Clippers Nation

After Kobe's Tweets, is it time to Amnesty Kobe?

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:49:00 +0000

Kobe Bryant had fun Sunday afternoon on Twitter as his Los Angeles Lakers were systemically cut down by the San Antonio Spurs. While the Lakers struggled mightily offensively in a game they could have stolen, Kobe created a buzz with his tweets that seemed to undermine both his beleaguered coach and his teammates. Today its been all about "Kobe" and not about the Lakers. That's a horrific problem for a franchise heading in the wrong direction (Back-to-back titles to losers in the 2nd round to a potential 1st round exit in 2013).

The Lakers need to examine the amnesty clause in regards to Mr Bryant. Not only for the monetary relief (60-80 million dollars is quite significant) but because he has gotten too big for the Lakers. His voice is the only voice that matters in LA, and the Lakers simply cannot win another championship with him on top of the hierarchy calling all of the shots. He needs to go.

Point-blank: Someone needed to reign Kobe in and its too late now. Kobe enjoyed his greatest success when Phil Jackson was able to suppress and harness Kobe's competitive spirit and make him play within a team concept (Jackson had a great sense of when to let Kobe push the envelop and when to pull back the reigns). Now Kobe is free to do what he pleases, when he wants, how to wants, and if Phil's not coming back, and if Jerry West is not coming back...then there's no one left to check Kobe. He is beyond reproach.

It's game over in LA.

Kobe's Won.

The Lakers have lost unless...

They amnesty Kobe.

Kobe's tweets (which have been plastered all over the internet) were self-serving and designed to put himself in the spotlight. Without a basketball to shoot 25 times a game, Kobe had to find a way to integrate himself into the limelight. Its about the brand of "Kobe". That's why he is on social media. To promote himself. Its not about the Lakers, its about you and me learning about what makes the Black Mamba "tick". It is about Kobe distancing himself from the Lakers when things are going bad. When your star has put himself "this far" ahead of his storied franchise, the team has to fight back. They need to reassert themselves moving forward.

It is amnesty time.

Mike Brown couldn't reign in Kobe and it cost him his job. D'Antoni never even tried to control Kobe and ultimately couldn't save Kobe from himself by allowing Kobe to play as much as he wanted (limiting minutes would have been coaching). If the Lakers were to fire D'Antoni that would put three Lakers coaches on the books in 2013 plus the additional 30 million Kobe is owed (plus $30-50 million more in luxury tax expenses). That's a lot of ca$h for three men who have NO CHANCE for reigning in #24. To make matters worse, Dwight Howard may understand this hierarchy, say no thanks to the Lakeshow, and leave an aging and nonathletic roster to Kobe for one more year and...

What would the Lakers do in 2014-15 and beyond? (I'm shuttering)

The Lakers need to save themselves from Kobe. It may need to start with a tweet,

@lakers: Amnesty @kobebryant #nochoice #realtalk

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Vinny's Job on the Line?

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:27:00 +0000

Our Clippers had their most successful regular season ever:

· Pacific Division Champions

· 56 Wins

· 32 Home Wins @ Staples

· 17 game winning streak

· Jamal Crawford 6^th man of the year?

· Chris Paul Top 5 MVP?

But for all of this success, this question remains…

If the Clippers lose to the Grizzlies and take a step back, does that doom the Clipper career of VDN?

Vinny Del Negro:

His Clippers have improved dramatically end of his three years: from 32 to 40 to 56 wins in 2013. His record the last two years is an impressive 96-52. He won the Clips first division title in Los Angeles. He orchestrated a Game 7 win in Memphis last year with a banged up team that was just “holding on”. As his contract expires at the conclusion of the season, VDN should be able to demand a new contract based upon the improvement of his team. However, while his team has improved on paper, what does “your eye test” say to you?

After the Clipper were swept by the Spurs last year, I wrote,

“In the San Antonio series it really felt like Del Negro hurt the team more than he helped. We witnessed Coach Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs make minor adjustments throughout the series that made significant differences both in the course of a game and how the series played out. We saw a Coach in Pop who never panicked (Think Game 3) and whose team "Executed" and ran successful offensive sets to put Parker, Duncan and Manu in situations they felt comfortable with the basketball (Tangent, but on-topic: what is the Clippers "Go-to Play"? Is it, Give the ball to Chris Paul with a high screen and pray? I mean it’s hard to tell whether we are executing or not sometimes because we so infrequently run successful sets. That needs to change).

Many people around the NBA respect his ability to connect and motivate his players. But the subtle parts of the game seem too often to escape him. For example, should we examine Vinny’s inability to design OTBs (Out-of-Bounds Plays) to simply inbound a ball near the end of a game? How many times did the Clippers almost lose a game in the 4th quarter because we struggled getting the ball in?

Shouldn't our coach be expected to be as elite as our players?

I stand by those statements and believe that this Clippers team is much better than last year’s version. (And these Grizzlies are worse due to the loss of Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo)

This season the Clippers gave VDN a roster make over. Goodbyes were said to inconsistent players such as Nick Young and Randy Foye. Goodbyes were given to offensive liabilities Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin. In their place, the Clippers brought in the 6^th man of the year Jamal Crawford (with apologizes to the Knicks JR Smith) and savvy veterans in Grant Hill, Willie Green, Matt Barnes and Lamar Odom. They also have a healthy Chauncey Billups to help run the show and hit the “big shot”. (Oh, and he has All-Stars in CP3 and Griffin, an improving DJ in the middle, a solid Bulter…Can you name a roster with as many athletes, veterans and dangerous artillery?)

Bottom-line, VDN has a tremendous amount of weaponry to choose from and he can create match-up nightmares should he choose to. Will Vinny create situations with his personnel to take advantage of the Grizzlies lack of depth and their lack of a wing playmaker outside of Mike Conley? Can he figure out how to neutralize Gasol and Randolph? Will he be able to get his team to play uptempo and get the scores into the 90s and 100s?

Meanwhile, Coach Lionel Hollins’ Memphis team will come in physical, tough and well coached. They dominated the 1^st quarter of last year’s first round series, as their game plans were precise and well executed. The Grizzlies will try to instill a slow pace and make this a half court game based on the passing skills of Marc Gasol and the multitude of low post moves Zach Randolph possesses. Can VDN create a game plan that will give his more talented team the opportunity to make a run to the Western Conference Finals?

I sure hope so, because if he doesn't, not only may his ride with the Clippers be over, but what of CP3s?

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Clippers Playoff Preview: 1 of 2

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:11:00 +0000

In order to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs last year, it took the “Miracle at Memphis” in Game 1, and a road victory at the Grindhouse in Game 7 buoyed by two ex-Clippers, Nick “Swaggy P” Young and Kenyon Martin. It was a war of attrition, with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin battling through injuries and the Clippers having to battle the physical frontline of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.

2013 is a completely different story.

Our Clippers are healthy (outside of Blake’s back, which he “said” was fine after Wednesday’s game), riding a 7-game winning streak and have “A Tribe Called Bench” (remember when that was the rage in December?) led by the Clippers’ new all-time leader in 3-balls in a season (149) Mr. Jamal Crawford. The Clippers have home court advantage this year and the confidence of beating Memphis twice at the Grindhouse last year in the playoffs.

Not to mention they owned the head-to-head matchup this year 3-1, including an impressive 91-87 Saturday night in Memphis.

Conversely these are not the Grizzlies you remember from last year. They lost their leading scorer in Rudy Gay and important depth in mid-season trades with the Raptors and Cleveland that brought them back Tayshaun Prince, Ed Davis and luxury tax relief (To my knowledge, luxury tax relief cannot post up or score). While they still have the ever-improving Marc Gasol (defensive player of the year?) and Zach Randolph, in the post, the Grizz do not have that 1-on-1 perimeter threat that can breakdown a defense. In addition to losing Gay, the Grizzlies do not have the sometimes dangerous-sometimes-missing-in-action OJ Mayo, who was Memphis’ version of Jamal Crawford last year. Mayo could explode off the bench with instant offense and gave the 2nd unit of Memphis a legitimate go to player. On-the-other-hand, Mayo was also prone to poor shooting nights, poor shot selection and unexplained turnovers. Certainly there will be times when the Grizz miss the shot making of Gay and Mayo.

Now the Grizzlies are remade as a tough, physical and methodical team that needs to play games in the 80s and low 90s to win. Conversely the Clippers want an up-tempo style that spaces out their shooters and gets Paul into the lane to create. This clash of styles could make for another remarkable series that revolves around three questions:

1. Who controls the tempo?

2. Can the Clippers’ frontline be as physical as Memphis?

3. Will the wings of the Clippers torch the guards of the Grizz?

“Rise up” Clippers Nation. It’s going to be a fun ride. Tomorrow we’ll breakdown the series a little closer. Just wanted to whet your appetite for what could be a historical two months of basketball in LA (and it doesn't include the Lakers).

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The Evolution of Blake Griffin

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:46:00 +0000

They are 9 games clear of LA’s other team.

Magic Johnson called them the new “Showtime”.

They have the best record in all of basketball.

They are led by a Coach many of us wondered (aloud) if he should be back this season.

They are 2^ndin the League in Assists and 4^th in Points Allowed per Game

A Tribe Called Bench has not only replaced the Swagalicious Unit from last season but has become the strongest unit in the NBA in recent memory.

They are….the Most Interesting Team in the NBA

They may also be the Best.

The Clippers have been one of the most exciting teams in the NBA since the acquisition of Christopher Paul, but there is a different “Feel” to this year’s squad. While it’s hard to put your finger on just one component that has put them over the edge, I’m going to do it anyway.

DISCIPLINE:

Last season the Clippers were a fun-loving “Lob City” unit that took LA by storm. It was a great ride of emotion and joy, especially when they rattled off 13 of 15 games near the end of the season as they convinced us they were going to capture the Pacific Title (painful collapse memory). However, they were ultimately done in by:

1. Attention to detail (San Antonio Series)
2. Shot Selection (The Swagalicious Nick Young led 2^nd Unit)

3. Reliance on Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin to provide way too many minutes

This year we have “Discipline” throughout the roster. Tonight I would like to focus on Blake Griffin in particular.

