Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans? Welcome to season three,
episode thirty eight of Clips in Dip. We got the
full crew here. I am Duck Mackler, joined by Adam
Oslin from La Void and Will Updyke is back from Montana.
What a joyous time in Clippers dumb. If you're listening
to us, thanks for listening. If you would like to
watch us, you can find us at YouTube dot com
sash at Clippers podcast. Adam and I did a quick
little live recently to talk the Kawhi Leonard return date,
which we're all three gonna talk about together in this episode.
We're also gonna look at the Clippers road trip coming
up that seems kind of weird. But before we get
into that, Adam, Will, how are you fellas doing? Three
days after Christmas?
Speaker 2: Doing good? Doing good? Excited to be back with you guys.
It was a lot was going on, so hop into
the mix. Partially due to just bopping all over the
place for the holidays, partially due to some of that
montane Internet is not is not as good as I
enjoy out here, So yeah, I apologize, miss y'all. You know,
good to see, good to see good things are happening.
I'm getting tagged on Twitter. A lot of people are
finally starting to see that maybe it is our year.
We're finally coming around. So to see that's a great
Christmas present for me.
Speaker 1: So that's great. I'm assuming you still made your family
discuss the Clippers for at least forty five minutes at
least once a day, just to keep the reps up.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I would do a this is our this is.
Speaker 1: Adam, how are you doing? How's the void?
Speaker 3: It's pretty dark, it's but the light, the light shining
through is the Clippers. The last couple of games, especially
the Memphis game that was a huge win. The Warriors game,
that fourth quarter was disgusting.
Speaker 1: Was it twelve turnovers in the fourth I lost count
after I'll call it eight, But yeah, they really almost
threw that one away. That one would have been not
maybe the worst loss of the season with how it
would have happened.
Speaker 3: I think so like that was a complete meltdown and
just a lack of attention to detail.
Speaker 1: I will say also, I'm happy that put Zemski I
liked the Clippers crowd reaction because Pods was annoying in
that game. Someone on Twitter said He reminds them of
someone whose dad is the biggest donor on the AAU team,
but it's not qualified enough to coach, and that made
me laugh. The good news this week, if y'all missed
it somehow, is there is indeed to target date for
Kawhi Leonard January fourth at into it though versus the Hawks.
Very big week coming up for that, which law Murray
outlined as well in his tweets. Kawhi is gonna practice
with the SD Clippers while the big Clippers are on
this roadie. It is a three and four.
Speaker 4: Well, how are you feeling on when you left? We
didn't really know. We thought maybe it would be the
game against the Warriors. Now we have I don't want
to say a firm date, but we have a target.
Speaker 1: A target date, does it? It must really feel like
it's our year.
Speaker 2: It's I mean, it's interesting because I do feel like
they started hinting at it after sort of no update.
You know, these things changed so quick, and to have
even a target now feels a lot different. You know,
I had just gotten sort of used to this team
being without Kawhi Leonard for so long that it you know,
it's it's gonna be a different look, but it's exciting.
We still I mean, Adam has been saying this, and
I agree to. Like, even if we do get that
that target date as a start date, still gonna take
a couple of games before we can really settle in
and say, Okay, he's he's back. We know that the
we know that the knee is reacting as the train
staff wants it to, as his camp wants it to.
So it's I'm excited, but it's I'm still a little tentative.
Speaker 1: I guess I think tentative is fair. I think that's
a probably the healthiest reaction to have. Yeah, I've liked
the quotes like Harden talking about it. They've talked about it,
like how Kawhi is like because he's nervous about, you know,
fitting back in with the team too, And James Harden's like, dude,
I think we're gonna be okay, Adam, how are you feeling.
We got talked, We got on the stream and talked
a little bit.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's good there's a target date. I
still I don't think there's ever gonna be a point
where I feel secure about why coming out of games
feeling healthy because yeah, you played sixty eight games last
year and out of nowhere his knee swelled up. There
was no warning signs, nothing, So he can play the
next month every game, including back to backs, and I
still be like pins and needles, white knuckling, just holding
on for dear life, hoping that his knee doesn't swell
up randomly after some game, because that's basically what happened
last time.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do. I still haven't watched it yet, but
I do want to rewatch that stream we did when
you and I freaked out about the Kawhi Leonard knee thing.
I mean, the pins and needles thing makes so much sense,
Like I don't there's some Debbie downers on the YouTube comments,
for sure, saying that people are foolish to think that
Kawhi will come back and play healthy. But I don't know.
It's they've done everything right right, Like we can't really
fault any of their preparation to this point, I don't think.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you can clown people for getting their hopes up.
I guess if you'd like to do that, But what
else are we supposed to do? Like, I think we're
going in with our eyes open still I think we
all know what could happen.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean what, but like, what else are you
supposed to do with the information that your team's best
player and most and highly like the highest salary uh
is going to return? Like you have to have you
have to have hope. I mean, otherwise it's just a
void of a roster spot. Like what do you what
do you want me to say?
