Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans, Welcome to season three,
episode twenty one of Clips and Dip, the first actual
regular season preview of the year.
Speaker 2: Cannot feels good.
Speaker 1: It feels so good. Clippers basketball is back on Wednesday.
I am Chuck Mockler joined by Adam Lauson and William
Updyke to all the new listeners, come hang out. We're
gonna be doing you know, three episodes per week usually
if you've been with us hanging out in the off season,
we love you so much. You can find us anywhere
you find podcasts and on YouTube at YouTube dot com
slash at Clippers podcast. We're talking Clippers versus Suns. That's
about it today. Very excited for Clippers basketball to be back.
But before we get into it, Adam, will how the
hell are you two doing on this beautiful Monday evening
in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3: I'm good. Few people weren't happy with me last night.
I feel I mean like one or two, but uh,
I will not give in to the uh the mad
men screaming at me that Kahi is gonna play on Wednesday. Dumbass.
Speaker 1: He'll be back. He was a practice today.
Speaker 3: You watched you know, you see talking with Dante Jones.
That's the same thing, right, Well, it's all good.
Speaker 1: How are you are you being attacked on Reddit?
Speaker 2: I'm about the same. A lot of people are mad
at me. I left like a full steak at a
restaurant last night. Uh and yeah, a bunch of people
were yelling at me.
Speaker 1: You paid for it though, So that's let's get into it.
Clippers versus Suns. No pun intended. I did not mean that.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 1: It is the regular season opening for the Clippers new Arena,
which is very exciting. Starting five for the Clippers, in
case you've missed it, James Harden, Norm Pylell, Terrence Man,
Dirk Jones Jr. I eats the Zubots. The Sons will
be starting Tyas Jones, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant
and Nurkic who never heard of those guys? Couldn't tell you? Then?
Adam Will? What do we see going right? We're gonna
talk about the bench at a bit too. What do
we see going right? For the starters on Wednesday.
Speaker 2: It's time to clamp down, Baby, clamp down? What do
you mean? Is this the test? Is this the test
that this clip? This new defensive identity for the Clippers' needs.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we're gonna find out if it's our year. Right
off the bat is the test. It's a pretty stiff test,
I think defensively, it's asking a lot, but they're up
to the challenge. I was listening to audio from Terrence
Man earlier today at practice, and I thought it was
interesting that he said he's gonna be the guy picking
up the ball most of the time, or being the
head of the snake defensively, not Derek Jones Junior. That
was kind of of note since Derek Jones Junior typically
was thought of as the better on ball defender. But
Terrence Man was asked by La Murray about what he
can improve on from last season. He would obviously really
good in that series against Luca Dontris, but overall it
was a little bit up and down with his defense
at times last year. Sure, and he said he learned
a lot, So I mean he's a good defender. I
just I guess that means he's gonna pick up Tyas Jones,
who is a pretty darn good addition, by the way,
from the Phoenix Suns. Montay Morris coming off the bench,
I think is also a sneaky good acquisition if he
can stay healthy. So for a team that was looking
for more playmakers and guys to handle the rocks so
they could just get it and into the hands of
their stars and let them create from there, that's that's
not a bad It's not a bad roster for this
Phoenix Suns team. It's just about health with them a
lot of times. So similar stuff with the Clippers.
Speaker 1: Sure, I like how Charence Man was talking about how
him and Derek Jones Junior might kind of be switching
off at picking up at ninety four feet. I like
the multiple look possibilities there for our defense. Well, what
do you most I guess excited about to see for
the defense because like I mean, like Adam said, this
is a brutal test to start uh the season off
of without Kauai and with a new guy and a
whole new defensive scheme going on.
Speaker 2: Well, I mean I think the scheme is is like
what I'm most excited to see. I mean, obviously I'm
hoping that the you know, like energy on the defense
beend that we saw from Norm Powell is going to
carry over. Uh, certainly we're gonna see what Van Gunny
has been able to do to uh you don't get
James Harden effected there. We you know, we know that
there are ways he can be an effective defender. It
is going to be a tall ask, though, to to
expect a whole lot on that end, with all that
he's going to be doing for this Clippers offense, which
I'm sure we'll talk about here in just a second,
but uh, it's something you gotta do. You got to
get him in those in those spots, you know, especially
like in the post. He's got to have active hands,
get in deflections, getting that you know, getting that transition
offense running. But I'm curious to see how they're how
they're gonna make it work because as we have talked
about this is this is kind of a small team luckily,
you know, the Suns smaller back court as well, so
you have some you know, you have some stuff there
that they can't punish you in the same way that
that I envisioned some other teams uh in the West
being able to kind of punish the smaller lineup. So
uh yeah, really excited just to see that that energy,
uh and and effort sort of carry over from what
we saw and you know, we'll see we talked about
it so many times last year it became like a cliche,
like what the identity of this team is. They're still
finding it, they're still building it. We know this year right,
like it's been talked about. They've they've leaned sort of
one way, which you know, I'm I'm I'm excited to watch.
But we're gonna know opening night, like if if the
money is where their mouth is, I suppose.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we need the James Harden strip club. As Justin
Russo points out, it was very active hands in the preseason,
which is awesome. Yeah, like we mentioned, you know, Adam,
you're just talking about Terrence guarding Tias Jones, so hardens.
Speaker 3: Who are Nobody's on Booker? Somebody's on Bradley Beal. Now
I'm guessing Booker brings the ball up a lot. KD
brings it up. Sometimes it's not just gonna be Tias Jones,
and maybe he'll pick him up and then switch onto
one of the three top guys scoring wise on their team.
I don't know. Norman Pal's definitely gonna get tested early on.
