Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans? Welcome to the post
game hang after the Clippers get their asses kicked by
the LA Lakers.
Speaker 2: I am Chuck Mockler.
Speaker 1: William Updyke is going to join in just a few
I just started because I am antsy and I am
furious at how the Clippers looked tonight. This was, as
Tyl you mentioned, the third game in a row that
could have pissed some people off if you missed the game.
I'm not going to tell you the score because I
don't want to say it out loud, but just know that,
per our friend Justin Russo, the twenty five point loss
this evening is the largest the LA Clippers have suffered
to the Lake since January fifteenth, twenty ten. It's the
largest home loss to the Lakers since two thousand and eight.
So it's a horrible performance. This was bad. It was
bad all around, and it just happened. So yes, I'm
a little fresh right now with rage after sitting through
that game. But this game was horrible from the start.
The Clippers were down forty five to twenty one after
the first What's up, will I just started one minute ago.
I was debriefing the crew that emotions might be a
little raw because the game just ended.
Speaker 2: But this was piece of shit, piece piece of shit. Yeah, God,
this is when you pretty pretty comfortably could have turned
off at the half after the first Yeah, it would
have been fine. I mean, the Clippers trailed by twenty
for basically the entirety of the game. It's the same
troubling thing we've seen recently in a couple of losses,
where like, defensively they start off super soft, and I
don't know at this point, like if that's a fatigue thing.
It certainly, you know, isn't even the most like schedule wise,
most troubling stretch of games that they've had so far
in the season. But whatever, maybe it's a cumulative thing.
But you know, you see, these teams have these outlier
offensive performances, and what's the one common denominator This team
is starting super soft defensively, and when they aren't on defensively,
it's really hard for them to get into their offense.
Like this isn't a great offense, this is a below
average offense. Hopefully that'll pick up, I mean, hopefully that'll
pick up as Kawhi continues to be integrated. But you know,
that's a lot of how they can get things going.
That's a lot how they can pour it on a team.
Is defense leading to offense and just not I'm just
not seeing this right now, Kuk Sampson. Was this really
your first game and into it? I am so sorry.
Speaker 1: That if you're just if you're listening to this, we're
gonna post us on audio later. If you want to
hang with us postgame. Usually it's more fun than this.
Come find us at a YouTube dot com slash at
Clippers podcast. Chunk Samson in the comments if this was
your first game into it, I am so sorry.
Speaker 2: So my first game, it wasn't my first game into it,
but my first game as a fan, not as media
I brought my parents to. Is that lost to Portland?
Which that one is always gonna that one is always
gonna be a thorn in my side as well.
Speaker 1: So there's a lot this isn't so I want to
let's level set real quick. To use the marketing talk,
this is not a bird the tape game. This is
not an outlier game. What happened tonight, as you mentioned
after the and as Tyler talked about after these last
three performances, this is now a tread game. I think
the Clippers are trending down.
Speaker 2: Maybe defensively for sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, they scored ninety seven tonight.
Speaker 2: I think we can say offensively two.
Speaker 1: Well, I mean that's you know, but like, yes, the schedule,
there's been a lot of games.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure.
Speaker 1: But from the jump, this game was down Chris Chris Dunn.
Someone's talking about in the comments, what thinking duds. Yeah,
so scam of the comments. Like I thought Dun's intensity
would trickle down to everyone. Chris Dunn checked in one
the first time he checked in after being out checked
in tipped an offensive board. The Clippers got a three.
It was awesome. There was like a Derek Jones junior dunk.
And that were the two most intense moments from this game.
Speaker 2: The steal and then I want to say it was
a norm three, but the cut it to thirteen before
the Lakers went on a seven er run and again
just like completely uh snuffed it out. I thought, you know,
that was another one of those one of those points.
But the inefficiency is run. I'm seeing somebody, Uh, let
me see if I can find a comment. Oh uh,
Mikey is asking about featuring Big Zoo. He was super
inefficient tonight he was just two of seven and they
doubled him, and well and they they did double him.
And it's also like he's not heavily featured in the offense.