The Evolution of the Man:

Griffin is playing with poise, and is playing with a higher basketball IQ. It is not all about “throwing down a SportsCenter” dunk. Now in the post, he is “reading defenders”, setting up his post moves with head/ball fakes, and not forcing physically athletic moves just because he feels like he is stymied on the offensive end. Blake is allowing the game to “come to him more”. Take for example the Boston game. Blake didn't act upon the need to exert his presence early in the game as he patiently waited until the 2^nd half to showcase his emotional maturity. When the Celtics and Clips were getting “chippy”, it was Griffin who found himself in the middle of the fracas. But yet Griffin showed great discipline as he allowed his physicality and hustle to do the heavy lifting for him. Last year I’m convinced he would have started barking and/or earned a T in that 4-minute mayhem, as he would have felt he needed to show that he “was a man”. Now, under the tutelage of Grant Hill, Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom (I went there) Blake is disciplined on the floor. He seems to understand the big picture and is playing both in the present moment with the understanding that there’s something bigger at the end of the season. This discipline and maturity is not only making Blake Griffin a better player, but he is starting to show that he is not only an athletic freak; but that he could be a top 5/10 player in the league for years to come.

He is maturing and is acquiring discipline.

Clipper fans, it’s OK to smile. Blake's the Man.

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noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 16:54:00 +0000

The Clippers Smothered Kobe and the Lakers

The Lakers looked old.

The Clippers looked athletic.

The Lakers looked one dimension.

The Clippers looked 9 deep.

The Lakers coach did not have an effective game plan for his team defensively.

VDN had his team primed and prepared on defense.

The Lakers are rolling out excuse after excuse: new offense, new players, no Nash

The Clippers are “playing in the moment”; without excuses (they played without Billlups and Grant Hill).

Clippers Nation; how amazing is it that the Clippers are now team with a “winning culture” while the Lakers look like a team that is grasping to hang on to relevance? If you are new to the Clippers Nation, you may not appreciate how far this franchise has come since the collapse of the Dunleavy Era, but it doesn't matter. All that matters now is the quality of basketball the Clippers are capable of playing is breathtaking, exciting and unselfish. This wasn't just SportsCenter basketball, where the Clippers make five highlight reel plays, but can’t execute in the half court. Two games in our Clips are playing team basketball with an emphasis on taking quality shots within the flow of the offense.

Behind the depth and versatility of what is shaping up to be a dynamic 2^nd unit, the Clips sent a strong and decisive message to the Lakers that “we are contenders”. The Clippers showed consistent defensive effort and discipline throughout the game and were physically tough with Lakers frontline. The Clippers dared Kobe Bean Bryant to beat them, and despite his 40 points, the Clippers comfortably lead throughout the 2^nd half. Conversely, the Clippers are not forcing the ball into Blake Griffin or asking Chris Paul to make every play in the 4^thquarter. They are attacking defenses with both ball movement and via where the mismatch is. As a coach of this beautiful game, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the ball movement, unselfishness and discipline the Clippers are demonstrating. They are playing with a zest and sense of urgency early and you can tell that they are attempting to execute the themes of the preseason; discipline on defense and ball movement.

The Clippers find themselves 2-0 on the young season while the Lakers are now 0-3 (0-11 if you count the preseason). While the Lakers have too much talent to not turn their season around, one does have to wonder if the pieces LA has working for them aren't the right pieces and well, will never fit properly. Meanwhile, the Clippers pieces are blending together just as VDN envisioned.

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Are the Clippers the Best Team in LA?

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:25:00 +0000

Pacific Division Standings as of 11/2/12:

Team	Wins	Losses
Clippers	2	0
Warriors	1	0
Suns	0	1
Sacramento	0	1
Lakers	0	3

I get it:

80 Games to go.

We shouldn’t overreact to 3 days of the NBA.

But…

After the ridiculous hype this summer regarding how the Lakers reloaded (again) on the fly and how Steve Nash and Dwight Howard were recreating “South Beach West – Cali style” and had already scheduled their victory parade, can't the Clips bask in the glory of the Purple-and-Gold's 0-3 start?

They shouldn't, but with the shrewd moves the Clippers made this off-season, 80 games from now we might just see the Clips on top of the division for real.

The Clippers reconstructed their roster quietly and thoughtfully. They didn't try to win the back page of the newspaper and they didn't (unfortunately) blow up Twitter.

While the Lakers brought in a Hall of Fame point guard (in 2005-06) and Superman Dwight Howard (coming off both back surgery and murdering his coach), the Clippers carefully built their roster around the dynamic duo of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. They adeptly added solid veterans such as Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill and Lamar Odom to complement the pieces they already have.

The Clippers, you see, had “a plan”.

The Clippers added veterans who would enhance their culture, and most importantly, fill necessary voids San Antonio exploited last postseason.

Crawford will be a more consistent “Swaggy P”; as he will be instant offense, but will "fill-it-up" with a more mature and team orientated approach than the "chucker" who was our once beloved Swaggy P. Hill will add a steady hand, act as a point forward to accompany CP3, and space the floor. A motivated Odom will add championship experience and be a match-up problem for opposing 2^ndunits. (I still belief Odom is going to be a force for the Clips, but the proof will be in the Skittles, so to speak). And to be fair, we still haven’t even discussed the brilliance of bringing back Chauncey Billups and Caron Bulter, and the potential Bledsoe demonstrated in the postseason…

Conversely, the Lakers, went for the Big Names while presumably expecting a 100% return on their investment. If anyone has seen Nash run the point the last two games, he is only a shell of himself in the Princeton offense that doesn't allow him to "handle" the ball (Nash needs the ball in his hands 70-80-% of the time to be effective). If you followed the Suns closely last year, you kinda saw “this coming”. Outside of the pick-and-roll game, Nash doesn't offer you much outside of spot up shooting off a reversal or kick-out. He has long loathed defense, and let’s not even start to pretend he cares about defensive rotations and close outs. Howard brings a lot of baggage with him, and the Achilles heel of being a horrific free-throw shooter, thus rendering him useless on the offensive end at the end of games. Like the hot-shot executive who hires his secretary at the club; the eye candy and sizzle is hot...until you ask her to perform her work obligations she simply isn't qualified for.

Could the Lakers have been swindled into believing Howard and Nash not only will give them a return on their investment, but can play with Kobe? Are the Lakers doomed to 5o win season with a crushing 6 game loss in the Western Conference Semi-finals? What would that mean for Mike Brown?

So on November 1^st, 2012, who is the best team in LA?

We have a joke on our coaching staff, “Did we win warm ups tonight?” So often a team looks tremendous on paper, great in warm-ups and then epically disappoints in game action. You are left wondering “really? That’s it? All that collection of skills and talent, and THAT’S the product you are left with?”

To me, that’s the Purple and Gold. Kobe is not the talent he once was, and while he will average 23-25 points a game and have his moments of awe-inspiring greatness, he can no longer carry the team on his back night-in and night-out. Gasol is in the back-end of his career and if Howard and Nash cannot deliver, the Lakers simply won’t be better than a middle-of-the-road team that will see their championship aspirations perish as the season moves along.

The Clippers have two stars; one in Griffin entering his prime, while Paul is enjoying a renaissance with the Clippers. The Clippers still have question marks defensively in the paint, as Jordan and Griffin are not the defenders yet that is necessary on a championship club. However, the Clippers are methodically building a scary bench that will be dynamite with the return of Hill and Billups. The Clippers are built both for “now” and with another year together could be a top four team in the Western Conference in 2012.

Could this be the year of the Clippers?

Put it this way,

The odds are better of the Clips winning the Pacific than of a Laker winning MVP, I can promise you that.

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Olshey Leaves for Portland

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 01:59:00 +0000

The Man who built the Clippers is leaving.

Neil Olshey preached "a change of culture" and he delivered the best season in Clippers history. Olshey stressed how the Clips were Hip. And he was right again, as the Clips captured LA thanks to his fruitful acquisitions. Within a calendar year he brought in Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, K-Mart, Swaggy P, and Caron Butler. He cultivated youth and prospects and made the deal of a lifetime in acquiring Paul by flipping his assets for the face of the franchise.

This Man, Neil Olshey, whom the Clippers had announced would be retained on FRIDAY, is taking his ball and going to Portland. Unbelievable.

With 24 days until the draft, the Clippers will be in the capable hands of Prez Andy Roeser, Clips Director of Player Personnel Gary Sacks, and the league's most maligned coach, VDN (ummm...) to make some extremely difficult decisions: building around Paul and Blake to make sure they sign their extensions after 2013.

If you're VDN, this move has to scare you. Outside of Peanut Butter and Jelly, the only more secure combo in the world is a GM and a coach. They often come in and leave together. Every GM wants their guy and whomever the new GM is, VDN will have a one year audition. This situation could get extremely interesting if the Clippers do not get off to a good start in 2012.

Stay Tuned Clippers Nation; as this situation doesn't pass the smell test.

This situation smells like 2009 not 2012. But fear not Clippers Nation; we will not go backwards. We are NOT your older brother's Clippers. We need to rectify this situation with a smart hire and continue to build on the momentum of our historic season. We cannot afford to be derailed by, "this only happens to the Clippers".

We are no longer that franchise. If Neal wants to walk away, that is his loss. We have a good thing going here.

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The Return of VDN

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Tue, 29 May 2012 02:46:00 +0000

Updated: May 29, 2012, 7:22PM Pacific Time

The Clippers have picked up the option on VDN's contract for the 2012-2013 season. Below we examined the Pros and Cons of Vinny returning and what it means for the Clippers moving forward.

It appears as though the Clippers felt that bringing back Del Negro was cheaper, easier and less of a gamble than bringing in a Van Gundy or a legend such as Phil Jackson. It probably didn't hurt that both Paul and Griffin publicly supported Del Negro throughout the season. Vinny allows his players the opportunity to play freely on offense and while this free flowing offense can be too predictable (either a "4 out-1 in" post entry for Blake or a "High Pick-and-Roll" for Paul") it is system players enjoy.

The bottom-line is: Vinny has his opportunity to showcase whether or not he is worthy to be the coach of an elite and up-and-coming team. With a coach in place, the Clippers will now turn their attention to the upcoming draft and free agency.