We know they're gonna go after James Harden and try
to pick on him. Maybe early in the season with
James not being run down much because he's had to
do so much on the offensive, vent is a better
opportunity for him to show off some of the quick
hands and just better defensive instincts like we saw when
they went twenty six and five during the thirty one
game run. Like he was, he was better. He can
be better. So normOn Pal has been challenged all off
season by the coaching staff coach who talked about that
again the other day, saying like you can't hide it anymore.
We know it's there. We saw it against Phoenix in
the twenty twenty three playoffs series. He keeps going back
to that, saying Norm Powell is really good defensively there
and obviously the last three games of the series, no
Kawhi Leonard, no Paul George throughout it. So they have enough.
I like what Will said. They are at least smaller
guards that are looking to get in the mid range,
and they're not so much explosive scores with getting downhill
and driving past you. With Bradley Beale anymore and Devin Booker,
it's over the top jump shots and the Clippers size
they do match up decently against Phoenix. We talked about
it last season too, like we like the matchup against
Phoenix overall. Of course we're talking more about Kawhi Leonard
being available, but it's still well, it's a tough task.
It's certainly not impossible. Opening that it into it, don't
for the Clippers to get a victory against them.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and Lot's gonna be on Zoo too, right Like
I mean, they're gonna a lot. I think they're gonna
try and make Zoo work out a lot too. Because
we mentioned the the fatigue or not the fatigue, the
is he able to do it on both ends type things.
I think the Sons are gonna at him. Adam thinks
Zoo is soft. We've established that in case you're new
to the show. Offensively, I'm curious. I think that is
my word of the first couple of weeks of the
season for the Clippers offense is I'm curious is what
the offense is going to look like? Hard and Powell
or plus nine point one per one hundred possessions when
they shared the floor last season. Something fun that I
learned Powell and Man minus two uh in their per
one hundred possesions, which was interesting, But yeah, I guess
I'm hoping for a really efficient pick and roll and
that Terrence Man takes more threes.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I want to see Visas Zubats touch the ball
in the post three out of the first five possessions. Honestly,
go to it right away because that is a matchup advantage.
While he hasn't had spectacular games against Nurkic, feel like
that just means he's due. Urkics is not that great
of a defender. Zoo can win that matchup against him.
And obviously Mason Plumley coming off the bench or Bull
Bull or whatever else they try feature beats the Zoo
Bots wear them down because the Suns like the knock
on them last season was physicality, and it always kind
of has been with Kevin Durant, which why I always
felt like Kawhi Leonard is the better player in a
playoff series because it gets more physical. I'd rather have him.
Katie's still great, But if you're nitpicking a little bit,
you can say they're more finesse than physical, So lean
on them a little bit, push them around, get big
Zoo going high, pick and roll. He and James Harden
start things off that way. I'd love to see it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Zoo averages ten to eight against uh NERK in
his career.
Speaker 3: I think, what's his high, like nineteen points and it.
Speaker 1: Was I is nineteen and that was in the last
game against Phoenix. He had nineteen and eight and three times.
Speaker 3: I need twenty plus from Zoo Wednesday.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: The blueprint to me is what they did in Game
one against Dallas. And they have better guys to guard,
to beat to Zubots, but they went to him early
and often and he had that twenty and fifteen game.
What was the best player on the floor for the
Clippers in that blowout?
Speaker 1: Well, who are you most looking forward to starting wise?
I guess other than James Harden because he's gonna have
a lot to do to see offensively on Wednesday.
Speaker 2: I mean, I think this is a really big opportunity
for Norm. And this is a really big opportunity for Norm.
So I'm excited to see what he can do with this.
And you know this is what you want, you know,
he he We know what he can do in that
six man sort of score first sort of role. We
know how good he is, how lethal he is off ball,
So I'm really excited for him to step in into
this lineup and be what we need, you know, like
were there's no two ways around it, you know, with
no Kauahi obviously you know, never of Paul George again.
Speaker 1: Which never of Paul George gas pleasant minuses in consistent
wind that Paul George.
Speaker 2: We're we are gonna need, I mean, we are gonna
need every bit of Norm Powell. So I'm really excited
for this opportunity for him and see to see what
he does with it.
Speaker 1: And he can be a tone setter too. Norm can
come out and just make his first three threes type thing,
you know what I mean, Like he can be a
bit obviously it's you know, Harden's offense and stuff like that.
But if Norm can get it going early, that, I mean,
that just gives that helps the spacing issue right that
we're all so worried about. So your hot start from
Norm would be great.
Speaker 3: It's rough obviously not having Kawhi Leonard because all off
season we're like, how do we make up for the
twenty two or twenty three points per game from Paul George.
Now it's like how do you make up for the
forty seven points per game that are being missed, Like,
I don't know if Norm can average that. I do.
Somebody was hitting me with some stats last night. When
Norman Powell is in a starting lineup throughout his career, Uh,
he's been getting over twenty points. He's been efficient. Like
that is the quickest path to making up for some
of the production loss from Paul George on the offensive
end at least. Yeah, I do have hope for that
enormous ready for this moment. He's been asking for it
for a long time as the coaching staff keeps reminding him.
You got to play defense though now too, if you're
gonna do all this on offense and start.
Speaker 1: I liked that they were doing. We saw some footage
from the one on ones that practiced today from Law,
which was cool. It was like hardened and Norm going
at it. So they're they're working at it like they
are working on the defense. What do we see maybe
not going well with the starting fives for the Clips
starting five excuse me for the Clippers.
Speaker 3: I don't know what their turnover numbers ended up being,
but obviously James Harden probably had an inordinate amount of
turnovers in the preseason and that.
Speaker 1: Can happen per game or something like that.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I don't expect that to continue, of course, but they
were a little bit clunky at times with the turnovers,
and I think it was covered up by the fact
that they were getting so many defensively that we forget
they also outside of one game the preseason, we're averaging
twenty turnovers per game themselves.