So if he's not you know, not necessarily his fault
sometimes shots do not go down. But if he's not
efficient in those opportunities, he's gonna get looked to even less.
You know, like we're not gonna they're not gonna be like, oh, well,
this is something we this is something we normally do.
So why don't we just keep feeding him and see
what happens? And you bring up the doubles, which is great,
but I mean theoretically, if the worst shooter on the
floor is being doubled, uh, there should like you know,
better shooters open. I feel like there's you know, there's
some set. There's several options on the floor in those
in those types of situations.
Speaker 1: One of the options that was not there tonight, and
Alan we're going to talk about it. One of the
options who was not good tonight. We're gonna talk about Kawhi,
who has a bit of an excuse I think for
maybe having a couple bad games here and they're just
having coming back from injury. James Harden was terrible shooting
tonight trash. It was bad and it started bad. It
was he went two for twelve, zero for five from like.
Speaker 2: It was just like not making a three point game.
That's I mean, how many of those does he have
in his career that that cannot be a very common occurrence.
Speaker 1: It was brutal.
Speaker 3: Turnovers were good though nine to one assist the turnovers
hey died to one the only way back to the bank.
And defensively norm or not norm not norm defensively no, sorry,
I gotta saw James Harden.
Speaker 2: James James Harden was This was brutal, un abominable performance.
Speaker 1: We liked James, We liked everyone, all the emers, but
this was like, because this has been the last three
games of just like.
Speaker 2: That.
Speaker 1: And it's not that the not taking the other opponents seriously.
They look tired.
Speaker 2: You think it's a fatigue issue, because I agree with this,
I'm not seeing and I guess that's what's even more troubling, right, Like,
this doesn't look like the sort of laxadaisical approach that
we would see in the two to one three era,
where it was just like, Okay, you know, we can
kind of do whatever. If we turn it on for
one quarter, it'll be fine. This does kind of seem
like physically guys are a little bit at the brink,
which is even more troubling though, because it's like that's
not something that is you can just fix with a
mentality adjustment, you know. And I think that I historically
we've seen this team kind of limp into All Star breaks,
which I was really hoping true would not be the
case this season, just with a tight Western conference. But
I mean, I guess that's what we should be marking
our calendars for.
Speaker 1: And historically, if you look at the last couple of seasons,
what has the roster been a little older, and we're
like the five and said I was with josephry Award,
the five and seven destroyed these guys from a just
from a just from a stamina perspective, like and okay,
so we talked about we ran through the starter. Okay,
James Harden was bad. Norm twenty points. Defensive intensity wasn't
there from anyone tonight. Norm included zoo inefficient. We talked
about that. Derek Jones Junior pretty good tonight. So thank
you to Derek Jones Junior.
Speaker 2: We had a waste of good Derek. I believe he
was my player of the game, so.
Speaker 1: He was uh, he had the best plus minus on
the team at eight at zero ey Kawhi Leonard played
twenty two minutes tonight, and I'm I have an angry
tone just because we're so fired up from how shit
that game was. Kawhi having a bad game during this
part of his return doesn't make me as mad is
the other things from this game that went poorly. It's
just that, right, Like, I don't like that he had
a bad game. I was. I really wanted him to
have a really good game, obviously, but he's just a
lot of games I don't know.
Speaker 2: No, I agree with you and and for me, like Quid,
like we've already kind of seen some of the highs, right,
I feel like he's still even with a couple of
these last games that have been less than inspiring, I
feel like he's ahead, recalled, rewise where I would have
pegged him at from from where he was when he
returned to the lineup. Yeah, still bad tonight. I think
the thing that is a little bit more unsettling is
just like how three of your top performers all have
a ship night on the same night, and it again
in a vacuum. Not that big of a deal, but
this is like the third game in a row where
it's kind of like, all right, so what are we
really doing here, guys, Like it's just I don't I
don't know. I mean, maybe the All Star break can
can fix it. But they got they gotta get right spiritually.
I feel like.
Speaker 1: Right now, all right, showing this super chat from Sinner
j R. An incredibly ominous nickname, Kauhi has not looked good.
