OFFICIAL LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 2023-2024 SEASON THREAD

[lawdog1]

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

Isn't he out for like 6 weeks?

 

[P C H]

Isn't he out for like 6 weeks?

Yup.

 

[lawdog1]

Yup.

Hard to imagine someone we pick up right before the playoffs having much of an impact, but I wouldn't oppose it.

 

[Nipsey3000]

dont know what to expect from this team for the last part of the season and the playoffs. i just hope we stay healthy and give whoever we play hell.

my dreams of beating gsw are almost gone. not due to our roster but due to the gameplan or lack thereof regarding the matchup. i just dont think doc has a clue about what to do vs. gsw.

you would think that he would know to slow the game down and value every possession. dont turn the ball over, take good shots, etc etc. but...he doesnt.



shameful that i, personally have done a 180 on both blake and doc. blakes bball iQ is just absent at times, doc has purely been given too much credit for his winning year(s) in boston. IMO

 

[lawdog1]

Beastly game from Blake tonight. Aside from a few missed FTs, really carried us in the 4th and OT. CP with a trip-dub in 2nd game back. Nice game from DJ as well.

Bench continues to suck since CP returned. Austin and Jamal are duplicative at this point, not complimentary. Second unit would be so much better with a guy like Barnes instead of Jamal. But even if we signed Barnes, Doc doesn't have the balls to bench Jamal. Oh well.

 

[lawdog1]

^^^ My bad. CP was one board short of the triple-double.

 

[P C H]

dont know what to expect from this team for the last part of the season and the playoffs. i just hope we stay healthy and give whoever we play hell.

my dreams of beating gsw are almost gone. not due to our roster but due to the gameplan or lack thereof regarding the matchup. i just dont think doc has a clue about what to do vs. gsw.

you would think that he would know to slow the game down and value every possession. dont turn the ball over, take good shots, etc etc. but...he doesnt.



shameful that i, personally have done a 180 on both blake and doc. blakes bball iQ is just absent at times, doc has purely been given too much credit for his winning year(s) in boston. IMO

At the risk of sounding like a doc rivers apologist, in my opinion our struggles with GSW have very little to do with Doc.

There's a reason why this team is like 184-33 over the past three seasons. I mean sure it looks like doc doesn't have a clue against gsw, but the entire league doesn't. Schematically, it's really tough to gameplan for GSW because nothing you draw up works with any kind of efficiency because they switch everything, which blows up whatever you were trying to do. Most teams only switch 3/4, or 1/2, but gsw is switching 1-5 and they rarely have miscommunications in doing so. Switching requires elite level communication, something that few teams can replicate.

If you look at teams in recent memory who've had any kind of tangible success against the warriors, those teams had crazy good one on one players that couldn't be stopped. KD and Russ last year, bron and kyrie in the finals, and even then the cavs had to have some luck or else they would have been ousted in five games. This is why on a much smaller level, even this season, our best players against gsw have been Austin and Jamal, guys who can go 1 on 1 and get their own. They obviously aren't close to being elite at it though, which is why we get smacked.

The Clippers 'guy' in that regard is Blake Griffin. He's the only one w/the size and ability that can counter their switching. This isn't on Doc, this is on him. I still am a blake believer though, and hopefully when we see them in round 2 we can ride him to 6 games or so against them and have some luck swing our way.

 

[Nipsey3000]

At the risk of sounding like a doc rivers apologist, in my opinion our struggles with GSW have very little to do with Doc.

There's a reason why this team is like 184-33 over the past three seasons. I mean sure it looks like doc doesn't have a clue against gsw, but the entire league doesn't. Schematically, it's really tough to gameplan for GSW because nothing you draw up works with any kind of efficiency because they switch everything, which blows up whatever you were trying to do. Most teams only switch 3/4, or 1/2, but gsw is switching 1-5 and they rarely have miscommunications in doing so. Switching requires elite level communication, something that few teams can replicate.

If you look at teams in recent memory who've had any kind of tangible success against the warriors, those teams had crazy good one on one players that couldn't be stopped. KD and Russ last year, bron and kyrie in the finals, and even then the cavs had to have some luck or else they would have been ousted in five games. This is why on a much smaller level, even this season, our best players against gsw have been Austin and Jamal, guys who can go 1 on 1 and get their own. They obviously aren't close to being elite at it though, which is why we get smacked.