Speaker 1: That is a good call, and you can't turn over
against this Phoenix offense. We don't want to give the
four man lineup of Booker, Bill Duranton Dirk outscored opponents
by nine and a half points per one hundred possessions
last season. We can't give them free field goal attempts,
especially when, if you're me, you're worried about how the
Clippers are going to get up enough field goal attempts
to kind of compete with the Suns team will what
are you worried about for about the Clippers and the
Suns or in.
Speaker 2: General just in life? Oh man, don't even get me
started on the unbearable lightness of being anyways, What am
I worried about in this one? I mean, you bring
up the turnovers. I think that that's really I think
that that is one of those things to look up
for this This team cannot shoot themselves in the foot.
The thing that's so difficult is the way this team
has to execute is unlike any other year, you know,
since the two one, since the two and three era,
like that, we have zero margin for error anywhere. So
so the way that this team like has to execute,
if you know this is in fact our year, like
many of us believe a lot there's there's many of us.
There's many of us. I was falling people, uh while
I was out there in Vegas. It seems like a
lot of people are convinced this is a year. Yeah,
big Clippers, Big Clippers sports book was u they were
saying to hammer that over, but like, we're just gonna
have to say, like, there's not gonna be We've already
talked about this, but there's not gonna be any ten
games sample sizes like there's you know there there's very little,
uh margin for error. And so I'm like, I'm so
happy that we got a full training camp with James
Harden and in the majority of a season under his belt.
We know now that he has the keys and and
and uh to the offense. So I I think that
they can do it, Like I think that it's possible.
It's it just is a very tall order, the first
game out the gate and the first game in a
new arena where you know so many fans are paying
so much more money and are so excited. But there
is you know, there's kind of a lot on the
line game one, and I do think that that is
something that I'm worried about, Like this, you know this,
this ain't just a regular This ain't your normal regular
season game, I guess, is what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: So that has me nervous. Yes, that's a good call. Yeah,
it's gonna Man, it's the crowd. I'm so excited to
see the crowd, the full capacity, the full volume of
into it. Rebounding another thing not going to be easy.
The Clippers. I think they were in the twenties and
their defensive and offensive rebound percentage in the preseason which
is not ideal. So they got I.
Speaker 3: Don't know if they're gonna like, I don't know. I
don't think they can be top ten rebounding team, and
I don't.
Speaker 1: Think really hard. They need Derek Jones Junior and Terrence
Vanda essentially, like double their career outputs at boards for
the most part.
Speaker 3: Like that's a real deficiency I think on this team
that could be glaring immediately. Although Phoenix was not a
very good rebounding team last season. They were last and
offensive rebounding percentage, oh wow, last in the league. They
they were kind of brutal there, and I think you
know what that was actually during this preseason. But overall,
I want to say the Phoenix Suns, even with Frank
Vogel last season, they weren't a great rebounding team. In fact,
they were let's say twentieth. Now, the Clippers were twenty
fourth and defensive rebounding percentage overall rebounding percentage, Phoenix Suns
were a little bit better than that. Damn they were seventh.
Scratch it all. Shit, they didn't have Ties Jones there
trying to get boards.
Speaker 1: Sure, yeah, it's I mean it's gonna be yeah, we
Terrence Man, it's just more right. We just need more
of everything from Terrence Man is kind of who I'm
looking at, Derek Jones junior, because he's new. I think
we'll get a bit of a let him figure it out,
get used to it. From the fans, specifically, I think
there's gonna be a lot of pressure on Terrence to
grab more boards and shoot more threes. But yeah, the boards,
And that's what freaks me out about the field goal
attempt discrepancy. If we're giving the Phoenix Suns an entire
extra quarter of field goal attempts, this one's gonna be
difficult to win. And how you do that is you
don't get boards and you don't give yourself extra possessions.
Right offensive rebounds are huge for this Clippers team. Are
going to be huge again because we don't we don't
have a super clear idea of what the offensive looks like.
So being able to get ourselves second chance opportunities is
going to be so important. Yeah, I'm a little terrified
for this game, but I'm very excited.
Speaker 3: I think that's one of the keys of the season
right there. Offensive rebounds with this Clippers team, that may
tell you a lot about their win loss record. Just
where were they at in offensive rebounds that night. It
could be a true tell of how they're competing out there,
because it is going to be difficult. I just like,
why is a good rebounder, But even when he's back
and playing the four that's still not ideal. It's still
not perfect. Each A Zubat's a good rebounder, but right now,
playing next to Darris Jones Jr. You're not going to
be able to out rebound most teams. You're just not.
Terrence Man has to crash the last And it was
an emphasis and we saw it especially. I remember we
were watching the game in Honolulu against the Golden State
Warriors and we were kind of keying in on whether
or not Terrence Man was making that more of a
focal point, and he was. He was boxing out really well.
He's capable. If he makes an emphasis in that area,
I guess improves, then they could be okay. But I
don't think they could be much better than okay honestly
on the boards this year, just with the it's a
roster issue. It's not like there's a trade off. You
bring in all these guys that are good point of
attack defenders on the perimeter, that doesn't necessarily mean they're
good rebounders. Chris Dunne, Darris Jones Junior. But toomb's okay,
but that's not what they do.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and we can't be we can't be looking to
seventeenth year on the NBA Nico to be our rebounding Yeah, Spark,
no disrespect to Nico.
Speaker 3: It's gonna have to be pj.
Speaker 1: Hey still on the team, baby, will one anything else here?
Maybe worry about the starting five before we get into
the bench talk, which is kind of interesting now.
Speaker 2: I hope the facial recognition stuff where it's it seems
like they've gotten that smooth out just for everyone entering
and exiting into it. I just want everybody to have
a good time, Okay, all right, that's yeah, I'm the
bad guy.
