Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans Welcome the season three,
episode fifty nine of Clips and Dip. I am Chuck Bugler,
joined as always by Adam Oslin and William Updyke. We
are hopefully your favorite Clippers pod. You can find us
anywhere you find podcasts. You can watch us at YouTube
dot com slash at Clippers podcast if you'd like to
share our shining faces. Clippers are in the midst of
a standing battle, so we're gonna be doing a quick
standings check. There's some games we should all be hoping
for tonight that go one particular way. We're gonna talk
maybe how we felt about that Pelicans win, and then
the Clippers have a back to back against the MAVs.
But before we get into all of that, it's raining
in Los Angeles all of a sudden, Adam and Will
how you guys doing? How you feeling after that that
Pelicans win? Will how you do?
Speaker 2: I mean, I think Zoo summed it up pretty well
where he was talking about like how it's it's kind
of like f anytime they see the Pelicans on the schedule,
for whatever reason, no matter what configuration the team has,
they seem to have the Clippers number so uh well,
even though they were down guys, and I think all
of a sudden, you know, this is a must win,
should be kind of a gimme win. Uh, it still
feels good. It still feels good to get one over
on the Pelicans. I do not know why that team
gives us so much trouble, but uh, whatever, man, I'll
take the win. I'll take the win.
Speaker 1: What whatever, man, is a good way to look at it. Adam,
how are you feeling? Also, Adam? Is that a new hat?
Speaker 2: Yeah? That's not every episode.
Speaker 3: Duffing with me because last time I don't wear my
blue one this time. But yeah, it's one of those
trying to get through it, just like the Clippers were
against the Pelicans, just trying to get through it. They did,
they came out on top. I love how relatable Viasa
the Zoo Bots was postgame in the locker room, expressing
what every Clippers fan feels.
Speaker 2: I like that they're at least aware, you know what
I mean, because it is like, as a fan, it's
been and it's been this way for years, even like
pre two, one, three, Like when the team was rolling,
suddenly they hit the Pelicans and It's like, what the
hell is going on here?
Speaker 3: I think they have twelve to the last sixteen games
against the Clippers going into that game lesson. It's not unreal.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not like it's a very Yeah, it doesn't
make any guys. And like the.
Speaker 2: Chemistry of it, like the entire y, like configuration of
both teams has changed so much and it just still
doesn't matter. I don't know. I don't get it. I
don't get it.
Speaker 1: I'm yeah, incredibly happy we got the win. The Clippers
sit at seventh as of this recording relevant games tonight,
Wolves at Nets, Grizzlies at Heat, and then Warriors at Lakers,
which it's unfortunate both of those teams can't lose. But
I'm not saying we're rooting for the Lakers, but a
Warrior's loss would be nice. That's how I'm going to
phrase it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he just root for the Warriors, don't think about
the Laker part. Just route for the Warriors to lose tonight.
A couple of interesting things just happened in the other
two games. First, John Morant did another gun celebration after
a made shot, which might get him suspended this time.
And Anthony Edwards rolled up his ankle on a Nets
coach on the sidelines and had to be I think
helped to the locker room. They're playing Brooklyn like the
injury looked a little bit scary. Hopefully he's okay.
Speaker 1: Damn yeah, yeah. Timberwolves are up twelve at halftime on
the NET, so I wonder if they just hold him
out of their rest of that game, because theoretically they
should have enough to beat the net's even down at
and the Grizzlies are kind of locked gonna battle with
the heat. They're only they're down one at halftime. Maybe
things will go right. I don't know, maybe everyone will lose,
Clippers said at seventh As of this recording, it might
change by the end of this what I want. Who
picked Bogden for Player of the game? Was that will
against the Hells?
Speaker 2: No? I picked? I pick picked in Oh yeah, and
I picked But did you pick Bogden?
Speaker 1: Adam? No one?
Speaker 3: I think I picked? Done?
Speaker 1: Damn no one did?
Speaker 2: Too easy? See another one that's a it's a little
too easy.
Speaker 1: Maybe we add them to the list. Maybe we can
only choose Chris Dunn, Derek or Ben Simmons. Well, Bogden
had a great shooting night. Norm. We talked about wanting
to have a good shooting night and didn't stuck stunk, stunk.