The Clippers 'guy' in that regard is Blake Griffin. He's the only one w/the size and ability that can counter their switching. This isn't on Doc, this is on him. I still am a blake believer though, and hopefully when we see them in round 2 we can ride him to 6 games or so against them and have some luck swing our way.

maybe i do place too much blame on doc. and gsw is a great team, so easier said than done. but there are a few things that i feel that should be accomplished schematically against gsw. i have always said that LAC has the personnel to play 5 man switch ball on D vs. gsw. without bogut, alot of their illegal screens arent as good and dont even require switches. AND LAC can dominate the glass if they chose to (or were coached to).

gsw comes down court and runs the same things over and over. you can expect the 3 man weave to get movement, in addition to things like that 3 man pick play similar to a trips WR formation in the NFL. now, there are alot of teams that are still unprepared to stop the stuff that gsw runs. but LAC should not be one of them. LAC is to the point where we/they should lose to gsw because gsw played better and not because there are numerous blown assignments on defensive rotations, un-challenged wide open shots given up, and LAC allowing gsw to run wild and free in a high paced bball game.

those things can be corrected and havent been corrected by doc and staff.


but i am with you 100% or maybe 90%, doc doesnt deserve as much blame as i give him.

 

[P C H]

maybe i do place too much blame on doc. and gsw is a great team. but there are a few things that i feel that should be accomplished schematically against gsw. i have always said that LAC has the personnel to play 5 man switch ball on D vs. gsw. without bogut, alot of their illegal screens arent as good and dont even require switches.

gsw comes down court and runs the same things over and over. you can expect the 3 man weave to get movement, in addition to things like that 3 man pick play similar to a trips WR formation in the NFL. now, there are alot of teams that are still unprepared to stop the stuff that gsw runs. but LAC should not be one of them. LAC is to the point where we/they should lose to gsw because gsw played better and not because there are numerous blown assignments on defensive rotations, un-challenged wide open shots given up, and LAC allowing gsw to run wild and free in a high paced bball game.

those things can be corrected and havent been corrected by doc and staff.


but i am with you 100% or maybe 90%, doc doesnt deserve as much blame as i give him.

See, where I agree with you is that LAC does in fact have the personnel to switch (although it isn't a perfect switching dynamic. CP and JJ aren't ideal in this regard) but switching is tough to implement man, especially over the course of an 82 game season. Breakdowns are going to happen against GSW, especially in the regular season. 

I feel like saying the clippers should be switching against GSW is insinuating that the staff doesn't tell them to do so, which they do. But the breakdowns are on the players most of the time man. The miscommunication(s) are breakdowns that are going to happen against GSW, except their amplified in the regular season.

GSW is so good, that you need two weeks to prepare for them, to only focus on them. This is my hope come playoff time defensively.

 

[P C H]

Elite level switching (which is what it takes against gsw, if you go the switching route) can't just be thrown in in game 57 of 82 against them in the middle of a 3 or 4 game week. You're going to have breakdowns because of this, no matter how good or bad doc's game planning is.

 

[Nipsey3000]

Elite level switching (which is what it takes against gsw, if you go the switching route) can't just be thrown in in game 57 of 82 against them in the middle of a 3 or 4 game week. You're going to have breakdowns because of this, no matter how good or bad doc's game planning is.

agreed

but...we are on a 10 game losing streak vs. gsw. so we/LAC have had a few years to mull this over

and...

CLE got their defensive scheme vs. gsw down after game 2 of the finals and that was a big reason and i largely overlooked reason why they were able to come back in the finals.

there is more than one way to skin a cat vs. gsw and if they choose not to switch everything and go with a different philosophy altogether, i am with that, as long as it minimizes the amount of WIDE OPEN looks gsw has. LAC gives up too many of those during a game or during portions of a game vs. gsw

 

[P C H]

Your reminder that when he's been healthy he's been really good. Love the fact that he's taking more 3's too.

 Verified account @bball_ref 6h6 hours ago
Blake Griffin has a PER of 24.0 & BPM of 5.1, both career highs. Since '73, only CP3 & Brand have done that in a season for the @LAClippers

In regards to our 3 seed hopes. Also have to factor in that Houston has the toughest schedule in the league from here on out:

 LAC is about to kick off a 16-games-in-26-nights patch of their schedule, but a lot of the contests are super winnable if they get hot

vs HOU - @ MIL @ CHI - vs BOS - @ MIN @ MEM - vs PHI - @ UTA - vs MIL @ DEN - vs CLE - vs NYK @ LAL - vs DAL - vs UTA vs SAC 

 HOU is tough but a must-win. CHI/MEM SEGABABA are tough. BOS/CLE are both tough but you get off days. Jazz twice but Clips play them well

 I'd say 14-2 or 13-3 are what LAC would need in this patch to stay competitive for the 3-seed, and those are at least reasonably in play

Then there are 7 games left spread out over last 2 weeks of the season. Wiz, Suns, Lakers, Mavs, Kings are easy, big games vs Rox/@ Spurs 

 

[P C H]

 @RowanKavner
JJ said this is as good as he's seen Blake play. “It’s a cliché, but he has played like he’s on a mission."