Speaker 1: I hope people aren't getting charged for extra hats or
anything like that on opening day. All right, Coming up,
we're gonna be talking the rest of the Clippers rotation
versus the rest of the Sun's rotation. Maybe some weird
lineups we're gonna see Tyler try. If you're watching us
on YouTube dot com Slash at Clippers podcast, we're still
gonna be here. If you're listening to us on audio,
we got a quick audio break, then more Clippers for
Suns talk coming up in three two.
Speaker 2: What hey, welcome back in the clips and dip. My
mic was muted, so that was pretty cool. So sorry
if there was a weird pause. If you're watching this
on YouTube, there was definitely a weird pause because we
never go away, So you should follow this show, subscribe,
turn on those notifications. So we're at YouTube dot com
slash at Clippers podcast. Anyways, we're looking forward to the
first Clippers game of the season. It's here, fellas, it's
actual basketball time. We talked a little bit about the
starting lineup, of our concerns, some things we're most excited about.
Now it's time to move on to the which, as
I alluded to in the last segment, you know, this
is not the depth we've become accustomed to, uh as
Clippers fans, this is not the the the wealth of
riches that that that we've known in past years. But Charles,
what is something that you aren't looking forward to from
this uh from this metrotation? What who could be a standout?
What are you hoping to see? Game one?
Speaker 1: We talked about the rebounding. We've talked about Zoo being important.
Kai Jones has weirdly kind of a lot on his
shoulders as the Clippers backup.
Speaker 2: Meki where you're going, Yeah.
Speaker 1: I'm feeling nicey about kai Jones, But John Green Kai
verse what I'm assuming is going to be Mason Plubly
uh in this game. I I want him to run
him off the court. But I I just I don't
know about excited to see Kai Jones. I don't mean
that disrespectfully. He improved a bunch of the preseason. This
is the test, Like.
Speaker 2: I'm Adam, your retort, he just has a.
Speaker 1: Lot to sorry, Charles, he just has a lot to
take care of when Zoo's off the floor, and it's
different than preseason basketball. We'll see what happens. Adam, how
are you feeling about the center situation?
Speaker 3: So we got to work with like and I feel
much better than I did Game one with him in
the preseason. But the lights are gonna be a lot brighter.
He's gonna be going up against more consistently better competition,
like he did get some of the last couple of
games against Dallas, against the Sacramento Kings. But even Mason
Plumley was a guy he wasn't seeing early on in
the preseason. That Brooklyn game, they had nobody available and
Kyle was dunk it all over. Can't take a lot
away from that, But yeah, I agree with you, Like,
he's got to do what he does best, not get
outside of himself, beat his man down the floor, get
some tough rebounds, being better position to do that and
set better screens. He said something interesting yesterday. He gave
a really good, I don't know, a high level basketball
answer to Justin Russo talking to him about screens and
basically getting at you know why or she being more
physical with them, because Kay has talked about how some
coaches are like, as soon as you see the man
being behind the ball handler, you get to the rim.
So it's not just because he's you know, watching every screen.
It is by design some of the time why he's
rolling there so fast, because he is that quick and
could get behind his defender. So I'm intrigued. I'm excited.
You know, it may only be ten minutes at most
in the game, might be less a lot less. I
don't know. I can't wait.
Speaker 2: Tell me, is gonna play thirty eight minutes?
Speaker 3: I think they may play some small ball if bull
Bull's out there some. I think they can definitely play
some small ball. Yeah, because he plays a lot on
the outside like he doesn't typically punish you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good call. Well, how are you feeling
about kind of our backup guards. We got KPJ, we
got Done, we got Coffee is half of a backup guard.
Speaker 2: Uh yeah, I kind of as half of a backup guard,
half and half coffee.
Speaker 1: Yeah. See, there we go.
Speaker 2: I'm very excited for Don. Like, like we talked about,
I think something that's really interesting to me about this
manch Uh is sort of the mix of like of
youth and athleticism with some really solid, like consistent vets,
and like, we know what we're gonna get from from
from Chris Don. I'm not, you know, like expecting anything
too crazy there, but at the same time, I mean
it's gonna be very It's gonna be very needed that
defensive presence. I'm curious to see how much they use
him off ball, because they did that a lot in
the preseason. I don't know if they're gonna let him
initiate a little bit. It depends, you know, on how
the rotations work and how often KPJ's out there with him.
But I'm I'm excited for Done and for all of
the Done heads out there in Clifford and who have
been clamoring for this move for i mean what feels
like forever. But at least the last like three seasons.
I don't know, it's been a really long time that
people have wanted done on this team.
Speaker 1: It's been a minute. Yeah, and the Suns, it's.
Speaker 2: Felt like a done deal for a long time.
Speaker 1: All Right. We are in mid season four here on
Clipson Dam, which I do appreciate it for all of us. Yeah,
the rest of the Sun's rotation, Adam. He brought up
Monty Morris. I got Josha Koge, who's a guy that
I like, who could be really annoying to play against
in terms of getting buckets. Grayson Allen, who is very
annoying but very good at basketball.
Speaker 2: They're a lot like your typical pop heavy team. Like
they actually kind of got some dudes now in the
death department.
Speaker 3: I think he gets up with a second apron. It's like,
wait a second, how they do this right?
Speaker 1: It's a pretty well constructed team.
Speaker 2: Adam's gonna pour through those tax returns. Some's not I
don't know about.
Speaker 3: This real component situation, boys, U.
