Speaker 1: What is going on? Clippers fans? Welcome to season three,
episode fifty four of Clips and Dim. I am Chuck Mockler,
joined by Adam Oslin and William Updyke. The Clippers are
on a three game winning streak, which is fantastic heading
into a bit of a tough week opponent wise. We're
gonna talk to the upcoming week and then a quick
Clippers versus Calves preview. But before we get into that,
if you're watching us, thank you for watching us at
YouTube dot Columns a Shack Clippers podcast. If you're listening,
we like that too. Adam, will what are you guys
taking away from the Clippers? Absolutely shell lacking the Hornets,
aside from the fact that Zoos should have been left
in to get a triple double.
Speaker 2: Still gotta get those wins, you know what I mean. No,
it's good to see him taking care of business. It's
it's good to see them look dominant in any form,
even if it's against a lesser opponent. And you know,
from what we talked last week to now, I just
feel like the ups and downs that this team are
in like full have been in like full focus really
since the All Star break. It's really been the full experience,
So to be on a high now is definitely very good.
But I mean, we're gonna talk about it just a bit.
I do feel like this game against the Cavs is
you know it, It has the potential to show something
like a little bit more serious for where this team
is at, if they are in fact serious.
Speaker 1: There you go, Adam, how are you feeling.
Speaker 3: It's the type of win you want to see when
you think you're a good team and you're playing a
really bad team. It's that type of victory. Coach post
games that it was, you know, a businesslike approach or
handling their business type of game.
Speaker 4: It looked like that. It was almost a wire to
wire win.
Speaker 3: I think after they were tied at eleven in the
first quarter, the Clippers pulled away and they were dominant,
and multiple individual players in the game shined at times.
Outside of Norm Powell looking like he's still knocking off
the rust, everybody looked really good and it's kind of
confirming that they are playing better basketball even though it's
a bad team.
Speaker 4: Again, you beat him like that.
Speaker 3: That's kind of what you were looking to see in
that game, especially with the three games coming up next.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I thought the Norm thing, it was like it
totally expected him to be cold. I know we've been
spoiled sometimes with Norm when he comes back from injuries
where it was like, oh, yeah, he can walk into twenty,
I guess, but the rest made sense. Perfect game to
knock the rust off in considering how it went in
the opponent we were playing. I did a live before
the game and people were worried because the Horns put
up like one hundred and what was it, one hundred
and sixty five against the Spurs, But I think they
won by like eleven points, so it was like they
got all their scoring out of the way and we
took care of business. Do we think the starting lineup
is fully set that now we have full rotation? Not
to spoil the second segment, but no one's on the
injury report who's in the actual rotation for the game tomorrow?
So are we looking at the Norm, Derek Jones, Junior
Kawhi harden Zoo from here on out?
Speaker 3: I I I'm just going off of what Coach Lou said.
It sounded like it was gonna be a matchup dependent
between DJ between Chris Dunn and then you throwing the
wrinkle of Niko Batoum starting games as of late, and
he looked good out there. I don't think there's a
tremendous drop off between, you know, one of those guys
being in there versus the others. But we do have
some decent sample size with DJ being the guy, and
the Clippers have one of the best net ratings in
the NBA with that five man starting unit.
Speaker 4: So I would lean that way just because of.
Speaker 3: His versatility and Chris Dun's more of a specialist Niko
Batum if you're playing a bigger team, you might need him,
but I would say the majority of the time I
would go with DJ.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well you were kind of you were early on
the DJ as the starter train, even before you know,
injury stuff and stuff like that. I like what you said, Adam,
like we have a sample size of this lineup being
the best one the Clippers can put out, Like why
change it?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, just given like the injuries and how
much has been influx, like it made sense. It also
just like Tilu's procluity and sort of this organization's procluity
for guards, like it made sense the way that they
were leaning. But at full strength, I think that this
is the best version of the Clippers starting lineup again.