I love, I love every spelling of kawhi. Uh Kawhi
has not looked good over the last few games. Now
it's true, Lakers made us look silly and old. Thank
you for the super chat. You're not totally wrong. The
Clippers looked old from the jump tonight. They were getting
in like that was so aggressive, and the Clippers had
no answer.
Speaker 2: They were getting absolutely sliced defensively like there was there
was just zero resistance. It could have been it could
have been five traffic cones out there and that the
you know, the result would have been the exact same.
Speaker 1: Okay, so we ran down the starters, and we talked
about how they were, oh a thing with Kawhi really quick.
The offense, you know, not totally being there tonight, I
can live with.
Speaker 2: That's fine.
Speaker 1: The defensive intensity we saw from Kawhi kind of really
from when he first came back up until maybe two
or three games ago was a lot higher than it
was tonight, which that is maybe what I'm gonna be
trying to keep one of these eyes on in terms.
I did not mean that thumbs up in terms of
like how he's doing, you know what I mean, because
that wasn't again the offense getting there, that's one thing,
but the defense tonight was something that I think so
a lot of people are concerned about. I don't think
I'm like super concerned about it yet, but it's something
now that I'm like, Okay, here's a little bit of
a bugaboo in my brain watching Kawhi going forward. Yeah.
Speaker 2: No, I think that's absolutely fair because that was the
side of the court where it was clear that he
was unable to keep some sort of governor on, you
know what I mean, Like he was still playing at
full intensity there totally even when it was pretty clear
that he was kind of pulling punches offensively in terms
of you know, how much what percentage he was willing
to go with full kawhi ye. So seeing a drop
up home the defense and end is certainly something to
monitor as he is still you know, on a minute restriction, uh,
which has ramped up, but like you know, he's not
fully cleared yet. So to see, you know, a step
backwards is troubling even given what I said earlier, thinking
that you know, he was further ahead in this return
than I had initially thought when he first returned to
the lineup. Another thing is just I have more questions
about this rotation.
Speaker 1: Oh, we're gonna I have to talk about the badge.
I do want to answer one quick question. Oh yeah,
Carlos Acido saying, mister Barker, where did you get your hat?
This was an incredibly under the radar collaboration between Tie
Dollaside and the Clippers a couple of seasons ago. Yeah,
the same. So here's a crazy thing. The same day
that the Tie dollar signe stuff went on sale was
also the same day there were those huge protests outside
of Staples because of the Darryl Moury I think Taiwan
comments remember that when we showed up the staples and
it was like they were trying to get about the
free shirts and stuff. Anyway, I don't know if you
can find this. I you can probably find on eBay.
Speaker 2: It's such a.
Speaker 1: Stupid piece of LA Member Belie to have. Okay, so
we need to talk about the bench because the bench
is an issue.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean bench is an issue. I feel like
we just came off of giving Kevin for Junior some flowers. Offensively,
he was kind of dogshit tonight. I guess the more
troubling thing is like he was dogs Is it time
for Terrence to be gone at this deadline? Yes, because
he is not a part of this rotation. He played
twelve minutes tonight. Six minutes of that was absolute garbage.
I was gonna say like half of it was garbage time.
So what are we doing here? He's clearly no longer
a part of this rotation or long term plans. Let's
make a consolidation move. Let's do something.
Speaker 1: I'm saying, send him away, and I'm not saying that
in a disrespectful way to Terrence. Send him to a
team that's gonna play him. Terrence Man started this year
really rough, he got hurt. It's been a really difficult
season for him this year. I'm fully aware of what's
half with Terrence Man this year. Holistically, Terrence Man is
an above average NBA player. He's not a great NBA player.
He's not fine.
Speaker 2: He's a guy who can slide. He's a guy who
could slide in. And I think basically every rotation as
to what like like efficiency and helpfulness, that depends on fit.
But yeah, he's a rotator.
Speaker 1: He's an NBA player. He's someone who should be in
a rotation. Maybe he's not a starter. That's fine, he's
not a starter. Sure people are talking about u Katsuya Baller,
wonderful name. He said, Terrence is somehow.
Speaker 2: Regressing over the years.