Speaker 1: Yeah, KPJ is going to be interesting also for those
of you I'm sure wondering about the KPJ investigation. As
long as the league's investigation is happening. He is eligible
to be on the Clippers roster, so he will he'll
be off the team or whatever. That's gonna be ruled
when that's over with, So he's I mean, unless something
gets announced between six ten pm on Monday the twenty
first and seven on the twenty third, KPJ is gonna
be needed to get some buckets quickly from the bench,
is my best guess.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was told last night, I'm alive that the
investigation's over and you don't have to worry anymore. But
I just don't think that's true.
Speaker 1: Who told you that? Who told you that?
Speaker 3: Just just somebody in the chat like guy would have
been suspended by now Bro, No, I don't think that's
the case. I think there's an investigation and they're not
up against any deadline here. I don't get that. So
it feels like it's almost on KPJ watch with what
is going to happen. But as long as he's playing,
as long as he's available to play, he will play,
and he needs to give them a lift. I think
there are some positives with this bench unit. I mean
last season when they traded for James Harden, we talked
about how depleted it was. You lose Roko, you lose Batoomb.
They already were without Marcus Morris didn't care about that.
But they have more guys, but more unknowns. Maybe now
like it could work out that they turned into a
decent bench unit. But there's a lot we don't know.
I love Chris Dunn, we all do a mere coffee
look great in the preseason, but Tom didn't play a ton.
I wonder how they treat him coming off the Olympics. Yeah, no,
one's too worried abot. He still has a couple of
crazy chase down blocks like connect Yeah. Yeah, uh. But
this Sun's bench is better than I thought. I gotta
be honest.
Speaker 1: I know, man, When I looked at the roster and
like looked all that, I was like, oh shit.
Speaker 3: They still have Royce O'Neil too, right, Yes, I believe
they do. Yeah I don't. I don't like that. But
if you got Batoma out there, you often feel like
we can win these minutes. We're gonna do all the
right things and the little things, and he's going to,
you know, make up for some of the disorganized basketball
with doing those batumb things. Because it's the first game,
and some guys are playing next to each other, but
maybe he didn't even play on the court with one
another during the preseason. So I'm hopeful. But there is, yeah,
a lot that's gonna have to be worked out on
the fly.
Speaker 1: Yeah, on the fly is key. And thankfully we have
the coach who was voted best at in game adjustments
in Tyler. Well, what do you hype for in terms
of like the mix bench and starters lineup? So Tyler
is going to throw out what this ten man rotation
we got? Oh?
Speaker 2: Man, I'll tell you, Like, I just don't want to
see too many guards at one time.
Speaker 1: I just I'm sorry, man, I think that's I think
that I want to get that out.
Speaker 3: There against the Suns is not as bad if you
got you know, ty If they have Jones and Booker
and Beale out there, it's like those are smaller guys. Yeah,
but overall, yeah, Olive Gardens shut it down.
Speaker 1: You don't want the Olive Gardens board it up. Yeah,
we don't. When you're here, you're not family, not into it.
You're not into it, don't man. Yeah, Like I think, uh, yeah,
I mean I would like to avoid a norm and
KPJ pairing. I just don't see that functioning well against
the Sun's lineup offensively. Hey maybe for sure, but was
so good off ball.
Speaker 3: But uh yeah, I bet it happens.
Speaker 1: Oh, I bet it happens.
Speaker 2: It's definitely gonna happen.
Speaker 3: Kp j's defense, guys in the pre season was good
like it was. People can say whatever they want. It
was good. Like everybody bought in. And he actually is
capable if he buys in because he's got, you know,
a long wingspan. And there's actually a defensive highlight mix
on YouTube with him, believe it.
Speaker 2: Or not.
Speaker 3: Ripping it away from Steph Curry like taking candy for
her baby. It's kind of wild to watch.
Speaker 1: We'll need it against against this Suns team. Adam, what
mixed kind of two or three man lineups? Are you
most excited about?
Speaker 3: Mixed two or three man lineups?
Speaker 2: Just between I want to see Norm. Sorry I didn't
really answer your question.
Speaker 1: But let's circle back. Let's circle back Dunn and Norm's
a great call.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that'll work all day that If the
idea is to take Norman Powell out early.
Speaker 1: Which yeah, Tys talked about.
Speaker 3: Who do you think is coming in for him in
that situation, if he's the first to go out, who's
coming in?
Speaker 2: Is that Zoos will be the first stub out?
Speaker 3: Like you think Zoo before Norm?
Speaker 2: I mean, wasn't that what was happening in the preseason.
Speaker 3: I don't. I mean, I don't care.
Speaker 2: In the in the game, in the in the last
game that they played all their starters, it was the
first stub out for Jones.
Speaker 3: Okay, so against Dallas, well, I mean it's what it's
either war or both.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's going on. I think who comes on for Norm?
Speaker 3: We know who's coming in for Zoom, most likely with Kai.
Speaker 1: Sure, I think it's coming in for Norm is probably done?
I would say, does it depend on what is happening
in the game. If we're getting killed on defense, it's
probably done.
Speaker 2: Is KPJ? I mean, like Adams talked about his off
ball shooting numbers, I mean, is that insane? It's I
think it might be it's insane. I was like, even
for the biggest.
Speaker 3: KPJ, look, Coach lew said for us to be successful,
he's gonna be a big part of this. I don't
know what that means exactly, but.
Speaker 2: KPg, I think don't. I think don is the safe
bet though, Like I mean, like you know, like I said,
he's the sure hand. He's the NBA vet you know
what you're gonna get. Like I think that that would
make that that makes a lot of sense. Is him
next to Harden? Like I don't, I don't know that
I'm that wild about that. Like Chris Dunna is he's
okay off ball, he's not.
Speaker 3: They still have man in like he can guard up.
I'm not worried about Chris Dunn there. It's just offensively,
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2: I don't. I don't know that. I don't know that.
