Speaker 1: What is going on?
Speaker 2: Clippers fans, Welcome to season three, episode forty.
Speaker 3: Six of Clips and Dip. I am Chuck Mockler. We
got Void, Adam in the house. We got William Updyke.
We're coming at you the day after the Super Bowl.
If you're listening to us, thank you for listening to us.
Speaker 2: If you're watching us at YouTube dot com at Clippers Podcast,
we really like that too, so thanks. Feel free to subscribe.
We're gonna talk about the Clippers back to back against
the Grizzly and Jazz coming up. Some people are starting
to wonder if Kawhi is fully okay. But before we
get into that, the Ben Simmons transaction is official. Today
they can finally start talking about it and stuff like that. Adam,
how are you feeling this day after the Super Bowl
and now that the Ben Simmons signing is official.
Speaker 4: I am excited to see the optionality with this Clippers team,
to see how they use them. I think if they
use them the right way, you can help. Big Will
has been on top of this one. I wish I
came up with the idea be at the five. It's
all working out.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I invented it, but I was,
I was a local supporter of it. Yeah, I think
that it's a really interesting project and I think, you know,
in the right role, I think that I think that
he could definitely be a difference maker. It's just going
to be you know, getting him to buy into that,
which I think we talked previously, Like you know, generally
when the guys coming on the buyout market, there have
in conversations about, you know, sort of what their role
would be and what that would look like. I think
if it was down to the Calves and the Clippers,
as was reported, I mean kind of regardless of what
the conversations were, the fit seems to make a lot
more sense just given the big situation in Cleveland. So yeah,
I'll we'll see how it all comes together. But I
think it is like a really it's a really interesting
prospect to me. I know a lot of people saw
a lot of people were not big fans of it,
but I think that, you know, Ben Simmons is a
player that has just had such an interesting trajectory in
this league, from being a number one overall pick to
being you know, like used as a point guard hated. Well, yeah,
and I mean, like, you know, one really bad playoff
run and that you know that it would be a
shame if that was kind of the end of his
career for such a talented player, I think, and like
got kind of thrown under the bus in a series
that the team lost. I mean, it wasn't necessarily just him,
and you know, got paired up with the worst possible
coach for a young struggling player in Doc Rivers, and
I you know, I do think that he is certainly
a candidate for a change of scenery. I mean him
being on the nets like as part of like a
superst like with the Superstar duo. I don't think that
was ever really going to work out. And I think
the expectations were maybe a little high from fans and
just kind of general followers of the NBA. But in
the right role, I just do really think that this
is it. At worst, it's a risk nothing move, you know,
like I feel like you've given up nothing. Yeah, you know,
it's a it's a buyout. We're still under the we're
under the tax, which is where we're trying to be.
So it kind of checks a lot of boxes. And
considering what was available to the Clippers and what they
were willing to give up asset wise, I think it's
a pretty nice app.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're gonna have to see what lineups he's out
there with. People have already kind of talked about, like
we don't really want to sing him out there with
zoo a Bunch or with Chris Dunn just from the perspective.
Speaker 1: So I think that is going to be something to
figure out. Is like surrounding him with enough shooting and like, yeah,
I mean not having him out there with Suo box
is kind of a no brainer to me, unless he's
back into that like like pseudo kind of point role,
which still the the spacing there gets pretty messy. But yeah,
can we can we surround him with enough competent shooting,
uh to to you know, use that his playmaking skill
set as an asset, because you know, we kind of
talked about he's already what like the best ball handler
now on the second unit.
Speaker 2: I'm on the team other than yeah, but yeah, I'm
looking forward to it. Like you said, it's a it's
a no risk move, Adam. You've had people on the
other side of the spectrum clamoring at you for Ben
Simmons to start, which is interesting. The fan base is
certainly oh.
Speaker 1: Yeah, break down that lot for me.
Speaker 4: Side of defence, here is this the zoo?
Speaker 1: Is this the zoo hater camp? Are there still zo
out there?
Speaker 4: This is a no our flow is so much better
on offense and on defense. We're just so much better
without James Hard. It's just one of these eye test
guys that has no idea that they're like six points
better per one hundred possessions on offense with James Harden
on the floor this season, They're not better anyway. Maybe
watch the start of second quarters without James Harden. Oh yeah,
Like there's so many reasons. So he doesn't like James Harden,
so he's looking for anyone to replace him. Don't be
surprised if he starts. He's prized. If James Harden gets
let go of and they signed Ben Simmons to a
long extension, like come on.
Speaker 2: That things would have to be so bad for Ben Simmon.
That would just be a nightmare. I would like to
see it, just what that alternate universe looks like in
which Tyler tells James Hard he's on the bench.
Speaker 1: I mean, you don't even have to tell me. The
stat that the offense is better with change. That's a
well doy stat. I mean, like, how could it.
Speaker 4: Because he gause, he dribbles the ball, guys, and you know,
he runs a lot of ISO, even though he was
the second best player in ISO points per possession just
this last season, only behind Kawhi Leonard. And that's kind
of what he does. Some people can't understand. There's a
difference between I don't like this style of ball and
this style of ball doesn't work. There's a difference between
those two things. It certainly works. You may not like it.
It may not be aesthetically pleasing to you, but it
works really damn well.
Speaker 1: And for a long time. And Justin had his season
high and assists the game ago. That was nice because
all that ISO bawl.