Speaker 1: At some point we need to look at a player's
role and what he's being told to do in this role.
Because there were times when Terrence Man was playing three
different positions in the same week. Like and I'm not like,
I'm not saying he should get more playing time or
anything like that, but like you mentioned, if he's getting
five minutes of real, actual meaningful minutes, get him off
the roster because you're just making the rotations harder to
figure out because now we have this weird thing where like, oh,
Terrence is gonna get five Dune, Like that's not a
playoff strategy, right like cut and.
Speaker 2: We gotta and we gotta figure out. I mean, this
is this was an issue tonight, It's gonna be an
issue moving forward. But like, we have too many guards
that are sort of like one dimensional, and I think
Terrence is an interesting piece. And then I do think
you need to ship another guard either KPGA or Done,
take your pick. They're not going anywhere, and do a
consolidation move. I know, but I just think, like, what,
you know, where do those guys really fit into it,
like a consistent level on a rotation Done, I'm willing
to give a little bit more of the benefit of
the doubt just because I feel like the floor is
a little bit higher for what you can do because
of what he does defensively, but offensively, he has been
such a black hole that it's, uh, I mean, we
talk about this all the time. It's like, you could
be the best defense in the world, doesn't matter, you're
not stopping everything. So when you you know, like when
you're a complete black hole. On the opposite end of
the floor. It's not not good. What do you You
ran me down the stag. He's like one for twenty
one of his last twenty three.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the mo heartless problem the Clippers had, where
you have a guy who's which.
Speaker 2: Set us back, which was unfortunate because I really like
my heartless.
Speaker 1: Yes, not like contract whise, you know, not like But
and this goes into the main point of like Tie
has hitched his wagon to KPJ as the backup guard
or Chris Dunn. But Chris Dunn also like cannot initiate
an offense in any way, which is very difficult when you're.
Speaker 2: I didn't realize how much like he kind of lagged his.
Speaker 1: Ball Beverly, the further we get from like like what
Pat Bev was able to do.
Speaker 2: Obviously we loved Pat Bev, but like as a second
unit guy he would be kind of perfect. He wasn't
the starting point guard, and it certainly wasn't for the two.
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, Like I'm not saying, like, bring Pat Bav back,
but like if Chris Dunn could initiate an offense even
just eighty percent of the way that KPJ can, which
is a huge reason why he is getting time. He
would be such an incredibly valuable player, but like we're
stuck with we're still figuring out, we're treating this guard
rotation like it's like week two. Yeah, you know what
I mean, Like, well, and that full display the bite
because that is the unpredictability.
Speaker 2: No, I mean part of that though, is the unpredictability, right,
Like what what are you getting out of Kevin Porter
Junior on a knight to night basis? It's it's kind
of really unclear, like we know the style of play
that he's gonna have, which he has improved from where
he started in the season. He is looking to get
teammates involved more. He is one of the only true
ball handlers on the second unit, maybe the only so
I get it, but it's still the outcome is like
there's a wild variance in what you're getting night.
Speaker 1: To night there.
Speaker 2: And then Christine, I mean, he has just returned to
the lineup, so I should probably you know, be giving
him a little bit more of the benefit. But he
kind of picked back up though where he left off,
which is a little difficult.
Speaker 1: Yes, and we don't know, you know, Drew you Bay,
you know, like our bet Drew Banks.
Speaker 4: We're talking Drew Banks now and Niko but tu we
love Niko, but two rough season shooting wise from Nico.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he just and I'm saying this, this is a
bit of a nostalgia play. I'll say that if you're
just joining, welcome to the the clips and dip post
game hang. But there used to be a consistency vibe
with Nico, you know what I mean, And now that
isn't there as much.
Speaker 2: I think some of that comes, though, like I'm saying,
with the unpredictability of some of these lineups as to
like where he's going to be getting the ball, how
that's all gonna look. I think on a night like
this where it's like one of three, it's kind of like,
I don't know that. To me, I'm not that I'm
not that bummed about that. He was. He was a
team's second worst, I believe, minus nineteen. But I don't
think that's actually reflective of agree of his specific output
on the court. But I do agree.