Speaker 3: I love that his three point shooting right now is
on suspect watch. He wasn't very aggressive in the preseason,
and we're going off of just an eighty eight game
sample size in Utah where he ended up shooting forty percent.
He was never like that before those last eighty eight games.
He's older, he's.
Speaker 2: What like a thirty six he's what like a thirty
six percent career three point two or something like that.
Speaker 3: I mean, if you take out the last eighty eight,
it's probably even lower. Like he hasn't been great there, Uh,
if he was, I don't think he would have been
on the fringe of being out of the league. That's
been a problem for him.
Speaker 1: He's a career thirty two percent.
Speaker 3: Yeah, oh y, you take out the last eighty eight
over forty percent.
Speaker 2: That's what I'm saying, like him next to Harden, I
don't Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1: And there's some wonky numbers in that too. So in
twenty twenty to twenty twenty one, he only played four games,
so that doesn't really count. Twenty one twenty two he
played fourteen games. I'm kind of throwing those were years
where he shot zero percent and point zhe nine percent
from three, So those if you take that out, you
got twenty eight percent, thirty two, thirty five, twenty six,
forty seven seven. So it is.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll call it a gentleman's we'll call it a
gentleman's thirty six.
Speaker 3: Oh man, that's gentleman lee of you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that is very kind of you, mister Updyke.
Speaker 3: But like he could be better now, he could like
I don't know what his catch and shoot stuff is,
and will he get more of those shots? I mean,
I would imagine he got plenty of that because guys
probably weren't guarding him a lot, even in Utah, even
with the lack of talent there. He's you know, because
he will be on a more talented team now, even
without Kawhi Leonard. But they're gonna test like they're gonna
make him. Derek Jones Junior and Terrence Man prove that
they are knocking down three pointers and that is huge
for this team. They got to prove it, and to
prove it you actually have to put them up. And
there've been times with all of them in the preseason
where they've kind of shot away from taking those shots.
That has me a little bit worried.
Speaker 1: That's a good call. So I'm trying to find his
catching shoot stuff.
Speaker 2: Not feeling nice about that.
Speaker 1: Not feeling nice.
Speaker 3: So okay, let's say it's not Chris Dunn first in
for Norman Powell. Then are we saying KPJ.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think if the shooting, if the shooting is
not going how it needs to go, I think Tyler
will put KPJ in.
Speaker 2: So, I mean, it's not a mirror, you know, like,
who else could it be?
Speaker 1: Really? Bones? Fucking blow everyone's minds and have Bones be
the first.
Speaker 2: My head would maybe explode if Bones was the first
Like if Bones was the first sub in for Norman Powell,
I think my head might explode. But yeah, not that
I'm opposed Like not that I'm opposed to it. It
would just be so surprising and.
Speaker 3: Throw us off for a loop. What what about KPJ
comes in plays a few minutes like two with James Harden.
Then Harden gets his sub out, So therefore KPJ is
now running the second unit or a lot of second
unit guys in there, and it's that transition from the
end of the first quarter hardens out till the six
minute mark. Maybe the second quarter. That could be the plan.
I don't know.
Speaker 1: Chris done last year thirty eight and a half percent
on catching shoot threes.
Speaker 3: So he shot thirty seven percent to total on all
threes and thirty eight percent, so he was taking some
off the bounce and hitting those, like I guess or
what it probably was just the majority were catch and shoot,
so then the number goes down. Maybe his off the
bounce was like, you know, thirty Yeah, he was probably
even that.
Speaker 1: According to NBA stats ont Ama dot Com, it was
one and a half three point attempts from the catch
and shoot variety last year per game. Yeah, which kind
of lines up with this total.
Speaker 3: He's got to take them regardless.
Speaker 1: He has to take them. To take them, he has
to take them. Okay, so we got we've talked first U.
Second sub is probably gonna be Zoo, just fatigue wise.
I would have to assume he could be first like Wilson.
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but he's he's one or two. So it's a
guard and then Zoo. I'm interested to see what the
two minutes look like to you. I think a Mirr
is gonna play a ship ton of minutes. I like
that tomorrow maybe just or on Wednesday. Just again, they
are a smaller team we have. We have a mirror
kind of can be that tweeer.
Speaker 3: He can guard all three of their stars.
Speaker 2: He can't.
Speaker 3: That's not a problem.
Speaker 1: Yeah, has some interesting stuff, nothing light work.
Speaker 3: I'm excited for a mere a mir could be you
ever know. Maybe he's the first guy he's shot it well,
I think so far in the preseason. He had eighteen
in their last game. Uh and he shot thirty eight
percent from three last season. Once you got in the
rotation the bench, maybe it is a mere coming in.
Speaker 1: So this this plays perfectly into the we have a
bunch of non you know, we have a bunch of
like what are these guys gonna be? Who the hell
is the first up gonna This is like such a
good microcosm of this.
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, like I've been talking about this
entire offseason, like I mean, if you're a real sicko,
like this is the year to watch Clippers basketball. There
are so many questions. There are so many questions. There's
good questions, there's bad questions, but there's I mean, there's
a lot of unknowns this season and I so like,
to me, it's a double edged sword. It's scary, but
it's also very exciting. Uh. This is just not this
is just not the team that you know, that we've known,
that we've come accustomed to, and it's you know, it's
a brave new world.
Speaker 3: It is a new world because normally it's like, well
who's the first sub? It's norm right, it's easy. Uh yeah,
I don't know of probably KPJ. But I don't know,
it could be christ done. It could depend on what
Will said. How is the game going? Do they have
a lead? Are they down by seven?
Speaker 1: If they're down the field goal look like like yeah.