Speaker 4: Yeah, guy who only runs isoball averages like eight assists
per game for his career.
Speaker 2: Heliocentric. Will you mentioned the Clippers? Yeah? Will you mentioned
the Clippers. They're under the luxury tax now the first
time since the nineteen twenty season. I think that makes
sense given what this team's construction has been roster wise.
But they're really, like you said, they're trying to get
off the repeater tax, and if you're new to the
NBA and you don't know what that is, which is
fair you just like watching the game. The repeater tax
is when a team finishes a season in luxury tax
territory after doing so for three of the previous four seasons.
And the reason this is issues because the new CBA
makes the repeater tax insane in twenty five twenty six
when that really starts kicking in, So that is something
Balmer's conscious up. It goes up, like so people were
talking about the Warriors about it when the new CBS
come out because it's like it's a lot more, it's
still crazy percentage higher and they didn't want to pay it,
so they're going to be under it for a bit.
Speaker 1: So this season, this season counts as one being under
even though it didn't happen till the trade deadline, and
then so they still they would still have to get
one more consecutive season essentially under the under the tax
to yes to get out of the repeater Okay.
Speaker 2: And then this obviously lines up. Obviously is the wrong
word there for I don't think it's not obvious because
people don't pay attention to the cap and I don't
mean that in a mean way.
Speaker 1: It's hard. It's also been I have found with the
new CPA c like CBA, that the cap is a
little bit harder to follow than it was. It used
to make more sense. But now and this lines up
with the Clippers books opening up.
Speaker 2: So after they're under the luxury tax this year and
next year, the books are yeah, like the books are
wide open, they'll have multiple first round picks to mess
around with with whatever they want to do.
Speaker 1: Like so they're me on eBay on a Friday night.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're me buying uh old Honey froust In miniweeds,
Ken Groovy Junior boxes.
Speaker 4: But the check just hit, baby, let's go.
Speaker 2: But so also for people who are fans of big moves,
there's probably not gonna be a big move next year either,
because they want to stay under the tax.
Speaker 1: I don't know if we talked about this. I was
kind of surprised that some of the heat Lawrence Frank
was taking from portions of the fan base, which I
guess I don't. I guess people just want a big
move every trade deadline, I guess is not the expectation.
Speaker 4: I think Lawrence Frank even specifically said pregame, making a
loud move every year is pretty much impossible. You can't do.
Speaker 1: That, and like who hasn't worked for ye, Well, I
think it'll work for the Lakers.
Speaker 4: I also think it's worth pointing.
Speaker 1: Now this year, I'm saying, the year you do it
like out year Rafters, who is it? You know?
Speaker 4: I think it's worth pointing out that it's not like
Balmer won't play the luxury tax. For many years, he
was paying one hundred and fifty million dollars every year
just luxury tax. They're not willing to pay it for
Eric Gordon last year, who would have cost them one
hundred and ten million dollars more just to keep him,
or for this season if you don't have to and
it's not getting you that player anyways, because they can't
go over the first apron so they couldn't bring in
a big guy anyways. Like it just makes sense if
you're gonna be it level right now, you might as
well get under the luxury tax. And then when they
go all in again, I'm sure he'll be paying the
luxury tax again.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the luxury tax you mentioned, it's like one
hundred and fifty Mili. The repeater tax is another like
two hundred and twenty five million on top of that,
and it gets bigger every year that you're in it.
So like, I mean, I don't really have a bunch
of sympathy for billionaires, but I understand if you're one
not wanting to pay an extra three hundred million dollars
for a team that's gonna MAKEE go as far as
now make.
Speaker 1: Pi sodas two dollars.
Speaker 2: Yeah, do what the Suns do, the one good thing
the Sons have ever done, which is making food and
drink cheap.
Speaker 1: Okay, the Clippers do play basketball after what feels.
Speaker 2: Like, uh a sabbatical of time off for this Clipper scene.
Speaker 1: The rest of the schedule, three whole days off. Do
you remember how to dribble?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 2: I hope man, I remember that six break in college?
I would forget everything in between semesters. They played the
Grizzlies on Wednesday, the Jazz on Thursday. A couple of questions.
First of all, that game against the Jazz was not encouraging.
On Saturday night, which game do you think Kawhi sits?
Do we think Kawhi is the only one who sits
one of these games because I didn't see All Star
breaking or which game do we think Kwi sits? We
know he's gonna not play one, but which outam Which
would do you think he's gonna sit for?
Speaker 4: I mean I would play him against Memphis so he
doesn't have too much time off, but also because that
means they're going for both. If you just play him
in game two, I don't know, is there Okay, yes,
gets the Utah Jazz if you're only going to get
one of them, but if you're going for both, I
think he's got to play against Memphis. Yeah, I would.
Speaker 2: I hope he plays against Memphis because then he also
just gets more time off if he sits versus the Jazz, be.
Speaker 1: Good to look good against the Western Conference team above
us in the Sandys, Yes, which we are going to
talk about Kawi's formative bit too. Do we think anyone
else is.
Speaker 4: Gonna sit out? Just? Yeah?
Speaker 2: Maybe Nico on the I think the Jazz game is
going to be a pretty heavy rest day.
Speaker 4: I could see Nico, I could see. I mean, Harden
never wants to sit out.
Speaker 2: I don't think he's sitting out, Yeah, because he's gonna
say I'm gonna have a week and a half off
get away from me.