Speaker 1: But if he's the back, it's a center for the playoffs.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, that just can't be this in there.
Speaker 1: That's where we're at.
Speaker 2: I hear, that's not where we're gonna be at I
don't think that's where we're at Thursday.
Speaker 1: You think, okay, we'll talk about and a fan saying
why aren't they playing team an more? The simple answer
for when you're at a dinner party, and of course
the Clippers bench rotation comes up, as it does, you know,
if you're at the dinner parties, you know, good dinner parties.
It's because Kevin Porter Junior can initiate in the offense,
so Tyler values that, and Chris Dunn is better at defense.
So that's why. And Terrence begets lost in the shuffle
and it's unfortunate. And he also hasn't had a very
good season between injury and the start, Like we're not
saying he's been playing great and not deserving these minutes, Like.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, two extended absences from the lineup due to
injury combined with you know, going from being a starter
to not. You know, I think there's a lot in
lux there. And again, you know, we make a lot
of concessions for Terrence, which I think is fair because
he has been asked to do a lot. But I
don't know, I just we're halfway through the season. Uh,
he's not. You know, he's not getting any sort of
consistent rotation minutes. I think I think it might be
time to move on, which which I don't want. Which
I don't want, but it's like, you know, he's not playing,
what are we doing here?
Speaker 1: I agree, And that's what I'm saying, Like, if he's
not going to.
Speaker 3: Play stop Charles and this stop Charles and this Patom slander.
Speaker 1: I'm about saying, it's it's just tough. But like.
Speaker 2: Somebody you're saying that KBJ has also slipped defensively, which
I agree.
Speaker 1: And his defense is also like he wasn't a turnstile.
KPJ's defense was like better than fine. You know what
I'm saying, Like, if that's slipping, it's just that it's
not ideal. I was going too hot on Nick Patum.
Nick Batub's great. I just wish he was better because
we need him to be. I get like, and that's
not a knock on Batom, Like, it's just tough that
this is our So let's take a quick because I
think we're gonna put this out for audio, and we
are gonna put some ads in the audio. S take
a quick ad break, and then we'll we should talk
about trade stuff because people are clamoring for it. Trade
stuff coming up.
Speaker 2: And three, all right, welcome back in to clips and
did look we just talked a very uninspiring Clippers performance
against the Lakers, dropping that game. Now, I mean we're
at this point less than forty eight hours away from
the trade deadline. Really like thirty six hours.
Speaker 1: A KD trade might happened, dur.
Speaker 2: Truly, anything can happen the way the way that things
have been leading up into this. But Charles, I'll kick
it over to you. Like we've talked a lot this
season about sort of the Clippers prospects, sort of what
they're thinking future wise, still doesn't really seem to align
with a big move mid season this year. Where are
you at? Are you still there? Do you think they should?
Do you think they with the changed landscape now of
the West, do they need to make a move? Where
are you at? Have the last sort of what has
it been seventy two hours or whatever? And if they
changed your mind at.
Speaker 1: All somehow, like the last seventy two hours have felt
like weeks for everybody who's an NBA fan, if you've
been living in California with what has been happening in January.
Speaker 2: The start of the year has felt incredibly low.
Speaker 1: There's a lot of comments in the stream, which if
you want to check out a stream after the game,
check us out at YouTube dot com Slush That Clippers podcast.
Thanks for listening to the audio form of course later on,
But there's a lot of comments in the chat about
calling Sexton can the Clippers can call the Sexton the Clippers.
Here's what teams are prioritizing with trades future draft, especially
a team like the Jazz.
Speaker 2: Well, it just depends on who you're looking to make
a deal with, obviously, but like a team, like a
team like a Jazz, like the Jazz, they're yeah, they're
not really even looking for an asset. They're they're they're
looking to sort of stockpile.
Speaker 1: They want picks, like when it when the Valanchounis news
came up, Like, oh, it's gonna be two second round picks.
The Clippers can kind of barely do.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Now it's changed though, I think I've heard of first.
Speaker 1: Float, no ship, Like, it's just not in the cards
for the Clippers. They're not able to make a big trade.
