Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans, Happy New Year. If
you start this episode at eleven fifty nine and fifty
eight seconds, you'll hear me say Happy New Year right
at New Year. So that's cool. I am Chuck Wockler,
joined by Adam Osen and William Updyke. Welcome to the
sixteenth episode of the fourth season of Clips in Dip.
Thanks for hanging out. If you've been riding with us
through this the dark times, the light times are here.
You can watch us at YouTube dot com slash at
Clippers podcast to see our roller coaster of emotion through
these last couple of days before we get into this
amazing win streak and how things have been going. Adam,
will how are you feeling going into twenty twenty six
after beating the Kings by forty points? Good?
Speaker 2: Feeling undefeated in the new year, Feeling unstoppable? What's not like?
The Kings are a miserable team about the biggest sell
off we've ever seen?
Speaker 1: What is wrong with them up there? We're gonna talk
about the Clippers obviously for the next hour, but what
is going on up there?
Speaker 2: The same shit that's been going on the VEC saved
them from moving, but Unfortunately, he's not the most hands
off owner. I think he's trying to adapt in that area.
But I mean, he had his daughter who was a
pop star in the front office at one point. Like
there's been some strange stuff going on there and they're
completely dysfunctional and inept as a franchise currently. Who's his
daughter I don't know, but she was a pop star
that no one knows about. I think your name star
with Britney first named Britney, Yeah, something like that.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I don't know what's going on with the Kings.
I also will I tweeted this out last night when
everyone was talking about the Clippers like winning on the
coach or Tyler Wood and stuff. That is what a
team that has quit on their coach looks like.
Speaker 2: That's what I said too. You tweeted that too. Are
you serious?
Speaker 1: From the Clippers PODCA we should check both those Yeah,
what the hell dude, I am?
Speaker 2: But like during the game, I have this freaking long
thread of play by play crap that gets in the
way of everything.
Speaker 1: Uh So, now that the important stuff like why the
Kings are so bad is out of the way, the
Clippers are on a five game win streak. Over this
win streak, they are first and defensive rating, offensive rating
and net rating first, and true shooting percentage third, and
turnovers per game first and wins. Will what part of
this is Kawhi and James Harden elevating to a different level,
Kawhi even surpassing whatever other level he's been able to
get to. Is it really just that I don't mean
that disrespect to the other guys playing well, but rising
you know, those two guys playing well is what gets
the Clippers.
Speaker 3: With Yeah, well, one thing I mean that gets a
little bit hard, like in the midst of so much losing.
Is another thing that's like wrong with the Kings. Is
I feel like even through all that Tom Tumult, the
Clippers have had this north star and this.
Speaker 4: Idea of where they're headed.
Speaker 3: You know, we've talked about the identity not necessarily being
consistent or anything, but they have an idea how they
want to play and what they want this team to be.
And I do think you know, we talked about some
of the things that we're just not breaking their way
in terms of opponent three point shooting percentage, which you know,
there's all other factors that go into that other guys
not like achieving expectation, and I think what we've seen
is sort of a return to the means above the
means frankly in those areas as well as this, like
the incredible play of Kawhi and obviously James Harden doing.
Speaker 4: What he's really been doing for the majority of the season.
Speaker 3: But I do think that, yes, that lifts it, but
they're I think that they should give fans and people
a little bit of pause when you want to overreact
to something, because this would be the time and the
place for a less organized franchise to go ahead and
do something drastic, to go ahead and fire your head coach,
to go ahead and get rid of your GM.
Speaker 4: But when you know that you have.
Speaker 3: Something in the distance that you're still shooting for, yes,
it may not it's still not going to result in
a top four or five seeds, likely in the Western Conference,
but you still know that you can get frisky in
the playoffs. You haven't lost anything major and you haven't
had to give anything up. You haven't had to take
any trades for pennies on the dollar, like you've kind
of stuck to your guns in a way that things
have bounced back, and now, granted, it's not like we
had a whole lot of room to maneuver or move
around or necessarily change things, so we're a little bit
four to stick to our guns. But having the foreside
ahead to have built the team like they did and
continue to believe in these guys, I do think says something.
I do think that that's positive, and I do think
that that is something that you know, even as Kawhi
and Harden's play ebbs and flows throughout the season, like,
knowing that this team is still together and is still
on track has to be something that that everyone can
rejoice about, regardless of this season's ultimate ending.
Speaker 1: Yes, and just four if you've missed Kauhai's last five games,
just during this streak, uh, he's averaging thirty nine points,
nine boards, four assists, plus three steals in a block
and a half. His splits are, dude, I like, I
don't understand it. Fifty three percent from the floor, forty
seven percent from three. He's taken forty four threes over
the last five games, so it's not like he's, you know,
putting up like three a game. And obviously we know
the ninety six percent from the free throw line. But
to your point, and Adam, you were nodding along and
clapping and cheering because what Will was saying was correct,
Like this is why you don't make a trade or
freak out. You can't a week ago.
Speaker 3: You can't always press the panic button. You can't always
be reactionary to everything.