As some Clippers commentators would say, Boggin's trending up, Norm's
doing okay. Does that mean anything heading into the playoffs?
Speaker 3: My boy, Bogden's been up. Yo. He shot in March
and I think he played every game. That's sixteen games
from three, Like, Bogden is shooting forty from three as
a Clipper like, and it's been there for like two
weeks now, that same number.
Speaker 1: I don't mean anything for the rotation, Yeah, no, not
not to disrespect how good Boggin's been. I don't mean
it like that, but like I know now, I.
Speaker 3: Think it gives an opportunity if Norm is struggling in
a ball game and you want to go a different
direction late in the fourth quarter, he could roll with
Bogden and b shoped it one game. I think it
was the game winner from Kawhi that game against Sacramento. Yeah,
and he just rode the hot hand. But then last
night we saw Bogie and Norm playing together, Bogie in
place of Chris Dunn, with the restless starters laid in
that game. So he offers a little bit more I
shouldn't say a little bit more. He offers a lot
more self creation and playmaking for others Bogie does. He's
not the guy who can drive past two defenders and
gets to the basket for a quick layup like Norm
Powell can. Or fouls, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1: Mean that's useful. Norm's foul will be useful to play.
Speaker 2: Just it's I mean, I understand your point about you know,
like closing lineups and versatility. It's in no way in
either or situation for me, like Bogey is so essential
because the second unit is a little bit skept, like
you know, it's it's a little suspect. You know, there's
some guys, but offensively they can use the lift, and
so I think that both of them call existing makes sense,
not necessarily saying play them together in the same lineups,
depending on the machination. It's still probably not my favorite,
but to me, it's not like an either an either
or situation. Maybe if there's like a hot hand at
the end of the game. But Bogi is very necessary
for the second unit.
Speaker 3: So yeah, it might be either or late in the
fourth quarter, is what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: Not totally.
Speaker 3: Not Bogey's gonna start over Norm or anything.
Speaker 1: Now, I think there might. I think in the playoffs,
if the Clippers are down O two or something and
Norm's not feeling it, maybe we see a change it,
just like we talked about with the dune thing, right,
like Tyler is not afraid of making those changes. But yeah,
I don't think anything of those.
Speaker 2: Two players of Chris Dunn and Norm Powell, you know,
playoff situation down to you know, hypothetical, Which of those
two guys do you think is realistically coming out of
the lineup?
Speaker 1: Well, I think it depends how they're playing, too, Right,
If Norms just shooting like shit.
Speaker 2: I'm saying hypothetical, hypothetical. If you were sitting here right
now and you are to diagnose the problem Clippers are
down O two, who's coming out of the starting lineup,
it's probably not normal.
Speaker 1: It's probably not normal unless you's shooting eight percent, unless
you shouldn't done percent, It's probably not normal. Oh yeah,
And rightfully so, because we saw very much on display
how a bad defensive team guarded Chris Dunn last night,
which was Kelly Olennok not even looking at Chris Dun
even when he was bringing the ball up like thankfully,
Chris Dunn went four for eight from the floor. I
think he hit two threes in a row, which I mean,
if you bet that, you should probably get some help.
But Tyler mentioned that he trusts to get to the
next action if he doesn't like the shot. But like,
we're gonna see, I'm looking I don't know if looking
forward is the right word. I'm interested to see how
this looks against a better defense than quite literally the
worst defense in the league. Over these next two games.
Speaker 3: I asked coach lupre game about Don versus DJ and
just what he likes one guy is the other and
I specifically asked if it's still matchup dependent and he said,
we're going with Chris Dunn. He's been the guy over
the last month, and he likes two things about him.
Another ball handler out there to take a lot of
the pressure off of James Harden and point of attack defense?
Speaker 2: Does it? Like? How much pressure is it taking off?
Speaker 3: Though?
Speaker 2: When you have a non shooter and a guy that
is negative gravity on the floor. Again, I'm getting down
on christ A lot of good, a lot of good.
Speaker 4: I don't know how he got into this scenario and
now we're I feel like I started this whole thing.
This is my mas.