Speaker 3: But there is probably that's probably not game dependent in
game one. Honestly, there's probably guys knowing what their role
is heading in, Like I'm coming off the bench first
and this is who I'm coming in for. So I
don't know coach all the tough decisions to make. Glad
he's doing it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's the one, not coach Oslin out there. Yeah, Yeah,
I'm excited. Uh that, Uh what what was it done?
A mirror and kp J was a three man lineup
in the preseason that I was quasi intrigued by. There.
There could be some fun stuff there.
Speaker 3: Like that, give me a B two with the four
with Kai and I can get with it.
Speaker 1: Like there's that. We'll probably see it. But yeah that
I'm worried that. I'm honestly, I'm looking at the central
I'm worried at Kogi's for some reason gonna go off.
Speaker 3: I don't know why he had some Clipper killer life games.
Speaker 1: It feels like it has stupid bull Bowl again. Bull
Bowl will just randomly make four threes against us.
Speaker 3: He's as good as Yeah, he's as good as Wemby.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it'll be interesting. I'm I like what Will said,
this is a good year for for Clippers fans. You
can really there's a lot of guys you can argue
for right there's no.
Speaker 2: Certain Clippers fans. Very if you're listening to this show,
you're probably the exact type of Clippers fan that's gonna
enjoy or I mean possibly be incredibly frustrated by this season.
But like there, you know, there's just a lot of
stuff to think about. There's a lot of stuff to process.
I I kind of love that to a certain extent.
Speaker 1: And the back end of the rotation, this back five
that we're talking about, it's pretty even right like there,
it's not like, oh, the first two subs are like
obviously maybe they could even start like everyone is is
a bench guy. And I don't mean that disrespectfully, So
be like you could argue that almost anyone could be
the second or third sub on just based on how
this roster is constructed good I mean a good and
bad one.
Speaker 3: Well like the Wrinkle or the ranch in their plans
is Derek Jones Junior picks up two fouls right away
and then but two has to come in. Fuck, that's
that's the first could be the first sub. You never know.
Speaker 1: That is a good call, and I've wondered about that
because if he's going to guard up, he's going to
have to be more physical. The whistle's gonna really dictate
how effective Derek Jones Junior is. I don't mean that
as a knock on Derek Jones Junior, but if he's
having a guard up and like you said, he gets
those two fouls or Zoo gets two fouls and then
Kai Jones has to come in with like eight minutes
left in the first quarter or something like that.
Speaker 3: The whistles interesting an interesting subject and something to watch
early on. How are the officials calling it to start
off the regular season because we've seen them go through
waves over the past two years of letting stuff go.
Speaker 2: That is a great point. That is a great point.
Speaker 3: Like are they going to carry over from what we
just saw in that playoff series against Dallas where anything
goes Streetball Volume five? Like, yeah, I don't know what
we were looking at the first two games of that series,
but that could Like obviously it favors the Clippers if
they let them play a more physical brand of basketball,
especially against a team like the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Clippers have to muck this game. I mean
every game the Clippers. This offense without Qui Land right
now and when James Harden was off the floor, you
gotta make it gross. It's gotta be not aesthetically pleasing
basketball for some of it. And the Clippers were. They
were fourteenth and personal fouls last year, so they weren't
bad at fouling last year. They were quite literally average
at it. But with this new you know, pre renewed
preference on blocks and steals and all this stuff. Yeah,
the whistle, we'll see I like Scott Foster, three of
them Tony brothers, dude.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the whistle could dictate a lot.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 3: It is the first home game for the Clippers add
into it Dome. Are they gonna get the benefit of
the whistle of their first game or are they gonna
set the toet earlier that the Clippers still are not
getting the benefit of the whistle.
Speaker 1: Ever, Hey, you're still the Clippers. The reps are still
the rep still want us to know that we're the Clippers. Yeah,
and also anytime norm is it against like a second
rotation because we've heard about the pick and roll with
you know him and Zoo running the pick and roll
or whatever that's going to look like against the second
you know, against subs. They need to build that chemistry
up James Harden against anyone on the bench. I have
no I have no worries about Yeah, there's We're gonna
get nothing answered on Wednesday and have a lot more questions,
which will be fun.
Speaker 3: It is going to be probably a season where a
lot of people are saying, I cracked the code. I
found the five man lineup. Coach lou play these guys together,
and this is it right here, I found it. It's
in five minutes so far, a month into the season
that these five guys have been on the court together.
But this is it, this is what works.
Speaker 1: Plus twenty three. Are you kidding me?
Speaker 3: It just seems like there's gonna be so many different
combinations that you might be able to make an argument
for Yeah.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, all right, coming up, we are gonna give our
picks for the first of the season newly named Kawhi
Leonard James Harden Player of the Game picks because we
can't just pick James Harden, because obviously, if James Harden
plays well, the Clippers will win. If you're watching us
on YouTube, we're still gonna be here. If you're listening
to us, We've got a quick audio break, and then
Kawhi Leonard James Harden picks and then we're talking one
of our favorite composers coming up in three two.
Speaker 3: What welcome back in It's Clips and Dip Season three,
episode twenty one, as we get you ready for game
one of the regular season here in this twenty twenty
four twenty twenty five NBA year, and we just previewed
as much as we could think of with all the
different matchups and configurations and bench lineups and starters. But
now it's the important part. The James Harden player of
the game selection. Chuck, do you want to start?
Speaker 1: Damn? I have to start the Kawhi Leonard James Harden player, the.
Speaker 3: Kawhi Leonard James start out of side on him.
Speaker 1: You know I'm gonna go because we need it. I'm
going meaty double double from Avitza Zubots. I'm talking twenty
two and thirteen to open up the end to it, Doom.
He gets the game ball, James Harden obviously probably with
like nine assists.
Speaker 3: It's total bullshit, man, I had that.
Speaker 1: Well, who are you picking? Take whatever Adam is gonna
say for a.