Speaker 2: Everybody wanted Coach Lou fired, They wanted Lawrence Frank fired,
They wanted the old guys traded, even if it wasn't
for much. What a difference five games makes I think
this team. And there was some mocking of when Coach
Lou said this, but I was like, I love that
they put a goal out there. When he said the
goal is to go thirty five and twenty the rest
of the way to get back to forty one and
forty one. A lot of people scoffed at it and
thought it was silly and ridiculous. Well, that I think
is a big part of leading to this reset of
just the Clippers being able to kind of have a
fresh start to this season and now they just need
to go thirty and twenty over the next fifty games
to get to forty one and forty one. All of
a sudden, doesn't lift that unrealistic. I think that was
a big move and coach, we've talked about a little
bit last night. Apparently it wasn't just him, it was
Lawrence Frank and Trent redd and recommending that too.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, they want to go five. I mean they
want to keep the five hundred streak alive too, for sure,
Like I get it from all the perspective from leadership.
Speaker 2: But recommending putting a number on it to get there
and chasing that is what I mean. But this is
a team that is not given up to Chuck's point,
they've not thrown it into the towel at all. And
once they got that first victory and it was over
the Lakers in dominating fashion. The Lakers also were missing
some guys, but the Clippers were missing the obviously Visa
Zubots earlier in that game. Won't get into more of that,
I'm sure, but this team needed to get over the
hump because they had lost so many close games down
the stretch where they're two to eight in clutch time games.
I think this season and that mentally can wear on you,
and I think it was more than just oh, this
team isn't playing hard enough, or they don't want it.
It was the fatigue of feeling like we've forgotten how
to win, and everybody seems to make the big shot
against us, and the shooting is going against us and
we can't knock down three pointers. Well, that is completely
flipped around. Over the last five games, they've outshot their
opponents in every single one of those games from three. Crazy,
and going into last night's game, they were almost out
shooting their opponents by twenty percent from three. It was
a nineteen percent over the last four games. Hated to
last night, they still outshot Sacramento I think three percent
from three. That's the type of stuff that can turn
around a season. Kawhi Leonard, though, being and looking like
the best player in the NBA over this stretch, I
don't know if anybody expected him to look this good.
He had not been bad.
Speaker 1: Yeah, this he wasn't like a bum. He was still
puting up like some of his best deficiency like. But
we're seeing on both sides too, which is great. Why
the defense, albeit against you know who what was against
last night, He's still an issue to deal with on
the defense effect.
Speaker 2: And he was good against the Lakers and Portland and
Houston and Detroit and even before they started winning, their
defense had already been coming around, which a lot of
people are, you know, looking at the fact that Ivisa
Zubas is out and all of a sudden everything's fine.
It's like, well their defense. You can look at those numbers,
and this team had been playing better. They just weren't
getting those results. But the process was there, which is
why we talk about it a lot. Sometimes it's starts
with the process and eventually it leads to the results
in the w's even if it doesn't initially you got
to play the right way and they were they had been,
they just couldn't close out games for a while.
Speaker 3: Famously, causation and correlation are the exact same thing, so.
Speaker 4: Makes sense, makes sense, and it is.
Speaker 1: It's also and not now we're gonna get too the
other part, which is not to take away from anything
else that the other guys are doing, from Kawhi and
James Harden, because you look at Chris Dunn, is it
forty from three this year? Like I saw some people
on Twitter talking about he's altered his shot a little bit.
He used to take shots with his feet, not parallel.
Just little things like that that are getting tweaked and like,
it's crazy he's over fifty percent from three during the
wind streak. And I think too, like getting Derek Jones
Junior back when we got him back, not to say that,
you know, he obviously looked rusty when he came back
because he missed some time, but like it helped.
Speaker 3: But when you talk about closed games, like that's a
guy who could have helped alter a couple of close ones.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it helps. It takes Done off the floor
a little bit. So Done doesn't have to play because
part of it too is like when we weren't playing well,
guys were pushing in weird areas that was leading to mistakes. Right.
We saw Done gamble for a couple of steals sometimes
during the dark times where it was like that's out
of character for you, Like you don't got to you know,
leave your man to go for that, to try and
just make something happen during this this difficult run of play.
So like and the fact that we've won has also
helped Derek Jones Junior. He can come back at a
normal rate. Right, It's not like, hey, Derek, we need
you back. You gotta be locked in and already at
one hundred percent. I've loved done. Season has been great.
It started off rough, but everyone's kind of did. And
like the fact that he's a forty percent I was insane.
Speaker 2: And his shooting very quietly while they were losing, was
there from the outside while people were still saying, we
already get done off the floors like he's been shooting well.
I mean, even people freak out about the playoff series.
He shot the thirty six percent from three in that series,
didn't you twenty six percent from three? He wasn't that
god awful? Now, I know teams will leave him open,
but that happens. There's guys on every team that I
like that and they are asked to knock them down.
And with how hard of a worker he is. Coach
who talked about this a little bit last night, But
you know, it's not that shocking that a guy who
has a bigger role later in his career can make
some strides in that area because he's being asked to
and he works on it. So I'm happy for him.
We'll see how long the world's up. Yeah, yeah, And
even there was a part Kawhi last night is going
off in the second quarter where he had eighteen points.
He passed to Chris. Chris Dunn had the basketball, gave
it up to Kawhi. He's cooking, Kawhi. I saw that
Chris Dunn's man left him. He gave it right back
to Chris Dunn, like just encouraging him. No, you shoot,
this is this is your shot here. Seeing Kawhi do
that with the god'sier heater he's been on, that's that's amazing.