Speaker 3: I think there could be something to the fact that
when we all thought for a second, James Harden and
his shooting numbers were way down and it looked worse
than ever and maybe he's hit the wall and he's
over taxed, and then he had a resurgence, and I
wonder a lot of that, of course, is about Kawhi
getting back to regular minutes, but are they thinking there
is another effect and it's partially on Kawhi and it's
partially on Chris Dunn, to where James Harden is playing
much more off ball or not having to bring the
ball to the floor as much, and that is saving
him and that's why he's looked fresher over the past
two or three weeks. I don't know, like I joke
with him so earlier, like he is it an unstatable
thing where it's theoretical that if Harden is not bringing
the ball up as much, maybe that's why the shooting
numbers are up.
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 3: Done is much better at that than DJ.
Speaker 1: And has gotten better at it too, because Done earlier
in the season it was kind of like, oh shit,
we have no one else who can have done I
I was down on him earlier in this season. He's
gotten a lot better at it or just more comfortable.
Speaker 2: He's looked more like what I had expected, because early
in the season I was kind of like, I guess
I had thought that he was more of like a
table setter and facilitator. Then he looked at the at
the beginning of the season. But it's definitely like picked
up more to sort of what I was expecting. Yeah,
so that makes sense, and I think, I mean, it's
been more than a month with him in the starting Like,
how many ever since they announced the rotating starting lineup?
How many times did DJJ?
Speaker 1: He's only when there hasn't been a full lineup is
when it was a rotating start.
Speaker 2: And I mean part of it was part of it
he was Derrey John Junior was out with an injury,
of course, but I think even when he was healthy,
like I'm thinking, like it was two or maybe three.
Speaker 1: Stars, it's been rotating when they've literally had to because
someone's been hurt, Like we haven't had a fully healthy
I don't think we've had a fully healthy roster with
Derek Jones Junior as you start as you were saying,
since yeah, like that announcement or whatever.
Speaker 3: I wonder if they've looked at fourth quarter numbers or
second half numbers with James Harden to see specifically if
he's if it's looked like he's had more gas in
the tank with Kawhi starting next to Dune when they've
had the full roster. Is there something to that because
the logic of getting the best version you can of
James Harden late in the ballgame, but that means playing
Chris Done to start things off. That makes sense to me,
Like if that's working, and the other part of it
is where would you put him? Then what about the
second unit? Can you really put him next to Ben
Simmons out there instead of DJ? It's not like the
numbers with Chris Dunn, like he's a net negative out
there and DJ is the net positive. It's like DJ, Yeah,
they're twenty points better at per one hundred possessions with
him in the starting five. Done's like five points but
positive net rating wise, it's not a negative. It's just
going from pretty good to outstanding with DJ.
Speaker 1: Right, and going out standing with D you're the.
Speaker 3: Same, And that's right.
Speaker 2: You brought that up.
Speaker 3: Their minutes next to the other four guys are like
almost identical.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I remember you were saying that because in my head,
Done definitely has more right.
Speaker 1: What could have just been recently it's just been like, well,
when we've had the full roster, which has been recently,
Dune's been out there.
Speaker 3: It probably is true that starting the game off with
those guys, more of those minutes have been done. DJ
has found his way with those guys in other situations,
like later in the game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, would you say that you were whelmed by the
Clippers performance against the Pelicans, not underwhelmed, not overwhelmed, but well.
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, I can't say it overwhelmed, But like,
I don't know, I don't know what it is. I
don't know, I don't know what kind of magic Repelicans
are doing pre game, post game, during the game, but uh,
it seems to be working.
Speaker 1: They're sending that they're sending everyone a bunch of begnets,
so everyone's a sleepy.
Speaker 2: There's some voodoo going on there, for sure.
Speaker 3: I'm just glad it's over.
Speaker 1: That's how I felt. I was like, this is great,
let's get out of here, get back to La. We
have a back to back Adam you Oh shit, that's right. Sorry,
I was out of it. Adam, you talked to the
the Bogie Norm lineup, which I think two and three
Hopes called the all offense lineup. It was Hardened Norm, Bogie,
Kawhi and Zoo. They played seven minutes last night. They
were plus eleven in those seven minutes. This is another
lineup I'm looking forward to seeing against a not dead
last in the NBA, made up of new guys. Defensive stuff,
because this is a lineup. Defensively, it's it's a little
scary you're asking Kawhi suited in quite a bit, but
offensively pretty damn good. You got a lot of bases
covered with this lineup.
