Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans, Welcome to season three,
episode fifty six of Clips in Dip. I am Chuck Mockler,
joined by Adam Osen and William Updyke. The Clippers are
not the sixth seed as of this recording, which is
incredibly frustrating, and we're going to talk about partly why
that happened and recapping the loss to the Thunder as
well as some standings talk. We're gonna talk the Clippers
versus Nicks game, which has some question marks around it
for both teams, one very large one in particular for
the Clippers. Thank you for hanging out. If you're listening
to us, we really do appreciate you. And if you're
watching us, thank you. If you want to subscribe to
the YouTube, check out YouTube dot com Slash at Clippers Podcast.
Before we get into the loss too much, Adam, will
I was gone last time we all threw a recorded.
How are you fellas doing?
Speaker 2: How are you gone last time? If we all three recorded, are.
Speaker 1: You guys recorded? I think of us as one entity,
so it's just, you know, it's kind of thrown off.
How are you doing after the loss? Will Good?
Speaker 2: My video says it all melting and just melting. I
you know, like this this streak was going to come
to an end. I liked how good they looked against Okay,
see overall, you know, not not perfect. A couple of things,
a couple of things, and they could have got this
one in the bag. So I guess that one that
does hurt. That hurts a lot.
Speaker 1: It felt it was close holding them to one hundred
and three points as obviously nice. Adam, you've done lengthy
content on the loss since it happened. You rewatched the
fourth quarter. We're going to talk about the James Harden
injury and some other stuff like that. How are you
feeling the day after the loss? Because I was pretty
hot last night. I did a post game stream. I
was a little fired up. I feel less fired up,
but I think the ethos of my concerns still remain.
Speaker 3: You know, like with Will glitching out there and looking
like the predator, I gotta say that's top that narrat
If if leeds, we can kill it, and well Norn
Powell was unfortunately the one bleeding out there. I do
feel like, you know, Sga went seven of twenty nine.
It kind of leads me to think what I initially
thought with this Okac team, the thing that scares me
most is their defense. It's not SGA, it's not their offense.
Oh that's great, he's the MVP. But the scariest thing
is how good they can be defensively.
Speaker 1: What was that the third quarter when they just kind
of decided to play their top defensive style, Like it
just the turnovers were early for the Clippers and then
late as well. In between they did a good job,
but like when they decided to just lock in on defense,
it was like, oh shit, okay, this is why you're
without check and j dub as well.
Speaker 2: Did it look like the best defense versus the fourth
best defense?
Speaker 3: It did.
Speaker 1: I think we saw a difference, and that's no disrespect
to the Clippers, but you see the difference in what
how OKAC plays in terms of aggression.
Speaker 3: I thought the Clippers also were incredibly sloppy to start
the second quarter. As good as oka See was, the
Clippers were playing like it was still Memphis out there,
or Charlotte or Cleveland even like no, okay See ramped
up their defense to start the second quarter, and you
have to be much more secure with the basketball at
that point, and the Clippers were far too loose with it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, man, I uhed more behind the backs.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we need as many more of those as possible.
The fifteen out run without with Shay on the bench,
I was just like, that is a thing that makes
winning the game difficult. Not to be too out of
a take, but when that happened, I honestly I felt like,
this isn't a They're not winning this game. Fifteen oh
run without Shae, even with as good as the defense
was on Shae, to your point at him, that was encouraging.
You can't lose you. That can't happen to a team
seriously trying to get the dub I guess.
Speaker 3: Especially when you have Kawai on the court. They don't
have Jdubb, they don't have Chet instead of Shay, they
have Hartenstein out there, they had Wallace, they had not
Andrew Wiggins brother Aaron Wiggins, who was really good and
had some key moments on the fourth quarter too. But
it's it is one thing like to lose those minutes
to start the second quarter, but to give up a
fifteen to ohero run without Shade while you have Kawhi,
that is just catastrophic. They still could have won the game,
but that's probably where they lost it.
Speaker 2: Emblematic though, of the Clippers offense throughout the year.
Speaker 3: I would say without James Harden out there, starting second
quarters has been a problem all year long, even with Kai.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the second quarters, Yeah, we only and then when
we started what was it the fourth where it was
no shade to start the fourth Kawhi was on. We
tied the game. We didn't. We weren't able to get
a lead, We weren't able to do anything like that.
We just we got the game back to even, which
is another kind of disheartening, like well shit, okay, like
let's get incredibly stressed and have to do with some
missed calls. Not the whole reason the Clippers lost, but
a contributing factor was the refing for part of the game.
How do we feel about the late game execution? Some
people were upset at Norm Pwell for that, I think
second to last possession, not trying to find someone in
the corner there. People were fired up. I don't know,
you can't not have Norm out there, I guess.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I think if he wasn't out there and they lost,
they would have complained. And he was out there and
missed a pretty good look at a three pointer in
the last thirty seconds, Like yeah.