Speaker 1: We do have to talk about the Lopez Zoo thing.
That is like it's not real anyway, we have to
talk about it. We have to say something about it.
So like we can all agree that Lopez has been
you know, the Blazers game was absurd. He almost broke
the record for threes made in the game. But other
than that, like he's been good, right, well, Like have
you felt about Lopez in Places Zoo. It's like, you know,
pretty good.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it's I mean it's pretty good. You know,
he's surrounded by better guys, so that's always going to
help you out.
Speaker 1: And it's style of play so different, like yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but I don't know, there's no argument for like
permanently switching in my mind whatsoever. But you know, he's
been able to bounce back a little bit. But but
like I said, he does have more help with that unit,
with with some of his issues on the defensive end,
and they can tailor to him a little bit more.
He also, you know, has a little bit more outside
versatility than Zoo, So I think that that helps. But
again not in like a major like in a way
that it's a good stop gap, not a solution, if.
Speaker 4: That makes sense.
Speaker 1: His spacing, you know, does open up the pay a
little bit. We've we've seen John Collins crash you know,
a loop a Lopez three point attempt and get you
know the offensive board and dunk, which is like what
Collins that's perfect for his game. I also saw a
cool thing last night where I think it was the
first possession where Lopez was like legitimately coaching John Collins
where to go. Not I don't mean this is like
a disrespectful thing to John Collins. It was just cool
to see Lopez being like, you know, like ushering, helping
guys be in the right spot on the court.
Speaker 4: That's why you bring him, I mean, you know exactly.
Speaker 2: I think outside of CP three, he was said to
be the loudest guy in training camp and in those
preseason games on the floor, you always knew where Lopez
was out there. Great bet, Yeah, this this whole I
keep saying this, but I'm gonna keep saying it because
it's so true and just speaks to how ridiculous people
could be. But the same people that said Lopez was done,
he's washed, Why did Lawrence frank get him? He sucks,
it's over, are now saying that same guy is better
than a Visa zoobots. And here's the same guy they
said all that about, Like.
Speaker 1: People who have been boarding this out LA Clippers film
has been fighting the good fight on this. The Clippers
won fifty games with Zoo being an all NBA level
center last year, Like we're not We're not talking of like, yeah,
he can't shoot threes, Okay, that's fine. Not a lot
of starting centers shoot four threes or whatever. And to
the other there's also the other side of the ball
where I don't think anyone would think I would hope,
not sincerely that you don't think that Lopez is a
better defender than defeats the zoobots, because that's not true.
Speaker 2: I don't think this was like I don't know less
than two weeks ago that I did that emergency podcast
and you came on, Chuck and we had who else
was there? And Joey beats the Zoobots. It was revealed
that he'd be out for at least three weeks, and
I kept saying, like, I'm not giving up on Lopez,
and people were mocking me and saying in the comments
like this is the most desperate thing I've ever seen,
and like, no, because it matters. I said all season long,
I don't think he's had some crazy drop off from
last season going from thirty six to thirty seven. That
stuff does happen once in a while, but from what
I saw, movement wise, he was fine if you use
him as a situational drop big and the rest of
the defense being so bad to start the season, I
kept saying, was ruining Lopez's chance of being able to
be an effective defender because he was having a makeup
for other guys' mistakes out there and he can't do that.
He can't roam, he can't patrol the paint like that,
he can't move side to side like that. But if
you funnel guys his way, he can still be a
good defender. And that's what we're seeing now. Guys, everybody
else has taken up the challenge more. They're more connected defensively,
so Lopez is better defensively. And his shot, I mean
that's always the last thing to go. So yeah, I
always felt like he still had utility. It's like last
year's Clippers team. I said, if Lopez was on that team,
he'd be really good because that team played great defense
and everybody played defense to some degree. And now they're
doing it and Lopez looks like a different guy, but
he's not. It's just sometimes you know, your environment is
what changes things.
Speaker 1: Product of his environment. Yeah, he's also from two point
percentage land shooting forty percent from two and grabbing three
boards a game. So there are other aspects for the
people who want to jettison Zubots from this team.
Speaker 2: I'll say this, though, he's.
Speaker 1: Been good and I'm not. This is this is I'm
throwing the people who want who are for some reason. Yeah.
The other part is like we don't have to choose,
Like there's no world in which we're at some crossroads
where we have to choose Zubots or Lope. We have both.
Like that's good, good, right, now.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and if they do continue to keep winning and
they're twelve and two, when a Viza Zubos is healthy
and ready to come back, maybe they stick with Brook
Lopez in the starting lineup. I don't think that's crazy.
He's been a starter his entire career. But the idea that, oh,
we have to trade Zoo, Now, why are we trading
a Visa zubots Uh Again, zubots has one of the
most valued contracts in the NBA. Trading a guy like
that that's that good at just twenty million dollars when
you're trying to match salary, you're not going to get
players back that are close to that. Now you may
get you may get the draft picks that you cover it.
And if there's a Godfather offer, then I think you
should be listening for any player on this Clippers team.
There's still eleven and twenty one. Yeah, they're still eleven
and twenty one. And Chuck, you're right, it's like long term,
what does that mean Lopez is Lopez is in his
late thirties, Like.
Speaker 1: There's worse guys like yeah, Zoos.