Speaker 4: Maybe Bogie since he's reconditioning, sits out the second game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, excited for his debut on Wednesday.
Speaker 1: What do we mostly want to see?
Speaker 2: Do we just want to see just I mean I
want to see him creating his own shot would be nice,
or being able to help a second unit get some
shots figured out.
Speaker 4: That's kind of offensively.
Speaker 2: I think that's what most people are gonna be looking for, because,
as we've alluded to, the second unit, when James Harden
is off the floor is not good at offense.
Speaker 4: Will What are you.
Speaker 1: Looking for from Bogie's debut? I'm curious to see, like
how he fits into the rotations. I mean, like, is
he gonna is he gonna be kind of running the
show a little bit on the second unit?
Speaker 4: I don't think game one.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but they're gonna ease him, man, I don't hope. So, yeah,
they'll just go for him many and again.
Speaker 2: Like Adams, he's been reconditioning, so like I wonder if
he's had how many practices with the team, like two?
Speaker 1: Maybe?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm any unless they practice today, like I mean yeah,
maybe one?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just still think they need he needs another
ball handler to like really be kind of unlocked. I
think to it to his potential, and they'll.
Speaker 2: Probably help help him get comfortable, right, like maybe a
poor Adam what are you what are you looking for
from bog damn?
Speaker 4: Well starting the second quarter, it's been ka I out
there starting second quarter. So if you want somebody else
to take up a lot of the gravity and so
Bogie can play off of him, there's the guy. They
have him out there. They also I think started norm
the second quarter last time with Kawhi. Yeah, so I
mean there's definitely guys that can take the pressure off Bogue.
You're having to do everything, Yeah, I don't think right away. Yeah,
they'll probably do that, and maybe Chris Dunne will be
there for playmaking duties. Who knows. But I just want
to see him come off. Some screens make it tough
on the defense. I think his movement coach Luke calling
him a runner with doing some of the Kyle Korver stuff,
some of the JJ Redick stuff, But then he was like,
I forget JJ.
Speaker 1: You bring up the gravity, which I do think is
important in some something that they need for sure. In
that second unit, but it is. I just they got
to figure out. They gotta figure out who's initiating the offense,
because I still don't think it's Kauha, who right now
can't pass out of a double.
Speaker 2: You know, I don't know are they I haven't watched
many Hawks games, or to drill down even more, particularly
many Hawks games where Bogie's played this year, are teams
still respect I'm hoping teams are still respecting his usual
historical three point percentage and not sagging off of him,
because that will give him an easier time and show
why he's a better piece for the offense. If teams
are still doing that as opposed to just kind of
doing the Christown defense, I hope they're under eighty them.
Speaker 4: I hope they are too. But for his confidence sake,
I thought it was funny when Lauren Schrank was asked
about Bogie and he admitted, yes, he's having a down year.
But you know, it's not like a franchise just looks at, well,
he's only shooting thirty percent this season, bad year for him.
They go through and look at every fucking possession. Guys,
they watch every single shot he has taken and evaluate
at a granular level of okay, could it just be
some fluky shooting numbers. He's only played twenty four games.
He has one hot game, and all of a sudden
he's at thirty five percent instead of thirty percent from
three and then he has another. Now he's at thirty
eight percent, And does he have the lift? And are
they guarding him differently? Is he getting to the same
spots that he typically has in his career when he's
had a lot of success. So they've looked at all
of this. I'm confident that he's gonna be all right
as long as he's healthy, and that's really what it
comes down to. And Bogey said postgame that he's healthy,
he's good. He had some personal issues. I don't think
he's played in the month of February yet. He had
some other stuff going on, and hence the reconditioning for him.
He just hasn't played in a couple of weeks. But
he said he's good, and I saw him. I was
watching him and took some video of him pregame putting
up shots like I don't know, I'm I'm probably dangerously
confident in Bogey because he's been one of my favorite players.
Speaker 1: You dangerously confident of Clippers new signing.
Speaker 4: We need that there was that one.
Speaker 1: I also shout out to Fly by Night. Justin Russo
brought up when we spoke to him the other night that, yeah, Rousseau.
Of course, if you're if you follow this podcast, that
uh like in looking at the quality of his shots,
it's like he's one of the higher in the league,
and like the quality of shots taken. And while that
hasn't uh you know, translated to his percentages this year, Uh,
it's you know, it's it's still something. It's still something
to consider. And I'm sure that the front office uh
factored in heavily that he's you know, he's he's taking
good shots. He's in the right spot, which you know,
is better than the shots we were getting from KPg,
certainly on that second unit. I also want to say,
I also want to say that Bok was he he
was seemingly inspecting the ball at every stoppage at the
at the game versus versus the Jazz, Like every stoppage
he was like going up to the rev checking out
the ball. So I mean, he's clearly a high level
ball thougher. So I think that that that has been
pretty excited for his babe.
Speaker 2: He was Someone on Twitter was saying he was probably
checking for the Magnets in the ball because the Jazz
were making every single damn shot that game.
Speaker 4: I was. It was not a fun game.
Speaker 1: The Clippers beat the Grizzlies.
Speaker 2: The last time out one fourteen. Only shot thirty three
percent from three, but we killed them in fast break points.
Speaker 4: Zoo almost had.