Speaker 4: Man, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go Derek Jones Jr.
I'm gonna say.
Speaker 2: Talking here, I'm saying, I want to see the three
point shooting be real. I want to see him be
able to contribute to the floor spacing. I want to
see uh, the athleticism obviously, want to see him finish
a couple above the rim. And we're just gonna need
his defensive presence. So I'm gonna go with him. I'm
not gonna predict the stat line, but I need him
to pop, and I need him to pop, and I'm
gonna feel I mean, I'm gonna feel even more like
this thir here somehow double are you?
Speaker 1: Yeah? This has to be killing you, knowing what's gonna
happen at the end of the season and still having
to go through the regular season in playoffs, you know
you might just.
Speaker 2: They say the weight in is the hardest part.
Speaker 1: Sure, all right, Adam your pick for the Kawhi Leonard
James Harden regular season Game one Clippers versus Suns Player
of the Game selection.
Speaker 3: So do we have to pick a starter? Because I
don't know. That's where you guys went. Okay, okay, I'm
gonna go a little bit deeper than here. Uh, I'm gonna.
Speaker 1: Go this was. This was for the real clips that's
out there.
Speaker 3: I'm going a mere coffee. Hell yeah, I've seen from
a mire. He's being pushed right now. He knows about
Jordan Miller and everybody talking about him, which we didn't
talk about so far. You never know why Jordan gets
five to ten minutes. I don't know it. He shines,
you can't take off the floor. A mir is holding
on to his spot for now. And we'd love Amra coffee.
I want to see some of that sweet heat from
Amre coffee from three and just being a menace defensively,
just patching up different holes in the ship and figuring
out how to keep this Clippers team afloat against a
potent offense with the Phoenix Suns. I like him here
in this one. I like him. Here do we all
we get stat line? I'll give out I'll give out
twelve four boards to assist a couple of threes. Impactful, impactful, twelve.
We're talking plus minus like a thirty.
Speaker 1: Plus plus minus. Wow, this game is going great for
the Clippers. It's gonna be in. It's gonna be awesome again.
So excited to see just the full into it, just
the full production of everything where they're also going to debut.
Hans Zimmer is is riding the track for the Clippers,
which is gonna be awesome.
Speaker 3: My favorite composers is probably my favorite.
Speaker 1: Honestly, what are your top ten composers?
Speaker 3: Uh, Danny Elfin, Hawns, Zimmer.
Speaker 2: John Williams.
Speaker 1: Yeah, John Williams is up there.
Speaker 3: I'm trying to go deeper, guys. You guys pick all
the starters. I'm going with the bench.
Speaker 1: I went with the deep cuts.
Speaker 3: Liked well, he's already given. The Clippers are using him,
and he did the Dark Knight. What else do you need?
I think I did Leisures will Fall too.
Speaker 1: It's gonna be a good time, all right. I think
that about wraps everything up. I want to do a
quick disclaimer for this season for Clippers fans. Let's just
have fun. Let's just have fun.
Speaker 2: Let's just have let's have some fun out there.
Speaker 1: It's some of us. Don't think it's our I'm not
on team. It's our year. I'm team. We're gonna be
a high playing team. I know Will didn't mention seating,
but it's gonna doesn't matter. But but it's gonna be
a fun year. You're gonna be able to find some
guys you like. Maybe Jordan Miller gets five minutes and
shines maybe yeah. Oh, and you will with a roster
like this for the Clippers, You're gonna find some guys
you don't like in terms of how they fit on
the basketball court. Yeah, I mean, Will, Oh, we need
one positive thing from Adam Oustlind.
Speaker 3: We get to find out how loud into a dome's
gonna get because I'm quite certain it's gonna be full,
and there's going to be a moment that generates a
loud roar from the crowd. And it's already been loud
in the preseason. Guys, I'm telling you, at sixty seventy
percent full maybe probably not. I think they had thirteen
thousand was one of the games. I forget if that
was Dallas or Sacramento. Okay, it should be eighteen thousand
or seventeen five hundred or whatever. It is close to
that close to Max's capacity, full capacity Wednesday night, and
I can't wait to hear it.
Speaker 1: There we go, will Where can these people now that
basketball is back and people have things that talk about
it at work other than their jobs. Where can people
tell their coworkers demand that their coworkers listen to this show?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, you should definitely drop the drop the link
in the slack to YouTube dot com slash at Clippers podcast.
I'm sure your coworkers would love to hear about this.
Speaker 1: If you're not.
Speaker 2: Into the YouTube thing, if for whatever reason you don't
want to enjoy the best version of this show, you
can also enjoy it as audio only while you're driving
your car or doing some aforementioned work. Wherever you get
your podcasts. If you happen to listen over on Apple
Podcasts or Spotify, go ahead, leave a little ratio to review.
We'd love to know which thing to the show. Also,
there's a new thing on Spotify where you can comment.
You leave comments on per like a per episode thing
that I could see it. So yeah, leave us a
couple of comments. We'd love to know what you think.
But however, you can send the show. You know, we
appreciate you. I love the people listening to this show
and we love making it, so thank you.
Speaker 1: There we go. We will be bad with a will
and I are going to be driving back from the game.
We'll probably be doing a stream after the game on
the car ride home, So if y'all want to hang
with that, maybe we'll be on Clippers Talk. I don't know.
I don't pull the strings over there.
Speaker 3: Well, we got a full Clippers talk show. Now the
preseason's over, so who's coming on with me?
Speaker 1: There we go, it'll be better. We know my rule, Yeah,
only come on, have it well, book this season. I
got about sixty five things I have to do this
season regular season. We will be back with y'all this week.
Clippers basketball is back. We are back to what our
usual schedule is, which is around three episodes a week. Yeah,
thanks for hanging out, and as always, let's go clips.