Speaker 2: Anyway, Zoo could be really good, like a top seven
ish type center for the next six years, Right, do
you want to give up on that guy because you think, well,
we might have a gap year next year and then
we reload. Like, if he's good for the next six years,
you might be able to hold on to him for
the next era of Clippers basketball and he can still
help you there.
Speaker 1: But that next draft pick that could be Zoo.
Speaker 2: But but now people saw Yani get sixteen points last night,
so he's also better than Zoo.
Speaker 1: Okay. Also shout out the youth movement, Yannick and Kobe Sanders.
This has been fun. This has been fun. I'm not
putting yeah, let's sign him to the max contracts yet
or whatever, but like Harden and Yannak have him that
little moment on the bench yesterday, Like the fact that
tylu is like, yeah, Kobe, you're ahead of all the
other younger guys because you've shown me that you know
how to play NBA basketball better than they do. Like,
I love it, and I'm really happy for those youngers.
It's awesome to see them put up good tape.
Speaker 2: I remember also on that Clippers Talk emergency podcast, everybody
complaining that they should have got Cop Brener. This is
why they should have got Cop Brenner for a situation
like this zoo is out. He's more NBA ready now,
that is true. But I think everybody's starting to see
just how high of the ceiling Gyanick might have and
that is very intriguing.
Speaker 1: Yeah, like if he could be the backup, it's just like, yeah,
I like it. It's just good to see young guys
put up good tape for this Clippers team, Like, well,
who's the last young guy? Was it? I mean Jordan Miller,
I guess, but that faded.
Speaker 4: Yeah, in some limited spots.
Speaker 1: I mean even Kobe Brown got minutes the other night.
But yeah, so that's good to see. And probable people
who don't want Tyler to play young guys, he's playing
two young guys. Nick Patum has also just continued to
be good and someone we're gonna talk about this trade
rumor that came out or scuttle but from Ammick the
other day. But Nick Patum and John Collins have been
fantastic to see. And I hope my take that John
Collins could still have room in the twenty twenty seven
open cap era is still I think, Okay.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I like it.
Speaker 1: If he can write, like maybe he didn't, he might
have played himself out of some money this season, which
is shitty for him obviously, but like we've seen him
be a positive player for this Clippers team. Like he's athletic,
it's there.
Speaker 2: He's the type of guy that could get along contract obviously,
but not the annual twenty six million per year. Maybe
it's eighteen per year or something like that, but it's
three years, you know, I don't know, sixty million. Let's say,
so he's a twenty two years.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would twenty million dollars for because what's he
twenty five now?
Speaker 2: Yeah, twenty five, twenty six yeah.
Speaker 1: Kidding John Collins for less average annual value for that
twenty twenty seven would be nice.
Speaker 2: And he's hitting his threes. And he started hitting his threes,
by the way, when the Viza Zubos was still on
the floor. I just want to.
Speaker 1: Say, interesting, intrguing, are we sure about that?
Speaker 2: Look? The spacing thing is real, Like I don't want
to just doubt that this it matters. And that was
a big reason we're all so excited about having a
change of pace or a change up with having Brook
Lopez where you could really throw some different variations in
lineup combinations when they got him this summer. Now it's happening,
but it's happening in a way we didn't expect what
the viza zubas happening to be out in him in
the starting lineup.
Speaker 1: It's good stuff. Well, what else have you been excited
about before we get into the next segment, which is
the ultimate question.
Speaker 4: I mean, just duves on doves.
Speaker 3: But like I said, it was really easy to It
was really easy to overact, overreact when things were bad,
you know, like they looked terrible. Yeah, they looked really,
really terrible. But I think I mean, like I said,
part of it is your hand is forced. But like
they didn't completely quit on this team. Uh, at any level,
it doesn't appear. And I think that that, you know,
even if we go through another rough patch, that's one
of those things that we have at least seen this now. Yeah,
you know we can have that in the back of
our mind that there is still there is still a
plan and there is still a north star this team
is that it doors, which I gotta be honest, it
was feeling a little rudderless there for a minute.
Speaker 1: No, that's I should have known better.
Speaker 3: But it's hard to know better when you're when you're
in the dirty.
Speaker 2: Like they're not out the woods. No oh no, we're fine.
Now I should have known better, Like I get what
you're saying. You're right, Like it was that bad and
it's it was so bad that even with this five
game winning streaking, how good they have looked. They're ten
games under five hundred still.
Speaker 1: Right, So that brings us. We're gonna do a quick
audio break for those of you listening. If you want
to watch us, you can watch us at YouTube dot
cops at clips podcast. For those of you listen, theer's
gonna be a quick audio break and then we're gonna
answer the pressing question in three two one.
Speaker 3: All right, welcome back into Clips and Dip. We talked
the clips renewed, not even renewed, their first.
Speaker 4: Taste is real.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and now we're just gonna talk a little bit
about how good this team actually is, how sustainable any
of this really is. We touched on it a little bit.
Uh but Charles, what what are you coming back to?
What's what's sustainable here?
Speaker 1: So before I think it was before the Pistons game,
I was looking at some of the shooting Variances during
the three game streak, right, So, like the Lakers shot
fifteen percent from three in our win, Clippers as a
team shot fifty three percent against the Rockets, and then
we had the Lopez game against the Blazers, So I
was like, oh, I don't know, like they've gotten They
had some good shooting luck for three of the games,
and I do think the shooting luck is kind of
carried over. I don't think this team is going to
finish top three and true shooting percentage for the rest
of the year. I just don't think they're built for that.