Speaker 2: Like in a close game, though, it's it's really easy
to like Monday quarterback or nitpick any like one little thing,
but it's the summation of all those parts. Like they
they didn't get it done, like they you know, they
didn't get it done. And it's not any one play
Like sure things could have been closer, but you know,
like Adams said, they didn't execute at the level they
needed to.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: They certainly didn't take advantage of stretches where okay, see
was down their best offensive player and up against the
team that you know was already missing a key contributor.
So you know, I'm not I'm I think that that
is like, uh, it's it's tomato tomato to mean, like
it doesn't really matter that. This to me wasn't a
game where like, yes, it was very close, but it's
not like one issue. I just feel like there's you know,
it's it's kind of the prevailing things that we've we've
seen kind of throughout the season. It just against a
higher level opponent where we you know, we were nearly
able to uh to still to still sneak one out.
Speaker 3: I'll say this hard and fourth quarter turnovers have been
an issue all season long, and he had three more
and two of them were looking for Avitza Zubos the
inbounds play and before that on a roll, and then
Norman had a turnover looking for a Visa Zubos too,
which it touched, Shay got a hand on it and
then it went off the hand of Visa Zubots and out.
After the review, those turnovers were pretty much backbreakers for
this team late in the game. They still could have won,
but they were all critical and you know, pretty unforced
errors like Norm Powell was that was basically a Russell
Westbrook like pass to Avitza Zubas on the lower block
where you know he probably could have gone up with it,
and then at the last minute he was like, I'm
gonna pass it to a Visa Zubos and Sga was
so quick with it he still got a handle on it.
But yeah, it's it's frustrating to see the same type
of mistakes Harden was playing hurt. We found that out
afterwards where it wasn't just as hip and we'll talk
more about this obviously, but it's still it just has
to be better decision making against a team of that caliber,
Like you can't make the same passes you just did
a Friday night against Memphis against Oka.
Speaker 1: See the other thing too, if you kind of want
to look at like, you know, if people are looking
for one reason why the game was lost, I mean,
look at the three point shooting. They made eight three
pointers the whole game. Like that's also a pretty big
contributing factor there.
Speaker 2: For this team to still be able to stay in
de I mean, and that's the market. Keep again keeping
the score low, it certainly helps.
Speaker 3: But there were times in this.
Speaker 2: Game where they like I thought they were playing too
out of control. They were playing at a pace that
we haven't seen them like consistently or effectively play out
all season and long. And yeah, I mean Brian Stephen
comments on it, like it turned into a track meet
during stretches of this game, and it was just like
how are like, how are you not cognizant of Like
that's not really a style that behooves this team, especially
against the best defense in the NBA. So that you
know there's some decision making things there as well.
Speaker 3: Well, I'll say this though, it's like, well, a low
scoring track meet then like they only had ten turnovers
entering the fourth like they had they averaged twenty two
against okay See. The first three games they were taking
care of the basketball, but then they had some really
bad turnovers in the fourth quarter, like, and their offense
lost from this game. Their defense is fabulous. I think
the worst team scoring wise in the NBA averages one
hundred and four points per game, and they only gave
up one oh three to okay See, which is the
third best offense. The Chuck's point. People can overanalyze this
thing to death and say, well, Brian Shaw wouldn't have
lost this game or whatever it's like.
Speaker 2: Would he not even entertain would he have lost it?
Speaker 1: Though? Oh my god, the like, Sorry, Adam, I didn't
mean to cut you off.
Speaker 3: Go ahead, No, it's it's the approper reaction to a
really weak narrative. And just look at those three guys
you mentioned were like three or fifteen from the outside,
Bogie Norm and James Harden. How many games are you
gonna be able to win against lesser competition on nights
like that, let alone the OKC Thunder.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's uh, well, that's the margins thing. Right, Like,
you know, on any given night, we can take maybe
one or two of those players having an off night.
When it's like, you know, three key contributors, there's just
not enough here to be able to elevate. Despite Like
I like that Adam commanded the defensive performance because like,
despite it, you know, it was a good go. But yeah,
it's just that there's not enough.
Speaker 3: It's disappointing and a real blown opportunity and missed opportunity
because you get the worst game of the season for
maybe SGA, and that wasn't by coincidence. They were really
good defensively against him. They don't have Chet, they don't
have j. Dubb, And if one of those three guys
has a hot night or just a decent night, an
average night, you probably win the ballgame. And then or
you just don't do what you did to start the
second quarter and you still get away with those three
guys shooting so poorly. There were many avenues to win
this game for the Clippers.
Speaker 1: They did not win it. It sucks. I was excited
for sixth seed Sunday, but that did not happen. We
still have to wait for that. The biggest thing out
of this game though was Harden possibly well he took
a knock. We know for sure that he took two knocks.