They're valuing the new cap rules they're under the luxury tax,
all this stuff, like the books are still closed until
the end of next year, I think, and I don't think.
I don't. Laurence Frank isn't the type to make a
a knee jerk reaction trade, and Balmer is not. You know,
he's not he doesn't meddle in the things how they go.
But I think he wants to make a bigger splash
later than a medium splash now because whatever trade is
out there now, like does Colin Sexton make this team
some juggernaut right? Like how much better the Clippers' chances
get of winning a title?
Speaker 2: I just don't really get where you're visiting. So Norm,
I guess, is out and you have calling Sexton in.
Speaker 1: I don't to me, that's Norm's not going anywhere because
the locker, well.
Speaker 2: But he has this deal. I think Colin's at like eight,
like he's like sub twenty, but he's like, you know,
around that eighteen nineteen number.
Speaker 1: So yeah, like or you like it just doesn't. I know,
there's like mathematical ways that it works. I understand that,
but there's not realistic NBA trade waste that it works.
And I'm sure in two minutes where you get a
woj bob or something that they make the trade, but
like it's I don't know, Like what do you think,
Like people are, Okay, here's one bouchet, uh would be
a good trade.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it depends on what the ask is. But you know,
at this point, you really need a backup center. So
I think it's worth I think it's worth investigating.
Speaker 1: I mean, what is a backup center? Sorry I'm not
gonnalight over, I'm so upset, but like, is a backup
setter putting this team over the top for what they
would have to give up? Like I guess that's where
I'm kind of I guess I just don't out. Yeah,
like does he make the Clippers favorite?
Speaker 5: No, he's he's absolutely a floor racer, and like you know,
we we trade, then the bench gets even thinner.
Speaker 1: But that might actually be a good thing. So then
rotations get.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there is on the bench. So I think that
that makes sense. I think that that makes sense. I
don't know. I I think like it just depends how
heavily does the last last seventy two hours, Like does
that like you said, they're not going to do a
knee jerk reaction trade, but like looking at the West,
your competition amping up, and it's like that's the thing
you got to consider too, is like it's not just
this year. Like the Lakers I think are probably less
worrisome that this year, depending on what else they do
with the trade headline than like you're if you're thinking
about the future and once they get integrated and you know,
they figure out their center rotation and everything like that
you're talking about, you know, they've they've added at least
six years probably to to like a title contentionship window.
And then the Spurs. I mean that's you know, that's
maybe a decade. I mean, well, who knows. We haven't
seen it on the court, you know, but like theoretically
if things work out, you know, I think so you
got to think about you know, there's two avenues of thought.
I guess it's just is there a move out there
that can push you over the top for like this
last year where things are like a little bit more
in flex blocks. Thunder are still very young, you know,
the Rockets, who knows like what they're going to look
like as talented as they are in a playoff scenario.
Grizzlies have had their struggles in the postseason, you know,
do you on that do you try to make a
big move knowing like knowing what the future is, knowing
that and knowing not only that the future is very strong,
but like youthful. You know, you look at a team
like the Sons, who have a lot of veteran talent,
it is not it has shut down and now you know,
like long term there they they put in a lot
on a win now move and that is going to
that's gonna jam them up for a while.
Speaker 1: Jab Doup is just such a funny churt. You're not wrong,
And yeah, I'm just like this game was such a fight.
Speaker 2: Someone's asking what are the odds that we don't make
a trade? And I still, like I said, I think
I'm still I still don't think they make any sort
of like highlight or headline sort of breaking trade. Do
you think they do the like, uh, the I think
they I think they do something like that. They have
to address an obvious hole in the roster. I see
no point, no disrespect to the to the I just
like I see no point in let like, let's hope
the Kauhi has a healthy postseason this year. Why would
you go into a postseason with with Kawhi, and you
know you have limited years with him left with such
a glaring hole in your roster that you haven't. It'd
be one thing if it was like the small ball
had worked, or you know, because we've seen past seasons
where it's like, okay, well, like the backup center rotation
has been garbage, but you know we can kind of
mitigate it with this lineup or with this rotation. We
haven't really found that this year. Uh. And in games
where you know, especially in the playoffs, if Zoom is
getting doubled, uh, and that and that's really like reducing
his efficiency. That's that's gonna it's gonna stall this offense.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 2: And they're gonna need some other options. They're gonna need
some counters to throw out there. So something they gotta
figure out.