 

[lawdog1]

Blake needs to keep letting the 3s fly. 2 - 3 a game for sure and more if he's hitting. Just making himself a threat from out there makes him so much more difficult to deal with.

 

[P C H]

Blake needs to keep letting the 3s fly. 2 - 3 a game for sure and more if he's hitting. Just making himself a threat from out there makes him so much more difficult to deal with.

Like I've said before, he's not good enough as a shooter to shoot solely long 2's. And that isn't even a knock on him, most are not. But if you're going to go, for example, idk 5/12 on Jumpers, and are gonna miss 7 jumpers, then you midas whale have at least one of those 5 makes be 3's. Furthermore, if you take that example, just turning one of those field goals into a 3 makes that 5/12 more efficient and produces more points.

Speaking of blake...

 @FredKatz how about Blake Griffin's last 11 games? 26.2 Points, 8.5 boards, 6.2 assists - and remember when all he did was dunk? He's 10-of-21 from 3.

He's our horse and is hitting a groove at just the right time. Gotta ride him into the playoffs.

 

[lawdog1]

Matt Barnes signing with the ******* Warriors of all teams...SMFH...

 

[P C H]

Welp, the door is still semi open for the 3 seed, but if we lose tonight that door is shut.

This is a real must win game for us. Win this, and the 3 seed is definitely in play. Lose this, and you can forget about it.

Houston as of late has had serious problems in the paint defensively, especially securing the glass. Combine that with Blake being on a roll right now, (seriously, I don't see a single rocket being able to check him) I got us winning tonight.

118 - 107

 

[lawdog1]

Welp, the door is still semi open for the 3 seed, but if we lose tonight that door is shut.

This is a real must win game for us. Win this, and the 3 seed is definitely in play. Lose this, and you can forget about it.

Pretty much.

No pressure though, Clippers (in case any of you are on NT and monitor this thread).

 

[rfx45]

With Durant out for at least 4 weeks/indefinitely, best scenario is probably to stay at 4/5 and the Spurs gets the #1 seed from the Dubs.

 

[P C H]

With Durant out for at least 4 weeks/indefinitely, best scenario is probably to stay at 4/5 and the Spurs gets the #1 seed from the Dubs.

The Warriors are not losing the 1 seed though.

 

[conjack234]

I think this is winnable, due to the fact that CP is back, and Blake is cooking right now, I want out of the 4/5 matchup, the Jazz scare me defensively

 

[rfx45]

With Durant out for at least 4 weeks/indefinitely, best scenario is probably to stay at 4/5 and the Spurs gets the #1 seed from the Dubs.

 
The Warriors are not losing the 1 seed though.

The Spurs are only 4 games back so it's possible. I know their team is still very good w/o Durant but they could slide a game here and there and Spurs could capitalize on it.

I do think at this point, it's a better chance than getting the 3-spot when Utah and Houstons are rolling/playing better than the Clips. Clips has too many stretches of losing streaks.

Is there a site to check who has the easiest schedule for the remainder of the season? I do know Kerr has complained about some insane schedule after the ASG though I am not sure how that compares to the rest.


Edit: I found this schedule column and it looks like the Spurs has a slightly favorable schedule with the most homecourt games and two of them against the Dubs.

View media item 2352137

The Spurs have the league's most home-heavy remaining schedule, with 14 of their 23 games at the AT&T Center. That includes two home games against the Warriors, who they trail by just three games in the loss column.

In the fight for the 4 seed, the Jazz have a half game lead, but the Clippers have won both head-to-head meetings (with two remaining) and have the easier schedule going forward. The Clippers play 13 of their 23 remaining games at home and 13 against teams below .500. Only three of their remaining games are on the road against a team currently over .500.

and while this does look/sound good, the Clis tends to lose to teams they are suppose to beat so those team under .500 doesn't convey much confidence, sadly

though there is this for the Jazz too

The Jazz currently rank third defensively and if they can hold onto that spot, they will have earned it. Of Utah's remaining 22 games, 10 are against top-10 offenses and only four are against bottom-10 offenses.

it's still difficult to see them passing the Rockets for the 3-spot though

 

[lawdog1]

I think the Dubs are holding on to 1. IDC how good the Spurs record is, outside of Kiwi, they really don't impress me.

 

[rfx45]

right on cue, Kawhi hits the game winner over PG

to be honest I think the exact same thing on almost a yearly basis and mostly because of their age at the beginning of the seasons but they are almost always on top of the West come post season

 

[P C H]

Quote:

right on cue, Kawhi hits the game winner over PG

to be honest I think the exact same thing on almost a yearly basis and mostly because of their age at the beginning of the seasons but they are almost always on top of the West come post season

Don't think Law was referring to their regular season prowess. They're going to win a lot of games. But their make up isn't necessarily ideal for the playoffs especially with no rim protection now that Duncan has retired.