He took a knee of the thigh, and then when
he fell from that he rolled his ankle. Law Murray
last night over on Blue Sky said this, this tweet
was funny but also scary. In the locker room and
into it dome, James Harden is moving worse than I've
ever seen him since joining the LA Clippers. Needs help
getting his right shoe on and sliding his leg around
like a damn pirate. He did, however, travel with the team.
He was wearing very fuzzy Louis Vauton slippers. I cannot
confirm if they were orthopedic or not, but they looked
very expensive, so they're probably very comfortable. I guess I
kind of want to talk like people keep bringing up
this option of like should we just sit Harden for
a week. You can't do that. He will not allow
And I don't mean this in a mean way.
Speaker 2: Who is the starting point guard as none A?
Speaker 1: Who is the starting point guard? B? What historical evidence
do we have that James Harden is gonna say, yeah,
shut me down for a week. That's not how he
plays well that we didn't.
Speaker 2: People will another week to like knock the rust off,
And that's not a knock on him. That's just you know,
the way he likes to play is he likes to
stay in rhythm, he likes to stay ready. So yeah,
it's one of those things that like I get the logic, like, yeah,
of course that makes sound sense. Gives the guy who
is the most important piece of the offense a little
bit of rest. It's that's just not the reality.
Speaker 3: He hasn't looked tired. He's literally been playing his best
basketball in March. He's been incredible.
Speaker 2: Not well, this is all theoretical. Have you considered the theoretical tiredness.
You can't always see it, manifested. Sure, you got number.
Speaker 3: Where he thought he was slowing down and then he
picked it up.
Speaker 1: He put up fifty in the second out of a
back to back.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and in March he's getting twenty six points, forty
three percent from the field, thirty percent from the outside.
He's been really good. And yeah, I don't know what's
going to happen if he is out. If he's out,
well that must mean if he's not playing through it.
It's more serious.
Speaker 1: It's like zoo Zoom misses a game, You're like, oh shit,
this gotta hurt really bad.
Speaker 3: Yeah, or they put their foot down because of his
foot issue going on right now and just saying, hey,
we got to save you from yourself because we didn't
do it in the fourth quarter. Coach lou postgame spoke
about that. But it's like, who's a better option than
having James Harden at sixty percent last night? Who was better?
He's still gets fould on a three pointer. They're still
playing him so close. He gets fout on a three pointer.
His gravity out there still matters, even if he's being
used as a decoy. I don't know what else you do.
Speaker 1: That's a good way to look at it, Like, what
of the backup point guard options are as good as
a sixty percent.
Speaker 2: James how many?
Speaker 3: How many?
Speaker 2: Uh? Chris Dunns is sixty per James.
Speaker 1: Harden twenty eight because that's what you need to make
up for the three point percentage. So it was described
he James Harden described as the middle of his foot
and people were one, we're hoping that it's not a
tendon strain. He had that in twenty twenty two. He
missed a month. We have no we're gonna get the
injury report tomorrow. They haven't. It's six twenty when we're
recording this, and he wasn't on the injury report a
day early or something like that, So that's somewhat encouraging.
Are we thinking he plays on Wednesday? Where like, I'm
leaning yes, because we have no evidence to suggest that
he shouldn't at this point, and they need him like
they need him more than maybe any other Clipper other
than Zoo would be my take.
Speaker 2: A decent amount. I'm like, you know, this isn't your
full week, but a decent amount of mess for this team.
Speaker 1: Comfortable flight. They took this this afternoon.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I guess I'm concerned if he's not playing.
I think my concern is ratcheted up.
Speaker 1: I think that's.
Speaker 3: Fair, though, is in the three games he hasn't played
this season, was Kawhi back at that point? Like, now
Kawhi is there.
Speaker 1: Let me look, I don't losing James.
Speaker 3: Harden when you actually have everybody else healthy is a
little bit different. We haven't seen it, but I think
you can get by. I think if there is risk
of him exacerbating the injury. I'm not playing him.
Speaker 1: Okay, so he can still beat the Knicks. Oh, they
could absolutely still beat the next Okay, So he was
inactive for the loss to Houston.
Speaker 3: Kawhi didn't play against Houston, did not play.
Speaker 1: He was an active for the loss against Okay. See,
I'm starting to sound some kind of pattern when he's out.
I can't quite put my finger on it. Kawhi was
out for that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they definitely are winning if he's in for Okay.
Speaker 1: Seeing they lost to Boston and ot.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he was out.
Speaker 1: That was everybody had. We started Terrence Man, Emir, Derek
Jones Junior, Kevin Porter Junior, and Mo Bamba. That game,
Kobe Brown played thirty eight minutes Jesus Christ, So it
feels like he's probably going to play because he's traveling, Like,
I don't know, I assume he's playing.
Speaker 3: He said, we'll see how it feels, So I don't know.