Yesterday's article...
Tick Tick Tick...

June 1st is approaching and the Los Angeles Clippers need to make a significant decision that dictates the direction of the franchise. Within days the Clips needs to decide if they are picking up the 3rd year option on VDN or let him go.

What will Donald Sterling and the Clippers do?

Pro Vinny:

Why not give Vinny a little bit of love? After all, Vinny led our Clips to a 40-26 record this season and into the 2nd round of the playoffs for the 1st time since 2006. His team won 14 of their last 19 games. Our boys won a Game 7 on the road in Memphis! Our Clippers always played hard and never made excuses for the numerous, nagging and deliberating injures that crippled this team down the stretch.

One big factor in this decision: Chris Paul has supported VDN throughout the season. When Paul speaks, everyone in the Clippers Organization at least "listens". It certainly cannot hurt Del Negro's cause that Paul is publicly in his corner.

Free Vinny:

In the San Antonio series it really felt like Del Negro hurt the team more than he helped. We witnessed Coach Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs make minor adjustments throughout the series that made significant differences both in the course of a game and how the series played out. We saw a Coach in Pop who never panicked (Think Game 3) and whose team "Executed" and ran successful offensive sets to put Parker, Duncan and Manu in situations they felt comfortable with the basketball (Tangent, but on-topic: what is the Clippers "Go-to Play"? Is it, Give the ball to Chris Paul with a high screen and pray? I mean it’s hard to tell whether we are executing or not sometimes because we so infrequently run successful sets. That needs to change).

Shouldn't our coach be expected to be as elite as our players?

The Numbers:

Vinny coaching record was 82-82 with the Bulls, and 72-76 with the Clippers, including his 40-26 effort his year (his first winning season as a head coach). Overall his record is: 154-158 which is a 49% winning percentage.

The most crippling statistic is his playoff record: 8-15, (1-3 series mark).

To be fair, VDN has always had a young team, and in the playoffs youth and inexperience are often exposed. But is Coach Del Negro the coach to take the Clippers to the next level?

Are We Trying to Win a Championship?

Vinny could come back next season and the Clippers in Year Two of the "Lobcity Era" would continue to improve. But having a winning record isn’t the “goal” is it? We want a Championship! Is Vinny the right coach to get the Clippers past the Thunder, Spurs and Lakers? Can Vinny play chess with Coach Popovich during a playoff series (Heck, he can even play checkers with Mike Brown?).

If we truly want to win a Championship the Clippers should investigate the possibility of bringing in a Phil Jackson, or maybe a Jeff or Stan Van Gundy or a Jerry Sloan. But if the Clippers cannot entice a legend like Jackson to come back or hire a brain trust like one of the" X & O" brothers, then the Clippers should exercise the option and allow Del Negro, once and for all, the opportunity to either validate himself or fail.

Can this Donald resist the urge to yell, “You’re Fired!”

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Chris Paul Makes All-NBA 1st Team

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:21:00 +0000

Chris Paul came to LA to bring credibility to the Clippers Organization.

Mission Accomplished.

Today CP3 was properly recognized on the All-NBA 1st Team in 2012 along side LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant. CP3 is the 1st Clipper ever to achieve such lofty recognition. Paul's play was brilliant this year as he orchestrated the Clips from his point guard position. He averaged nearly 20 points a game to go with his league-leading 2.5 steals per game. CP3 also averaged 9.1 assists per game which ranked 3rd in the NBA.

Most importantly, Paul led the Clippers to 40 wins in the regular season and found a way to win that thrilling 1st round series with Memphis. Who will ever forget that Paul and the "Swagalicious Unit" stole Game 7 in Memphis while overcoming numerous injuries?

Projecting to 2012-13, Paul will be healthy, motivated and determined to take the Clippers to new heights. In order for the Clippers to elevate their game, the key question moving forward is, "Who will be flanking Paul and Griffin at Staples Center?" The Clippers need another wing player to complement Paul's ability to get into the lane and create. A dynamic, consistent shooter would also be a welcomed addition.

Could Ray Allen be the answer? He's not "dynamic" but "Ray Ray" is still a shooter who could open the lane for Paul and Griffin. I wouldn't hestitate to call Mr. Allen and "feel him out."

Blake Earns 2nd Team Honors:

In year two Blake Griffin certainly showed signs of evolving into a dominant post player as he was named to the All-NBA 2nd team. Griffin, whose composure and control in the post improved as the season moved forward demonstrated he was more than just "the star" in the LA Highlight Reel, "LobCity". Mixing in a baby hook and a "face-up" game, Blake was a double-double machine averaging 20.7 points per game along with 10.9 boards.

In 2012-13 Blake will be looked upon to evaluate his game once again. Improvement at the free-throw line (52%) is a must and Griffin must continue to expand his game to incorporate a mid-ranger jumper. In the play-offs, the Spurs really exploited his inability to hit from outside 10 feet.

Below is the voting for All-NBA. Voting is done by 120 sportswriters along with broadcasters. (Table is borrowed from NBA.com).

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Position	Player, Team (First Team Votes)	Points
Forward	LeBron James, Miami (118)	596
Forward	Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City (117)	591
Center	Dwight Howard, Orlando (75)	476
Guard	Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers (104)	568
Guard	Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers (74)	484

2011-12 All-NBA Second Team

Position	Player, Team (First Team Votes)	Points
Forward	Kevin Love, Minnesota (16)	365
Forward	Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers	170
Center	Andrew Bynum, L.A. Lakers (33)	400
Guard	Tony Parker, San Antonio (41)	367
Guard	Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City (5)	239

2011-12 All-NBA Third Team

Position	Player, Team (First Team Votes)	Points
Forward	Carmelo Anthony, New York (1)	154
Forward	Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas	136
Center	Tyson Chandler, New York (4)	60
Guard	Dwyane Wade, Miami (1)	235
Guard	Rajon Rondo, Boston (4)	142

Clippers Leave Us with Many Memories

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:10:00 +0000

When Chris Paul came to town, he promised this year would be different. And as always, CP3 delivered! The Clippers would win 40 games against 26 losses in this shortened season, but the improved record wouldn't tell the whole story. Our Clips would rally from down 10 or more times 15 times in 2012 and the cardiac kids made this a team you "had" to watch for 48 minutes because you never "knew" when a 26-3 run would erupt.

The Clippers gave us an heroic Seven Game Series vs. Memphis. The 26-1 run in the Fourth Quarter of Game 1 provided us with “One Epic Minute of Swaggy P for Three” that forever changed Clippers Nation forever. The Clippers would lead the series 3 games to 1 only to see Memphis tie the series at Staples in Game 6 at 3-3. Many feared that the Clippers would revert to “Old School Clipperdom” thus meaning “finding a way to lose”. Instead, CP3 rose up and played his finest 3 quarters of playoff basketball while the “Swagalicious Unit” became plain silly in the 4^th quarter. The 2^nd unit scored 25 of the Clippers’ 27 points as they wiped out the Grindhouse.

The Clippers were hobbling going into the San Antonio series. Blake had a sprained knee; Paul had a compromised groin, jammed finger and that nagging hip flexor. Mo Will would need his fingers taped and Butler was gutting it out playing with a fractured left hand. Oh, and that veteran Chauncey Billups, whose presence was going to help in the post-season, had been lost for season three months previously. And yet against a team that has now won 18 straight games by an average score of 16 points, the Clippers continued to fight, claw and battle. When they came up short in Games 1 and 2, did the Clippers make excuses?

Never.

Not once.

Time and time again, Paul and Griffin took responsibility and were accountable despite the adversity the team was suffering. Their leadership is inspiring and bodes well for 2012-13.

What to Do with VDN?

The Clippers have until June 1^st to make a decision on the option to bring back Coach Vinny Del Negro. Thoughts are mixed outside the Clippers Organization but internally it is my gut feeling that the organization will give VDN a full season to integrate the new pieces the Clippers desperately need to add. We will keep you in the loop if the VDN situation becomes fluid.

We are NOT GOING ANYWHERE!

We’ll be breaking down the draft, looking at the free agent market and updating the coaching situation. If it happens to the Clippers, Clippers Nation will keep you updated either on twitter feed, our website and our Facebook page.

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Clippers Need Paul

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:47:00 +0000

The San Antonio Spurs are GOOD. There are numerous reason why they won 50 games this year: depth, coaching, "Their Big Three", 3-Pointers shooters, etc. Despite the Spurs obvious overall dominance the Clippers have been able to stay with the Spurs in the 1st half of games thanks to the tremendous play of the "Swagalicious Unit" off the pine. This fact is even more astounding when you consider Chris Paul has been atrocious.

Paul's Series:

Game	Points	FG	Assists	Turnovers	+/-
1	6	3-13	10	5	-18
2	10	4-9	5	8	-22
Totals	16	7-22	15	13	-40

*Bold Indicate Team worse

Obviously Clippers Nation loves Chris Paul. He has changed the aura and culture of the entire Clippers Organization. The expectations of this team will never be the same as his epic Game 7 hobbled forever changed the perception of the Clippers.

However Paul is not healthy. He’s tough, but he’s not healthy. Not anywhere close. I hate to go there Clippers Nation but I have to be objective and fair: is Chris Paul helping the Clippers. The alternative to Paul would be Eric Bledsoe whose development in these playoffs bold well for the future,

Bledsoe’s Series:

Game	Points	FG	Assists	Turnovers	+/-
1	23	10-16	4	2	-6
2	4	2-3	2	4	8
Totals	27	12-19	6	6	2

Bledsoe has been the catalyst to the “Swagalicious Unit”. He changes the tempo of the game thanks his aggressiveness and athleticism and his presence gives the Clippers a different dimension the Spurs have to contend with. In comparison to Paul, Bledsoe favorably matches up with Paul’s efficiency scoring the basketball and in regards to +/-. However Bledsoe’s turnovers rate is still high and the Spurs adjusted to him in Game 2. Where in Game 1 Bledsoe was able to get 16 shot attempts, in Game 2 the Spurs bottled him up and forced him more in a facilitators role.