And it's not in disrespect to the team at all.
But like what I like is the what I think
I'm grasping on to the most kind of like the
big stats from the win streak is the defensive rating
being good. The competition, obviously there's been some up and down.
You know, it's it is what it is. You have
to play who's in front of you. But the defense
has me the most excited, right because, like we didn't
have Derek Jones Junior for part of it. Collins has
been out there while they've had the number one defense
over the last five games, Kawhi's looked a little renewed.
On the defensive end, I think that. I think it's
the more sustainable part.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, the defense has legs. How do we know that
because we saw it for eighty two games last year.
It's pretty much the same team in a lot of ways.
Even with out of each a Zoo Bots. They have
so many good defenders with dj Bean back now, if
everybody's connected and the chemistry is there again and guys
are feeling better about themselves because they won some games,
so it's games, so it's easier to give a better
effort on that end, especially when you're making everything and
you can set your defense like the Clippers can. Well,
there goes their number one problem, their number one weakness,
transition defense, because they're getting back because they're making every
shot right now.
Speaker 1: That's a great point actually being number one and true
shooting does make it so they don't have to run
quickly down the court. And I don't mean that like it,
it literally does.
Speaker 2: And it isn't sustainable to shooting, and in particular because
it's not only that the Clippers have been red hot
from the outside, it's their opponent shooting going the other way.
At the same time too, and being so bad. When
you look at the numbers, it's the same open shots
that they were giving up before, Like Portland had open shots,
Houston at open shots. They're just missing against the Clippers.
Now it's shooting variants. It's a real thing.
Speaker 4: All the averages.
Speaker 1: Baby, we love it.
Speaker 2: No albody wants to believe it when it's going against you,
and nobody wants to believe it when it's going for you,
you know, but it's real.
Speaker 1: Well talk to me when they go fifty five of
that to close the season, Well, do you think the Kawhi?
I feel like I'm also kind of a believer in
the Kawhi level of play, not the split City's at
right now. I think the free throw percentage that'll stay
right there. I think three points probably gonna come down,
but he is taking more, like but I also sem
I believe in that or I'm just drunk off five wins.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't know about that high. But like the
larger attempts and everything, that is very real.
Speaker 3: But we see that in a lot of forwards, like
as as they age, I mean, that's the game now,
you know, maybe you have to alter a little bit
as you age, so I expect that to to hold true.
Speaker 4: And who knows.
Speaker 3: I mean, like, you know, again with those greater reps, like, yes,
you'll see a decline from where he's at right now,
but overall beneficial, I would assume as because you know,
he continues to grow and learn his game even as
his body matures.
Speaker 1: Matures is a very friendly way to put it. So, yeah,
they talked about we talked about this a little bit.
They need to go thirty and twenty to hit the
let's be five hundred mark, which I was doubt on,
especially after let's call it.
Speaker 4: Thirty one and nineteen. Let's call a winning season.
Speaker 1: I like that, let's call it thirty one in nineteen.
I hope, I hope L Frank's listening to this one.
He picks up that nugget based on opponent win percentage,
which isn't the best indication of strength the schedule. It's
just kind of how teams are playing as of right now.
The Clippers have the seventh easiest strength to schedule for
the next for this.
Speaker 2: Next you know, let's hold the rest of the season.
Speaker 1: Thirty one and nineteen. Yeah, how real that is? You know,
teams bad teams can get hot for three games and
all of a sudden be playing like it.
Speaker 2: You know, it's like a very hey, Utah has been
playing better.
Speaker 1: Legitimately, shit like I mean, look at the nets, dude,
like the nets have. Yeah, it makes like no sense.
Speaker 2: To the Clippers last five games.
Speaker 1: How are we feeling about about thirty one and nineteen?
Now we still do have and I haven't mentioned it
for a couple episodes. We have eighteen games in March.
Speaker 4: Brother, it's not even January. Like, let's let's reconvene on at.
Speaker 1: How we feel about thirty one and nineteen. I feel
a lot better obviously then five games ago.
Speaker 2: I I just what Will was saying and bringing up Kawhi,
and yes, this is great right now, but this is
an all time peak type of thing. Now.
Speaker 1: Never let the party die, man.
Speaker 2: He had the most efficient thirty game stretch in NBA
history back on the twenty three twenty four season, where
he was shooting fifty seven fifty two to ninety splits
thirty games. Again, it's it's possible, especially with this emphasis
on his outside shooting as he tries to evolve his game.
But he's even said I'm gonna shoot him no matter what.
There could be a game where I go, oh to twelve,
next game, I go seven of twelve. I am taking
these shots because he pointed out that it might have
to be one step back before two steps forward with
him trying to just be a part of the NBA's
new modern age of shooting and three point percentage.
Speaker 4: You know, if it's open or semi open, like why
would he not?
Speaker 2: But he wants to take him like off the bounce,
like he's James Harden now a lot more and he
has been and he's was making him. It's going well
so far.
Speaker 1: Will as the coach's only and Clint, we're going do it.
Speaker 2: We saw I remember in San Diego when they played
I think that was the first preseason game and Kawhi
was taking some crazy like off the bound side stepping
threes and he was making him. I was like, what
didn't he take.