You know, like we've talked about many times, it's more
about who's closing and how those minutes are sort of dispersed,
because when you have a team that you know, margins
that are as thin as this, it's it's really how
you how you can find ways to exploit that to
do a little bit more than the some of its
parts would suggest. But I like DJJ there. I think
that I think the versatility and the athleticism is a
big win. Even if you know you you prefer even
more size, but the Clippers that's constructed that this is this.
Speaker 1: Is what we can do. Yeah, that's a good call.
And dud being a specialist, I think we'll see that
specialization a lot more of the playoffs when things get tighter.
Obviously we'll need his defense, but teams are gonna be
very aware when he's on the court playoff wise, so.
Speaker 2: Well like and depending on how how he's looking. And DJJ,
I mean, you know, run him out to start second
half like it's you know, it's totally fine. But I
do think, you know, if there's an even an inkling
like sort of you know what We've been like talking
about all seasons that this is like the most likely
or the most logical kind of starting lineup. I don't
see why not just go ahead and uh, you know,
put that one to print and uh, you know, correct
from there.
Speaker 3: Do you guys think though, that Chris Dunn will be
coming off the bench tomorrow because he has the game
off and now he's off the injury report. It feels
like it was a maintenance thing. He's been dealing with
that left knee issue, and they're going up against a
team with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
Speaker 4: It feels like it is a better matchup for him.
But I don't know.
Speaker 1: But so that means Norm, I mean I think bringing
because that means Norm is off the betch right, We're
not gonna go three.
Speaker 4: Guards, that's true.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he might be crazy enough to go three guards,
because I've been thinking about that too, Like would he
go because that were really small?
Speaker 3: I would do it against Memphis in the playoff series,
I don't think, like, yeah, I don't think he is
like a guard defensively.
Speaker 2: Oh, which is totally fair.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Offensively, he's not really anything.
Speaker 3: Yeah, on the offensive ends, he's definitely a negative spacer
right now, but I think against certain teams you can
definitely do it.
Speaker 1: But Calves, would you go three guards or Calves? I
feel like you gotta because their offense is not bad too.
We're gonna go over the stats.
Speaker 3: But I I think having him on Mitchell or Darius
Garland to start the game is a legitimate idea. Like
just I don't view him as three Like when you
say three regards, it sounds like they have all these
undersized guys that are going to get hunted, but Chris
does not going to get hunted.
Speaker 4: Yeah, James Harden for instance, I brought up Memphis.
Speaker 3: He's guarded Triple J and bigger guys at times.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: The smallest guy is Norman Powell really and his defense
has been solid for the most part this year.
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 3: I I would go DJ just to have some consistency
right one, and I didn't have this evolving starting lineup.
Speaker 4: I would just stick with DJ. But I see the logic.
Speaker 2: That's what I'm saying though, Like I say, just like
put it to print and like adjusting game, and if
that is working more favorably for the matchups, then sure,
like roll out the second half with different starting lineup.
I think that that's totally fine.
Speaker 1: Or even switch someone out in the first quarter, right, yeah,
it's like, oh, this is getting killed or something like.
I don't think Ty would be hesitant to do that.
There's really only like two guys that it would affect.
Right it's Derek Jones junior and Done. Who's coming in
with him like that?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 3: I think he could you Done though as a tone setter,
like this.
Speaker 4: Guy wears you.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, so why not.
Speaker 3: Start him to be that disruptor at the beginning of
the game. I could seek tigh going with that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I yeah, I have been worried about the rotation.
I just want to set rotation. I think that's just
maybe some cumulative At.
Speaker 2: A certain point, I do feel like you need to
narrow down the amount of variables. Like it's great to
have some versatility, it's great to have some different looks
that you can throw out there, Like there should be
there should be a base point from which to adjust,
which the Clippers, you know, in their defense, haven't really
had the luxury of doing just with all the injuries
and stuff piling up. But at this point, I do
think it is time to commit to something and it
doesn't even always have to be the right thing. And
like I said, you can't change and adjust in the game,
but you know you have to narrow I do feel
like you need to narrow it down to something like
you're a team that again has these kind of small margins.