Speaker 2: Twenty and twenty. But the Grizzlies are playing some really
good basketball. Uh this is before we're getting them on
the second out of a back to back, which is sweet.
Speaker 4: They're playing the Suns tomorrow. That was one of the
best wins of the season. That went in Memphis.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4: That was a Zoo twenty twenty game against ed and Triple.
Speaker 2: J norm had twenty nine. But in the last five games,
this is in their run up to the game against
the Suns on Tuesday. Their top ten in offensive and
defensive rating, third overall in offensive rebound percentage. They don't
really grab a bunch of defensive rebounds anyway, they're like
pretty they're like bad at it this year, so it
must not be an emphasis. But their offensive rebounding is
very good.
Speaker 4: Right now.
Speaker 2: I'm a little worried about this one with how the
Clippers have looked recently. Uh, they did not look good
versus Utah.
Speaker 4: They didn't. Yeah, this is doing all the stuff good
that they've been doing all season. Basically their fifth offensively
on the season, seventh defensively, they're second in offensive rebound
percentage on the season. Like, they're really good. Uh, there's
a reason they flew up the standings like that. Also,
the Rockets, I think it lost six straight, but this
is gonna be a big challenge. I didn't know they
were on the second night of a back to back.
That could be that could loom large in this Now
does that offset the fact that the Clippers had too
many days off as some people are worried about. It
was worried about that.
Speaker 2: Oh my god, we team Look, we have seen the
team look worse after an extended break.
Speaker 4: To be fair, that's true, but it just look dead
right now. Our schedules so condensed on one end, but
now they're giving us too much time off. Everybody wants
the Goldielock scenario.
Speaker 1: Yeah, one game every two days.
Speaker 4: I I'm sure I wouldn't find that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I'm I'm feeling subconfident for this. The Clippers
were also ice cold to start that Jazz game. Outside
of Derreck Jones Junior and Zubats, who were like the
leading scorers, I don't think a single other starter had
two maine Field goals until like halfway through the second quarter.
Speaker 2: It was Yeah, it was rough man, it was rough
Norm Harden and Kawhi were like a combined three for
fifteen at one point, and it was like, oh, well, okay,
that's definitely not helping things.
Speaker 4: The Jazz hit eight threes in the first quarter. The
record for threes wading the quarter is eleven.
Speaker 2: Clarkson had nine points in the first ninety seconds.
Speaker 4: That was on real.
Speaker 1: That was such a Jordan Clarkson brisk the Clippers game.
I just feel like always Yeah, he had eleven points
in the first quarter.
Speaker 4: I think he finished with twenty one the whole game.
Speaker 2: But yeah, the def I mean defensively, if they come
out looking like they did against the Jazz, this Memphis
team is going to depending who plays because Adam he
did mention the second out of back to back maybe
has a factor here for their personnel. But the Clippers
were behind, literally, they were behind like by half a
step to the Jazz on their rotations and stuff like that.
It was just it was a It was kind of
a brutal game. Yes, they shot well, obviously, but even
taking that out of account, not an incredibly confidence inspiring win.
Speaker 4: Well, we've talked about do the Clippers play well against
fast teams or not. The Memphis Grizzlies play at the
fastest pace in the NBA, guys, and that's why I
think that first win against him was really impressive, because
the Clippers have had a couple of wins against some
of the fastest teams. So I don't know if if
it's just right now they're struggling against paced because they're
already gassed, or if they can actually adapt and beat
those teams, because like they've beaten Atlanta, they're second in pace.
Speaker 2: Denver Hawks team. Though that Hawks team we played, weren't
they down a bunch of people.
Speaker 4: They may have been Denver's top five in pace. They've
beaten them twice. But Memphis in particular plays at the
fastest pace, and this is gonna test whatever the Clippers
have less before the All Star break, after everying three
days off. This is it, Like I need to see
more pop out there. I need to see some Coach
lu says pop, explosiveness, energy. I am praying that Kawhi
Leonard looks much better out there. This is the team
that is really gonna tell a lot about the Clippers
how they perform against them.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm stressed. Then they get the Jazz on the
Thursday night, which I put in here might be gross
just given the rest scenarios.
Speaker 4: Do the Jazz play the night before? Let me check,
because that was pretty amazing how many guys were out,
including John Collins who was listed as out for rest.
They I wonder if the NBA is going dude, they do?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: The Jazz have a brutal schedule. They play the Lakers
tonight when we're recording this, Then they play the Lakers
at home on Wednesday, and then they play the Clippers
at home on Thursday. So we're getting both of these
teams on the second night of a back to back.
I would pencil in Clippers Jazz as not going to
be a pretty basketball game if I had yes, which
I don't think helps the Clippers. Is why I guess
where I'm going with that, because I don't know. You
play a bunch of random dudes. You don't really know
what's going to happen. We saw a little bit of that, right, like,
what do we think happens against the Jazz on Thursday?
Whoever is going to be there for the Clippers and.
Speaker 1: For the Jazz? I?
Speaker 4: Guess have we got nothing on Drew eu Banks? Ooh
with that ankle? Let me look, I'm just speaking of
back to back. Who's going to be available? Maybe doesn't
play against Memphis but is available against Utah, or maybe
he plays both? You know, does Bogie play both or
just one?
Speaker 1: Bogie probably only playing one?
Speaker 4: No word on you Banks. And there's no.
Speaker 1: Injury report today because there's no game tomorrow, so I
guess we'll wait and see.