Since the Spurs are paying attention to both Paul and Bledsoe (allowing Griffin to get his points 1-on-1) it would benefit the Clippers if VDN played them both “together”. It would allow one of them to become more of a scoring threat and the quickness of the two guards could allow for more dribble drives and kick-outs to open 3-point shooters (Clippers knocked down 9-13 in Game 2). While that efficiency probably won’t be matched, the 3-point shot could be a tremendous weapon for the Clippers coming home to Staples.

Can Chris Paul and the Clips pull off yet another miraculous game? The numbers and experts say no, but if Game 7 in Memphis taught us anything, it’s not to underestimate the 2011-2012 Clippers!

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Clippers Nation have Faith, Game 1 Breakdown vs. Spurs

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:28:00 +0000

The Clippers played an excellent opening quarter and battled for 48 minutes before falling on the road to the #1 seeded Spurs. The Clips clearly showed that they aren't going to "lay down" in this series but unless the Clippers can get nasty and physical with the Spurs, they won't be able to win the elusive four games that they desire.

Rambling Thoughts on Game 1:

Battle of the Point Guards:

	Points	FG	Assists	Steals	Turnovers	+/-
Paul	6	3-13	10	5	5	-18
Parker	7	1-9	11	1	4	+24

Both Point Guards struggled tonight as it was clear that Coach Pop and VDN designed game plans to slow down these two MVP contenders. The difference is that the Spurs aren’t build soley around Parker. They are so deep and talented that they almost always have 5 players on the floor that can score. If Parker isn’t scoring, Pop just calls Duncan’s or Manu’s number. The Spurs can easily survive a night where Parker can’t get to his sweet spots in the lane.

Conversely for the Clippers, CP3 has to have his A-game for the Clippers to win. There is simply no way around it. Paul has to be both a facilitator and scorer for the Clippers to have a chance to win this series. The Spurs did a nice job of bottling up Paul in Pick-and-Roll situations and keeping him out of the lane.

Paul will have to find a way to get into the lane more and playing Bledsoe at point more may help free up CP3 offensively.

Bledsoe’s National Coming out Party:

Bledshow was AWESOME! In 27 minutes EB shot 10-16 from the floor and was clearly the best Clipper on the floor. His 23 points coupled with 4 offensive boards, 4 assists and 3 steals showcased his athleticism, his improving jumper and his defensive fortitude. Moving forward in this series, VDN needs to play Bledsoe more with CP3, in order to free up Paul in the half court. Bledsoe also encourages Paul to “push tempo” when they play together, as Paul has to “keep up” with EB. Paul often gets stuck in ruts where he walks the ball up the floor and EB forces CP3 to play faster.

Time to Get Nasty

The Spurs are very efficient in their half court offense and tonight it seemed like they were able to easily go through their “options/progressions” based upon what matchup Parker liked better. Whenever they wanted to go to Duncan in the post, they found him. When they doubled down, Duncan easily found the open man. When the Clippers were late on their defensive rotations, the Spurs had no trouble reversing the basketball around the perimeter for open looks from beyond the arc.

If the Clippers are serious about beating the Spurs they cannot allow them to shoot 52% from 3-point land (13-25) and 49% from the field. They need to:

1. Be more physical. Knock Duncan off the block and push him 2-3 feet further off the low block than he wants. They need to stretch out his range, making him “slightly” more uncomfortable.

2. Double the pick-and-roll and anticipate rotations. The Clippers were slow to rotate and the Spurs are an excellent passing team. The Spurs will torch the Clippers if they continue to be late on their defensive rotations.

3. Control Manu: The Clippers need to know where he is at all times. Manu finished in traffic, knocked down three 3-pointers and scored at will. The Clippers need to bump him on cuts, double harder (and play him “over the screen”) in pick-and-roll/pop situations. They allowed Manu to get to his spots without penalty. The Clips needs to force him into more contested shots and knock him on the ground on more than once occassion.

Blake: Shoot the J:

The Spurs played off Blake 5-7 feet throughout the game, daring Blake to shot a 14-16 foot jumper. While Blake was able to get out in transition and throw down (!) he was severely limited in the half court setting. When his defender dropped off him, not only does that take away his ability to drive to the basket, but it allows the Spurs to “Clog the lane”. This hurts the Clippers ability to find cutters to the basket. Blake needs to knock down a couple of jumpers in order to at least make the Spurs honor his jumper. Right now they are just daring him to shoot.

Final Thoughts:

The Clippers played tough. Butler and Bledsoe were dynamite. But Griffin and Paul were not. The Clippers will answer the bell in Game 2 and if Paul brings his A-game, the Clippers are going to pull an upset in SA!

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Magic in Memphis: Game 7 belongs to Clips!

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:47:00 +0000

The Los Angeles Clippers were too banged up to win Game 7. Right?

Butler’s fractured left hand, Paul’s groin, Griffin’s sprained knee, Paul’s hip flexor, Billups’ Achilles, Williams’ fingers, Paul’s finger

They were “too soft”.

After all, they are the LA “Floppers”.

There 16-17 record on the road meant they were incapable of wining two games on the road in this series.

But they won Two games at the Grindhouse!

If they couldn’t close it out at Staples, how could they be expected to win in Memphis? After all they are the LA Clippers. Wouldn’t it make sense that the Clips would tease us by getting up 3 games to 1 to become only the 9^th team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead?

But Chris Paul’s Clippers are different. These 2012 Clippers have heart, are gritty and they don’t care about what the haters say. This resilient bunch rebuked the odds and found a game to win thanks to tremendous team defense and a 2^nd unit (Swagalicious Unit) that annihilated the Grizzlies bench 41-18.

The Clippers followed their leader Chris Paul. Paul, who bought playoff tickets for his family to San Antonio for Game 1 on Saturday, set the tone early in this game with his aggressive play on both sides of the ball. Throughout the course of the year, Paul saved his best work for the 4th quarter. But Paul was aggressive early and often, shooting 10 times in the 1^st half as his eleven 1^st half points represented the only scoring threat the Clippers had. His reliable and normally dynamic sidekick Blake Griffin struggled once again as he was limited by his sprained left knee. Without his usual explosiveness, Blake was ineffective on both sides of the ball (played less than 2 minutes in the 4th quarter). While Paul came out ready to carry the team, we all know Game Sevens are won thanks to the contributions of many. And a team effort would be forthcoming.

Though the Clipper led by as much as 10 in the 1^st half, they held only a precarious 1 point lead into halftime. If you were the Grizzlies, you felt as though you dodged a significant bullet. The Grizzlies had shot the ball at a 33% clip and one would figure at home they would come out and shoot lights out in the 2^nd half versus the battered Clippers. But the Clippers energy, passion and defensive intensity had others ideas. The Grizzlies once again shot only 33% from the field in the 2^nd half and were absolutely atrocious from beyond the arc at 0-13 for the game. The struggles of the perimeter game allowed the Clips to help on Gasol and Randolph while also addressing the rebounding issues that were plaguing them throughout the series. Since the Clippers clogged the paint they were finally able to out-rebound the physical Grizzlies 46-44 with (Guess Who) Chris Paul grabbing 9 defensive boards.

But the most significant story of the Night was the Swagalicious Unit that dominated a Game 7 unlike any other bench I can recall. They collectively outscored the Grizzlies bench 41-18 while being +62 in a 10-point game. Let’s break them down:

Swaggy P (Swagalicious aka Nick Young) +13: After combining for only 7 points over his last 3 games while shooting 2-12 from the field (with only 2 boards and an assist) Swagalicious was the bomb! Nine of his thirteen points came in the 4^th quarter as Swaggy P looked comfortable, aggressive and confident. The pace of the game was quicker with Bledsoe in the game and Nick enjoyed the tempo.

Nick Young is a legitimate X-factor and he has to continue to be aggressive on offense. With Butler and Foye struggling during the playoffs Young needs to be more consistent if they are going to compete with the Spurs.

K-Mart +13: Kenyon was a boss on the boards. He ripped down 10 boards, but more importantly, he had 4 offensive rebounds that were crucial to the Clippers “staying close” prior to “the run” in the 4^th quarter. Kenyon’s energy and leadership were on full display as he inspired his bench mates with an impassioned plea to start the 4^th quarter. His 11 points gave him a double-double and with DeAndre struggling, he gave VDN a quality post who found ways to score the basketball.

Reg-gie Reg-gie +18: Mr. Evans had one of the greatest scoreless nights you could have. Reg-gie played his role perfectly as he dominated the boards (9 boards in 19 minutes) and didn’t take a single shot. His physicality was essential as the Clips held Gasol and Randolph to 28 points on 9-23 shooting. Good teams have players that understand their role, and Reg-gie “gets it”. Mad love to the bearded bald baller.

Eric Bledsoe +3: Bledsoe again changed tempo and pace. While Paul likes to walk the ball up the floor, Bledsoe is the polar opposite. He wants to push the ball up the wings and keep the defense honest. His 8 points and 3 assists against just one turnover were essential to the Clippers success, especially his play to start the 4th quarter.

Mo Will +15: With Foye and Butler struggling to shoot the ball, Mo Will rebounded from a disastrous Game 6 (2 points) with 9 points including that big spot up 3-pointer on a pass from Evans. Williams is giving the Clippers scoring off the bench, but his shooting percentage needs to increase vs. the Spurs (35% past 5 games).

The Clippers gave us a great 1^st round series and a great 2012 regular season. And many in the media are giving the Clippers “respect” and then predicting a 4 or 5 game series where the Spurs wipe the floor with us.

I love it: we’re underdogs.

Again.

Hey how did Game 7 in Memphis go?

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Game 6 is a Heart Breaker!

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Sat, 12 May 2012 05:26:00 +0000

The Clippers 2^nd unit was tremendous in Game 6 but it wasn’t enough as the Memphis Grizzlies used a 17-4 run in the 4^th quarter to knock off our beloved Clippers 90-88. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both started and played admirably but clearly were not themselves. Both struggled with explosiveness and at the end of the game they couldn’t “elevate” their games as is the custom. Shockingly we couldn’t find a way to win despite holding the Grizzlies to 46% shooting; 3-10 from downtown.