Speaker 1: Yeah, then we just have we just have another PJ Tucker.
Speaker 2: PJ Tucker two point zero.
Speaker 1: Way better PJ Tucker. Yeah, I'm hyped. I hope.
Speaker 2: I like what.
Speaker 1: I think the reporting that Laude did was very good too.
Write he said the team is still taking his status slowly.
A lot of developments that could take place this week
being the key step because again he's gonna be practicing
with San Diego Clippers. I talked about this with Adam Will.
I do not want to be a San Diego Clipper
who has to now go against Kawhi Leonard in practice.
That's a sharp I'm great for your game, but damn,
that's gonna be a tough week for some of those.
Speaker 2: I mean, I kind of disagree, just because we know
that these J League guys are are some of the
hungriest that it's you know, we've heard players who have
who have played on two ways say that you don't
want to be there so much, not even so much
because it's a B team, but because everybody is like
fighting tooth and nail to make.
Speaker 1: A roster spot.
Speaker 2: So I think this is like, I mean, I think
these guys you know, thereof the mindset that this is
like the perfect challenge for them. And I think that
it's a good environment where Kauai obviously has like an
athletic and competitive edge over everyone, but it's not No
one is going to go at fifty percent at him,
I don't think.
Speaker 1: So.
Speaker 2: I do think that that's like a good a good
reintroduction to to getting back into game speed and again
assuming that that target stays the same, if he's able
to play at that level, I mean, it's it's it's
a good sign that things are on the right track.
Speaker 1: As far as the swelling is concerned. They got to
get Elijah Harkless on them. That's the ultimate. That's how
you get Kawi back into shape.
Speaker 2: I also don't understand swelling. Mike Adam said it popped
up out of nowhere. Last time. I truly have no idea. Truly,
I'm really just kind of this is just in my head.
I'm just rationalizing this myself. I'm in no way a doctor. Yeah,
I just ran right. It just it just just the
swelling decides is. I feel like what the situation.
Speaker 1: Is now, people are talking about the starting lineup when
Kawi comes back. I think we all might be on
the same page on this, right, it's gonna be Harden,
Norm Kawhi, Derek Jones sabots right.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Some people were thinking Chris Dunn might stay in it,
and that means either DJ Norm Powell comes out. But
Derek Jones Junior. Is just such a more versatile defender.
Even though Chris Dunn might be the best a couple
of specific things, Derek Jones Jr. Can guard up, guard
pretty much one through four at times, guard a center.
So I don't think you can take that guy out.
And Law made a good point all with me pre game,
like he won the battle during training camp to get
that starting spot.
Speaker 1: Derek. Yeah, So I don't think he's.
Speaker 3: Giving it up. I don't think he's done anything wrong
to lose his spot. He's been the best of.
Speaker 1: Them and you're not dropping Norm back to the bench
just because he's having such a year that to keep
if normally.
Speaker 2: You need the offense, you just need the offense and
there's no but you know, what reason, what data point
do you have that to be like okay, that like
it makes more sense for him to be on the
bench because you know, like I talked about, there there
are some defensive liabilities I think with two guards, especially
with an undersized guard in Norm, but like it has yeah,
it hasn't been an issue, So yeah, I don't I
don't see Norm coming out of the story line up.
That would be an insane change to me.
Speaker 1: It'd be a big swig. That would be kind. That
would be Tyler's first what are we doing move?
Speaker 2: Especially with the way, especially with the way Don is
shooting from outside, like it just doesn't really make It
doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me.
And I like done. I like done, but it doesn't
make a whole lot of sense to me.
Speaker 3: Dun's been great. I think he's been a little bit
better from three as of late, because I think he's
up to like thirty three percent shooting on the year now.
But the three point shot has been elusive for him,
his defense far always it. He leaves them in plus
minus on the season.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's elite, he's their best impact.
Speaker 3: Crazy. Yeah, And I just can't see since when do
twenty five point per game scores come off the bench,
because that's basically what norm Pal's doing now, Like, it
can't happen.
Speaker 1: Yeah, this isn't the Lou Williams era.
Speaker 2: We can't.
Speaker 1: We don't. We don't need the sixth man to put
up twenty five. So now that begs the question, who
do we think is getting squished out of the rotation?
So we just talked about the starting five. Now the
bench is and this is in no particular order except
maybe the last one Dunn, Terrence, emir KPJ Nico and Bamba.
That would be an eleven guy rotation. I think probably
that ty lud is once like an eight or nine
guy rotation just heading into the playoffs because you're gonna
want to You're not playing that many guys. Who's getting
squeezed out? Who do we think is gonna just.
Speaker 2: Well, you didn't listen him, but I mean this is
I'm sorry to the Jordan Miller heads, but oh yeah,
it's kind of the end of the road as far
as that development goes this season, which is bittersweet.