Speaker 1: Like twelve or not twelve? But like he took some
game where it was like what the hell is going?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think first of all, I think it's amazing
that he recognizes where the game is going and he
has to adjust and it also will help his body
too as you slow down lose the first step, but
the shooting is the last thing to go. And he
already is a really good shooter. He's a much better
three point shooter than MJ or Kobe ever was, So
for him to get try to get better in this area. Wow.
Speaker 3: And I mean we saw the same thing with Lebron
when you know he hit the same age like his
three his three point shooting went up drastically. But Kawhy
has been a better three point shooter, so that I mean,
like that's great, and that's great for him. He's already,
you know, semi adapted for this next stage.
Speaker 2: I just don't know, like the highs have been so high.
We just know how this goes. Yeah, and I can
go through these stretches where he looks like the best
player ever, and then he goes through a little bit
of a loll where he's not moving as fast. I'm
I'm waiting that will happen.
Speaker 4: Now.
Speaker 2: That doesn't mean they have to lose, though, because if
that happens, you know, around the time of visa Zubos
comes back, then maybe he can pick some stuff, pick
him up a little bit, and other guys can be
going through some hot shooting stretches.
Speaker 1: It's yeah, yeah, it's gonna be interesting the Clippers. There's
eighteen games until the trade deadline.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Kawie be getting any help.
Speaker 1: So the latest scuttle butt from AMIC, which take it
with a grain of salt. I'm just reporting all what
came out today. Team sources say the Clippers have no
plans of hosting a fire slee on these next five weeks.
With Steve Bamber continuing his eternal mandate to remain competitive
and no first round pick in twenty twenty sixth centiffies
a tank job. They want to dig out of this
massive hole they've dug for themselves. He went on to say,
if anything, league sources say the Clippers are expected to
explore the prospect of adding an impact player. They can
match a star player level salary with expiring deals with
the contract of John Collins, Bogged and Bogdanovich, who also
it just sucks he can't stay healthy. Body, Please get healthy, man.
That's just a bummer, Brook Lopez and Niko Batoum. So
all of those guys apparently are available for an impact player, which.
Speaker 4: Kings might be listening.
Speaker 2: Fuck, oh god, I wish, I wish. Dennis Schreuder's contract
wasn't three years that he just signed. He's only he's
only making fourteen, but it's through till the summer of
twenty twenty eight. What if we're trying to.
Speaker 5: Anthony Davis, you're right because you have to wait to
pay him and just be a rental for this championship.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well just pay a D A D and Kawhi
in the playoffs?
Speaker 2: What could go wrong? I'm trying to think, all right,
people have brought up Malik Monk, but they're probably gonna
get a pretty penny for him, who looked terrible last
night as everyone did like they just they did not care.
Speaker 1: I didn't know what impact players are like out there,
because again, say the Clippers say between now in these
eighteen games until the trade deadline, the Clippers go, not,
you know, eighteen to know like the pace run now,
but say they go, like it's fourteen and four between
now and the train line, it'd be great. I'm like,
I mean I know that that would be like continue,
that would literally be continuing the path are on now,
which is unsustainable. We do things what impact player because
like of that list on there, I don't think Batoum
is still, which might be a bad thing, very valuable
to this team.
Speaker 2: Man, I would be surprised if the trade Nico again.
When they traded him to Philly, that was like a
real shock and I think that was a big hang
up in the trade. Yeah, Lawn Thorren Shrank didn't want
to do it. Now he came back, I don't think.
I don't know.
Speaker 1: And what's another impact player who's like kind of like
John Collins where it's like, oh, we could still maybe
sign you again when we have the open books, Like
John Collins is that guy? Right? Like if they're playing well,
I just don't see an impact guy who's taking Collins specifically.
Collins are between away from the Clippers and maybe even Lopez, I.
Speaker 2: Guess, especially because it's time to start thinking about and
looking at Collins differently and that he's coming around and
maybe he can be the guy that we thought they
were getting this season, and what does that do for
this team's ceiling and just how far they can take
this or you know, move up the standings.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean Collins was shooting up until this five
game win streak, literally his worst percentages ever from three
to two, those were going to go up like, and
they were like the worst of his career, you know
what I'm saying. Like it wasn't like, oh, he's half
a percentage away from the worst shooting of his career.
It was like a lot. I just don't think. I
don't know. I guess I don't know what the definition
of an impact player is that Ammick is giving here,
but with the way that the aprons work and everything,
and I can't see him because don't they have a
pick to trade? Now? Don't we have a pick we
can trade?
Speaker 2: They have a twenty thirty and a twenty thirty two
they could trade.
Speaker 1: I don't We're not No one's out there who's worth well,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 2: Like, yeah, like we need to stay grounded here. Obviously
at best Right now, we're talking about a team that
maybe could get to the A spot, seventh or a
spot like that's probably at best. A week ago, it
was like at best ninth or tenth, maybe seventh or eighth,
But that still means you're ended up playing the number
one or the number two seed, depending on how the
playing goes.
Speaker 1: Right, Well, then we shocked the world. I don't know.
Will you think we're doing a trade you think we're
staying bad, because we also could, like Dad was point, like,
we could just start being bad again.