Not everything can be like from the drawing board, even
if it is only two variable players. But like you
know that that still is that's yeah, like that still
is a that still is a variable.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I guess we'll see. I would put my money.
Speaker 2: On Derek Jones starting tomorrow. But do you think that
Derek Jones Jr. Is that big of a step down
like against guards as a defender if he's if he's
called to do so on certain actions.
Speaker 3: There have been times recently, especially when he came back
from the line since with the knee injury, that I'm like,
oh my god, Chris Dunn is the best perimeter defender
I've ever seen.
Speaker 4: In my life.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4: So it's like it's not that he's such a step down.
The step down is from maybe like the.
Speaker 2: Best guy improve.
Speaker 4: This type of stuff. I don't know, he's so special.
Speaker 1: That is interesting. So we do have the Clippers have
a brutal week coming up opponent wise, no matter how
you look at it, For the most part, calvs. Grizzly
slender at the Knicks, I believe kind of the ultimate. Like,
I guess we'll see where the full rotation looks like
against the elite teams of the NBA. The final three
games are tough too. But like so, like the rotating
starting lineup, do we think that I think that probably
happens this week, right, Tyler's gonna try and throw stuff
at the wall just to notice, even for it'll be
short sample sizes, but I think we'll see some tinkering
for just again full rotation playoff purposes.
Speaker 3: Yeah, what if coach Lu's views it in this way,
I'm gonna be tinkering in the playoffs. We're almost there.
Why don't I just start now? Why don't I just start?
Like so, guys are already accustomed to knowing that I
could be a starter tonight or maybe not, or I
could be playing with this player maybe not. But it
seemed like I thought the reason that Norman Palse didn't
start the second half last game was because he wanted
to get him run with the second unit, because there
are new guys on this team, and Norman only played
nine minutes post All Star.
Speaker 1: That's a good call. And the game was.
Speaker 4: Throw guys in different combinations together, get him familiar.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and the game was effectively not over at halftime.
But I think he felt comfortable tinkering in the second
half of that game.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, but I don't think it was. I want
to see a different starting lineup without Norm. I don't
think he's going to take normal the starting lineup.
Speaker 1: You can't now the offense is too bad, just not
to put two fight a point on it, to not
have no just like.
Speaker 2: With what this team has struggled with, like why you know,
why give yourself any additional hurdles.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he started all year. That's we talk about locker
room management. Having to tell Norm that he's just not
starting after the first three quarters of the season he had,
I think would maybe make things more difficult off court wise.
Not that Norm's like a bad locker room guy, but
that's a tough us with for a guy whose whole
thing is like I need to prove that I'm a
starter in an All Star to then get your All
Star appearance and then be told you're actually on the bench.
That would just be tough vibe maneuvering wise.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3: Hey, we were all backing you about that All Star
right now. Yeah, I don't know, six man.
Speaker 1: So what are our dreams and nightmares for this four
game stretch? And we're gonna preview the Cows game of
the next segment, what's your dream? Obviously the dream record
is four and No, I'm happy with two and two.
Speaker 2: Oh, I think two and two would be pretty great
over this stretch.
Speaker 1: Because there's no back to back. Yeah, I'm double checking,
but I don't believe there's a back. It's all fairly
spaced out. Clips play Tomorrow, then they play Friday, Sunday,
and then Wednesday, So it's not I mean, it's pretty
solid schedule wise in the lens of the Clippers schedule
this season. Out of how would you feel it two
and two?
Speaker 4: I'd be good with it.
Speaker 3: I'd love to know who they got the two victories against.
Speaker 4: Like, if it was two and two and they beat
Okay C in Cleveland, I feel real good.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Okay, yeah, because I'm not.
Speaker 3: As worried about Memphis even if they lost that game,
and be like, I feel good about that matchup and
they've beat them twice already. Uh, the Knicks are in
the Eastern Conference, and it's not as much of a
measuring stick contest like it will be tomorrow night against
the Cavaliers and they beat them.
Speaker 2: No, like no Brunson, I feel like that'd be kind
of a bad loss against the next.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 3: I don't know if a realistic dream is an oxy moron,
but three and one feels like realistic dream with one
of those victories being over Okay See or over Cleveland.