Speaker 4: All right, that's one where you're gonna have a foot
out the door, probably because the All Star break.
Speaker 1: And you have to.
Speaker 4: You have to.
Speaker 1: Adam's disappear into the void.
Speaker 4: Now we can see him.
Speaker 1: Why isn't George starting for the Jazz?
Speaker 4: That was weird? Is that Kobe Brown in the second
half when he came in.
Speaker 1: Is that a regular thing?
Speaker 2: No, because he started thirty games this year, But it's
weird that he didn't start in the game. Where every
single person was out.
Speaker 1: I don't watch enough Jazz games, but I feel like
he's looked really good every time he's played it, every
time they played the Clippers.
Speaker 4: I think this year one.
Speaker 1: I think this year it's fine to not watch a
lot of Jazz games.
Speaker 4: This isn't exactly a stealth tank going off. There is
what a timeout called before a game tying shot this
season against the Lakers with Colin Sexton or was it
a game winning shot and then oh Harvey called the
time out beforehand?
Speaker 2: Huh, it's gonna be weird. It's gonna be gross. I
think if there was ever a game that you were
not planning your day around, it would be okay to miss.
Speaker 1: February thirteenth versus the Jazz.
Speaker 4: Before a gain.
Speaker 2: Our next segment, which is going to be at Kawhi
Leonard and the vibes that are going around, who's our
pick for player of these games?
Speaker 4: Who?
Speaker 2: And this is a tough one because we have the
rest days, uh for kind of both these games? Will
who is your honorary Kawhi Leonard? Norm Pala beats you back,
James Harden Player of the Games for the Valentine's Day
Back to back.
Speaker 1: I'm taking a big swing.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go bogie for both Hell yeah, new guy. Yeah,
trust the new guy you're looking for? Yeah, all right,
better percentage from three than what he's been shooting.
Speaker 1: I'm assuming, Yeah, thirty, let's keep that up to thirty three.
Speaker 4: My guy, m'd be a climb.
Speaker 1: Adam your player of the back to backs.
Speaker 4: That's a big swing. I'm on deck with the weights
on my back, getting ready. You got Ben Simmons. Ben Simmons,
call here both games.
Speaker 2: He's just gonna get, you know, a second game of
the back back against the as Just do you Ben?
Speaker 4: Do whatever you want? Dude, Yeah, get out of your system.
Speaker 1: Did Charles beat the new guys? It seems like he's
not been.
Speaker 2: No, I'm i have actually going to the opposite of
the new guys. I'm going one of the longest tenured
Clippers a mere coffee. Let's go prime guy to be
good in the back to back for the Clippers. Probably
will have a bigger game on the Thursday game in
which he's gonna be Yeah, I don't know, So I'm
going to mere Coffee.
Speaker 1: I think he's going to have quick aside, Like, what
do you guys think with the mirror happens with a
mere coffee with the team trying to stay under the tax.
I think he goes somewhere else. Do you think he's gone.
I think that would be gone. He's unrestricted that for
this year.
Speaker 4: I don't know, because you know, they opened up some
more room by trading KPJ, who had the player option
for next season.
Speaker 1: The cap goes up, but that's that's only what like
four or five million, four point six something like.
Speaker 4: That, Like a mirror is only making four? Now, dude,
does he get closer to ten? But it's nothing crazy?
But he is shooting forty three percent from three. I
don't know. It depends on what the offers are.
Speaker 1: You don't think he would get He could get four
for forty. Maybe I watch it too much so I'm overrating. Yeah,
you give I'm giving him a max. This is like
when we were Steve Blahmer's money. I don't care.
Speaker 2: This is like when they wanted Jamichael Green to get
a big contract, Like, are we gonna be able.
Speaker 4: To afford Jamichael Green? And every team was like, yes,
You're gonna be fine.
Speaker 1: I thought him on the Warriors was gonna crush I
did too.
Speaker 4: Shout out Jamichael Green.
Speaker 1: Sorry, I got this thing away off the rails.
Speaker 4: Oh you're fine.
Speaker 2: I think a mirror is probably gone. I think someone
gives him a bag. I don't know why.
Speaker 1: I mean, he's very good, but like I think it
might be an offer, like, oh, okay, it's four for
forty crazy. I don't like just with the new cap.
I don't that doesn't seem like that much to me.
Speaker 2: Ten million year, Maybe that's a little high. Makes as much,
so you'd pay him the same as Derek Jones.
Speaker 4: Well he's also US, so only what you said then?
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, all right, yeah, I think four okay, four
for forty I think that makes sense. All right, Coming up,
we're gonna talk about Kawhi because people are concerned or
starting to be concerned about him on the basketball court.
Speaker 4: There's gonna be some quick ads.
Speaker 2: If you're listening to us, if you're watching us at
YouTube dot com at Clippers Podcast, you don't have to
see or hear the ads. You can just watch us
for this brief second where we're suspended in animation, some ads,
and then what's up with KAUI?
Speaker 4: Talk in three?
Speaker 1: Two?
Speaker 4: What? All right?
Speaker 1: Welcome back in to clips and did if you weren't
scared before thinking about coffee possibly leaving this this team,
you should be scared now in your head. Kawhi Leonard
has not then the most like I don't even know
how to say he has not. It has not been
an encouraging stretch of play for Kawhi Leonard as of late,
kind of compounded with some some quote like some quotes
that he made about about sort of the team and
the mountains to feed where I guess Adam will kick
to you, like, where are you at? What are you
seeing from Kawhi? What is your worry level? Which is
patently generally lower than anyone everyone else is on this podcast?