Speaker 2: Maybe I don't know if they can get back to
that bad, but yeah, I could definitely have a little
bit of a come down.
Speaker 3: I mean, you know, it's just in terms of finding
like a suitable partner, it's you really, like, really, all
we have to offer is like, you know, there's some
you know, there's obviously you know, patom gives you some
utility for the right team. I think he can slot
in a lot of places. But is that like an
appetizing deal? Maybe as part of a package, you'd have
to be interested in Collins and you'd have to be
interested in shedding sixteen million dollars from your from your
salary sheet next year on Bogie And that's like, you
know that that's kind of like a pretty narrow frame
to work with that because we're not attaching any asset
to pull out this season. Yeah, RT like so I
I I definitely obviously they're gonna look for ways to
improve the roster.
Speaker 4: But I think.
Speaker 3: Now, I mean, unless things, you know, return back to
how they were, I think they'll they'll be there'll be
less urgency on the Clippers side to even make a
big move unless you could really stop file assets for
the future, like you know, I would guess you know,
any calls they may have been feeling on Zoo have
definitely taken a pause unless the like, unless you're talking
a pretty hearty return.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and everyone wants MPJ and Cam Thomas, and it's like,
I don't know what why the realistic trades look like
for that in terms of why Clippers would give up
because the grass is always greener trying to lose and
mp is really good.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he is hurting them.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I like both those guys honestly, but at what costs?
What are you gonna have to give up? They could
maybe get a first for MPJ.
Speaker 1: Now right, And like I hope the Clippers, I don't
think they're trading any first or at least I hope not.
But if you do have any trade rumors, go ahead
and tweet at follow Adam A any of your trade ideas,
any of your rumors.
Speaker 4: Any any you know, machine screenshots y.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that'll be.
Speaker 4: Especially if there's more than four teams.
Speaker 1: And much like the Clippers defense will and I funnel
trade ideas to follow Adam A and Twitter.
Speaker 2: And then I block them like Yannick exactly.
Speaker 1: See that's how it works, all right. Coming up, we're
talking a brief kind of actual litmus test coming up
for the Clippers. There's gonna be a quick audio break,
but if you're watching us at YouTube dot com, plish
at Clippers podcast, we are still here. Quick break and
then sending you on to twenty twenty six with great
vibes coming up in three two one.
Speaker 2: Welcome back in Clips and Dip season four, episode sixteen,
I'm at a mash. We got Chef Maklin. We'll updeck.
The full crew is here for you guys as we
enter twenty twenty six, Happy New Year or New Year's
or until tomorrow, until it's official, then it has to
be New Year. We reason through this all.
Speaker 1: We got it all on the Patriots about New Year's.
Speaker 2: We are big on grammar and uh eloquent speaking.
Speaker 4: Let's un over here.
Speaker 2: The MENSA meeting is on. Let's talk about this upcoming
Clippers schedule, which you know, uh, it still looks like
they can extend this streak out a little bit further. Here.
There's a really good opportunity with all these home games, Chuck.
Speaker 1: I'm terrified for the Jazz on New Year's Day. Anytime
your team is playing well and you're playing a team
that also smoked you in the first game of the season,
and then you have a game on New Year's Day,
I just I'm a little worried about it. I would
understand if they dropped this one. I just hope the
process looks good.
Speaker 2: I refuse to understand if they drop this one, I
will be confound.
Speaker 1: I am rational. I don't know one will. How hyped
would you be to play basketball on New Year's Day?
Speaker 4: If it was your job, I'd be a professional.
Speaker 1: So you're playing the Tucks exactly the part that I
think is difficult in their upcoming schedule. So they got
the Jazz and then the Celtics on the third and
the Warriors on the fifth. That's all at home. They
have an East Coast three and four. So they go
the Knicks on the seventh, and then the Nets and
the Pistons on the ninth and the tenth. The Pistons
are going to want to beat after what the star
players of the Clippers have done to the Pistons. Thank
You Balloons the last two years. This season and last season.
I think the Pistons will really want to beat us,
But I think the East Coast trip, if they could
say they go to and one and these last home games, right,
I think that East Coast is a good litmus test
because you're getting at least two out of three really
good teams that you're playing in a short span.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that will say more about how real this stretch
is and what they can and can't do in the standings.
But they got to take care of business at home.
I do think that Jazz game is a big one.
Cante George has been unfreaking real this season. He looks
like a top ten player already, but the Clippers actually
have the right guys to got to guard him now
with the way they're playing defense, Like, I don't fear
the smaller, quicker guards when the Clippers are playing like this.
Hell yeah, I mean Kate Cunningham. They held down to
the second half and then it was just kawhi Wa
outgun him in the third quarter and hold on. And
look what the Pistons just did last night to another
LA team. So I hope they get to six straight
and then you know, the Celtics. They just beat the
Jazz in Utah, and they're playing really good ball. I
think they're number two in the East right now. I'm
actually number two and number three. Unexpectedly, the Warriors are
having their own issues with an older team having some
I don't.
Speaker 1: Know, guy, what's doing over there.
Speaker 2: He's so good, he's gonna be traded at some point.
Somebody's gonna trade for him because they have to wait,
I think till the middle of January. I think for him,
he wasn't a December fifteenth guy because they signed up Lade.