At some point there's gonna be a type of injury
he can't just play through anymore. And who knows how
much worse it got the next day. I don't know.
Speaker 1: Because that initial tweet from law Too, it's like the
injury was fairly fresh at that point. Not to drill
into like that tweet specific, but you know what I mean,
like right after the ankle sprain. We'll see how it.
Speaker 3: Reacts or what point of the game did it happen.
It was near the end of the third.
Speaker 1: I thought it was when he fell when he got
the thigh.
Speaker 3: Right, was that you're like the end of the third? Yeah,
because I just rewatched the fourth quarter and it didn't
happen then, I don't think so.
Speaker 1: I took really shitty notes on a per quarter basis.
The way I saw it was the third went Sorry,
it was a third when he took the knee of the.
Speaker 3: Thigh, Okay, and that's when it happened. He took a
couple of hops in the second half, he rolled the foot,
is what happened?
Speaker 2: Door like door is like coming around the zoo.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Coincidentally, the guy who plays basketball too physical is
yet again in a situation where someone gets hurt.
Speaker 3: So people are talking about how hobbled he was in
the fourth and I redwatched it. He doesn't look that hobbled.
In fact, one of his turnovers was him driving towards
the basket and around like the six and a half
minute Mark when he came back in he's driving, So
I'm not saying this means he's gonna be good to
go on Wednesday. It could totally swell up after the game.
I believe the latch week. I'm saying, if he can
get back and be able to look like you can
at that level, maybe he's able to go.
Speaker 1: Or even sixty percent of that level. I think is
this podcast as level set? What's your main takeaway from
this loss? And I guess like I was looking at
it from the Clippers go two and one against the Calves,
Memphis and Okac, we talked about it last week. We
would have signed up for that right. The Calves game
was incredible. Thank you to the Clippers for putting on
a show. My family was in the stands and they asked,
how come the Clippers don't play with a healthy team
every game? Well, I wish I knew the answer. What's
the main takeaway? Well, what's your main takeaway from this
this three game strap? Because I feel like there's some
sour tastes in some Clippers fans mouths. How are we
what are we really taking away from this?
Speaker 2: I mean, like like we've known all year, the defense
is really is real. It's one hundred percent for real.
And when in a corner, I mean, this team can't
execute at an insanely high level, at a scary high level.
Just can they get to that consistently enough to get
out of series? Or And I think there are still
question and I think there's still honest questions about that, Adam,
what say you?
Speaker 3: I remember we were talking about a couple of weeks ago,
this color Rick that was calling in and complaining about
the roster and being like, we aren't serious, we aren't
a contender. And I was still holding on to this
point as a year one, saying that, you know, if
Kawhi gets right and they're healthy, in a seven game series,
I still feel like they have a chance against pretty
much anyone. And I'm not saying they would beat Okay.
See in a seven game series, they didn't have Chet,
they didn't have JDub last night. They can play better,
but they might be able to make some noise against them.
They might make it interesting if Kawhi can look close
to being the best player in that series. It could
be interesting because the biggest thing is Kauhai still look
good last night again, six straight games of basically last
year's version of Kauwhi send it. A month into the season,
they get last year's version of Kawhi. With this defense,
their offense is gonna be bumped up to being a
top ten offense. They're gonna cut down the turnovers which
they have overall, some bad ones at the wrong time
last night. Not on Uh, they're dangerous, they're a problem,
but they're still in this position where you gotta get
out of the plane right now. So I don't know.
I still think you get in a seven game series.
The Clippers can be a problem healthy, just like we
thought a month into the season when we knew the
defense was we knew the defense was for real pretty
early on. We knew they were creating that defensive identity
when they pivoted away from Paul George and how they
were playing this. You have that with a healthy Kawhi
like the guy we saw last night, I mean the
shot he hit over SGA around the two minute mark
to put him up by two after Alice Caruso kind
of tried to go for the steal. He pumped fakes,
he gets SGA up, then he puts it in like
Kawhi looks ridiculous.
Speaker 1: He is.
Speaker 3: His mid range shot over the last two weeks has
gone way up and that's all that was like the
only thing we need to see, Like his mid raine
shot was missing. We're like, so, does that mean this
is the end of Kawhi or is that if he's
hitting threes when he first came back, but he's not
hitting the mid range at some point you expect that
to come back? Why would that leave him? I would
think that would be the last thing to go. It's back. Now.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there was a stat I think from a couple
of games ago two where he scored more points than
the paint in this stretch over these last six games
than he did like an absurd amount in the beginning.
So that's incredibly encouraging. And the defense, like, the defense
is still there, so that's good. Like again, okay, see
one hundred and three points even out those two guys,
they have a deep team. That's that's good. Law Murray
had a take on like, you know, his record needed
for standings for the remaining games for the Clippers. He said,
for the sixth seed, he thinks the Clippers should need
to go nine and two. For the seventh seed, eight
and three for the eight seed two and nine that
obviously probably not gonna happen. Haggle, no haggle, William and Adam,
the Clippers will get the sixth seed. William, there you
go first. I'm seeing some react.