Speaker 1: Which would be huge.
Speaker 2: I mean that, Yeah, that would be insane.
Speaker 4: Is the better one? Right? If you beat the Thunder
in a seven game series?
Speaker 1: Yeah, of course the Calves game feels well, they went.
Speaker 2: One to three, but beat the Thunder. I mean, I'd
still have a very different tone about how this whole.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good call because the Calves game, to me,
schedule wise, rotation wise, I feel the most confident about
because we just I know for a fact that the
four rotation is available tomorrow night, not entirely sure what
the rotation will look like for Grizzlies, and then the
Thunder being the third game, winning that game, well, I
like that point, if they if they win the Thunder game,
it's the third of this stretch, that would feel pretty good.
Speaker 2: Kind of house money, I mean, like it's house money
at that point.
Speaker 1: Which and if the process is good, if they go
one and three beat the Thunder with good process, I'm like, well,
you lost to a Calves team that is unbelievable as
a juggernaut right now, and then yeah, if the play,
if the process.
Speaker 2: Was like the magic beat them this month?
Speaker 1: Is that it? Yeah? They're twelve and ons stay All
Star break, so they're they're playing some good ball. What
are our nightmares? Just one quick nightmare from each for
this stretch and obviously not no injury. Yeah, just for
the listeners, we don't ever talk about that in terms
of like what's the best thing that can happen everyone's
of course that's what we all hope for. Anyway, Well,
what's what's a nightmare you have from this stretch? We
talked realistic dreams? What's a realistic nightmare?
Speaker 2: One in three with some hard fought, like heavy minutes losses,
not even blowouts losses, where like we we get maybe
some bench minutes or we get some rest minutes for
Kawhi and Harden and norm can have like an easier thing,
you know, an easier ramp in if you know, maybe
things get a little out of hand and they they
put some of the young guns in there. I think
one in three with all four games going down to
the wire with heavy minutes from all the rotation, guys,
is my nightmare is an area.
Speaker 3: Okay think for me, that would be tough if they
find themselves down twenty twenty five in both games to
Okay see it to Cleveland. It just looks like they're
completely outmatched and they're so far out of their league
that the idea of hey, healthy Kawhi get into a
seven game series you never know what can happen.
Speaker 4: Just totally gets curb stomped. That would that would be
a nightmare.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think the overmatched is a great call, Like
just looking like out of their depth. Tomorrow is gonna
be huge. I think Tomorrow's really gonna set the tone
because there's no way that the team's not talking about
this difficult stretch like this is. Tomorrow's a really big
tone setting game. If they lose Tomorrow with like you
you know, they don't look completely over their head or
in front of their skis. You feel pretty good about it.
It's a really good team. They're playing well.
Speaker 2: Just like with how up and down they've been, this
is like, you know, an opportunity unity for a real
litmus test. And even if you go two and two
in like a competitive set of games, I wouldn't see
that as being as up and down as you know,
the rest of the post All Star Break has been
for the for the Clippers. So yeah, I mean it's
not necessarily make or break, but I do think it's
a sort of a mission statement for where they're actually
at right now and what what realistically the the postseason
expectations could be. Sure not to put too much pressure
on it. At the same time, you know, it's not
an indictment.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it's time to put it. It's the
proven session. Okay. So the Clippers sit at eight. They're
one and a half games behind the Warriors of the Wolves.
If the Wolves catch the Dubs and the record wise
we are ahead of the Dubs there, so we would
still be the seven. There are four games up on
the Kings. How are we worried about the Kings at all?
I feel like I thought the Suns MAVs and k
I'm like, Okay, we're not worried about you. We're just
worried about trying to get that seventh seed.
Speaker 3: Allright, you worry about them if you lose that seven
eight matchup and then you have to play them or
the Phoenix Suns just to be the A seed. But
I'm not worried about the Kings catching them. I think
at worse, the Clippers are going to be eighth. I
think they're pretty solid there.
