OFFICIAL LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 2023-2024 SEASON THREAD

[lawdog1]

^^^ Good that CP isn't playing.

 

[lawdog1]

Trade deadline over and looks like we're rolling with what we've got. At the end of the day, Doc just didn't have enough assets to offer to get something done. In today's NBA, if you're not trading a star player, you need picks and/or expiring contracts to make a deal. We didn't have either. Oh well, I've long said that this team will go as far as Blake and CP will take them. Picking up a Wilson Chandler or Courtney Lee wouldn't be the difference between losing in round two or getting to the WCF or Finals.

I'm also kind of doubting we'll end up grabbing anyone off the buyout/waiver market. But we'll see. Barnes is probably still a possibility.

 

[P C H]

We need health more than what any outside addition of talent could offer.

This is easily the best carnation of the Clippers since CP has been here, when healthy. GSW aside, they are clearly the 2nd best team in the conference. Hopefully they can make a run here and get up to that 3 seed.

In other news....

Kurt Helin‏@basketballtalk
Rumor: J.J. Redick has also already committed to re-signing with Clippers

The Clippers face a make-or-break offseason.

It seems they might have already handled their major business.

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have reportedly already agreed to re-sign. Now, it seems L.A.’s third major unrestricted free agent – J.J. Redick – might also be staying.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:

there is a belief that Redick already has committed to re-sign in July. Like Griffin and Paul, Redick is viewed as a core piece, and while his $7.3 million price tag is likely going way up, there is a belief that Rivers and the Clippers are ready to pay it.

The capped-out Clippers will have no mechanism to adequately replace Redick if they re-sign Paul and Griffin. Exceeding the cap to re-sign Redick is the only feasible path to maintaining contender status – a must with Paul, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in place.

If Redick agreed this early to re-sign, that suggests he’s not going to extract every penny he can from the Clippers or that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is willing to spend big. Redick really could have put the screws to the Clippers by playing hardball through free agency.

His leverage due simply to the Clippers’ cap situation would have been immense, but the rest of the league would have also provided a safety net. The 3-and-D skills that make Redick valuable to the Clippers would help any team.

All this said, Redick – and Paul and Griffin – can’t re-sign until July. No matter their intent today, there’s plenty of time for these deals to fall apart.

But the Clippers having assurances from all three to stay would be a big deal.

Still plenty of time for things to change, but as of now it appears that the Clips keeping the family close for real, and I dig it. Great news

 

[P C H]

I got us winning tonight FYI. I have no reasoning behind this prediction, but yeah lol at the very least I don't think it'll be a blowout.

 

[HIM]

I got us winning tonight FYI. I have no reasoning behind this prediction, but yeah lol at the very least I don't think it'll be a blowout.

Feeling the same way. Feel like they've beat the dog**** out of us so many times that we mught actually catch them slipping for once. Hope they took some pros to the Snooty Fox and expended all their energy.

 

[lawdog1]

- eyeballs -

 

[lawdog1]

Well, that was fun for a while...

 

[P C H]

 
I got us winning tonight FYI. I have no reasoning behind this prediction, but yeah lol at the very least I don't think it'll be a blowout.

Semi close. On to SAS

 

[lawdog1]

Semi close. On to SAS

We won a half...

 

[lawdog1]

Same old, same old. Can play them even or even be better for a while, but then we'll have a lull during which someone from the Dubs goes bananas and it's a wrap.

At least we didn't look scared of them in this one...

 

[P C H]

Clips continue to hang w/GSW for 3 out of 4 quarters. Tonight it was the 3rd that put the game away.

Their problem with GSW is two fold to me: they can't guard them, and their best players against GSW isn't Blake it's Austin and Jamal because of their ability to play 1v1, and go downhill. That's a recipe for disaster. I think they're giving up like 125ppg against the Warriors over their last 10 straight Losses, that's awful.

Blake looked embarrassingly bad tonight. Hopefully that's just rust from the AS break and CP can return tomorrow so we can get the momentum back that we had prior to the break.

On to SAS.

 

[lawdog1]

I thought Blake played well in the first half. He wasn't scoring, but did a lot of other things well. It was the second half when he stunk. A couple calls didn't go his way so he seemed to get frustrated, stopped being aggressive and also appeared tired to me like mid-way into the 3rd quarter.