Speaker 2: Ah, I'm gonna ask to haggle with that. I don't
think they're I think they're I think they're kind of
stuck in the plane right now, especially they're gonna miss
Harden for really any amount of time. I don't see
nine and two as being attainable from where I sit
right now, but seeding doesn't matter.
Speaker 1: Well, that's a very good point as well. There were people,
I think it was after the Calves game where someone
was like, will was right. It's the year like we've
been wrong, Adam. Haggle, no haggle, the Clippers will be
the succeed.
Speaker 3: There's so many variables. It's it's a coin flip.
Speaker 1: That's the beauty of haggle, no haggle.
Speaker 3: It's like Golden State the last game of the regular season.
Minnesota's just lost to the Pacers tonight, so the Clippers
are back in the seventh spot. Currently, they have the
tiebreaker over Golden State. I'll say no haggle to go
against what Will said, I think it's a total coin flip.
But yeah, they have they have a very good chance
of getting it. Tell me if Harden's playing and now
serious injury though is first, I don't know. There's too
many balls in the air, there's too many things to
account for. But they have a real shot.
Speaker 1: They do have a shot. I think, I think I
have to haggle it because again, the consistency has been
the issue from this Clippers team. You know, the defense
has been very good.
Speaker 2: But yeah, it's some of the changes where it's not
nine and two, you know, like even slightly, like I
think I could maybe even get to eight and three.
Speaker 1: I mean, it also depends too, like what Adam's saying
the Warriors, Yeah, it totally all off.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it totally depends on what happens around us in
the standings too.
Speaker 1: But what's their strength? Let me look up one of
the and I will I will say this one of
the most unreliable stats that I feel like I use,
the strength of schedule because it just purely factors in
opponent winning percentage.
Speaker 3: Minnesota, it's a weak They have one the easiest strengths
to schedule.
Speaker 1: They play the Jazz once, the seventy six ers who
suck the Nets twice, and the Suns once. I love
that the Suns are so bad that they're like lumped
in with Like, well, you got a pretty easy spot
on this schedule. You got the damn Suns coming up,
and then Golden State is sixteenth, only a couple of
spots behind the Clippers. They still have to play the Rockets, Nuggets, Lakers, Grizzlies,
and the Clippers. But they also get the Pels, the Heat,
the Spurs twice, the Blazers, and against the Suns. But
we get the MAVs twice, so that feels good.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's coming down to the final day or two
of the regular season.
Speaker 1: Yes, thankfully we have that tie breaker against Golden State,
because that is that could be an incredibly stressful game
to end the season with an incredibly like isn't the
playing like a day after the regular season, Like they
get a day break and then the playing starts or
something crazy? Am I misremembering that?
Speaker 3: No, it sounds right. Season ends on Sunday and we
might have playing games Tuesday.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they usually get it. I feel like the last
two years at least they get into the plane right after.
Speaker 1: The April fifteenth. Between the last day April fifteenth, so
the last day of the regular season is the thirteenth.
They get a day to chill or get COVID if
you're a Clippers fan, uh, and then play the most
important game of the season up to that point.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's gonna be close, real close.
Speaker 1: It's going to be close. Yes, let us know what
you think at Clippers Pod on Twitter, at Clippers Podcast
on YouTube. Tense times for the Clippers, but nothing that
we're that we're not used to. Right coming out, we're
doing a preview of Clippers versus Nicks, which is I
just I'm getting it's gonna be weird. If you're listening,
there's gonna be some quick audio ads. They might be
very loud. We got reviews on that. But if you're watching,
you just get to see these beautiful faces. So there's
gonna be some ads coming up, and then Clippers versus
Nicks in three.
Speaker 2: Two what welcome back into Clips and Dip. We just
talked the heartbreaker lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now
we're looking ahead to the Knicks. Who knows what Harden's
availability is gonna go it is gonna be for this one,
but as we said, he did travel with the with
the team. Will be a second night of a back
to back for the Knicks, so a little bit of
a rest advantage there. However, they are at home. So
what do you what are you watching for this one?
Speaker 1: What are you?
Speaker 2: What are you watching for in this one? Chuck?
Speaker 1: Who gives you ship? I mean the home back to back?
Speaker 2: Is that really a back to back?
Speaker 1: Come on, they're gonna sleep with the stadium right, Like, well,
how hard is that? I mean, I'm watching for what
if Harden can't go, like we have no if he's
questioned off the table, We've already talked about that. No,
if Harden can't go, I obviously feel way worse about
this this game. But I don't know. There's no Brunson.