Speaker 1: I think that the Straations are locked in. I think
you're right. Will you worried about any of the teams
behind the Clippers?
Speaker 2: No, No, not at the moment.
Speaker 1: Yeah. So now it's just hoping that they either finished
with a better record than the Warriors or the same
record as the Warriors.
Speaker 2: Do you want them to stay in the play in
at this point?
Speaker 1: I don't know, because if they make the play if
they get to if they get up, that means they're
just like rolling. So yeah, with so little time left,
I mean, it'd be awesome if they were good enough
to somehow roll into a playoff spot. I would be
a little worried about fatigue and gas maybe, but that
would mean they were playing really good basketball ahead of
the playoffs. Yeah, like really good basketball.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they'd have to go like eleven and three the
final fourteen games, I think to get the six flat
at this point.
Speaker 4: I think a lot of Murray put out a sweet
about that.
Speaker 3: And by the way, they'd still probably need help because
and the Timberwolves are refusing to lose right now.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so yeah, I would feel pretty good if they
went if that happened, because that means they went eleven
in the three.
Speaker 3: Or if if their reward though, was the six to
three matchup against Denver in the first round, I'd be like,
I don't know, And and Memphis ends up the two
where the Rockets end up at the two, and it's like, damn,
if we got seven and eight and we won that game,
we'd get a team we could definitely beat in the
first round.
Speaker 1: The extra game is a variable.
Speaker 3: So yeah, going to Minnesota in a play in has
not worked out in the past for the.
Speaker 1: Clippers, terrifyingly true. Coming up, we're doing a quick Clippers
Caves preview and then we send people on their way.
If you're listening to us on the audio, there's gonna
be a quick audio break. If you'd like to watch
us on YouTube see our shining faces. Check us out
at YouTube dot called at Clippers Podcast, Calves and Clips
preview coming up in three two.
Speaker 2: What all right? Welcome back into Clips and we just
sort of previewed the tough stretch coming up with the
Clippers kicking things off with a game against the just
perpetually streaking Cleveland Cavaliers, Summer saying it's their year. I
don't know about I don't know about that, but one
like one thing in the Clippers corner, which has been
a luxury, especially as of laid pretty clean bill of
health for the Clippers, which is which is good. Evan
Mobley missed the last game, but he's considered day today. Charles.
What do we gotta watch out for from this Cavs team?
Speaker 1: A lot? They have the second best net rating since
the All Star Break, they have the best defensive rating,
they have the fourth best offensive rating their fourth and
rebound percentage. They're very good at offensive rebounding. I don't know,
there's it's kind of a lot to worry about from
this Calves team. The Clippers, however, are slightly better at
defensive rebounding percentage, and this is just stats since the
All Star break, and we're shooting almost two percent better
from the floor. So don't let us get hot or
the Clippers might run away with this one. No, the
Calves are, like I said, they're just They're a juggernaut.
They're rolling. I don't know, this is the toughest matchup
of the year on paper. It feels like is that wrong, Adam? No?
Speaker 4: Until they face Okay, see on Sunday. Yeah later there.
Speaker 3: I said this earlier to a Calves guy, Bobsman, who
came out with me. Is it fair to say that
they're really talented? But the whole is still also greater
than some of its parts With this Calves team, they're
talented individuals on this team, and they also all the
pieces fit and they elevate each other, and that's how
you have an historic season like this. In the regular season,
and they've had multiple I think I think they've had
two fifteen game winning streaks and they just had one
stop losing that game to Orlando. And I don't know
if there's enough games left to start another one.
Speaker 1: But I mean playoffs.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Evan Wibley is questionable. I'm guessing he's gonna play.
Speaker 1: Because the Magic game was a second out of a
back to back for them, right, I.
Speaker 3: Think so, Yeah, because they just played Memphis and beat them. Yeah,
but they don't have many weaknesses. They went ten to
forty from three against Orlando. That's like the real reason
they lost that game. Orlando just shot it better from
three than Cleveland. And I will say this, for all
the bad numbers that were going up against the Clippers
when it came to opponent three point percentage over the
last seven games, opponents are only shooting thirty one point
six percent from three now against the Clippers, that would
be the lowest percentage in the league over the last
seven games. And that's including the Pelicans game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, which was one of the lowest percentage games in
the league. Weird was turned a weird thing I noticed.