Plus, its hard for him to dominate against the Warriors because they do a really good job of game-planning for him. Draymond and KD are both capable defenders who play him straight up pretty well and whenever he backs them down or gets position, another defender comes down to dig at the ball right when makes his final move to the basket. Leaves him in a tough position when he can't shoot or make a play. He needs to mix up the jumpers and post-up possessions more against the Warriors and if he doesn't hit from outside, well, you get last night ...

 

[lawdog1]

Clips continue to hang w/GSW for 3 out of 4 quarters. Tonight it was the 3rd that put the game away.

Their problem with GSW is two fold to me: they can't guard them, and their best players against GSW isn't Blake it's Austin and Jamal because of their ability to play 1v1, and go downhill. That's a recipe for disaster. I think they're giving up like 125ppg against the Warriors over their last 10 straight Losses, that's awful.

Yeah, as some point in each game, the Warriors manage to turn it into a pick-up ball, track meet and we can't compete with them at that style of play. We need to be extemely disciplined and keep the game slower, so we can get set defensively on the Warriors possessions. That's what we did in the first half last night, but completely got away from in the 3rd.

It also hurt that Steph started hitting stupid, ridiculous shots, but that tends to happens when they gain momentum.

 

[P C H]

Yeah, as some point in each game, the Warriors manage to turn it into a pick-up ball, track meet and we can't compete with them at that style of play. We need to be extemely disciplined and keep the game slower, so we can get set defensively on the Warriors possessions. That's what we did in the first half last night, but completely got away from in the 3rd.

It also hurt that Steph started hitting stupid, ridiculous shots, but that tends to happens when they gain momentum.

Missed Free throws, and bad shots in the third did us in. You can't feed into that inferno by taking long contested two's / three's and leaving points on the line.

Regardless, I'm just mad that people out acting like we didn't just play the last 3 games against GSW w/o a top 10 player in CP3. Like...he makes a difference

I don't feel nearly as overwhelmed by the warriors as I did say a week or two ago. Idk why. It may be that the warriors may have beaten the scaredness out of the clips lol Im not at a point where I feel that we can beat them 4 out of 7, but I can honestly say that I believe that if healthy the Clips can compete against them.

Just look at the last 4 meetings we've had against gsw when CP and blake were both healthy. CP comes back, we get this version of Austin/Ray/Mo playing against 2nd units, i'm here for it man.

I'm calling it. I think this team is special. I don't know what special means yet, but I genuinely like this team man.

 

[P C H]

Now let's get a win against these spurs tonight b.

 

[HIM]

Man people at my job are just like some of the people in the NBA thread. Talmbout trade Blake for Melo. Trade CP3 for Kyrie. They still try to say Austin Rivers doesn't belong in the NBA. I point out his numbers this season and it doesn't faze them lmfao.


This is the main reason I keep my Clipper convos in this thread. I just wish MJSF was still here

 

[lawdog1]

^^^ MJSF gotta be the only NT regular ever to catch a ban and never look back. At least I can't recall him every trying to come back. God bless, wherever he is. I know he's still out there somewhere rapping for the Clippers.

 

[P C H]

. @hoopscritic said on @NBATV that the Knicks wanted Austin Rivers for Courtney Lee. Clippers weren't interested & it got shut down.

 

[P C H]

View media item 2345782
We may be going to the wood

 

[lawdog1]

^^^ Cool with me. We need our own house. As long as it's somewhere in LA, I'm good.

 

[lawdog1]

****** start to this one.

 

[P C H]

Was at the Galen so I didn't catch a second of this, gotta Rewatch this one tomorrow.

 

[lawdog1]

Having CP back is great, but I also think it through off the team's rhythm a bit, particular the second unit. Austin played well off the bench, but overall the bench didn't look that sharp. It also took Blake a while to get going. Some adjustment phase is to be expected. Too bad CP's 1st game back had to be against SAS, but it is what it is.

I expect the team to look better on Sunday against Charlotte.

 

[P C H]

JJ Redick's slump is both shocking and frustrating.

 

[P C H]

Have my eye on caspi for us once he gets healthy.