Mitch Robinson is questionable for their game tomorrow, and Miles
McBride is out. But Mitchell Robinson like hasn't been playing
uh back to backs anyway, so I'm wondering if he
plays versus. I don't know, man, all I'm rio like Adam,
who start? What's the lineup if Harden can't go?
Speaker 3: So I asked law this earlier as he was in
a subway in New York.
Speaker 1: And doing what.
Speaker 3: Getting ready for the game, always traveling over to MSG.
But uh, he thinks Bogey. He thinks Bogie would start. Uh,
it makes sense. It's either Bogear or Ben most likely,
Like I think Bogey probably makes more sense offensively. Sure.
Uh well yeah, and that's what they're not replacing a defender.
They're replacing a guy who runs the show on offense. Yeah,
because he can run, pick and roll with the visa zubas.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Really, well, not that Ben Simmons can't, but Bogey can
also shoot. So Bogey probably Bogey Norm done.
Speaker 1: Because we've also too, this is something we didn't since
the team has been fully healthy. We've seen the open
with Don and then close with Derek Jones Junior. Kind
of prescription from from Tylo with the starting lineup versus
the closing lineup. So it would be like Bogey Norm
done or do they switch it up fully and go
like Bogey Norm Kawhi Derrek Jones Junior zoo Because that's
what we mean when people have been out, is that
Derek Jones Junior and at the four, I.
Speaker 3: Mean Dunn has been starting the whole three guards, starting
lineup thing.
Speaker 1: When healthy, when fully healthy.
Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, I think he likes done as a tone
center defensively. That's that was my argument before. I think
that's what he likes. And Dune has been like in
foul trouble recently, and DJ has been playing well off
the bench. And I like the fact that closed out
that game because he was like the main guy locking
up SGA. But I don't know. Then I think, well,
what about starting Batom against the Knicks, like with Bogie
out there instead of done? If you went Bogey, Norm, Kawhi,
Nico and zubas well.
Speaker 1: He got rested. He played five minutes against the Thunder.
Speaker 3: I will say this, like, who did they want him
playing over? They're locking them down defensively. Yeah, the reason
to play Nico Batum is to have more versatility on defense.
What why would you play him over guys with more
offensive potential?
Speaker 1: Well, I think you run the simulation enough times that
you just think that Niko Batum makes up for the
three point shooting. That's I'm not defending it, but I
think that's I'm not agreeing with it. I just think
that's where the bad basketball brain goes. You think if
it went exactly the same, but Nico was getting these shots,
maybe more of them would have gone in. And that's
a bad way to think about the game. That's how
it works.
Speaker 2: But that is what I sound logic though.
Speaker 1: I mean, if you only look at the game on
paper with hindsight, it's a pretty easy game.
Speaker 3: But you're good to go with the guys who are
shooting arguably better on higher volume. Like it's I get it, but.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but have you considered if Nico was at the
same volume.
Speaker 3: Very good point here is it.
Speaker 1: Will How do you feel about this game?
Speaker 3: I don't.
Speaker 2: I don't know how to feel about this one. If
Harden can't go, obviously it's a huge struggle. I just
want to see the same level of execution as we've
seen over this stretch so far. I want to see
the same approach and I can live with the result.
I mean, again, this one would be like no brunts
and you know, Robinson maybe or maybe not Plane. I mean,
this would be not a great loss. Sure that the
third like they're the third seed in the East, but
that to me would still not be like a quality loss.
If you only get two, you gotta go nine and two. Buddy, buddy,
this is not the one you want to take.
Speaker 1: And this would put us at two and two for
the aforementioned prove it trip with kind of peaks and
valleys on both sides.
Speaker 3: For sure.
Speaker 1: Since the All Star break, the nixt.
Speaker 2: Planes, I'd say, yes, this would be about.
Speaker 1: Since the All Star break, they've turned into what we
all thought they would be, which is tenth in defensive
rating and twenty sixth in offensive rating. Yes, they're mitching
Jalen Brunson, which is a big part of their offensive rating.
But this is a team that, like, they're not scoring
a bunch of points, they're not shooting that well. We
beat them earlier this month. The blueprints kind of there,
like we shot them out of the him.
Speaker 3: You guys remember who they started against the Knicks in
that game? Who shows Nico to guard Kat? That's why
I think and Cat got shut down?
Speaker 1: Was that fully healthy clips? No, that's what throws me out,
because I don't know what Ty's gonna do with a
fully healthy lineup.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they still didn't have Norm Yeah or Kawhi Kawhi
played in that game.
Speaker 1: I'm looking at the starting lineup for Oh shit, I
clicked the wrong one. Damn you stats dot NBA dot com. Man,
I don't want hard to miss this game at all.
Speaker 3: Uh. That was the game where Bogie had some tip
ins at the end. He didn't shoot it well, but
he got a couple of tippins on the forward.