Speaker 3: His confidence looks pretty low right now. Yeah, the airball
to three last night, he hesitated on some shots. They've
been ripping him at the rim when he goes to
his you know, downhill uh attack.
Speaker 2: And it's like a combination of like, you know, he's
had a few down downward games and now like with
the you know, a rotation shake up as well, Like
it's just the outlook is not looking very good from
from where we had come into the season hoping uh
to get Jordan Miller into just being a rotation level player.
I don't think that that is a likely outcome, but
of these guys.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I kind of just assumed Miller was already out
of the room. No, no, you play.
Speaker 2: I just wanted to touch on it because we've talked
about we have talked about Jordan Miller so much like
this entire season. I think it's gonna be sort of
like a a hotthand in terms of game impact between
Terrence and emrr uh for the most part, Bomba's minutes
are gonna be Bomba's minutes unless they're looking really bad.
I just still think that we need some additional size
out there. Maybe we I mean with Kawhi, we can't
transition back to smaller lineups, so that would be a lot.
Speaker 1: Less He'll need to get spelled like you know, we can't.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just for Zeus Cardio, We're gonna need it.
And then like, I don't know, you know that like
going back to the small ball thing. You know, it
hasn't been that effective outside of the initial you know,
the the initial wingstop line like order it has. Yeah,
I mean it hasn't really been as effective as it was.
Speaker 1: What is that now?
Speaker 2: Three seasons ago? Good lord, very long time ago. So
you have the you have the pieces to do it,
and you certainly have the versatility which would would limit
that time even more. But I still think that he's
secured at least spot minutes in the rotation just due
to the need at the position.
Speaker 1: And so, Adam, who do you think is Like I
think I think KPJ's minutes are going to be reduced
a little bit, but I I don't know, I don't
see him getting a bunch of minutes cut because we
still need even with dun healthy, we still need a
guy who can initiate the offense, and it's not like
done has been. Yeah, very head and shoulders excelling at that.
And kp shot has come around the last like fourteen
games or so from outside. But like, I don't think
kpg's gone anywhere.
Speaker 3: I don't think he is either. And Chris Donne last
night he had a few of those turnovers in the
back court again where and this was before the almost
collapse in the fourth quarter. In the first half, he
had two turnovers just getting the ball into the front court,
just like he did in that game in Minnesota where
he threw it right to Anthony Edwards. He had a
couple more of those last night. It's shaky. With Chris
Dunn out there bringing the ball up, it hasn't been great.
So KPJ his presence was probably felt. Him missing last
night totally because of the fourth quarter. He probably would
have been one of the go to guys to bring
the ball up and help out James Harden, not that
James could even help himself. So I don't see KPJ
coming out, But I don't see Chris Dunn coming out either.
I think Terrence Man is gonna be one of the
guys who's out. He was only starting to come around
right after oh Zerr Coyote, right right before, right before
he got hurt. He was just starting to come out
of his slump. So the timing couldn't have been worse.
He just had the great game against Denver where he
had that big offensive rebound which led to a three
pointer by him in the far side corner. And there
are other guys that do what he does better, I
think right now, I think that's clear. So I don't know.
Mobamba has to get some minutes, as you mentioned, because
they just have to beach another big body, Nico. Nico
has been good, Like I think he might be second
and plus minus rating on the season, which is pretty
crazy because he gets in a lot of bad lineups,
he still finds a way to win his minutes.
Speaker 2: That's a great point. That's a great point. He I mean,
but we've talked about this before. Like the biggest thing
with Eco coming back is he is the glue that
makes a lot of these these lineups work. A lot
of these things that are not great on paper or
on court quite frankly, are the floor is raised anytime
he's out there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's got to be what is what have we
used before? He's got to be the adult on the
court sometimes and like just making sure everything's not crazy.
So now we're in this thing, right, So it's so
Terrence probably gets his minutes cut down. So now we're
at what ten guy rotation?
Speaker 3: It might be Terrence and a mirror then like, yeah.
Speaker 1: That's a mirror. Yeah, I think.
Speaker 2: I think it flip flops between which either one of
those guys is more effective in any given game, which
I guess it's a bummer to both of those guys.
But I think it's an alright position to be for
the Clippers because I, oh, yeah, I'm comfortable with either guy,
so can have minutes on the floor.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Emir's had a rough but I he hit three
three pointers last night, but before that he had five points.
He Spanish two games against Memphis and against Dallas. He
wasn't really looking for a shot much. But I feel bad.
Amir's having a great year. I wish he could handle
the rock more. But that's the thing that is going
to keep KPJ getting minutes out there.
Speaker 1: Tyler has some weird decisions to make because this is
kind of the funny thing, right, The Clippers have played
so well without Kawhi, you know, but because everyone's playing well,
it's like, well, who's missing time? This is where the
I think one of the hardest things of being a
head coaches, Like your team is overperforming, you're getting a starbuck.
Now you gotta cut some guys who've been playing better
within the team than they usually have.