I was looking at their lineup stats since the All
Star Break. Their most played lineup since the All Star
Break is Mitchell, Garland, Struce, Mobley and Allen It's minus
thirty four minutes, thirty four and sixty five minutes.
Speaker 4: Sixty five minutes. That's it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Oh wow, since the All Star Break, I have heard.
Speaker 3: While they won sixteenth straight, it was like their least
impressive big winning streak of the season. When you go
into the details of it, they're not peaking right now.
They have played a better chunk of sustay in great basketball.
Speaker 1: Right. Yeah. If this is I would love to be
on a team where the version of not peaking is
being twelve and one since the All Star break. Well,
what are you looking for to break down this Cavs defense?
Because they have length, they have foot speed, they can
all guard different positions like this is what where? What's
the starting lineup? I think of this one has to
have DJ They're a big ass team.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they are a big ass team. Yeah. And defensively,
I guess, you know, try to get try to get
Mitchell involved in as much of the action as as
you can on the defensive end and right and you know,
he still has presented problems. He is, though, an opponent
that the Clippers are really familiar with have given really
a difficult time in big game. So it's anything new.
But the as the ecotomy is really interesting because the
front feels so much bigger. Obviously Alan too, I mean
it's it's it's a watch, but it feels so much bigger.
But then there's there's some less size in the backcourt
and less switch ability, certainly for for Garland, Uh and
Uh and Mitchell and than like even Harden or I
mean to a certain degree, even someone like Norm not
going to go on a limon and say it. Norman
is a great defender, but he has been a dogged
defender when healthy this season.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's he's committed to defending. He is
not gett he's not putting it aside as some gas
can do. Adam, what are you looking for to break
down this defense?
Speaker 4: And Garland is their weak link on that end.
Speaker 3: He's undersized, but he does play hard defensively. It's you know,
there aren't a lot of great options. They're really good there.
I think James Harden will do some matchup hunting trying
to get Darius Garland on him for some of those
step back threes. And I think this is a big
not just prove it type week for the Clippers, but
like a prove it game also individually for Visa Zubats
for some people. Even though he has dominated some really
good traditional Rimp protectors like Triple J and Anthony Davis.
Speaker 1: And double teams, like, it's not just one on one stuff. Sorry,
I'm fired up when people don't respect Zoo.
Speaker 3: No, it's like low level national narrative. People are going
to put a lot into this game for vitza Zoo boss,
I'm sure because if they both play with Evan Mobley
and Jared Allen, it's a different type of challenge totally.
Speaker 1: Yeah. The thing that gets me in this one is
the Cavs have a really productive bench scoring wise. It's
the eighth best bench scoring bench in the league. We're
gonna need the Bogey Simmons done crew to be locked
in tomorrow night because the bench starting lineup, you know,
it's very difficult. But the bench, I think, is going
to have to make up some ground at some point,
which has been difficult for the Clippers this year. But
if we see some of this mixing and matching from Tyloo,
maybe we stumble on something with a small ball five
that ends up working.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they Bogey's been playing better. I think a mirror
overall has when playing a little bit better. Those real
bench low points we had recently, seems like maybe they've
turned a corner and having Ben Simmons back definitely helps.
Speaker 4: I don't I'm.
Speaker 3: Interested to see is you Banks gonna play at all.
If the Cavs have Jared Allen and Evan Mobley, is
that a game you still play U Banks in? Or
are they just completely gonna go away from him? For
Ben Simmons, Now, I think.
Speaker 1: Historically, even when we've had no disrespect terrible backup centers,
we've still seen some backup center minutes just I think
to spell some guys. So I think it depends on
how much. I mean, it won't be significant if Drew
Ebanks you know what I mean, Like, we're not gonna
see like ten minutes of Drew U Banks, which I
guess is like is he even playing then? But I
think they'll I don't think he plays meaningful minutes, but
he might spell. I don't know, Will where are you at?