Speaker 1: Ryan Rojas bringing up a spicy tweet for Ralph Lawler,
who maybe should get off of Twitter just for his
own mental health.
Speaker 2: I love Ralph Laller.
Speaker 1: Their team is kind of trying to erase the fact
that he was everything announcer for forty years, which I
don't like. Ralph Lahler said, tweeted about swapping Kawhi for
k D I don't know it wouldn't. I think it's
a I think it's it's kind of a lateral move.
Speaker 2: Yeah, especially when well someone in the chat is bringing
him go back to the defense first mentality. The way
this team is currently constructed, I do think they might
be worse off with Kevin Durant just because of you know,
how they've built this team, how they've schemed this team, UH,
this roster all year long. I think replacing that piece
with kd it is maybe less conducive to UH success
given the current constraints of constraints of the roster. Not
that I think that Kat is worse or anything by
any margin. I just think, like if they you know,
they have this thing that they they've been trying to
figure out, but poof.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't mean as you know, as a skinny guy.
I respect what he does for for the skinny guy culture,
but like it's just not people saying Kawhi is better
than or Kat is better than Kawhi. Right now, Kawhi
is returning from an injury, So I don't think.
Speaker 2: That's excuse me, well, like and in a vacuum, I mean, offensively,
look at the talent that KT is arounding at him
and tell me where the Suns are at right now
in the standings, so like like in a vacuum. Sure, Like, yeah,
he's scoring more points than Kawhi Leonard like, I what
are we doing here? Yeah?
Speaker 1: And with another great take. I'm so confused. I thought
we were second in defense. We were, but they just
they looked real tired tonight.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they've looked a little. It looks soft on that.
Speaker 1: End and they're not blowing it up. So the people
who were commenting like trade.
Speaker 2: We don't have picks.
Speaker 1: That's not happening, and I don't it's just not gonna happen.
Anthony Hunt saying Kawhi just said the second group has
to get better.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's not the starters though, we're like particularly inspiring tonight,
so it's not.
Speaker 1: Maybe not yeah, but also the benches, the bench has
been bad. I don't know, it's difficult, man, game Like
this just.
Speaker 2: Really highlights everything too that's kind of been going wrong.
It's like it's really hard to hyper focus on everything bad.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're running hot, that's how it goes.
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 1: And now kind of going into what's gonna happen on
Thursday the Clippers now get a Pacers team that just
lost to the Blazers, a Pacers team that has been
incredibly hot over the last five games, one hundred and
twenty offensive rating, putting up like one hundred and twenty
five points a game. Siakam and Halliburt and ron A Tear,
how do we feel kind of about this game on Thursday?
Because I don't feel great great?
Speaker 2: But who knows? I mean the trade deadline games, but
the games the day of the trade deadline are always
kind of weird.
Speaker 1: That is a good call. There could be, I mean,
I guess as evidence by the the Pacers kind of
losing tonight. Also, Okay, there's like a trade Kawhi contingent
in the chat and that that just like that's that.
Don't hang your hat on that happening on what that's
not gonna happen on Kaid.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think. So we'll see. I mean, who's
coming through with the Godfather offer? Because it's not what
I'm saying, like if you get three first three three
three first and and rote like not even not anyone
who's even sniffing an All Star game, but rotation player
salary match. I think you're probably taking it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, of course you're taking that. That would be a
worse trade, Thane. No, but he's not going anywhere.
Speaker 2: And again.
Speaker 1: New arena just opened up. Barbers not sacrificing star power. Yes,
the Clippers are close to last and average attendance, but
the stadium is small, more than pretty much every other
stadium I think, other than like ten of them. Like,
he's just not getting worse than that, you know what
I'm saying. Like, he's not gonna He's not gonna do that. Yeah,
I don't know, Man, is Thursday, I must win for
your own sanity?
