speaker 1: Everybody, even their own fans, but.
Speaker 2: Here's they hate their teammates.
Speaker 1: Here's to a good Kawhi game, here's so a good
Zo game, Here's so a good heartened game. Here's to
us having a fun episode on Thursday. Thank you for
hanging out and as always, let's go clips.