The game started slowly for LA as Memphis once again came out hungry and aggressive. A 25 to 16 first quarter stunned the sell-out crowd at Staples, who expected the home team to come out swinging first. I think the lack of energy had a lot to do with the injuries to Paul and Griffin. When you are hurt you often times come out tentative until you have a feel of the game to see what you can and cannot do. Griffin agreed, "We were both trying to feel it out. There were times where there's a move I think I could normally make but not in that instance, so I tried to get other people going and tried to move the ball and get on the move to help a little bit."

While their initial rotation was stale and uninspiring, Paul and Griffin both looked better from an energy stand-point moving forward. However, it was sobering to see Blake play without “hops” and Paul’s lack of explosion was evident in the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter as he could not get to the basket. With around 2 minutes to go CP3 turned it over on back-to-back possessions which were like watching an “out-of-body” experience. That is not our CP3 and he acknowledged as much,

"I couldn't move as much as I'd liked to," Paul said.

Paul would finish with 11 points and 7 assists while Griffin had 17 points, 5 boards and 6 assists.

Clipper Randomness:

Eric Bledsoe was the biggest reason the Clippers were even in position to win this game….Bledsoe had 14 points on 6-12 shooting with 6 assists. His change of tempo energized the crowd and most importantly his teammates. It was a nice rebound for Bled”show” after only getting 6 minutes the previous game…

Reggie Evans was once again a man child. Reg-gie Reg-gie Reg-gie had another solid performance with 6 points, 10 boards and 3 blocks. He also played tough defense on Gasol and Randolph.

Swaggy P was quiet once again and his void was certainly felt. 1-4 shooting with 2 steals in 16 minutes…that’s all you do in 16 minutes? Come on Swagalicious, we need more from you!

Anyone see Mo Williams?

One night after he scored 21 points and was a factor in Game 5 he was conversely just as quiet in Game 6. Clippers Nation was expected Williams to make things easier for Paul and Griffin but instead his 2 points on 1-7 shooting in 11 minutes left much to be desired.

We Need to Shut Down the Post:

Gasol and Randolph had 41 points and again the Grizzlies doimnated the paint. In Game 7 VDN has to find a way to control the 2 monster posts of Memphis if we have any chance of winning.

Where do we go?

We are injured. We are down. No one expects us to do anything but travel to Memphis and lose. Could there be a better stage for the “Comeback Kids?" After all they gave us the “Miracle in Memphis”! What could be nicer than to go on the road and win a Game 7 no one thinks they should win?

I like the upset! Clippers 87 Grizzlies 86.

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Clippers Nation will RISEUP!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Clippers Nation) — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:08:00 +0000

Clippers Nation will RISEUP!!!

To: Clippers Nation:
Re: Game 5

Last night was a difficult night for all of us. Watching Blake go down hard with 1:31 left in the 3^rd quarter, reaching for his left knee, forced my heart to skip a beat. Many in Clippers Nation held their breath hoping Blakeshow would rise up as the Grizzlies fans showed a disgusting lack of class. Fortunately Blake was able to continue, but I think we all share in Griffin’s fear,

I'd never felt that before. The pain scares you the most, not because it hurts, but because you don't know what's wrong.

You just hope that with treatment over the next 48 hours the swelling will continue to subside and Blake will be close to full strength for Game 6. We are going to need him!

Blake notes:
While Blake struggled last night with an aggressive (for a change) Marc Gasol on the defensive end (he has to get back on defense), Blake was still able to register his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. An interesting stat that sums up the Clippers night:

0... assists for Blake

Blake and the Clippers NEVER looked comfortable on offense. There wasn’t a rhythm and every shot was essentially contested. In the post, Blake wasn’t able to create and when the Clippers could reverse the ball, they weren’t able to take advantage of open looks with any sort of consistency.

CP3

The greatest closer in the NBA sat out the end of the game. For Chris Paul to remove himself from an intense playoff game speaks to the pain he must be in. The man who has many characteristics of a super hero (think Mr. Fantastic or Superman, whomever you prefer) is dealing with his own kryptonite: injuries.

Paul has a:

· Compromised groin

· Jammed middle finger on shooting hand

· Strained right hip flexor

While CP3 said he’ll be OK for Friday, you have to hope and pray that Paul really is the superhero we need him to be if we are to win one more game.

Rotation Concerns:

Last night I was very perplexed by the allotment of minutes:

Swaggy P	12 minutes
Bledsoe	6 minutes
Jordan	19 minutes
Martin	10 minutes
Foye	23 minutes

On a night when we couldn’t make shots, I was confused about the role of Nick Young. I’ll be the first to admit that when Swaggy P isn’t scoring, his value is minimal, but on a night where Foye struggled and Butler didn’t make a shot after the 1^st quarter (2-10), I find it hard to believe that Young’s ability to get into the lane and knock down perimeter shots didn’t have a greater value in this game. Our half court offense was atrocious for long stretches of time in this frame (outside the first 6 minutes of the 4^th quarter) and his creativity and athleticism could have helped. I wonder if VDN could actually try running some of the Clippers guards off screens in order to:

1. Make defenses move and work harder

2. Allow our scorers the opportunity to work “with space” as opposed to always have
to “Create space”.

3. Use Blake more as a screener on the baseline so that he can get “deeper” post
position

I am also bewildered by the lack of time Bledsoe received. He is a player who changes tempo and could have broken down the intense perimeter pressure Memphis employed last night. DeAndre is a mystery to Clippers Nation right now and clearly struggling with the posts of Memphis. The limitations of his offensive skill set are being exposed in this series and he is not a threat on offense or defense. Reggie Evans has been a much more valuable and impactful player than Jordan.

Mo made a plethora of tough shots and led the team with 20 points. While his shot selection at times was debatable, it’s important to keep in mind he often was trying to bail the Clippers out at the end of the shot clock. I liked his energy and how he tried to carry the team when Paul went down.

Outlook:
Clippers Nation needs to RISE UP Friday if we are going to advance. It is a must-win and with our boys bruised we must be the "13th Man". We have to represent and be the difference.

We must all "RISE UP" from the adversity our team is faced with. We still BELIEVE!

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies stage epic Game 4

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Chris Paul and our Clippers struggled over the last 4 minutes of the 4^th quarter. We watched helplessly as a 10-point lead vanished thanks to a 13-3 Memphis run to close out regulation. We watched CP3 hold the ball too long on the last possession of the 4^th quarter and we were stunned!

Staples Center was silent.

Clippers Nation was worried.

“All In” was being threatened.

Adversity had struck Clippers Nation. When Memphis faced similar adversity in Game 1, they crumbled. So when the Clippers and Chris Paul were staring at a parallel situation (a squandered lead) they conversely shined! The single most valuable player in the NBA delivered once again for Clippers Nation. In overtime CP3 scored 8 of his 27 points to propel the Clippers to a 101-97 victory which “earned” the Clippers a 3-1 series lead.

Blake Isn’t Fake:

Blake Griffin was “Balling” regardless of the criticism dished out by Charles Barkley during halftime. Could Blake have rebounded better in this game? Sure, he would even tell you that. But DJ Foster of ESPN and I had short Twitter Interaction which discussed Blake’s improvement throughout the series, (read his stuff on espn.com)

(Foster): Blake is learning as this game goes on what works on the block and what doesn't. Fun to watch.

(ClippersNation1): He's "Slowed" down and really "feelin" his defender in the low post.

(Foster): Doesn't happen very often, but he's made huge adjustments just in this game.

As DJ alluded to Blake is steadily improving throughout the series. Tonight you could see him taking his time in the post, feeling what side the defender was in relation to which way he should attack (you attack from the opposite side from where he defender is “leaning”) and he embraced contact both in the paint and in transition opportunities. Seventeen foul shot attempts showed that Griffin was attacking the basket with ferocity and purpose. An aggressive, composed and physical Griffin set the tone for the entire game for the Clippers. His improvement both on the low block and 15 feet from the basket are encouraging signs moving forward.

Also underrated in this game was his ability to feel the double team and get the ball out to his shooters in rhythm. Blake registered seven assists in Game 4 after a total of 5 in the first 3 games combined. Check out the chart below:

Game #	Points	Field Goals	Assists
Game 1	17	7-15: 47%	1
Game 2	22	9-15: 60%	2
Game 3	17	7-13: 54%	2
Game 4	30	10-15: 67%	7

Blake is getting better and he even knocked down 10-17 FTs. He’s not going to win a free throw contest at the local Elks Lodge, but it was enough to make the trips to the line meaningful.

Clippers Notes

One day after his 27^th birthday Paul took over the overtime session. He was able to get to his sweet spots on the floor and create space for his jumper. I really respect Paul for how quickly he was able to move past his mistake at the end of the 4th quarter. He is a born leader and Thank God he doesn’t wear purple and gold. He is clearly the best player on the floor at all times.

Caron Butler has a HUGE HEART. Butler gutted out a legendary 26-minute performance that was more than just inspiring as he knocked home 14 points. Caron has earned the admiration of Clippers Nation and his willingness to play hurt shows his tremendous character. It also gives the Clippers another shooter which schematically helps space the floor for CP3 and Blake…

As pointed out by NBA Guru Mike A Scutto Bledsoe was +14 in just 12 minutes. I thought he positively influenced the tempo of the game and his aggressiveness buoyed the Clippers as they made their push in the 4^th quarter….Reg-gie Evans was once again a star on the glass, pulling down 8 boards (behind only Paul’s team leading 9). The Staples Center crowd has absolutely fallen in love with him as chants of “Reg-gie Reg-gie Reg-gie” filled the arena. He has become a sort of a cult leader. With that being said, I'm not sure about the Evans-Kmart combo at times during the game. I know Blake fouled out, but both Evans and Martin were -10 on the night. VDN may want to think twice next time that "thought" comes into his mind...(he may also want to draw up some different OTB plays)

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Rise Up in Red! The Los Angeles Clippers Rally to Defeat the Grizzlies!

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Time effectively stopped at Staples yesterday afternoon when the ball left Rudy Gay’s hand online for the potential game-winning jumper:

The Twitter-verse Stopped.

My Heart: Stopped.

Your Heart: It stopped too.