Speaker 2: Is Thursday? Unless they make some sort of trade that
makes me feel wildly different about this tame.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know what. I don't know what trade
is out there. Yeah, I don't feel I don't feel
great right now.
Speaker 2: You know what make me feel different? Ben Simmons on
a buyout, Baby.
Speaker 1: Okay, what's funny is that we're doing live stream and
not a single person in the chat has brought up
Ben Simmons, uh so chat sound off.
Speaker 2: If you wants what's on the team on a buyout
where you literally give up nothing other than the money,
who cares dignity.
Speaker 1: Yeah, couldn't hurt. You know Chris g saying Thursday is
definitely a must win. One thing I've concerned about with Thursday.
You know who has a pretty good bench MHM Pacers.
The Pacers have Obi Toppin and TJ McConnell on their
bench who are annoying to play against. Which is the
mark of a great bench player in the NBA, is
that you're annoying as hell to play against. Will your
Simmons take is getting surprisingly no love, which I am.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm genuinely surprised about. I'm not
mad at it. On a buyout for a million dollars, Okay,
Jonathan Ang on your side.
Speaker 2: Let's go on a buyout. I'm just I have to
be honest. It's a risk nothing deal. It's a risk
nothing deal for a guy who's still still athletic, still
a solid defender, a really solid passer, and he just
wouldn't need to do any of the stuff that he's
bad at on this team.
Speaker 1: The athletic thing, I think is a pertinent point because
it feels like every year we talk about how the
Clippers need to have more athleticism and they got that
this season, but the last three games have just been
so disappointing that I think, like, yeah, Katsu Ball are saying,
we don't need more any more. Nod, Yeah, that's fair, guys.
But the defense hasn't looked great. It's stithing bad, and
Nico needs a rest. Because Nico is going to play
a bunch of time in the playoffs as the center,
he needs rest during the regular season.
Speaker 2: I think I was.
Speaker 1: Going too hot on him earlier. I understand that. I
don't know, do we have any final thoughts before we
head out and try and cool off before we have to.
Speaker 2: Let's just kind of flush this one from our memories
and onwards and upwards. I guess this does. This game
shouldn't because again it is just one game. It is
terrible loss. But it does make me feel like if
this doesn't put it at the forefront of the front
office's mind, like they have to do something. And I'm
still like, I'm not even saying like a huge like
a huge swing, but they gotta do something. They got
to do a consolidation move, they have to figure out
the second unit, and everybody has to be better.
Speaker 1: I think that's fair. I think this portfolio comment is
very funny. We need three point shooters, just smoking crack.
If we have Bet Simmons, that's a funny bit.
Speaker 2: Fair quill.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Will actually is doing that. Okay, I like this.
Let's get Kyrie for.
Speaker 2: Ap from the best. He's like a fair trade catuller.
Speaker 1: Katsuya Baller has figured it out. Nico Harrison would take that.
We throw in a couple of in and out coupons
because Waterberger sucks, and we'll be good to go. Okay, uh, Will,
real quick, your player of the game for Thursday against.
Speaker 2: Let's just get a win.
Speaker 1: I don't fucking care. I'm gonna go. I know we
can't pick him, but I'm saying zoo because he's going
against Miles Turner. He's played well against him before. He's
gonna want to bounce back. Let's go clips. All right,
We're gonna do an episode maybe Friday. I don't know.
We'll figure it out. Thank you for hanging out. Will.
Where can these people find us and tell their coworkers listen?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you can listen to wherever you get your podcasts.
If you have been listen over on Apple Podcasts, Spotify
with this little ring interview and help us out. If
you're watching this, you're probably tuning in post game. We
do these streams over on YouTube dot com. That's at
Clippers Podcast. Best place to check us out. Go ahead, subscribe,
hit the little bell or whatever so you know when
we come out with new shit. But however you consume
the show, just know we appreciate you.
Speaker 1: We very much do. We'll be back at some point.
Here's to a little on Thursday. Here's a good rest
of your week. It's only Tuesday, but whatever, have a
very rest