Speaker 3: I think they're just looking out score you with that lineup.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Uh. And defensively, you at least have two very good
defenders surrounded by three shaky guys that could be undersized.
It's a total matchup dependent thing. I'm guessing you wouldn't
throw it out there against anyone, but I don't know.
That's a lot of shooting. They can definitely overwhelm you
with they're shooting with that lineup.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, means right, because if the shooting's not there,
you're bleeding points. Because in that lineup too, they were
plus seven or whatever they were giving up looks at the.
Speaker 2: I mean, the Cleveland game is such an outlier, but like,
I don't feel good about this team in a shootout,
Like I know, if that's the situation that we're in,
I don't feel great about that. And yeah, like situationally
or against a certain line up, Sure, maybe that's what
it calls for, but uh, I'm probably not bagging to
see a lot more of this lineup. It's like antithetical
to the to the makeup of the team success.
Speaker 1: Yeah, like I I like it.
Speaker 2: I like these guys. I like these guys, but it's
not something I'm probably probably clamoring to see a whole
lot of because I feel like that means things are
things have gone a little haywise, Yeah, we're down.
Speaker 1: I think if we see that lineup, we're over, Like
we need some quick and this.
Speaker 2: Was a game where things kind of went a little like.
Speaker 1: What I'm saying, I was whelmed. Did we see it all?
The lineup that's only played seven minutes that we want
to see, which is uh Ba doom with the starters basically,
did that play it all last night?
Speaker 3: I don't believe.
Speaker 1: I don't think. I think two and three would have
tweeted about it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was looking forward. I was paying attention to
the second quarter and fourth quarter lineups that second, you know,
with Kawhi next to Ben Simmons next to Bogie DJ
and the tomb I was tracking that. So yeah, I
don't think they did it.
Speaker 1: Hmm, hold it back. They're holding the back quite a bit.
We'll see. Man, it's been a it's a long fuse.
Let's just to let that thing go. I do want
to see I do want to see that lineup more
than the all offense lineup, to Will's point, because that
lineup seems useful on both hands, whereas the all offense lineup,
as we're calling it, is a go get a bucket lineup.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well I think that. I mean, Nico is just
so sort of entrenched in this team that I also
understand like maybe there's less of an emphasis on trying
it out. I don't know. I mean, like we talked
last episode, I don't know how KOI you really need
to be with lineups when you're facing the face staring
down the plane potentially. But I do think that there
is enough like familiarity, uh and you know, Nico's certainly
been with this team and and these guys enough that
you could feel pretty confident in using that lineup without
necessarily a whole lot of time on the floor. Would
you like to see more of it, of course, but
it's like Nico is so consistent and you he kind
of does the same things in line up to line
up that it's not like it's not a question mark.
You know, there's there's there's another reason and well, like,
and that's another reason why I don't think they're being
like super cooy with this as like a tactic, because
it's like, yeah, okay, if you've seen this team in
the playoffs in the last number of years, you've seen
like something similar to these lineups, not with James Harden,
not with Norman starting lineup, but you've seen you've seen
Nico around essentially you've seen the.
Speaker 1: Three four five of Kawhi Nico Zoo. We know, yeah,
for sure, that's a good point. The familiarity is huge.
Speaker 3: I do think that it's part of the reason they
can hold it back yeah, mostly knows exactly what he has.
Speaker 2: I like Adam's theory that this is like an elaborate,
rude Goldberg machine to drop a single mentos and night
at coke not to explode.
Speaker 1: That's what it feels like.
Speaker 3: Man, lineup's gonna be the fresh Maker Man?
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, so is so Nico's the fresh Maker?
Speaker 2: The fresh Maker is the lineup that is. I love that.
Speaker 1: That's what worked. That's what this lineup is called. Is
the Freshmaker? Any other thoughts on the the Pels Gay
light up stuff before we get to the map the
two and one match review, because it's a back to back.
Speaker 3: When Kawhi Leonard postgame is admitting that the first game
back after a long road trip when you're still on
the East Coast time is difficult, it probably means it is.