Speaker 3: So that'll be some interesting don't you got to consider
trading terrorists? Man, if there's a move to be made
out there.
Speaker 1: So I was gonna say, I think a consolidation. I
don't know if it has to happen, but very much
could with the team that's wanting to plan for the
future more right.
Speaker 2: Adam, how do you think that this Kawhi Leonard returned.
Do you think that this impacts anything as far as
how we've talked so far on the show about what
the Clippers could do at the deadline. How do you
think this impacts their their decisions if at all.
Speaker 1: Are they training for John Collins or not? Dude, that's
the that's the question.
Speaker 2: I would Sorry, I'm being around the bush over here.
Speaker 3: I would still wait to see how the team looks
outside of trading PJ Tucker or balls Highland because they're
on the outs anyways. And outside of if you can
fleece a team, if you can have a Portland Trailblazer
situation like how they got No More Pale. If you
can get one over on a team and you're not
losing anything to improve your roster, then I would still
make a move early on, even without seeing how Kawhi
Learned looks. But we talked about Colin Sexton. I like
calling Sexton. I think there's this misnomer about him that
he's some inefficient guy or something like that. I was
listening to my guys on Talking Ship earlier today and
Brandon Marcus, who's my guy, but there is some perception
about him that he's not very efficient, and he's one
of the more efficient players out there now. Him being
undersized could be problematic, but he does give effort on
the defensive end. Calin Sexton. If you could get Callin
Sexton without giving up that first round pick, I would
consider it, regardless of what Kawhi looks like, because he's
a young player and it's not with him. It's not
just about trying to raise your ceiling this year. It's
about having a good player that could be coming off
the bench for years to come. He also, his on
track comes up in the summer of twenty twenty six,
so if things didn't go well, it's not like he's
gonna be on the books while you're going big game
hunting during that big year, during that big offseason where
the Clippers could be making moves.
Speaker 1: And he's maybe a part of those moves. Right Like,
if you look like he tradable contract. I love Colin Sexton,
he would fit. He fits this twenty four to twenty
five Clippers team mentality wise, so well he there would
be a lot worse guys. Again, I was just looking
at this schedule. If Kawhi comes back on this target date,
the Clippers will have like fifteen or sixteen games before
the trade deadline, which I don't know how many. I mean,
I think the team's going to be great after you know,
some growing pains and whatnot, But that timing makes it
kind of interesting.
Speaker 3: They definitely shouldn't be taking any big swings where you'd
have to give up a first round pick or Jordan
Miller or some young player or something like that on
the off chance that Kawhi Leonard, you know, can stay healthy.
The rest of the season when we don't even know
he hasn't even been back yet, right, and if you
only got fifteen sixteen games before the trade deadline to
see what he has, that's not enough time to I
don't know guarantee anything about Kawhi and his future status.
Speaker 1: Yes, think this is where the front office and coaching
stuff just makes my head hurt. It's just such a
weird spot to be in. Haggle no haggle the Clippers
will have home court advantage in the first round of
the playoffs. Yeah, what is the ceiling now? The question
was haggle, no haggle, sir, I haggle.
Speaker 2: They can? Is it can?
Speaker 1: Or will will?
Speaker 2: Oh man, I might have to haggle that.
Speaker 1: Well, well, I mean that's that's fair. So, just looking
at the standings as of right now, the Clippers are
two games out of a home court advantage spot. They're
seven and a half games out of first. The Mavericks
are in four worth, just ahead of them at five
and a half games out.
Speaker 3: The MAVs are about to be missing a key player
and half their team over the next week after the
fight that happened yesterday.
Speaker 1: Yes, then, of course, then it gets into teams that
might be an issue. One, two, three. Right now is
the thunder Grizzlies Rockets, and I genuinely can't think of
three teams better set up to uh play against it
and beat the LAS. But home court advantage wise, we're
a half game up on the Lakers, which feels a
little terrifying. Will you. You don't think by the end
of this they'll have gotten two games on that four
seed and into it Dome we'll be rocking game one again.
Speaker 2: I mean, I think it's a possibility. I think it's
a possibility. I don't know if I'm if I'm ready
to say it's a foregone conclusion. Let me give me
a couple of games a KWHI Leonard, and then uh,
then I can make a little bit more bold of
a prediction.
Speaker 1: In a week.
Speaker 2: I'm not I'm not thrilled at the prospect of the
four or five matchup. No, if I'm being honest.
Speaker 1: No, it's gonna be.
Speaker 2: I think I'd honestly rather drop to six.
Speaker 1: But well, we are winning the Chip, so winning the
Chip out of the sixth spot would be pretty crazy.
Speaker 2: I mean it's gonna be. I'm not wild though at
four or five.
Speaker 1: It's gonna the standings are starting to kind of solidify.
You know, you get like the three chunks of standings.