I'm still on the island. I ain't going nowhere. Me
Wilson and Jonathan Kaminga are making fire, okay.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Also, the only other person on coming island with
you is literally because he's not allowed to be around
the team anymore.
Speaker 2: Not long ago, I was the only person on Brook
Lopez Island still saying I still believe in him. So
things can change quickly in this league.
Speaker 1: But therch, these.
Speaker 2: These three last three home games are going to be tough.
Speaker 1: Will are you gonna buy? Say they go over this
sixth game stretch? Could they go four and two? Are
you buying? Are you getting? Are you adding to the
the Clippers championship year tattoo. If they go four and
two over the six.
Speaker 4: Game stretch, yeah, I'll get that sleeve work on. I
started it this year, so might as well just keep going. Uh.
Speaker 3: I mean I would be elated at four and two.
Honestly though, I would be understanding of three and three.
I would understand in an excited way even if.
Speaker 1: They went and hear me out, No, I would be
upset if they went to and four. I take that
completely back. I was about to say two and four.
I could see if they beat Celtic's nicks, but.
Speaker 3: I'm not saying sub three and three is impossible. They're
just not getting of course, the cat for anything sub
three and three.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the hat remains down. Yeah, I think that's fair.
It's really it's I'm worried about New Year's Day.
Speaker 2: But yeah, three and three, with the level of quality
competition the next six games, that would not be the
worst thing ever.
Speaker 1: And travel right like they are going to the East Coast.
Speaker 2: This game is.
Speaker 1: Uh, that's for the real ones out there, all right?
Anything else before we send Clippers fans into the great unknown?
That is twenty twenty six, the greatest year in Clippers
franchise history soon to be the greatest year in Clippers
franchise history.
Speaker 2: Our twenty twenty six year.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there we go. Our year is twenty twenty six. Umm,
al right, I think we're gonna be doing go ahead.
Speaker 2: O oh, just a simple miscalculation like those Ends of
the World pastors.
Speaker 1: Yeah, mister Damas was wrong onmesdays, Like come on, the
Mians didn't get at all. Right, we're gonna be doing
a happy Hour on Friday, probably full episode next Tuesday. Well,
where can people say it was your New year's resolution
to review more podcasts.
Speaker 4: We're weird resolution.
Speaker 3: But if that is your goal, you can go ahead
and review us over on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You
can force to listen to us wherever you get your podcasts.
Best place to check out the show those over at
YouTube dot comments at Clippers podcast. He'd leave your thoughts
on every single video there, and and if that's your resolution,
you could leave you know, like a couple a week.
So yeah, but however you listen, however you watch, we
appreciate it.
Speaker 1: We really do, and thank you for hanging out when
things have been bad. They still might be bad, but
at least for now, they're good, and Adam.
Speaker 3: We're ten games below Doc and Lin is all on
the red.
Speaker 1: Things are pretty good right now for a team that
is fighting for a playing spot.
Speaker 2: We're still on the submarine. The aircraft carrier is going
to take some time to get up there.
Speaker 1: Yes, well, the submarine. I don't know enough about submarines
to know what the problems would be, but we still
we have visibility that seems like an issue in a submarine.
Speaker 2: We got torpedoes.
Speaker 1: Look at we have torpedoes, Adam. This particular segment has
been more difficult for you earlier in the year. But
now let's get one positive thing for Clippers fans heading
into twenty twenty seconds.
Speaker 2: We gotta change it to one negative thing after the show.
Speaker 1: No, we're literally never changing it to.
Speaker 2: That Clippers won the championship. Give us one negative thing.
So in six games, all right, I'm going to say
something outrageous, which you gotta understand where I'm coming from here.
I'm not saying he's this player. He's not going to
be this player. Nobody is going to be this player.
I'm just saying he had a play last night that
was very similar movement wise with the guy This size
to this player Conan Niederhauser to start the fourth quarter,
took his man off the dribble to the basket and
finished with the left hand with the athleticism of bleeping
Jannis in a coupo. It was a crazy play with
a crazy handle to be able to do something like that.
I've been talking about his handle going back to the
Lakers game in the Summer League when he took it
coast to coast and yammed it.
Speaker 1: Uh watched a video when he got drafted.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I watched all his Penn State teammates talk about
him and say he was the best shooter on the team.
I am dangerously high on Yonick, which is a drug
to me. But I'm still not saying he's going to
be honest for half of the honest. Yeah, that's Yanick madness.
Read for madness, yonic madness. I'm not saying. I'm not
saying he's going to be honest, but that Yanic play
was spectacular, and it just it shows you a little
bit about the athleticism and why they took him as
this project player.
Speaker 4: He could easily be Pascal Siakam.
Speaker 2: Though, right, he's bigger, so he should be better.
Speaker 1: Actually, I got yeah, we got four. Pascal ceiling a
little better than yas his problem.
Speaker 2: His four could still be really low.
Speaker 1: But I wish his name looks so much like Panic
because if there's Yannick at the disco, which is solid.
Speaker 2: Did you hear Brian Seeman drop the yonic boom last
night when he donked that that killed me? I'm a
big street fighter two guy. That was amazing.
Speaker 1: All right. That does it for our twenty twenty five.
Hope everyone has a safe weekend or whatever you're doing.
Let's hope to beat the jazz on New Year Day.
We'll see Adams excited to be there. We will be
back with y'all on Friday, and as always, let's go
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