That shot was the antithesis of a Lobcity dunk, as it took forever to come down. When it did, bouncing harmlessly away, Clippers Nation could finally exhale. Once again our Clippers rose up from certain defeat using a 19-9 run midway through the 4^th quarter to steal Game Three 87-86 at Staples to quiet the critics who have called our
Clippers soft and just a highlight show.

There are so many storylines…

Another clutch 4^th quarter by Chris Paul.

When we needed him most, CP3 delivered. Time and time again this season Paul has taken this team on his back and made the 4^th quarter his. Down 4 to start the 4^th quarter CP3 came out and nailed a 26-foot 3-pointer as if it say, “It’s On”. Tied at 80 with 2 minutes to go, Paul hit a difficult fade way jumper to give the Clipper a slim two-point edge. Paul would then steal the ball from Marc Gasol and create Lobcity with his chemistry partner Griffin to emphatically put the Clippers up 4 points with a 1:23 to go. Then with ice water in his veins Paul (whose 27^th birthday is today) knocked down 2 free throws to put the Clippers up 6 with 23 seconds to go.

How clutch has CP3 been this season? Let me ask it this way:

Would you rather have CP3 or LeBron in the 4^th quarter?

Blake Griffin Playing Matt Kemp

In a 1-point victory it’s easy to pick plays out that altered the game in some way. However the biggest play of this hotly contested game could have been Blake’s Matt Kemp moment in centerfield. At the end of the half, Blake broke perfectly on the line drive pass from Marreese Speights, picked it off and then emphatically threw it down over the bewildered Speights to give the Clips a 4-point halftime. Why didn’t Speights foul Blake in that situation? Only Speights knows the answer but the dunk clearly sent a distinct message: We are attempting to be more aggressive and physical than you! Speights backing away from Griffin’s enormous authority was a power play won by our Clippers.

As a centerfielder Matt Kemp had to be proud of that play.

The Swagalicious Unit (Moving Forward, the Clippers 2^nd unit on this website and on twitter will be forever referred to as the “Swagalicious Unit”. Thank you for your understanding.)

Last night we officially punched our ticket for the right of entry onto the Nick Young Train. He may be a volume shooter without a conscience but in the playoffs Nick Young has been the X-factor for our Clippers. Swaggy P has taken his game to the next level during these playoffs shooting 13-21 from the field (62%), 7-10 from downtown (70%) and is 4-4 from the charity stripe (100%).

Compare these numbers with his Clippers regular season stats:

· 39% from the field

· 35% from the 3-point line

· 86% from the foul line

Without Swaggy P (and the grit and toughness of Reggie Evans!), we are down 0-3 in the series regardless of the heroics of CP3 and Griffin.

The “Charity Stripe”?

The Clippers are testing my patience and phraseology on this one. I like to refer to the foul line as the Charity Stripe because many NBA games are decided by the easiest shot in all of basketball (outside of the dunk). The Mavericks rode the charity stripe in winning the NBA Finals last year and an elite team like the OKC Thunder is making hay at the foul line as we speak. Apparently the Clippers are bound and determined to increase the degree of difficulty of winning playoff games. The Clippers were an abysmal 13-30 from the foul line, and that included CP3’s 7-8 effort from the stripe. Let’s examine the rest of our beloved Clippers from the stripe:

Reggie Evans:	2-8
Blake Griffin:	3-9
Eric Bledshow:	1-5
Combined:	6-22 (27%)

Conversely Memphis shot 30-39 from the foul line (77%). The Grizz outscored the Clippers by 17 at home from the um, charity stripe, and still lost the game. A big bullet dodged by the Clips.

Moving forward it breaks my heart but until the Clippers start making free throws, the foul line has become more of an adventure than a charity and thus our writing will reflect such.

CLIPPERS NATION WAS THE DIFFERNCE

Check out the website: "Rise Up in Red"!

"I won't forget my first playoff in this building," Paul said. "The energy in the crowd and seeing fans celebrating motivate us. The crowd won the game for us."

Enough said!

Game Four Prediction: Clippers 95 Grizzlies 92

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Game 2 Breakdown: Clippers Beat Themselves

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Thu, 03 May 2012 05:16:00 +0000

There are a variety of ways to look at Game Two if you are a member of Clippers Nation:

The Glass is Half-Full:

· Memphis couldn’t stop the Clippers offense. The Clips shot 57% from the field, hit 9 of 16 from 3-point land, and made a respectable 13-18 from the stripe. That kind of shooting effort especially on the road should have resulted in a win.

· CP3 was unstoppable: 29 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. Paul shot 4-6 from downtown, 5-5 from the line. Paul looked more like a scorer tonight and he kept the Clips in the game, despite some questionable decisions in the open floor and at the end of quarters. Bottom-line: I loved the aggressiveness Paul showed for 48 minutes and I hope this becomes a trend moving forward.

· Blake Griffin owned the left block, as Marc Gasol struggled keeping Griffin at bay. #32 shot 9-15 with 9 boards and was able to get to the rim whenever he wanted.

· Swagalicious was 3-3 from downtown again! Young finished with 11 points on 4-7 shooting BUT he didn’t fill the rest of the stat-sheet. Swaggy P did hurt his hand, but 0 rebounds and 0 assists? In the playoff we need more stat-stuffing.

The Glass if Half-Empty:

· Outrebounded 37-28, but more significantly, 16-4 on the offensive glass. Memphis was able to take advantage of the extra possessions as they shot 8 more field goals and 21 more free throws than the Clippers. Simply put, to win a road game in the playoffs, you can’t give up an additional 18-20 possessions.

· 20 turnovers to 12. On a night when the Clippers couldn’t miss, they gave away at least 20 shots (which at the rate the Clips were shooting would have been 11 makes = 22 points). Most damaging was that the Grizzlies were able to score 20 points in transition (to only 6 for the Clippers).

· Foul disparity: The Clippers shot 18 free throws, the Grizzlies shot 39 (making 31). It was a physical game on both sides and clearly it is this blogger’s opinion that the refs were influenced by ~~David Stern~~…the home crowd.

What it Means:

Mission Accomplished! The Clippers have home court advantage and are coming back to Staples with the opportunity to gain a strangle hold on the series. The Clippers “beat” themselves tonight, and will need to play a cleaner game on Saturday.

Game 3 Prediction: Clippers 104 Grizzlies 93

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Miracle in Memphis!

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:32:00 +0000

In what may be the greatest 4^th quarter comeback in the history of the NBA Playoffs, the Clippers (yes the Clippers) pulled out a 99-98 win in Memphis, utilizing a scintillating 28-3 run to finish off the Grizzlies. The MVP of the NBA (well, in the eyes of “Clippers Nation”) knocked down the game winning free throws with 23.7 seconds left and the much maligned Clippers defense held strong, forcing Rudy Gay into a tough 16-foot fall away jumper as time expired.

I have to be honest Clippers Nation, I have goose bumps! I mean, “Do you believe in miracles”? In all my years of playing, coaching and watching basketball, I have never witnessed a game change as dramatically as this one did. But a 28-3 run to end the 4th quarter? You may never see a run like that to end ANY basketball game again in your lifetime! Treasure this Clippers Nation!!!

How does this happen?

1. Let’s break down the 4^th Quarter Numbers (TNT).

a. The Clippers started out the game 1-12 from downtown, while the Grizz nailed 8 of their first 10 three pointers (finishing 11-16: 69%). However in the 4^th quarter, the Clippers shot a ridiculous 5-6 from beyond the arc.

b. The Clippers clearly outplayed the Grizzlies in the 4^th quarter, and the 35-13 score in favor of the Clippers may have been their best basketball of the season! Their defensive intensity was tremendous, as they forced 10 turnovers in the 2^nd half (compared to 2 in the 1^st half). They also started contesting every shot and they just OWNED the boards, out-rebounding Memphis by 13 in the quarter!

2. The Clippers still trailed 96-84 with 2:47 when Nick “Swagalicious” Young literally became “Fire”. Swagalicious hit back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers in exactly a minute to cut the lead to 96 to 93. Young, who is not exactly a “percentage shooter”, shot 6-9 from the field, 3-4 from downtown, and 4-4 from the line. His plus/minus was +28!!! Nick Young just became immortal in NBA Playoff lore. To be frank, his Swag just became historic.

3. Reggie Evans: Reggie brought passion, intensity and his indomitable will to the table and inspired a Nation! He also brought his offensive game, as he went 3-3 from the field and finished with 7 points and 13 boards. However, his impressive numbers aren’t the story. It was his effort, heart and intensity that gave the Clippers the belief and fortitude to move forward. Reggie was an impressive +23 for the game. Expect to see more of Mr. Evans in this series, as the Grizz didn’t have an answer for him.

4. Mike Scotto: a “follower” of Clippers Nation, made another astute observation: the Clippers bench was +79 for the game! The 2^nd unit was beyond special and gave the Clippers the mojo, swag and the effort they needed. The 2^nd unit clearly wasn’t “scared” by the moment. Can they do it again?

5. CP3 and BlakeL: “balled” in the 2^nd half. After combining for 3 points in the 1^st half, the dynamic duo combined for 28 points in the 2^nd half. They were able to cash in turnovers by the Grizzlies into points and they seemed to “settle in”. CP3’s focus and intensity was inspiring and his leadership kept the Clippers fighting, even when they were down 84 to 57.

6. FT shooting: Normally Free Throws are the Clippers Achilles heel, but tonight the FTs were solid: 17-23 (74%), including a pair by Blake and CP3 at the end of the game that were crucial. In a one-point game that needed a 28-3 run to win, it’s safe to say every free throw counted.

7. VDN: Let’s be fair here: His game plan was terrible! His team was lost for 3 quarters. But…to his credit he played the hot hand in Reggie Evans and Nickie “Swagalicious” Young. That’s coaching. For the record, he’s plus/minus: 0 for the night. (He may want to write Nick Young a Thank You Note).

8. 28-3 run: Wow, words don’t even describe the “AWESOMENESS”. I will have to watch that again tomorrow on NBA TV because you KNOW THIS GAME WILL BE REPLAYED OVER AND OVER AND OVER! (And I will never get sick of it). Click Here for every made basket in the 28-3 run. Click here for every play of the 35-13 4th quarter!