The Kings are kind of top of the bottom right now,
they're twelve and a half games out. Then you have
this chunk of teams that are like seven and a
half to ten games out, and you have kind of
the top. It's gonna be disgusting. These these standings are
gonna move constantly, and I do not like when that happens,
just because it's so nervous making Adam, you're going first round.
Speaker 2: I mean, if you're in that four or five matchup,
you're looking at the first round against probably most likely
like the Mavericks, the Lakers, or the Nuggets. I feel like.
Speaker 3: This is bad.
Speaker 2: I don't really want any one of those in the
first round.
Speaker 3: No, I'd rather play the Rockets. I don't care. I
know people are like, well, they're three to zero against
the Clippers, Like great, they don't have a guy who
averages twenty points per game. Also, if the Clippers have
Kawhi and James Harden, they likely have the two best
players in that series. I don't fear them in a
seven game series.
Speaker 1: I wouldn't say I don't fear them, but I understand
that argument. They are. They're just that bench is nasty.
Speaker 2: They're definitely a tough matchup. But I think that I
think the playoffs is just different.
Speaker 1: The experience we saw it when we've played the maps, right,
those earlier series where it's like, well we've had the
older team. Yeah, the four or five matches could be brutal,
but Adam, you don't think you think we're maybe still
a fiver a Lincolner.
Speaker 3: It's going to be close. There's fifty one games just
left right, sure, so it's going to be closed.
Speaker 1: I won't take your word for any time you say
how many games I go, Yeah, of.
Speaker 3: Course I've played thirty one games.
Speaker 1: You're doing your break, dude.
Speaker 3: I I just because the standings are going to be
so close for so long, I'd rather say haggle and
play it safe and say they're not going to be
a top four seed. But it's not like it's a
possibility they will be within range. It could come down
to two games easily.
Speaker 1: Yeah, let me look at the strength of schedule. I
believe the Clippers they have a pretty average strength of schedule.
Remaining seventeenth. The average win percentage of their remaining opponents
is forty nine percent. So I love hearing that, Yes,
here's who we play, here's the difficult games. Calves twice,
Thunder twice, Celtics ons, Grizzlies twice, Knicks twice, Rockets once.
But we get five games of the Pels and as
a couple of games against the Hornets a Blazers game
in there. So yeah, like, I feel like that tells
us nothing because it's like, all right, it's not easier,
it's not hard. Maybe they'll win a game they're supposed to,
maybe they'll drop when they're not supposed to.
Speaker 3: Remember what we were saying before the season started, where
we were like, okay, go five hundred and then go
ten games over five hundred with Kawhi Leonard whenever he's back,
and that will get you a top six seed in
the Western Conference. That seems very reasonable.
Speaker 2: Now, yeah, you know by that metric, I guess it
depends on how you how you factor in the remaining
back to backs. But they've over it. They've overachieved their
expectations totally to this point so.
Speaker 3: Well, and we're talking about getting home court in the
first round. Now we've shifted from let's I was saying,
definitely before the season, I felt like a sixth seed
would be their ceiling based upon if Kawhi plays fifty games, well,
he's not going to be able to play fifty. He
might play it forty two.
Speaker 2: Could play fifty one.
Speaker 3: We ain't going on the road trip, so that's gonna
be difficult.
Speaker 1: That's what they told you.
Speaker 2: He's blazing through these blazing through these targets.
Speaker 1: It's a three and four. If he's ready, he's ready.
Speaker 3: He's not flying with them. He's driving solo in the.
Speaker 1: Blazer with the AM radio. Yeah. I do like how
the expectations have shifted. It does feel a lot better
to be like, hey, well maybe not a whole lot
better because he just ran down to our first round
matchups might.
Speaker 2: Be four or five. Is that's that's a tax.
Speaker 1: Trap, dude? It's like, yeah, that'll be, well, that will be.
Speaker 3: If they got Kawhi and they take on Dallas. I'm
pretty sure they were beating them this year if they
had Kawai. So okay, maybe maybe it's not the worst
thing in the world.
Speaker 1: I'm going to be insufferable if we draw the Mavericks
in the first round. Cannot stand that too. Would you
what would you rather have the Lakers or Denver Lakers?
I think Tyler would coach JJ Redick into a box.
Speaker 2: I don't know, just the way, the way Lebron's look him,
and just the favorable there's a lot of there's a
lot of things that seem to roll the Lakers a way.
That's all I'm gonna say.
Speaker 1: Same with Denver. It's not like Denver. It's not.
Speaker 3: What I'm saying though, Like I'd rather have Dallas in
both those teams.
Speaker 1: I feel like I'm being asked if I would rather
get like punched in the left eye, the right eye,
or the stomach, because what these questions?
Speaker 3: That's fair? Pod has entered the chat.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll take I would take the Mavericks over those
just because it's like, let's just get this over with.
Speaker 3: A shit.
