Comments on: 213 Hoops Roundtable: Clippers’ 2024 Offseason Preview

By: khyber jones

khyber jones — Sun, 19 May 2024 04:23:41 +0000

I’m not opposed to 1 more year with this group. We do have the best shooting.talent in the league, bar none. Just watching some of these teams chuck it up there makes me frustrated that we didn’t get a healthy Kawhi because I do think this group was a final four caliber team. I think there is a legitimate question about Paul George’s mental toughness and true passion to win, but he never did get to play the role we hired him for in these playoffs: the #2 option after Kawhi.

If PG forces the issue, then I think the best short term/2 year window fix is to work a trade for Pascal Siakam. If that fails, find a way to gett Tobias Harris. Basically, if PG is to leave, then we should optimize it to move Kawhi to the #3 and cement Terance Mann at the #2. That means we need a quality player at the #4. Siakam is the best guy available (even though I don’t like him all that much).

By: khyber jones

khyber jones — Sun, 19 May 2024 03:32:47 +0000

OKC lost in a way that I think exposes them as a franchise. It was Shai and a bunch of scrubs. Chet has the slowest jump shot in the league. He has a bad hitch in his shot that makes him easy to close out on. Same could be said of other OKC players like Dort, Jaylin Williams etc. Daigenault actually had a good rotation with Cason Wallace and Kenrich Williams but he went away from that too quickly, which tells me that they have too many spare parts and not enough real players. For all of their vaunted draft capital, the only true quality NBA player they have on that roster is the guy they traded for: SGA. Chet can get better, but I don’t think a lot of these guys are actually good.

Btw, I did not agree with that bail out foul call on the 3PA by Washington with about 3 seconds left. Shai got all ball and then had what would be called an incidental graze 9/10 times of the arm. Whistle should not have been blown. Hand is also part of the ball in most of these calls. That said, the woeful lack of support for Shai is what cost OKC this game. I just didn’t see any real NBA talent on that floor next to him.

By: khyber jones

khyber jones — Sun, 19 May 2024 02:54:15 +0000

If the Clippers are to let PG go, then the best move I can think of at this point is to orchestrate a sign and trade with Indiana for Pascal Siakam (assuming both guys agree). I don’t really like Siakam, but he gets numbers at a position where we’re lacking, allows Kawhi to play the #3 which is important for his durability, and our starting 5 would be much more balanced and physically tougher: Harden, Mann, Kawhi, Siakam, Zu. I think that team would need some shooting help and that’s where you hope Bones gets to step in and grow. So getting rid of Russ and PJ Tucker would be key to getting time on the floor for Bones, Miller, Kobe Brown. Norm might still have value in this lineup as a bucket getter.

By: Break Curse

Break Curse — Thu, 16 May 2024 01:39:34 +0000

KL was instrumental to get us into the playoffs, the problem is he gets injured during playoffs. If Clippers could cut the huge dependency on KL, during regular season and train the others to step up, I think we will be in a better position. We saw a lot of times when KL is in, some are just dependent on him, the plays becomes ISO ball or expect him to score. Mann also needs to step up, he hesitates a lot. Westbrook should just slash through the paint, don’t shoot any 3s and just defend. Norm just needs to shoot , when he’s on a roll, he is so hard to stop. PG is like Norm. Bones really need to play, he is fast and a scorer, but has a court vision of a racing horse. We really need a good coach, Lue is better than Doc but not that much. My analogy is having a Ferrari, but if your driver sucks or doesn’t know how to drive a stick shift, the Ferrari will just be a trophy car or perform like a Ford Fiesta.

By: jbugs

jbugs — Thu, 16 May 2024 00:22:50 +0000

I hear you, but I really find it hard to picture Kawhi making it through 4 rounds when he hasn’t been able to make it through 1. He needs to be traded and if we’re trading Leonard, we might as well trade PG and either fully blow it up or build a team around Harden, Mann, Zu and Norm.

By: Break Curse

Break Curse — Thu, 16 May 2024 00:12:02 +0000

Honestly I think 1 more year. We now have a legit point guard with JH, legit wings with KL and PG ( just don’t let PG play as a point guard ) legit center with Zu and hopefully Kai as a power forward. Our 2nd team is not bad Mann, Westbrook, Theis, Bones, Miller or Brown. What I think the Clippers need is a different coach.

By: federer70

federer70 — Wed, 15 May 2024 20:55:55 +0000

definitely some tough choices. but if we can get something of good value back, would think a sign and trade with pg13 is the best bet. e.g., a trae young or dejounte murray, etc. and totally agree with just fielding a good team and have KL fit into it; rather than vice-versa. and totally need an athletic PF.

By: jbugs

jbugs — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:07:19 +0000

I think the move should be bring everyone back and trade PG and Kawhi for none of the guys you mentioned. We should be aiming for lesser established players that are younger and focus on getting compensated more with draft capital. We have no use for Mitchell, julius randle or Trae Young and those teams have no reason to trade us those players as they would be swapping out for older stars. The teams we should be targeting is teams with stars that are looking to add a star and are willing to give up draft picks and young promising talent (in exchange for a chance to win now). Why would we want to pair Randle with Kawhi? Kawhi can’t make it through a single series. How is getting Randle going to help us at all within the next 5 years?

By: khyber jones

khyber jones — Wed, 15 May 2024 18:17:36 +0000

Paul George will determine whether we are in ‘blow it up’ mode. We don’t have leverage over him so long as a Philly or Orlando exists out there to give him a bag. There really isn’t another forward out there who does what he does, so the Clips really have to figure this out. The other issue is that Terance Mann needs to be in the starting lineup but neither PG nor Kawhi can truly play the #4 and stay healthy. At that point, you still have an imbalance that can be managed with more depth at the #4 (Batum/Kobe Brown?) but that requires Lue to be on the right page.

If PG is to be moved, getting a Julius Randle at the #4 would make a sensible fit with Kawhi at the #3, Zu at the #5, Mann at #2 and Harden at #1.

Also, the best players out there who are needle movers are guards. Forwards who might be available cost too much and might not be a good fit. If you get an elite guard like Trae Young, DeJounte Murray or Donovan Mitchell, I think that makes Harden redundant and if you’re taking 2 of the big 3 out then I think you’re closer to ‘blow it up’ than re-tool.

It’s not an easy situation for the Clippers and I don’t know where their heads are at.

By: khyber jones

khyber jones — Wed, 15 May 2024 17:25:52 +0000

In looking at the options for the Clippers, I don’t think we can trade for an elite combo guard like Mitchell or DeJounte Murray unless we also intend to get rid of James Harden. The reason for that is Terance Mann has earned the right to start and should start. We can’t keep catering to old guys at the expense of young guys. A reason not to get rid of James Harden: elite level shooting. There really aren’t many players out there who give you the step back, off the dribble 3, the passing and the rim attacks like he can. I think his issue was more about high usage and Russ being unplayable off the ball and much less effective on the ball than anything else

If we keep Harden and Mann in the backcourt, then I think what the Clippers should look to do is cover the gap at the PF spot. Obi Toppin might well be out of the FA price range so we might need 2 players at that spot who are younger, athletic and physical, or 1 who fits that description but also elevate Kobe Brown to where he gets regular minutes as the backup PF. In that sense, trading PG (if he wishes to leave) for Julius Randle would make a lot of sense.

Pascal Siakam is out there too but I don’t really like him at his likely price. Volume shooter, average to above average defender, and probably not an anchor on a winning team.