Speaker 2: Yeah, this should be a winnable game, though without hard
like if he did, if he did have to sit one,
this is still this is still a winnable game.
Speaker 1: A hundred we got.
Speaker 2: We just can't have no heart in our three highest
volume three point shooters, you know, shoot thirty percent.
Speaker 1: And second chance points. We didn't really touch on that
in the Thunder recap, but they smoked us on second
chance points. There were four instances of an offensive reboard
lead offensive rebound leading to a three for the Thunder
in that game. Yeah, that's fucking crazy. And last time
we played the Knicks, Josh Hart of all people, had
twenty rebounds, they rebound, they outrebounded us, but again we
shot them out of the gym. So I'm like, which
version of the effort are we see because we know,
based on some of the viral clips going around of
the Knicks, they're gonna put a lot of effort.
Speaker 3: It's annoying that the Clippers actually had more offensive rebounds
in that game last night, they just didn't convert the opportunities.
Speaker 1: Another thing to be upset about, circling back to things
being upset to be upset about. Yeah, and it feels
kind of like we we didn't. Zoo didn't get a
lot of touches, which I think partly is due to
how good the perimeter defense is for the Thunder. I
think that plays into it. But it also it's hard
to not kick up the memories we have as Clippers
fans of like, oh, only nine shots feels pretty low
in a game where they lose by two.
Speaker 3: The thing is, though, and I love going after them
for not getting Zoo the ball enough. That's like maybe,
but their last three turnovers of the game are all
trying to get a beast of Zoo Boss the basketball. Yeah,
they tried.
Speaker 1: Zoo also had two pretty incredible blocks that I think
are going to go unnoticed late in the game because
the Clippers lost, But those were that was some clutch
defense from Zoo there. Yeah, I don't I don't know
what to make of this game. It's gonna be weird,
is what is how I feel about it. It's gonna
be a wonky ending. I'm hoping the refs and again
we don't we don't cry about the ref a lot
on this podcast. But they were bad last night and
they even admitted themselves that they missed the call on Shay,
so we have documentation that they were bad from them.
Speaker 2: I love that they do that because it's like, okay, great,
so now now.
Speaker 1: What we get more ship to yell at you on
the sidelines like this doesn't help anybody.
Speaker 3: I like the accountability, it's not the real accountability is
nothing happens.
Speaker 1: They didn't dump mayonnaise on the ref's head who missed
the call or anything. There's no consequences.
Speaker 3: But them having to admit that they missed the call.
There's like a transparency aspect to it. I like. I
like seeing that.
Speaker 1: But are they admitting everything they missed?
Speaker 2: Yeah, they don't know and they don't name names. They
don't say this sideline ref missed this call that was
on them. You should have called that.
Speaker 3: Name perfection, now come on, But I.
Speaker 1: All I want to see. All I want to see
is that the ref if they made a car in
a one possession game, if they if the ref who
missed or made the wrong call. Is they should allow
them or require them to sit on a dunk tank
and then the coach whose team was wronged Tyler in
this scenario, you can pick any assistant coach also that's
on the table to get one throw at the dunk tank.
I think that's what they should do. Maybe you build
it up. Maybe that's what they do for the All
Star Game. Nothing sucks. Do this and the Mayo in
this scenario, Sure, Mayo nails. I don't know, it's that's
that's league, that's that's Union stuff. I don't know. I
don't know what they can legally fill it with.
Speaker 3: I actually hot take outside of that really bad call, yes,
that should have been a foul in SGA. Outside of that,
I think the Clippers, who actually got a pretty good
whistle last night, like surely to take a free throw
till to fake the five minute mark of the second
quarter and.
Speaker 1: We had more free throws also totally Yeah.
Speaker 3: Artenstein had some real tiki tag calls go against him
early on, and like look at the Kawhi fourth quarter
play where he pushes off of Alex Caruso and he
loses the basketball and they called a foul I think
on Dork coming over, I was like, they could have
called the off arm there in Kawhi, So I'm not.
I just I can't blame that one on the officials
as much as I'd like to.
Speaker 1: Sounds like you need to be on the dunk tank
done also an official dunker. Dunn was playing with his
hands a lot very early on Shae. There was a
couple where I was worried that Don was going to
get like the two fouls in the first like six
minutes or something like that. He only had one, But
there was a couple where I was like, I guess,
so letting him go, But we want to see more
of the same defense against as well. Mentioned a Knicks
team that is beatable. It's a beatable Knixt team even
if we're out art.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the defensive like set the defensive tone early, be
able to knock down some threes. I just I do
feel like this is a very winnable game.
Speaker 3: Honestly, with two days off in between and then a
day off before they take on Brooklyn, this is, yes,
a big opportunity. They have to get this one. I
don't want to make it seem like it's just about
stopping one guy. But if you slow down, Karl Anthony Towns,
there is a very good chance you're winning that game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll take the game where someone goes McCall bridges,
which again worst trade than La Paul George trade. You
know what I mean? Like there's it is all right
to the most important part player of the game picks. Now,
if you're new to the show, thank you for hanging out.