Speaker 1: Here we go, let's avenge ourselves from last year. Let's
show how much better we are without PJ. Tucker taking
the most full attempt on the second half of an
elimination game. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I think if healthy, like if Kawhi is healthy, I
like that matchup a little more for sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, And also We're gonna be at the thirty five
or again when the playoffs come, because that was super
fun over in Pasadena. Well, not fun because we lost,
but the drinking was fun. Let us know over at
Twitter at Clippers pod or at YouTube at Clippers Podcast.
Speaker 4: What do you think about the Clippers seating? What do
you think about Kawhi coming back? I know most people
are excited. There's a few poor souls who are not
coming up. We're gonna be talking the Clippers road trip,
which feels, as I mentioned, a little weird if you're
listening to us on audio, is gonna be a quick
break and then talking the Clippers roadie in three two one?
Speaker 2: All right, welcome back into cliffs and did we talked
a little bit about the tar get return date for
Kawhi Leonard, But before the Clippers get there, they got
a road trip coming up. They gonna take on the Pals,
the Spurs and the Thunder. So what do we think
on this one? Fellas two and one, three and oh,
Adam did I hear three?
Speaker 1: And oh? Is that it's the void? Is that the void?
A you? Uh, you might have heard one and two
you think wanted to just because of the back to
back and then the Thunder.
Speaker 3: Yeah, San Antonio, you know Wemby took that next step
for sixteen fifteen. I mean, they're three and three in
their last six games, But I just worry second out
of a back to back hardness look gast at times recently.
I think that's gonna be a really tough game. So
they really need to handle business. If they could dispense
of the New Orleans Pelicans and not overlook them and
have the fourth quarter like they just had against the
Golden State Warriors, they play like that. They could lose anybody.
But if they handle the business against the Pelicans, then
they can set themselves up for a better chance against
the Spurs.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the Pels on the thirtieth New Year's Eve.
They get the Spurs that on the second it's against
OKC Thunder. Who knows, maybe the Thunder enjoying that lavish, exuberant,
wild Oklahoma City New Year's Eve lifestyle that we all
hear about, and the Clippers get a bit of a break,
you know, two day hangover. Yeah, I think difficulty wise,
it's like Thunder Spurs, Pels, But the Pels are also
such a wild card like this is now a team
where it's like, oh, this guy who's made twenty eight
percent of his threes is now gonna go seven for
nine or something like that. I like what you said
about taking care of business and will you brought this
up a couple episodes ago. All the games that they've
been like, I really hope they show up for. They've
shown up for for the most part, which does make
me feel a little bit better about that Pels matchup.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we talk a little bit about what would be
the worst loss of the season at the top of
this episode. One of the worst for me was just
that Portland game. Yeah, that's that Portland game at homes.
That to me that that one stung like the other
ones did not.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good call, But.
Speaker 2: I don't see that. I don't first see that happening
against the Pels. I think the team is like they're
more locked in, they get it.
Speaker 1: They got some Kahi news to like build the momentum
and energy and stuff off of.
Speaker 3: That's really the only loss where they blew it. I
guess a team they were heavily favored agains and I
don't think we've been able to say that in the past.
It felt like there were more of these losses where
the Clippers had a let down.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there was a bunch of losses where the Clippers
had to let down, where we were just playing down
to their level and watching them be shitty in the
first quarter and then be like, oh, I guess we
should kick it in the gear. Like halfway through the
second I was looking at the Pels, not the Pels,
the Thunders stats. Excuse me for overlooking and Pelican stats,
but we kind of know what they're all about. Okay,
See is a damn juggernaut first and net rating first
and defensive ratings. Shay had forty five against the Clippers.
Like them. I think they're gonna go two and one
on this road trip. I think they're gonna win that
back to back, and then I think we might see
a pretty you know, a loss against the Thunder is
how I'll say it.
Speaker 3: I think that'd be great if they go too and one,
that'd be fantastic.
Speaker 1: What's their record on back to backs this year?
Speaker 3: I feel like it's been good, shockingly good. They won
the first back to back. I want to say they've
had two sweeps so far.
Speaker 1: Clippers are wait the way that statnews does this is annoying?
Clippers are three and three on no rest, So.
Speaker 3: The second game of the back to back, Yeah, I
mean you'll take that, honestly.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Thunder five and oh, good for you will? Are
you thinking two and one? Are you thinking three? And oh?
Are you thinking we we take that four seed? Maybe
after this road trip?
Speaker 3: Th road trip?
Speaker 2: Man? The Thunder have won ten in a row, you
would think low averages. They got a drop one And
if you got a drop one, why not do it
to this Clippers name?
Speaker 1: How many games do they play before us?
Speaker 3: That is a good question.
Speaker 1: So they got the Grizzlies tomorrow, the Timberwolves on New
Year's Eve, and then Us on the second. So they have.
Speaker 2: So yeah, they'll they'll either be a little depleted or
super locked in such a.
Speaker 1: Brutal Schedulerizzims, Clippers, I.
Speaker 3: Don't hate that. Oh, they might take some skin off
them before.