Now the Clippers need to watch tape, be humbled and come out focused in Game 2. The Clippers have already accomplished their mission in Memphis; as they have regained the home court advantage they squandered the last week of the regular season. However, they still need to understand that you just can’t play playoff games in “spurts”. This was their 15^th victory this season that required at least a 10-point comeback. I get it, they are good enough to dig themselves a hole and come back. But wouldn’t it be great if they could play with a lead…

But tonight, Clippers Nation... Enjoy. This was a tremendous comeback that was inspired by a new player in Nick Young, a role player in Reggie Evans (who gave his heart to the team tonight) and we saw our 2 superstars show up big in the 4^th quarter. It was magical and maybe sometimes we just need to leave it at that.

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The Importance of Playoffs...

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:09:00 +0000

This playoff series with Memphis is an important one for the Clippers for a variety of reasons. While Kevin Arnovitz did a tremendous job outlining the successful re-branding of the Clippers from “losers to winners” much is on the line for Clippers Nation:

1. The Perception of Vinny Del Negro as an NBA Head Coach. After two 41-41 seasons with the Bulls that included an infamous run-in with Bulls management and VP John Paxson, we weren’t sure what to think about Vinny’s actual ability to coach in the Association. Some praised his work with the “Baby Bulls”, especially in regards to developing younger players such as Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, etc. Others will point to the fact that when Vinny left, the Bulls have become one of the top four teams in the NBA since they hired Tom Thibodeau. Has Thibodeau been the difference? Or was it the additions of Carlos Boozer, Rip Hamilton, etc?

With the Clippers, Vinny was praised last year for getting a young team to play hard and show improvement on the defensive end as they went 32-50. This year with the addition of Chris Paul, much has been expected of the Clippers, and Vinny’s performance is still, much like it was with the Bulls, up for debate. Was he brilliant when the Clippers tore off a 13-2 run after losing those 3 straight roads games at the end of March? Or was he incompetent when the Clippers finished the season 1-3, losing home-court advantage in the 1^stround of the playoffs? After four years of coaching in the NBA, this playoff series may finally define Vinny as an NBA coach.

2. Chris Paul legacy: I get tired when the media defines and redefines every significant player’s legacy after every playoff game and/or series (LeBron, Kobe, etc). However, in regards to CP3, there is some truth to this debate. CP3 was runner up for MVP to Kobe Bryant in 2008 and has enjoyed a minor renaissance with the Clippers. While his opponents have always respected his game, the media “forgot” about CP3 as an elite player in the NBA over the past couple of seasons as New Orleans struggled to make the playoffs. A run in the playoffs here would be an “in-your-face” reminder of the greatness of CP3 and make him a front-runner for MVP in 2013.

3. Hope: Winning this playoff series would give Clippers Nation hope that our Clippers aren't just a “fun” team. It would show that “Lob City” is a legit title contender positioning itself for a bright future. To lose the series in 6 games to Memphis wouldn’t be devastating but it would be disappointing for a fan base craving playoff success.

Predictions:

1. Vinny solidifies himself as a solid NBA Coach, but we won’t know if he's moving into the upper echelon of top coaches until we can examine his performance throughout the playoffs vs. elite teams/coaches.

2. CP3 reestablishes himself as the best point guard in basketball, and a Top 3 player.

3. Clippers win series over Memphis in 6!!!

CP3, Your 2013 MVP

noreply@blogger.com (Clippers Nation) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:06:00 +0000

Chris Paul is not going to win the NBA MVP this season. But after watching CP3 carry the Clippers during the 2011-2012 season, there is no question about who should be the leading MVP candidate going into next season. A spectacular run in the 2012 playoffs would solidify CP3's status among the elites of the game.

The Qualifications:

“Clutchness”:

No one is better late in a game than CP3. Don’t believe me? Paul is 3^rd in the NBA with 369 points in the 4^th quarter this season, which is a staggering 31% of his overall points. Everyone in the building knows that CP3 is going to have the ball at the end of the game, YET he is still shooting 50.4% from the field in the 4^thquarter.

But let’s dig deeper…In the final five minutes of a game with the Clips ahead or behind by 5 points or less, CP3 trumps Durant and Kobe Bryant (and the rest of the NBA):

Player	Games	FG%	Assists	Points
Paul	36	42.4	31	143
Durant	30	39.2	2	143
Bryant	40	36.1	23	143

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com Game Notes.

Not only is CP3 tied for the scoring lead in the NBA in these situations, but he has been able to put his teammates in position to “score” as well. Look careful at the chart; Durant only has 2 assists in this situation? That’s a red flag. If I’m coaching against Durant in the playoffs, I can bring the double team harder and quicker because I know he is not going to hurt us with a pass. Paul, on the other hand, is much more complicated to defend in these late game situations. Simply put, if you double Paul, he will beat you with a pass. If you play him straight up, Paul is adept at beating a defender off the dribble and finishing in the lane. He can also push his defender into the paint, create space, and then pull up and hit a fade away 15-foot jumper in your eye. Many will tell you that Paul is impossible to defend, especially when the game is on the line. His is a fierce competitor who can willhe team to victory.

And if you are still not sold yet, that’s ok, we’ll get you there.

Most Game-Winning Shots in Last 10 Seconds of Game (2007 - 2012)

Chris Paul 10 (3 such shots in 2012)

Kobe Bryant 9

Carmelo Anthony 8

Dirk Nowitzki 8

Dwyane Wade 6

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com Game Notes.

Seeing the names of Kobe, Melo, Dirk and Dwyane Wade on this list are not shocking. If you are not a Clippers or Hornets fan, seeing CP3 on top of this list may be eye opening. But it won’t be shocking for much longer. Going into the 2012 playoffs, Chris Paul has the opportunity to shine in the bright lights of LA where he will finally start to get the due he deserves for being perhaps the most clutch player in the NBA.

Just an observation: the two leading candidates for MVP in 2012 (Durant and James) are both curiously missing from the above list

As Paul goes, the Clips Go…

A great player can carry a solid team and make them appear elite. The numbers below demonstrate how valuable Paul’s production is to the Clippers:

Stats	Wins (37)	Losses (23)	Difference
PPG	21.2	17.5	-3.7
APG	9.4	8.4	-1.0
FG%	50.5	42.8	-7.7

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com Game Notes.

Paul has to be at his best in order to give the Clippers an opportunity to win games, as the Clippers do not have the depth of elite talent to overcome the lack of production from their best player. While Blake Griffin has had an All-Star season, he is still not an elite player you can isolate in the post in the 4^thquarter for two distinct reasons:

1) His struggles from the charity stripe: 52%

2) His inability to have a true “go-to” move in the post versus an elite defender and/or double teams. Double teams are difficult for Blake because he often holds the ball too long, which allows for both quicker defensive rotations (on perimeter shooters after a kick-out) and for the double team to get “deeper” on him, rendering him ineffective in many late game situations.

Paul understands and embraces the enormous responsibility thrust upon him to carry this young and inexperienced team night-in and night-out. I’m often puzzled when NBA pundits criticize Paul for not looking for his shot earlier in the night. In a condensed season, Paul has had to pick his spots early in games to make sure he would have enough gas in the tank to finish off the numerous close games the Clippers found themselves in. After all, the Clippers led the NBA with 14 comeback victories after trailing by 10 points or more.

It is certainly worth watching to see in the playoffs if Paul is more aggressive in looking for his shot earlier in games. A more aggressive CP3 would be incredibly dangerous and could lead the Clippers into uncharted territory!

And for Paul himself, that uncharted territory will be MVP in 2013!

Team Effort Please...

noreply@blogger.com (Clippers Nation) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:59:00 +0000

For the first time in almost a month the Clippers were outhustled (lost the rebounding battle by -7) and looked tired, especially in the 2nd and 3rd quarters where they were outscored a combined 62-44. The Clippers’ inability to get consistent stops created a razor thin margin of error that was exposed late. As CP3 was leading another fierce comeback it was tragically thwarted by a back-breaking-3-point-bank-prayer by Hawks guard Joe Johnston from 50 feet out (ok, 30 feet) with 38 seconds left that was the dagger the Clips couldn’t overcome. What our beloved Clippers need to understand is that you just can’t “get down 10-15 points” vs. quality NBA teams and bank on the fact that you can always mount a comeback,
"I guess we just made it real interesting. We've got to use this game (Wednesday) as a huge barometer as far as what it's going to be like in the playoffs. In the playoffs you're not going to be able to get down 10, 15 and try to come back in the fourth quarter, because the game's going to be way too intense for that." said CP3 after the game.
I hope everyone in Clippers Nation takes this statement to heart.

The Good:
CP3 and the Blake Show were unconscious vs. the Hawks with 70 points between the two Western Conference All-Stars. For the 3^rd straight game, Blake came out strong in the 1^st quarter as he showcased an amazing offensive repertoire. Blake would score 36 points on 17-23 shooting to go along with 8 boards. As always, CP3 was up to the challenge as he dropped 34 points on 10-20 shooting, and was 10-11 from the charity stripe while dropping 8 dimes.
As you know, I’m not a math major, but our two studs shot a combined 27-43 (63%) from the field and 12-15 (80%) from the free throw line and we lost. It just reinforces that even having 2 All-Stars at their best isn’t good enough in the NBA in a playoff type situation. This cannot be a sign of things to come or else the Clippers will not be advancing to the 2^nd round.

The Bad:
A win in Atlanta would have “earned” the Clippers home court advantage in the 1^st round of the playoffs, and kept alive their dream for a Pacific Division Title. However, while the dream died, the Clippers are still one win away from clinching home court advantage. If the Clippers win Wednesday at the Knicks, then things aren’t that bad. We will still get to host the Grizzlies at Staples and you know Staples will be rocking! Now if we lose Wednesday…

The Ugly:
Our supporting cast!
MIA: Randy Foye – Randy has been on fire in April but tonight, took home a 0-3 shooting night and finished with “no soup for you” – zero points. Normally, the Clippers have been picking each other up when someone struggles, but outside of the “1-2 Lobcity Punch” no one else moved the meter. Nick Young was -12 on the night, finishing with an uninteresting 5 points while K-Mart was a complete non-factor with 0 points and only 3 boards on a night where the Clippers needed a rebounding presence. Since the return of Mo Williams, Eric Bledshow doesn’t look like the same explosive guard who was maturing in Williams’ absence. Williams himself is struggling shooting the basketball while only shooting 38% from the field over his last 5 games. Mo needs to be an offensive factor to relieve the enormous pressure on CP3 and Blake.