Speaker 1: A eats.
Speaker 3: The Zoo said that. Carlos said that, you know, he
was on the trip with them the last nine days
they were on the East coast time they come back.
Zoo was like, yeah, it was like we started ten tonight.
Speaker 2: He was tiring.
Speaker 1: Issue.
Speaker 2: Isn't it the same issue for the Pelicans because they
live in East Coast time, but for some reason in
the Western conference.
Speaker 3: Well, you accept a road teams trouble though typically they're
they're the home team in this.
Speaker 2: Case, That's what I'm saying. You would expect you would
expect the Clippers in that scenario to have the quote
unquote rest advantage the time, the time, the Jet Lank advantage.
Speaker 3: You think the Clippers would have the advantage of that
game last night, but really they were on the same spot.
Speaker 1: It's an old team issue. I guess.
Speaker 3: That too.
Speaker 1: It's a New Orleans thing. It's something weird when we
played the I don't know what it is. Also, shout
out Carlo, my nephew recognized some when we're at the
Cavs game and he talked to him. That was very nice.
Thank you for doing that, Carlo. All Right, we are
about to talk the map. Everyone's getting two for one
this episode. You're getting two game previews and one coming up.
If you're listening to us on the audio, is gonna
be some quick ads if you're watching us at YouTube
dot column at Clippers podcast, no ads that we put in.
Uh so we're gonna do some ads and then MAVs
talk in three to one.
Speaker 2: All right, welcome back into Cliffs and did we talked
to Clippers wonky win over the Pelicans. Now we're looking
ahead to the back to back against the Mavericks both times,
in case you were unaware, Clippers will be taking on
the MAVs at home home. Back to back is at
least nice. Hopefully they're rested up from East Coast time
at that point. Not sure how many days it takes
at that age, but uh, you know, it's it's difficult.
It's a difficult world.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 2: As far as the first game is back to back,
no Ben Simmons, Kawhi is expected to play. It looks
like he's gonna play unless anything changes in the next however, any.
Speaker 1: Whatever injury report from out.
Speaker 2: But yeah, what what are you guys looking for in
this one? Adam, I'll I'll kick it over to you.
Just got to go to and out here.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but as I mentioned on the last show, I
don't feel ass strongly that they're going to and oh
against Dallas with the way they've been playing with Anthony Davis.
But is the logic here, play Kawhi with Anthony Davis
plays that game like is Anthony Davis playing Tomorrow night?
And that's why they're playing Kawhi instead? Of playing him
on Saturday, which Law kind of throughout there that idea,
which I kind of agreed with.
Speaker 2: I mean, why, like my question is why wouldn't you know,
you know, it's it's beneficial obviously to both teams, beneficial
for the league. Even that.
Speaker 3: Is that nationally televise game because at the beginning of
the season they thought they were getting in Dallas.
Speaker 1: Right, This also an extra day off because Kawhi Will
takes Saturday off and then that's either four days of
rest before the Spurs or five ahead of the Houston
game on Wednesday. Right, it's a back to back.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but it's Tuesday Wednesday, those four days for Houston. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sorry,
either way, he was getting some rest.
Speaker 1: I don't think this one's Yeah.
Speaker 3: Maybe it's just kaw I feels good.
Speaker 1: But you can't do.
Speaker 2: It.
Speaker 1: Might be that like just like let me play like
I'm feeling it. Right, Like we've talked how this team
maybe with too much rest. It's not ideal.
Speaker 3: He's been game.
Speaker 1: Tomorrow, Yeah, is not on ESPN. It's just so regular.
Speaker 3: Maybe they're trying to match firepower because Anthony Davis is
playing that game, so we're having Kauai for that one.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel a lot I'm crazy. I feel a
lot better about the Clippers' chances if Anthony Davis is
playing to have Kawhi playing, because we definitely if we
don't go to and oh, we definitely got to split
this because if they don't, shit gets real bleak pretty quick.
Speaker 3: I still feel decently that they're going to it.
Speaker 1: Oh, just.
Speaker 3: They have something to play for now as well mentioned
they're trying to show something to sell season tickets for
next year and give the fan base something to look
forward to. Hey, we're going to be in the play
in and our future is right. We have a thirty
two year old all through injury from center.