Speaker 1: I would hope those are all super important for the standings.
Speaker 3: Yeah, a bear than a wolf? Are you fucking kidding me? That?
Speaker 1: A big ship? I don't even prepare for three such different.
Speaker 2: Opponents could be you don't even know.
Speaker 1: Could be Dracula. Oh yeah, real quick, since sometimes. We
talked about movies, Adam, did you see those yet? Oh? No,
do we lose Adam. He used to come to the
darkness his car, his car doors open. Have you seen
those yet?
Speaker 3: It's out?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I came out.
Speaker 3: Damn, that's dark. But I love that. No, do you
guys see it?
Speaker 1: Yeah? I went to see it yesterday. It's good. I
thought they left. I thought there was some meat on
the bone. I don't want to give anything away, you know,
such a surprise story.
Speaker 3: Is it too out there? An artistic for its own good?
Because that director can do that.
Speaker 1: No. I thought it looked beautiful.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's it's it's essentially the same plot
line as the original No Sparatus. So yeah, I mean
I enjoyed it. The people I went with did not
seem to enjoy that much. The theater with your family,
Oh yeah, yeah. Try to talk them into Baby Girl.
They weren't having it. We went to a We did
a little double feature of Complete Unknown and uh No
sau great Christmas time movies.
Speaker 1: They're both about the same guy, Christmas, Mister Christmas. Yeah,
but it's worth a watch, Adam, you should go see it.
Speaker 3: That guy did the Witch, which I think is the
best horror movie in the past fifteen years.
Speaker 2: I hard disagree, hard disagree. I don't even think it.
I don't even think The Witch is Agger's best movie.
Speaker 1: That's rare.
Speaker 2: Really, it's Baby, his third best movie.
Speaker 1: We're an amicable podcast. Ever heard hard disagree before on here?
Speaker 2: Hard disagree. But I also watch a lot of horror.
Speaker 1: You're an officionado.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that.
Speaker 1: My shirt says it for me.
Speaker 2: Just I'm just a man.
Speaker 1: All right, Back to basketball? Anything else? Do you want
to talk about the Thunders, Spurs or Pels trip before
we give our player of the road trip picks for
this week of basketball? Two and one, baby, I would
be perfectly contented with two and one that. Hell, yeah,
don't care who it's again, get.
Speaker 2: Greedy, get greedy, all Clippers get greedy.
Speaker 1: Actually, yeah, let's do it. I'm in all that.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you win the back to back and then you say, hey,
we got CAAUI coming back after this trip. You play everybody,
all the starters.
Speaker 1: Thirty minutes on that last game against the Thunder, no
matter the school or.
Speaker 3: Two wins before number two comes back. That's what I'm
looking for.
Speaker 1: Okay, and you're talking about Kawhi, Yeah right, one, Yeah,
I mean I think I would.
Speaker 2: He's second fiddle to that at him.
Speaker 1: Sure, I've never heard him on Clippers talk. He's not streaming. Okay,
Player of the road Trip picks, will We've been picking
for you since you've been gone. They've all turned out
really good.
Speaker 2: They've all they've all panned out.
Speaker 1: They were all great.
Speaker 4: Who is your Player of the road Trip for the
games against the Pels, Spurs and the Thunder?
Speaker 2: Am I allowed to pick a viz? How many players
can I not pick?
Speaker 1: Dor Pal James harden Right?
Speaker 2: Actually he's on a career defining streak right now.
Speaker 1: Though. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Anyway, if then if those are the rules, and those
are the rules, man, you.
Speaker 1: Are taking that bomb Billa movie Dard.
Speaker 2: Okay, your rules, man, Okay, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna
go dj J because I was watching I was watching
the Billy Crystal reaction to that dunk uh from last night,
and I was doing the same thing. So I think,
uh yeah, I think I think he's the player of
the game, and I think I think the official account
is going to have to tweet out that meme after
or that gift after every game. DJJ is obviously the
player of the game for all three.
Speaker 1: You have the Chris cam on your Clippers vision where
it's just anytime Billy crush. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's
a good pick. That's why I was gonna be got
to pay.
Speaker 2: A little extra, but it's worth it.
Speaker 1: A lot extra, Adam. Who is your player of the
road trip pick? We've gotten Derek Jones junior phenomenal pick.
Speaker 3: I'm going to take a risk here. This guy was
out the last game, but it was.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's not We could pick him close.
Speaker 3: Kevin Porter Jr.
Speaker 1: Right here, buddy, Number one?
Speaker 2: Is that number one?
Speaker 1: So KPJ you think is basically the base skill of
being able to initiate an offense. The outside shooting is gonna.
I mean that is a knock to everyone else who
plays point guard on the Clippers. That's not a knock
on kpjy.
Speaker 3: The shooting percentages have been there the last two weeks
for him, now minus hasn't been. But who cares about
winning minutes? Not about that.