Speaker 4: That's true. I mean I've been on Kawhi Watch for
like four days now. I've been talking about this. I've
been doing specific shows going over how Kauai has looked,
what the numbers are, how does it compare it to
how he looked when he came back from the a
cl or the meniscus. I think it's fair to be concerned.
I also think the first thing you have to remember
is he has played last nine games. Those nine games
came within eighteen days. He has literally been playing every
other day. I think you start the conversation there and
then bring in, Oh, the minutes have also been ramping
up along this time, so it kind of makes sense
that he could look gased out there. The schedule has
been brutal while his minutes are going up. I just
want to start there and then also bring in how
he looked better early on. Yeah, and nobody was concerned.
In fact, after the game against San Antonio where he
had twenty seven and was like, Okay, he's gonna be
able to get back to where he was last season,
all systems go. You know, he put all our worries aside.
And so it's really just over the last week where
people are starting to go huh, because I expected more.
In the game against the Pacers, I was really watching him,
and I zoned in on every possession and was kind
of watching his movement, and he was pretty gassed from
the beginning of the game. Now he does does it
look like he's dragging around his right leg or anything.
His movements look fluid. He just looks tired. So I
have some level of concern. I'm putting a lot into
the next game he plays after three days off. That's
where I'm really gonna be like, Okay, let's see how
this goes. Now, if it's just fatigue, if it's just
tired legs, minutes going up, we should be able to
see Kawhi with some more pop early on.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think that's also what has people kind
of feeling more freaked out or concerned. Like you mentioned,
the start was so fast. The defensive intensity was there
game one that he came back, you know, he was
poking around, trying to get steals, moving around really well
at the beginning of games. It feels like now maybe
the whole game he's not as fluid or like not
as fast. I guess I like what you said, he's
not like dragging his like like he's just like it's
tired exhaustion. It's not it doesn't seem like it's you know,
killing yeah, or anything like that.
Speaker 4: The playoffs against Dallas where he just couldn't take certain
movements at all.
Speaker 2: And then it's a very good point. It looked different
in the fourth quarter versus the Jazz on Saturday. He
looked to be moving. He didn't have the best fourth quarter, obviously,
there were some some rough patches there, but he was
moving a little more decisively than he was in the
beginning of the game or maybe in the middle of
the game. So I wonder if it's just he's just
literally getting his legs back. I hope it's probably that
the nine field goal attempts versus the Jazz was weird.
Speaker 1: I just didn't like that.
Speaker 4: My gosh, should be gett more shots of and that
seemed to be he didn't. I don't know if he
touched the basketball in the half court set the first
four minutes of the third quarter coming out of the
half they were featuring Zoo, but for Kawhi not to
touch the ball at all after a slow start and
not to be like, hey, let's get him going. Here
we go, because even in the game against Indiana he
had eleven points on the fourth quarter, he kind of
did hit the gas a little bit there for a second.
He was being deferential. He wasn't asking for the basketball.
And I don't know if that's because if Kauhia is
any flaws, sometimes maybe he's a little bit too unselfish
for a superstar. He won't force it if he doesn't
have it that night, unlike some guys in this league.
And you could see it as a positive. You can
see it as a negative sometimes, but I think it
was just he knew who was gassed, and he didn't
want to have to do a lot of hard work
out there getting the basketball, having an isozoon and create,
I don't know, he looks tired.
Speaker 1: I think that like this stretch was was bound to come.
And I think, like I do think that, you know,
like Adam alluded to, like seeing him look so good
so early. You know, maybe the offensive numbers weren't great
the first the first few games back, but like seeing
him the way he was moving, the way he was
playing defensively, Like I think that that maybe changed people's
expectations or perceptions. But like, look, man, he's coming back
from a very long break.
Speaker 4: You know.
Speaker 1: I I have been vocally in support of the way
that they brought him back and really slowly ramping these
minutes up, like as we approach, you know, like him
being at full game minutes. Like I do think there
was bound to be a stretch where, yeah, he was
looking a little human like it, you know, it was
it was apparent that he was coming back from uh
from a mysterious swelling UH. And I think that's what
there's we're seeing now. I'm not so I'm not super worried,
but it you know, like like Adam said, it is
something to monitor, it is. It is something to keep
an eye on. I think if we're seeing him be
deferential coming out of the All Star break, that is
maybe when it's time to start raising un alarm bell.
I don't know that it's all like a yeah, there's
a yes, it's not a four alarm fire or anything,
but uh, yeah, I think that this stretch was bound.
Speaker 4: The post All Star break.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, the exhaustion thing, Adam, I love the breakdown
of nine games in eighteen days, like it.
Speaker 1: That's a lot of Askerba.
Speaker 4: It's not just Sham that looks tired, by the way,
So yeah, it's the fact that other guys who got
a training camp, who had been playing, who have their
wind if they're tired nine games in eighteen days, of course,
the guy who's only played thirteen and just came back
is going to be tired.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we got a hope for a good showing, either
hopefully against Memphis or it's against the Jazz at ever
we see and then I think all post All Star break,
I haven't looked at their schedule super closely, but I'm
hoping it's a because Kawhi is probably going to you know,
we just talked about how like more rest sometimes is
bad for this team. All Star breaks a lot of rest.