Speaker 1: He's really good.
Speaker 3: It was really good when healthy ad could cook. But yeah,
Dallas is no longer just circling the drain. Some of
this is Phoenix's fault. If they weren't so bad, Dallas
wouldn't feel like they're still going to be in the
play In this year. But now it's close to a lock.
Speaker 2: I was, yeah, I was gonna say that. I would
say they're pretty much a lock.
Speaker 1: For the plan. Yeah, I think that's fair. They've been
good over their last four games, as Adam has been
talking about. I was looking at their stats. They're shooting
well from three, They're grabbing the same amount of boards
as the Clippers. They're not good in offensive rebnding percentage though,
which is nice, I hope, I know, but we need that.
We don't need to battle a team that's good on
the offensive glass. AD's averaging twenty nine and three and
a half and two blocks, PJ. Washington and Clayers shooting
it well like, it's not going to be easy tomorrow
and Saturday, especially which this I'm assuming this defense is
better than the Pels because the Pels is quite literally
the worst. What is the starting lineups offense gonna look like?
With Derek Lively playing free safety off of Kristo So
he just, however's playing free safety off of Kristown I
should say.
Speaker 3: Is he going to play in both games too? Because
he just came back I think it played fifteen minutes
last night the day before. Lively he might not play
the back to back both games.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a good call.
Speaker 1: I wonder if we're gonna pick, if you're gonna pick
which one of these games to go to go to
the one on Friday, That's what it sounds like.
Speaker 3: Cooking for them.
Speaker 5: Naji Marshall, who nickname that I learned today is the Knife,
very old school mobstery nickname and a style of nickname
we need to bring back.
Speaker 3: Well he has.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't. It's gonna be good basketball, but I
don't know will What do you think in the Clippers?
Gotta do to to what?
Speaker 3: Just win? Baby, gotta win. It's not over complicated, just win.
Speaker 1: Staring at a clipboard, just scratching your head writing when.
Speaker 2: I'm about win on the whiteboard. Underlined it.
Speaker 1: Twice, guys, I underlined it freaking twice just halftime. I
want to see the Clippers be better about the little
things because they were not. They were not locked in
for like maybe half of that game against the Palace
right like they were doing. There was some bone headed turnovers.
Speaker 6: I would say, yeah, I didn't like the level of effort,
but it could have just been they were tired because
they all said so.
Speaker 3: Afterwards. They gave up seventy plus points in the paint
to the Pelicans, which wasn't cool. Uh, that's something they've
been good at all season long. They need to be
good at that against Dallas. Hold them down, hold them
to forty five or below.
Speaker 1: They're just beat him in points in the paint because
they're they're big, right. I think Adam you mentioned that
last time. They have their three biggest guys back. It's
not like we played a giant Pells team yesterday that
was bullying us in the paint. We were just like,
it was just kind of sloppy.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they weren't. They looked a little bit unfocused at times.
Maybe they were looking ahead. I don't know how you
can look past the Pelicans, though, if you're the Clippers,
that's crazy.
Speaker 1: I don't think they were looking ahead. Will what are
you hoping for from Norm? You were? You were the
one who was like, I think Norm's gonna get it
going against the Pels. We all agreed because it's the Pels.
But maybe it happens against a better team.
Speaker 2: I mean, that would be great having him able to affectives,
have him able to effectively space the floor, we give
give some more space to operate, and especially I mean
I'm assuming he will end up playing the back to.
Speaker 1: Back, right, I think everybody, yeah, every yeah, everybody not
that's not Kawhi or Ben.
Speaker 2: I would assume it's good to go. So he's got
kind of two shots here, both at home to sort
of ease back into it, And it'd be ideal if
he could have it in both games. But you know,
if he has a colder game Game one, but can
really you know, can put up thirty plus in that
second game, that'd be smooth, smoother sailing.
Speaker 1: Yeah, because being being okay tomorrow isn't obviously as big
of a drop because everyone's health everyone's playing, but.
Speaker 2: At the same time, like because there's like less pressure
in that situation, you know, maybe that's how you get
the rhythm back, that's how you know, you kind of
get into it.