You're a big Drew you Banks' upset he doesn't get
more minutes your banks Let's go. Yeah, I don't know.
I think it's gonna be all smallball because that's what we're
gonna see in the playoffs. Ubanks isn't playing in the
playoffs the real lineups we need to take minutes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it just depends on that. It just
depends on Ben Simmons's health and how how many s
the tune looks in his minutes out there?
Speaker 1: Do they have to maybe be conscious of playing Ubanks
more because of Ben Simmons's health.
Speaker 2: I don't know. We just heard so little about that
injury and he was what set like seven straight games, Like, yeah,
that's true. It's weird to not get any whatever. I
don't I don't even want to get into it because
we'll be here all day, but it is. I just
feel like it's weird for a play in this that
much time and not get any sort of significant update.
Speaker 3: I think it would be a big, big feather in
the cap for the second unit if they could go
small with Ben Simmons and have some success against a
big team like Cleveland.
Speaker 4: I think that would really help moving forward.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it also like maybe the Ben Simmons line
up isn't working right. Maybe the Cavs just punish the
small ball lineup, because again we're kind of seeing like
where does this Clippers team stack up, or they gonna
be overwhelmed just from a better team because that's small
ball lineup. It's not like it's been tested against the
defense like this for a minute.
Speaker 2: I mean, well, Ben Simmons isn't a stranger to Allen.
Speaker 1: That's true, It's got the familiarity.
Speaker 3: And a lot of this is can we bleed the
minute slower? You know, not lose them by as much
as we would lose them with you bays like, well,
not be able to win those minutes by a significant margin.
Speaker 4: But if you could just tread water.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that well, that's yeah, the treadding. If
we can tread water, that would be great. And then
real quick, defensively, what's one thing you're looking for, Adam.
Speaker 4: Oh? How much?
Speaker 3: Because I think Kawhi the last two games obviously have
been best defensive games. The last two you could say
it's Charlotte last night, but his effort was really good.
Speaker 4: He had some good low man moments.
Speaker 3: I thought he was really good against Atlanta, specifically with
jumping some of those screens they were trying to set
for Trey Young and being disruptive there. I just want
to see how much do we see him on Mitchell
in Garland or they're just gonna hide him on Max
Strus until later in the game, Like, where where's Kawhi
at level wise? With his recent defensive play and if
that continues?
Speaker 1: Good call? Will one defensive thing you want to see
from the clips I have look a little nitpicky, but
you have one that's a little nitpicky.
Speaker 2: Yeah, let's let's let's hold a team to uh their
average or below three point shooting PERCINGE.
Speaker 1: Okay, big ask? I think it's fair, Adam.
Speaker 2: I mean I believe correct me if I'm wrong. I
believe that these averages are starting to work out in
our favor.
Speaker 4: Thirty one last seven games a point my school.
Speaker 1: I hope that continues. I'm looking kind of what you're
talking about bench defense. What what are teams going to
look like when Bogdanovich is on the floor with Kristun
and Ben Simmons. How is that going to work out?
The communication is going to have to be on point
because Bogie is going to be the target, obviously. So
I'm interested to see what the bench defense looks like
and if it can hold up. Be that slightly being
undertowed or just treading water not that fun. But if
you like bench defense, holler at me all right. Player
the game picks for the toughest game so far, we
cannot pick Norm Powell, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard or Viatsa
Zubos so not a whole lot of other options, and PJ.
Tucker plays for the Knicks. Now, So, Adam, who is
your or player of the game pick for Clippers versus Calves.
Speaker 3: Give me the guy who has been shooting I think
fifty one from three in the month of March, Nico
Patoom for a little added size against the big Cavaliers team.
I'm sorry, Nico is now fifty three. Come on in
the month of March.
Speaker 4: Give me Nico for that defensive versatility.