Their first games back after the All Star Break, it's
an East Coast trip.
Speaker 4: They're on the road till March fifth.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they go Bucks, Pacers, Pistons, Bulls, and then two
games against the Lakers, so kind of a brutal start.
Speaker 4: Check.
Speaker 2: They play on the twentieth, then they twenty third, twenty
fourth is a back to back Bulls Lakers. Is not
a back to back, but it's a travel day from Chicago,
and then they play the They play the twenty sixth
in Chicago on the twenty eighth versus the Lakers. Then
they have a back to back March fourth and fifth,
which is a travel back to back where they come
from Phoenix back to LA to play the Pistons.
Speaker 4: So I guess it's again.
Speaker 1: It's barely a travel day, yeah, but still annoying.
Speaker 4: What's the schedule look like February thirty.
Speaker 1: Your commuter into it is probably longer.
Speaker 4: Than Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2: February thirtieth, they just have a game on the twenty eighth,
and then they don't play till the March second.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I'm I'm locked in bro.
Speaker 3: Eighth.
Speaker 1: They got they got a couple of days off in between,
they got they Charles, do they have anything big coming
up in March? Pretty easy month for the Clippers.
Speaker 2: Easy month, seventeen games. Well it really hurts him is
that February thirtieth game. I'm adding that to the March schedule,
So sixteen if you think about it.
Speaker 4: That way, it's an easier month than the Lakers will
have in March.
Speaker 1: No shit, But so.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be surprised if we see a slow start
from the team coming out of the All Star break.
That game against the Pistons is nice, I guess, but
it is the second hide of a back to back
they're playing, all right. Yeah, I'm gonna wait to freak
out about Kawhi probably until the Lakers game, because I
want to a I want to see him be good
against the Lakers, and we all that was such a
goddamn nightmare the last time we played the Lakers, So
it would be nice for Kawhi to be ramping up
then and then really showing oh this, I'm I am good.
I just needed some rest because he's not getting it
really on the schedule.
Speaker 4: So I thought it was interesting thing when he said
postgame after the Jazz when they were talking about I
think it was Tomayr or Russo who asked him, is
it difficult with so many miles to feed? And he
kind of agreed that, yeah, I'm trying to find where
I fit in. I'm trying to figure that out. And
it's like, well, at some point there does need to
be a pecking order, and if Kawhi is your best player,
he is your franchise player, You're going as far as
he takes you. It has to be more than nine
shots in thirty one minutes against a bad.
Speaker 1: Team against you can't do it all, Okay, do you
have to beat to zoo box some help.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's what this. We're pivoting. We've pivoted.
Speaker 2: So that was there was another part of that quote
Adam where they were They kind of followed up and
they asked her about stepping on teammates toes and he said, no,
not at all. I don't feel like I'm stepping on
anybody's toe. It's not like we're the number one seed
or something. So I was like, hey, first of all, man,
I know one was talking about seeding.
Speaker 1: We got to bring that up, but yeah, it has
nothing to do with our year, but nothing. Yeah, how
many times do we act as well after reiterate? But
you don't hear like that?
Speaker 4: To me?
Speaker 2: Is one of those quotes, like the quote he had
about playing power forward right until they get somebody else.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you don't hear those very often, I guess.
Speaker 4: So it was more pointed. Yes, he's right, if they're
the number one seed and had a top five offense,
then he shouldn't be looking to disrupt anything or step
on anyone's toes. He should be worried about that. But
their offense is twenty second in the league. And the
good news is with Kawhi on the floor so far
in thirteen games, they haven't one hundred and eighteen offensive rating,
which is top five. Pretty good. We'll take it. Even
all the stuff we're talking about with him not playing
great or looking great. Offensive rating with him is one
hundred and eighteen. Guys, the starting lineup offensive rating is
one thirty. Maybe Ben Simmons shouldn't start, and we're bringing
it full circle.
Speaker 1: Uh tired, Kawhi is still a Kawhi that other teams
have to worry about, Like.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're not sagging off of them, they're not giving
him a christ treatment. They're not like and that that's
where I think totally right, and that's where the frustration
can come too, because you're like, dude, you're Kawhi, Like,
let's demand the ball a little bit more like stuff
like that. So it's like, I understand people being worried
and like Adam, you said, you've been on Kawhi watch
for four days now. It's one of these a guy
then the.
Speaker 1: Man hasn't slept.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he lives in the darkness. He's just floating until
he's it into it because yeah, it's and Kawuhi is
of all guys to be maybe a little kind of
always at one and a half concerned level about He's
kind of one of the guys where.
Speaker 4: It's just to justified.
Speaker 1: I see, we've seen we've seen five level concerns. Quiet
like I did a number of times. This doesn't feel
anything like that.
Speaker 4: And it typically starts at the beginning of a season.
Last year, I brought the receipts I was going backwards
and looking at what people were saying about him and
box the receipts. I didn't want to, but I had to.
It's my Burger King receipt. Hell yeah, what'd you get?
So they got these patty mills right now, they're pretty bomb.
I gotta say, I got the classic.
Speaker 1: Bread, like a French bread. What kind of bread is
it on?