Speaker 1: It's a good call. Yeah, man, just one good Norm
game would be great over this, just for some kind
of god to grab some momentum for it. That feels like.
Speaker 3: There's a real adjustment going with Norm right now and
just finding his place consistently in the offense when they're healthy.
I don't know. Norm is somebody that's so efficient when
he's at his best, Getting fifteen shots is plenty that
that could get him to twenty one voice, so he
doesn't need a ton of shots, But maybe some of
it just touches rhythm timing in the offense just being
a part of it a little bit more consistently throughout
each quarter. I don't know, because you know, Kawhi and
this is a good thing. Has been taking over a
lot and looks amazing, So it's easy to get lost
in the shuffle, even if you're somebody who was their
leading scorer throughout the majority of the season.
Speaker 1: That's a good call. I haven't looked at his foul
numbers either. If he's getting to the line at is good,
I don't know if goods are you know what I mean,
Like if that's yeah, like that's affecting him a little
bit too rhythm wise, because it's it's not a not
a small part of his game. It's something he's very
good at obviously, is getting to the line. So that'll
be something to watch for. I think more so in
that second game, just when the Clippers are shorthanded, like
Ken Norm bail Us, I'm sure we'll need to get
bailed out of some possessions with no Kawhi and Chris
Dunn and that, like, cause I was like, in the
starting lineup for the second game with Kawhi out, is
Derek Jones Junior in there and done? Because then the
bench gets really weird.
Speaker 3: That's what they did against Cleveland. Hm. That's a good question,
and it might be different because it's Dallas. But I
could see that because first of all, we thought a
mere coffee was going to start that game against Cleveland
because they said it a couple of days earlier. I
could see him going right back to it.
Speaker 1: I guess it makes the bench so weird because then
it's Ben Simmons and Bogden off the bench. Yeah, and
new Banks if we really, if we need to, we
talk about the fresh maker. If we really need the
break in case of emergency, we got you Banks. Yeah,
it's gonna be weird, uh, I Yeah, I thought Ben
Simmons was a little loose with the ball yesterday. He
had one turnover where it just I think he just
looked directly at the Pelicans guy and just passed it
directly to him, like the Pelicans did the exact same
thing on the next possession. But we don't need Ben
Simmons to be sloppy when handling the ball. Yeah, recently, Yeah,
it's that the Kney thing that we know absolutely nothing about.
He's just dealing with more pain.
Speaker 3: It seems there was some swelling.
Speaker 2: I hate swelling, Adam, have you told him yet that
he just has to be better than Mason Plumbley. Maybe
you could just tell him that in personal takes them
the pressure off. Hey, Simo, youah one job here, man,
you know one job. Just be better than Mason Plummy.
Don't gotta do anything fancy. Just just be better than Mason.
Speaker 3: Those shirts would sell.
Speaker 1: Be better than Mason Plumbley. I think all fan bases
would buy that shirt. Oh, also shout out the Clippers
for the Aviza zu BOTSR shirts dp O y thing,
I poo poo a lot of what the Clippers marketing
team does. That was phenomenal. That was one of the
coolest things and I think might buy the shirt. It's
pretty sweet. Adam. Do you want to say anything particular
about the Clippers marketing department.
Speaker 3: I thought they did a great job with that. I
love the energy from this group right now, even when
they're arguing, it feels like they're on the same page
with Why and James Harden out there yesterday talking through
some defensive coverage stuff and then law ask Why about
that post game. I thought that was really cool answer.
He's like, yeah, we're trying to win, and I don't
know that your brother has your back. And it seems
like this group was really really solidifying in a really
cool chemistry as we just got six games left. Like
that stuff matters. It does because to tough times are coming.
There's gonna be some real adversity real soon.
Speaker 1: Yes, and James Harden posted the photo of them all
out with a drum line quote. So I don't think
the vibes have ever been better than posting that. All right,
anything else about this double MAVs back to back that
we have before we make our player of the back
to back picks, which is some of the harder picks
we'll make, not as hard as the three and four
one that we did. Will any final thoughts about this
pesky Mavericks team dubll doves. I put win times too
on the whiteboard. Guys, they said I was crazy. Now
look at us, all right, Adam, your player of the
back to back pick. It has to be someone who
you think is going to positively affect both games, and
it cannot be well, quite literally, it can't be Kawhi.