Random Notes from Clippers Nation:
The Clippers collected 32 total points from everyone outside Blake and CP3 Tuesday night….
the Hawks themselves are still battling for home court advantage in the 1^st round of the playoffs…
The Lakers celebrated the Pacific Division Title by answering questions dealing with MWP’s looming suspension (7 games)….
The Knicks may rest some of their key players Wednesdays as they will travel in the 1^st round regardless of the result of Wednesday’s game…a Key Matchup Wednesday night: Iman Shumpert vs. CP3. Shumpert is quickly earning a reputation as a “lockdown” defender and no one stays in front of CP3…
A game after only missing 9 free throws in 43 attempts, the Clips missed 6 (14 of 20; 70%)…since returning from injury, Mo is shooting only 42% from the floor and has 20 total points his last 3 games…

Clippers Rally to Sting the Hornets!

noreply@blogger.com (Clippers Nation) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:14:00 +0000

Everything was falling apart, as the Hornets annihilated our beloved Clips 32-17 in the 3^rdquarter. The Clippers had 6-19 from the floor in the 3^rd quarter, including an 0-8 performance from downtown. Our defense was flat and uninspired . Former Clip Eric Gordon was having his way with us. We were 12 minutes away from losing our 2^nd straight game and putting the #4 seed in jeopardy. But then CP3 and Randy Foye caught fire. Foye would knock down not 1, not 2, but 3 pure three pointers that buoyed a 33-11 run to close the game as the Clippers kept alive their slim opportunity for the Pacific Division Title and the #3 seed in the West.

Our Big 3:

Paul, Foye and Griffin shot: 23-44 52%

Rest of the Team: 10-33 30%

In the playoffs, this is not a recipe for success, as we will need more than 3 players to beat the elite teams. HOWEVER, without a flu ridden Swagalicious and Butler (Out: Hip contusion), the 4^th quarter heroics of Paul and Foye were enough to carry our Clippers to the home victory. Foye would finish the night 6-12 from downtown and finish with 24 points. Chris Paul was just plain silly; 33 points, 17-19 from the line, 13 assists and 8 steals! The chants of MVP were rained down to CP3 in the 4^th quarter and it seemed “natural”. I wonder if there had been an 82 game schedule, if CP3 would have had a better opportunity to win MVP? Every time out, CP3 does something different to help the Clippers find a way to win a game. But of course, Paul has higher aspirations than the MVP award, "I'd rather have a championship than MVP any day (Madelyn Burke Tweet)”. In CP3 we trust!

Blake was very effective early in the game and shot the ball well throughout the night: 7-10 from the floor and 7-9 from the charity stripe. He also pulled down 15 boards, with six of those coming on the offensive glass. He did pick up technical foul #12, meaning one more T and he earns a suspension.

Where’s Mo?

Mo Williams shot 3-13 from the field, 0-5 from downtown. Hey, everyone is going to struggle shooting some nights BUT on those nights you can’t shoot, you have to find other ways to contribute. Outside of 3 assists, Mo didn’t register a rebound or steal, adding only 4 fouls and 2 turnovers. We need more of an overall game from Mr. Williams moving forward.

Random Clipper Thoughts:

Does anyone play better “behind” defense than CP3? He has made it an art-form, as he picks pockets better than anyone. No wonder he leads the league in steals….

Clips shot 34-43 from the FT line! (79%)

3^rd quarter was a disastrous one, as the Clips were outscored 32-17, shooting 6 of 19. They shot 0-8 from downtown and the Hornets couldn’t miss as they shot 11 of 16…Why did we settle for so many 3-pointers in the quarter? We didn’t make the defense move, and we didn’t force the Hornets to rotate on defense… 6:27 to go in 4^thquarter, we were shooting 4-23 from behind the arc… (finished 7 of 28, Foye hitting the last 3)…The difference between 3^rd and 4^thquarter? Paul’s penetration into the lane in the 4^th quarter opened up the perimeter….

We need to get Blake posted up on the “low-block”. Too many times he posts up 17-20 feet from the basket, then reverse pivots, faces his defender, and then spins baseline into a double-team (or there isn’t space to get a quality shot off)….

Mike Smith, you cannot play basketball with your feet, otherwise it would be soccer….

Eric Gordon had 17 points and 5 assists and as a Clippers Fan, its hard not to root for him!...

The Clippers will now turn their attention to the road, where they will take on the Hawks and red hot Knicks!

Clips Learn Much in Heartache

noreply@blogger.com (AL East - Coach Haz) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:26:00 +0000

Chris Paul scored 17 of his 19 points in the 2^nd half, including the Clippers’ last 6 points, but it wasn’t enough this time in a 93-90 loss to the Suns. Clippers Nation, it was a game we have seen time and time again: the Clippers coasting through stretches only to “turn it up” in the last 5 minutes of the 4^th quarter to (normally) pull out a win behind CP3. But last night the dangers of “living this precarious lifestyle” were revealed. Even though CP3 has saved us numerous times in the fourth quarter this season, even CP3 isn't perfect…(clutch link from NBA.com, check it out!)

When the whistle went against our Clippers (especially in regards to Foye’s sweet block of Gortat on the breakaway!) we didn’t give ourselves a large enough margin of error to overcome the blown foul call. When we inexplicably couldn’t inbound the ball on an OTB garnering a 5 second count, we essentially gave away two possessions in the closing minutes of a tight game. By shooting 11-17 (65%) from the free throw line, we missed opportunities to have expanded the lead and put even more pressure on a desperate Suns team. When DeAndre Jordan picked up a technical for interfering with the net in the 1st quarter on a monster block, it killed momentum and gave the Suns a free point. All of these “little things” add up, and in a playoff-like atmosphere winning often comes down to minimizing these mistakes. By minimizing mistakes it allows for when things do invariably go against you, you can still find a way to come out on top. While the referees surely did not do our Clippers any favors last night, there were plenty of mistakes made by the Clippers that could have been avoided. I hope these are valuable lessons coach VDN and our players can learn moving forward so that we can win these playoff type games in two weeks.

Blake’s Bullies:

Once again Blake found himself at the wrong end of several hard fouls and/or shenanigans. The first altercation was when Jared Dudley went for a tip up and was called for a foul. Blake stared at him and rightfully so, as Dudley had fouled him from behind. But Dudley took exception and went up to Blake as if to check Griffin’s man card. At first, it seemed as though Dudley was just intense and engaged in the game. However, after Lopez tried to decapitate Blake, one has to wonder if the Suns had a quote-unquote “bounty” on Griffin? While a “bounty” claim is slightly “tongue-in-check”, Clippers Nation believes that the Suns were purposefully physical with Griffin to make Blake think twice about throwing down one of his infamous dunks, as Lopez alluded to, "People have kind of called Phoenix soft in the past. Tonight I think we showed we can do a good job of being the aggressor, especially near the end." Obviously the Suns felt that bullying Griffin was a great strategy to limiting Griffin’s effectiveness on offense. Though potentially “dirty”, this strategy seemed to work, as Blake went 0-4 from the floor after quarter one. Clippers Nation, Blake will continue to be bullied and harassed until he makes teams pay on the free throw line.

Hilarious Quote of the Night (because it is that ridiculous)
Re: Blake Bullies

Lopez claims. "I was just going for the ball. He got by me and I was just trying to go for the ball and he got a bit farther and I tried to go for his arms. It was what it was. It is my job to protect the rim. I tried to go for his arms.”

I’m sorry Lopez, didn’t look that way to me or to VDN, "I thought it was dirty. He is trying to take him down. The league has got to do something to protect this kid. We can only get so many technical fouls. We can only do so many things, and guys are taking shots at him. It is getting bad. The kid is in pain right now."

Random Clipper Notes!
For the Suns a HUGE WIN!...They control their own destiny in regards to making the playoffs…win and they are in.
After an aggressive 1^st quarter, DeAndre joined Blake in being quiet on the offensive end, finishing with only 4 shot attempts….
Outside of K-Mart, the bench was very quiet (after we had just pumped them up in yesterday’s blog….).
Bledshow, Swagalicious, and Williams were a combined 5-16 from the floor….
Clippers have still won 13 of 16 but as Arash Markazi wrote so eloquently; the Clippers will probably not win the Pacific Division.

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Winners of 13 out of 15!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Clippers Nation) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:09:00 +0000

In this condensed season, depth has become a key factor in how teams have played. The Bulls, Spurs and Grizzlies (amongst others) have excelled with key players out of the line-up because of the quality of their roster. These are teams that can go 9-10 deep without a huge drop-off. If you have been paying attention (which you have been Clippers Nation) we need to add our Clippers to that elite list.

Playing in Denver is always a tough challenge for teams, due to the altitude and pace at which George Karl has the Nuggets play at. You need to get quality minutes from your bench and the Clips delivered:

Martin: 30 minutes: 7 points, including the game winning tip-in and game altering block of Lawson. +2

Williams: 28 minutes: 19 points, 6-11 shooting, 4-7 from downtown, 4 assists. In the Clippers 10-0, Mo hit the 2 biggest 3s of the night! +8

Swagalicious: 25 minutes: Who is this guy? Coming off a 19 point performance, Swagalicious had another 13 points on 5-8 shooting, 3-4 from downtown. I am being won over by Nickie Young’s Swag. +3

Bled-“show”: 13 minutes, 2 points, 1-1 shooting. Nothing crazy, but nothing negative. +2

41 points off your bench and with 3 games in 4 nights, the bench allowed for the starters to have legs for tonight’s game @ the Suns. A quality road victory and it is important to note there is NO WAY the Clippers would have won 13 of 15 without the contributions of K-Mart, Swagalicious, Bledshow and the return of Mo Williams.

The Clippers have shown they are a true “team”. That's why we are excited for a run in the Playoffs!

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