I think we are getting some more listeners because who
doesn't want to watch the Clippers as they battle in
the play in Things are getting tense if you're new
to the show. With this game, we cannot pick one
of the obvious guys. So we cannot pick Norm Powell,
we cannot pick James Harden, we cannot pick Kawy Leonard,
we cannot pick Aviataz bats So it's real roots it
it's too easy. It's too easy. Is because we decided.
That's why we decided that if you can choose anyone else,
you could choose a member of the coaching staff. Well,
who is your player of the game pick for Clippers
versus Nix.
Speaker 2: Wednesday, the twenty six, I'm going Bogie Redemption in the garden.
Speaker 1: I love it.
Speaker 2: Well, not a great game from him on Sunday, but
overall he's been improving. He's been he's looked a lot better.
And if there is no heart in yeah, he outside
of Bogey, I don't know how to make up for
the offensive loss there. I mean, Norm can obviously go
super nova, but we can't pick him for some reason.
So yeah, I think I think this needs to be
a good Bogey game.
Speaker 1: I mean, especially if Pardon can't go. I don't think
that's crazy. Adam your pick for player.
Speaker 3: Of the game, Uh, I'll go a mere coffee, okay,
because he had some nice plays in the fourth quarter,
and amazingly, the same people who were hating on a
mere coffee as of late, we're like, why didn't you
play Kamir coffee more minutes in the fourth All of
a sudden.
Speaker 2: There's no pleasing. There's no pleasing these people.
Speaker 3: No, h he did hit a nice jumper, he had
the goltending call against Caruso's, he got in transition, knocked
down a couple of free throws. Hopefully Amir's confidence is
high going into Medison Square Garden. I'll go with the
mere coffee.
Speaker 1: A mere coffee, okay, so we got Bogie a mere coffee.
I have no idea if James Harden's gonna be out,
but if he is out, we're gonna need Ben Simmons
to set the table and just set things up, is
what is gonna happen. So I think I'm gonna go
Ben Simmons if Harden is out, and if Harden is
not out, I'm going Derek Jones Junior.
Speaker 2: Again, hedging your bets as you are the only as
you are the only host who has done in this segment.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, it's not off the table. There's this only certain
guys we can't pick now. I'm gonna go Ben Simmons
either way.
Speaker 3: Oh, we just need it.
Speaker 1: And I'm not saying some crazy scoring game.
Speaker 3: He showed up.
Speaker 1: He scored his first points at the into It Dome yesterday,
which is crazy. He had not scored at the Dome
with some pretty fancy layups, which was odd, but we
needed them. So I'm going Simmons do everything he brought
here to do, cut, defend pass. If he does that
soundly and if Bogey's making the shots, I think things
are okay. Any other final thoughts about this Nicks Clippers
matchup must win, must win. I think everything from here
on out is a must win. We are going to
be back with a full episode for y'all on Thursday.
I'm doing Postgame with Knick's Film School on Wednesday, so
hopefully that's fun. Should be a good time. I think
we'll be streaming that on clips and day. People will
figure it out. Depending on Harden's injury report, there may
or may not be an emergency pod tomorrow from some
combination of us. Who knows. Let's hope that he's not
on the report. I don't think he will be. Will
where can people demand that they're elected officials divert more
funds towards to find this podcast?
Speaker 2: Well, I don't know they need to be diverting public
funds to. It's actually really easy to find. You can
find his podcast. What's your podcast? We're on all audio platforms.
If you have to listen podcasts, Spotify, go ahead, a
little rating, we little review there yet is obviously over
on YouTube dot com at Clippers Podcast. Wherever you listen,
however you watch, you know, we appreciate you. Begins now.
Speaker 1: The march to It's our year begins now, and it's
already begun. That started you know as soon as last year, Adam,
one positive thing for the Clippers fan base to start
this incredibly hot week.
Speaker 3: So, for like the fifth straight year, the reports of
Kawai's demise have been greatly exaggerated. He doesn't look to
be washed. He always does this at his own pace.
This time it took longer because he wasn't able to
practice his hard so he's got to figure out his
timing in game. But now the mid range shots are
falling frequently, and over the last six games, kawhis at
twenty six points, eight boards, four assists, two and a
half steals, fifty eight percent from the field and fifty
five percent from three. He looks like one of the
best players in the NBA again, and that's kind of
a big deal for this Clippers team to make any
noise moving forward. So hopefully he'll show out under the
bright lights at MSG.
Speaker 1: There we go. Couldn't have said it better myself. Thank
you for the positivity, Adam, as I say said, we'll
be back on Thursday, and as always, let's go Clips