Speaker 4: Yeah? It's like, uh, the role the slice roll with
the sour dough. Okay, okay, cool, they're going after the
sour dough jack hard right now. It's on. It's on there.
But they are. They're putting on all the gear. But
I remember a specific game last season, so you guys
know that game against Denver where they lost to Reggie
Jackson in DJ. It was the lowest point of the season.
It was about a month in. Yeah. Then that game,
Kawhi had still his efficiency hadn't been great to that point.
He took twenty six shots in that game, and after
that the very next game was the start of his
thirty game stretch where he was at fifty seven fifty one,
ninety two shooting splits, historic shooting splits over thirty games.
It was like he shot himself out of that funk,
and the next game was the JaVale McGee dunk in Sacramento,
and he started playing faster. So the reports of Kawhi
Leonard's demise have always been greatly exaggerated, unless they are
the greatly exaggerated, because sometimes there's gonna from a time
where he's going to slow down and people are going
to be right, he's not the same guy. I'm not
willing to go there though, yet thirteen games in, Yeah, look,
that's fair.
Speaker 2: Will anything you want to say about Kawhi before we
move on to this very brief kind of housekeeping note
when it comes to contracts.
Speaker 1: No, but I do wish Burger came their best in
their war on the Sour Do Jack. I made a
pretty damn good Philly cheese steak yesterday. Chuck crushed it.
Speaker 2: Chuck crushed it, which and thankfully lucky me, I have
left over carne asada, which means I am going to
make a basically a carne asada cheese steak.
Speaker 4: Is that a celebration of Paul George only taking seven
shots yesterday for Hlatelfia? He only took seven something like
that is bad? That's awesome? What an idiot?
Speaker 2: Okay, random things for those interested. Jordan Miller, we talked
about this last time we were all together, has two
more active days to use.
Speaker 1: Up for the Clippers. But they have a roster spot
now right, They do not have a roster spot.
Speaker 4: They would have to be.
Speaker 1: Tough business, the shrewd business.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, contract coming soon.
Speaker 4: For mister Miller.
Speaker 1: Four for ten.
Speaker 4: I don't know. Boat Chap hit that three point and
I'm interested. That's true.
Speaker 2: It looks good, Yacoba, let's go. It's be interesting how
they use these last two days. They're gonna wait until
they maybe we'll see it against Utah, right like that
seems like if anyone sit and get Jordan Miller of
his forty ninth appearance versus Jazz.
Speaker 1: But I bet there's a I bet there's a contract coming.
They seem to like him.
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're not going.
Speaker 1: Where are you at?
Speaker 4: I don't think they would. I don't. I don't want
Patty Mills to be cut right now. I know, But
then he's like a young guy that's kind of interesting,
and I don't know if I want him either.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know, especially if they're if this injury
thing is.
Speaker 4: They need significant even if Ben Simmons is playing more
than him. You still need a guy like that, though
this is tough.
Speaker 2: I mean, he's not gonna be making a mere coffee money.
Let's you know, we don't got to worry about that.
Speaker 1: But I can't.
Speaker 4: I don't know.
Speaker 2: I like Jordan Miller. It makes sense to like the
keeping under the luxury tax thing. If you get a
guy like I mean, Boa Champ wouldn't be expensive either.
Speaker 4: I don't know.
Speaker 1: I hope they signed him after his fifty.
Speaker 4: Yeah, boat Champ's contract is expiring, that's part of the
and they got rid of KPJ. Boat Champs expires after
this year, So if they're not invested in the past
this year, then Jordan Miller should be the guy that's converted.
I guess there we go.
Speaker 1: About wraps it up for us.
Speaker 2: We are going to go out into this Monday where
everyone at my job was pretending like there wasn't a
Super Bowl yesterday, so I actually had to do a
lot of work today, which pissed me off. We might
have some postgame hangs for y'all coming up this week.
The Clippers play on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm going to
do a full episode for y'all after the back to
back for sure? Will where can these people demand that
their significant others listen to us?
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, make your significant other's day by giving them
the link to subscribe to this podcast over on Apple
Podcasts or Spotify or wherever they get their power.
Speaker 2: Or wait or wait five days or four days until
Valentine's Day. It could be a nice time.
Speaker 4: To really well.
Speaker 1: I mean, you've got to start the gift giving early.
You know, it's a multi day event. Sure, if you're
the type of partner we assume you are. If you're
listening to this show, you can also watch us over
at YouTube dot com. That's at Clippers Podcasts. You know,
subscribe to the Little Bell to get notifications when we
come out with new videos. But whoever you or your
significant other consume the show, you know we appreciate you.
Speaker 4: We really do.
Speaker 2: An Adam from the darkness of the car to the
light in your heart. Let's have one positive thing to
start these Clippers fans week with.
Speaker 4: From what I heard, the Clippers next two opponents are
on a rest disadvantage against this at first, and that's
not nothing, especially for a team who just got three
days off. So I think Regardless of how the rest
of this week goes, there's gonna be a nice time
to reset and reflect and figure things out with rotations
over the All Star break. It couldn't come at a
more appropriate time, and neither could these three days off.
I think the Clippers are in a good spot, but
they do. We need to have some sense of urgency
very soon here and this will give them the appropriate
amount of time to recharge. There we go.
Speaker 2: We hope everyone has had the appropriate amount of time
to recharge themselves after this weekend. We'll be back pretty soon.
Thank you so much for listening, and always, let's go
Clips