Speaker 2: I love it. Will your pick, I'm gonna go with Bogue. Damn,
I'm gonna go with Bogeye. I like this pick up
and play that we've been seeing. I'm hoping that against
this cast team he has it going offensively, because yeah, defensively,
it's it's gonna be a bit of a sieve, and
I think when he's out there with Harden, it's just
a lot to ask with Harden. So I'm hoping that
Boge shows up and shows up big and he'll have
earned my Player of the Game. If so, I think
the Clippers get the dumb.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was gonna say Bogue because if Bogie scores
fifteen efficiently. I think things are going pretty well for
the Clippers.
Speaker 2: Well yeah, and he can offset the other hand, he.
Speaker 1: Can offset the other end two but not anything crazy.
Speaker 4: What if Nico starts?
Speaker 1: I have too many You've put too many questions about
the starting lineup in my head. I can't put another
one in there.
Speaker 3: I'm just thinking, now if we trade back, put him
in the starting lineup.
Speaker 1: So you're going, what's the starting line.
Speaker 3: Up with Nico's hardened norm Kawhi Nico Zoo.
Speaker 1: I don't know about it.
Speaker 4: That just because if they.
Speaker 3: Have Evan Mobile, if they have their twin towers, like,
maybe this is a game where it makes sense if
he does the matchup thing, why not Nico against the
Calves if they're this big.
Speaker 1: You're just trying to gass up your player on the
game pick. But I respect it.
Speaker 4: Maybe so maybe you're on to me.
Speaker 2: Yea, if he does storry, he has to put up
starter numbers for your pick to.
Speaker 1: It, then yeah, he's gotta put up twenty three. All right,
I'm gonna go. I mean Ben Simmons, because let's go.
There's gonna be a focus on this game of what
he looks like against as the backup five being the
release valve, the small small pick and roll or whatever
it is with Bogie sharing like that, it's gonna be
there's a proven game for everything. But this is a
big prove it game for the Ben Simmons as the
small Ball five agenda, which obviously has a lot of steam.
But that's that's where I hope If he has a
good game, I think things are going well for the
Clippers because he means he's passing, he's cutting, and he's
grabbing boards. Yeah, we will see, We will see. We're
gonna be back on Wednesday with a pod for y'all.
We're all gonna be in the building tomorrow for the
Cavs game. It should be a good time. So if
you see us, say what's up. Shout out to the
two people I met at labre A Tarpits this weekend
who are fans of clips and thank you for listening.
Will where can people band that they're public le elected
officials listen to and review this podcast?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you can check out this podcast wherever you give
you podcasts. If you happen to listen over on Apple
Podcasts or Spotify, go ahead, leave a little rating and review.
It helps us out. The best place to check out
this podcast and you can tell your elected official that
is at YouTube dot com slash at Clippers Podcasts. Yeah,
please subscribe over there. You get notified when we put
out new stuff. You can come chime in on the
lives that we do sometime after games. I mean, who knows,
who knows how much if they get this one over
the Cats? Who knows what happen that's all same. But
however you check out this show, you know we appreciate you.
Speaker 1: We very much do addam one positive thing to send
these Clippers fans on their weirdly bitchy and rainy Monday
night ahead of the Caps game.
Speaker 3: Clippers with a longer wading streak than the Cavaliers heading
into this matchef.
Speaker 5: Okay, there's this close to winning seven games in a
row if it wasn't for that little shooting performance by
the Pelicans, who have fallen off a cliff in that
area since they did that to the Clippers.
Speaker 4: It's gonna be an interesting week.
Speaker 3: We're gonna find out a lot about this team, and
I'm looking forward to it is a prove it week.
Speaker 4: It's a measuring stick week for the Clippers. So it's
going to be.
Speaker 3: Fun and like Chuck said earlier, the level of competition
with the way the schedule is right now, with a
couple of days off between some of these games, it
gives the Clippers a real opportunity to try to make
some noise here where it's not a built in excuse.
Speaker 4: Game if you lose. We're going to find some things
out about this team.
Speaker 2: The journey to eleven and three starts. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Will, Will's footing it, Will's playing the flag. Thank man
for listening. We will be back Wednesday, and as always,
let's go Clips.