It can't be Norm Harden or Zobots or Bogey.
Speaker 3: No.
Speaker 1: You can pick.
Speaker 3: Since nobody picked him. I'll go Bogie for this two.
Speaker 1: He's been a that's a good pick.
Speaker 3: He's been Bogey. This is what he does.
Speaker 1: But I'm still Bogey, still Bogey baby. But he's like
he this is the perfect guy to be good over
a back to back to get to too and zero
against his team, like an efficient sixteen or whatever, which
I think is what he had last night. Probably be
more need for the second game.
Speaker 3: But it's all about impact with my guy, Bogey, like
hero sixteen to five, but he's controlling some of the offense.
I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker 1: I would like him to score more than five points.
Speaker 3: Hey, look he hit a huge three against Orlando and
made a great defensive play and helped him win the game.
You have a great game shooting wise, but you can
still you can still help.
Speaker 1: That's just Bogey still helping. Uh will, who is your
player of the back to back?
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go djj okay. Yeah, I'm assuming he's gonna
be back in the starting lineup at in that second game,
and we're gonnat we're gonna need him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's the guy who's let me down, I think
when I picked him, So I hope he plays better.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I've been burning on this one multiple multiple times,
but uh, you know, you gotta get the shots up.
Speaker 1: You gotta get hey, you know what you know when
a shot doesn't go in.
Speaker 2: You don't know when you're not shooting, When.
Speaker 1: You're not shooting. I'm gonna go uh batoo because there's
gonna be some wonky center lineups. He's gonna try his
best to not have to play Drew Eubanks tomorrow and
then we don't know what's gonna happen on Saturday's game.
So I'm going Nick Patu more of that same as
Will said, and I don't mean this disrespectfully, more of
the same of what he does, which is very good defense,
move the ball, hit threes when the opportunity presents itself,
like it's raised the floor of all.
Speaker 2: Lineups that he's saying, basically.
Speaker 1: The simple task of raising the floor of every lineup
that he plays with really good at. Thankfully he actually
does do that. That's my pick. And I think we're
going to and I on this back to back.
Speaker 3: I think so too. For some reason, I'm more confident
after last nice game. Interesting?
Speaker 1: Why interesting?
Speaker 3: Well?
Speaker 1: And I also I would I feel better too, because
like the Spurs game on Tuesday, I'm not worried about that.
So the path to three and one over these two
final back to backs is very much there.
Speaker 2: Is the real battle for La the Pelicans versus the Clippers.
Speaker 1: Yes, for Clippers fans. Damn, that's a good one, all right.
I think that about wraps everything up. We're gonna be
back with a full pod on Monday, probably some postgame
lives after one of the MAVs games. Who knows could
be a fun time will Where can people politely suggest
to their significant other that they should listen to this
pod so they can just you know, connect a little more.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, tell your significant other to check out this
podcast wherever they get their podcasts not already listen to this.
If they happen to listen over on Apple Podcasts or Spotify,
they leave a little radilar review helps us out, and
we've comments over on Spotify. But the best way to
tell you signift another to check out this show is
over on YouTube dot com slashat Clippers podcast and even
watch on a TV have a little couple time. You
don't have to watch separately or listen separately. However you
consume this podcast. You know we appreciate you.
Speaker 1: We absolutely do. Maybe you're sitting for another responds better
to you holding a big boombox playing an episode you've
taken from us. If you put it on tape, put
in the boombox. Maybe that's how it goes. Either way,
Please leave those reviews, Adam. One positive thing heading into
this back to back that you're excited about that might
be difficult.
Speaker 3: Positive saying. I don't know Aviza Zoobots has ap bridge
nineteen and twelve his last twenty two games, and I
think the last time he matched up against Anthony Davis
he cooked him and outplayed him completely back way back
when ad was a Laker. Yeah, I'm excited for a rematch.
I'm excited for Big Zoo to get a little bit
more credit for the season that he's had by taking
down another one of the best big big men in
the league.
Speaker 1: There we go. The Zoobots type is absolutely real and deserved.
All right, We will be back for y'all fairly soonish.
Thank you for hanging out, and as always, let's go close.