Speaker 2: I mean, he he has a chance to, like if
he could make a big impact in that Pelicans game
and like help give a little bit of lyft on
the second nde of a back to back. I mean,
I like that could be an I love this pick,
but you know, we'll see. But I see it, and
I always love picking. I'm not trading. I'm not trying.
Speaker 1: No insane.
Speaker 2: That's a good one.
Speaker 4: No.
Speaker 2: I like that one too.
Speaker 1: I like better. I picked first, So I picked when
I picked. Okay, So we got Derek Jones Jr. We
got KPJ. I was gonna pick Zoo, but we can't
because he's got a guard Wemby. Basically, I'm trying to
figure out who's gonna shut Wemby down?
Speaker 2: Does he get to it? Does he get to a
ten game streak of double doubles?
Speaker 1: What's he at now?
Speaker 2: Isn't he at seven? I have no way of checking, Adam.
Isn't big Zoo at seven?
Speaker 1: Yeah? He's in seven.
Speaker 2: Seeing a big opportunity here for the big man.
Speaker 1: For the big guy.
Speaker 3: Uhs, Though, you can't pick.
Speaker 1: Okay, so I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go Chris Don
because we're going against three teams that have point guards. Well,
if he shuts down whoever's playing point against him against
the Pels, that's great for the Clippers and great for KPJ.
He shuts down CP three whenever they get matched up.
That makes things everything harder for the Spurs and then
the Thunder. I just just win your minutes. So I'm
going Chris Dunn. I think his defense is going to
be very much needed, especially against the Thunder. But I
just think he's gonna annoy all of these teams are
kind of like they're very point guard. We need this
guy to not be locked up, and Chris don can
lock those guys up. It won't be pretty, it will
not be pretty, but he will lock them up, and
he'll make thirty six percent of his threes over the
next three games. So like four, that's what those are
my picks, and the Clippers are going to go probably
two and one. Anything else you want to talk about
the Clippers or Robert Eggers movies. Before we said these Clippers,
what day is it? Football has been every single day
I've been off of work. I don't even know what
day is Saturday, Saturday, December.
Speaker 3: There's no way you can take the lighthouse over the Witch.
It's so abstracting out there, like come on.
Speaker 2: It's just that it's a I think it's a far
more entertaining movie, which is The Witch is a lot
of style, not a lot of substance.
Speaker 3: What that's describing the lighthouse?
Speaker 2: Nah, there's levels to that.
Speaker 1: Such a great.
Speaker 2: It's a lighthouse, man, I.
Speaker 1: Love film arguments because he just be like I saw
it differently. No, not, that's not how I perceived it.
Speaker 2: Old Black Philip, he was on one level full time.
Speaker 1: I will say, you'll go, I will say, no, Rotu,
they left some meat all the boat. You'll know what
it means when you watch it.
Speaker 3: There's just because NOAs Rotsu's very thin.
Speaker 1: Well yeah, I thought, yeah, I thought it should have
been like the whale. I thought that should have been
a nostraid, very similar to the whale. That would make
it so much scary. All Right, we've done. We're done
debating movies. We hope everyone has a good New Year's
We're gonna probably do some postgame lives at some point
with these upcoming games. Will where can people, you know,
as they're wishing each other well wishes and good tidings
going into twenty twenty five, where can they tell these
acquaintances at the party they're at to listen to this
Clippers podcast?
Speaker 2: Oh, Yeah, make sure to let everyone at your New
Year's Eve party know that you can hear more about
about the Clippers and you can catch our coverage wherever
you get your podcasts. If you happen to listen over
on Apple, Apple Podcast or Spotify, leave us a little
rating and review. You can comment now on every episode
on Spotify. So that's new. That's exciting. Tell all your friends.
But the best way to check this podcast out is
over on YouTube dot com slash at Clippers podcast. But hey,
you know, however you listen to, however you watch, you
know we appreciate it.
Speaker 1: We absolutely do. It's been wonderful to have the whole
crew back. Before we get out of here, Adam from
La Void one positive thing to send these Clippers fans
into New Year's Eve prep with.
Speaker 3: Yeah, guys, I mean, while Will might be a film cashule,
he's not an NBA casual, he's very good with his
NBA takes. I'm gonna say this. We had a haggle,
no haggle about the Clippers being a top four seed
in the Western Conference. The year is not even over yet,
and there's a real debate to be had because that's
how good they've been so far. It is feasible, it
is plausible. It's a reasonable conversation to have. They could
be a top four seed. That is incredible. This team
has done huge work. Five games over five hundred right
now without Kawhi Leonard. It is a proud time to
be a member of Clipernation.
Speaker 1: Hell yeah, it is a proud time to be a
member of Clipernation. We hope everyone has a wonderful end
of twenty twenty four and a fantastic start to twenty
twenty five. Kawhi Leonard might be back. That would be
very cool. Thank you so much for hanging out, reviews
and subscriptions help and as always, let's go clips.