The Clippers play the Grizzlies tonight, and will do it without franchise legend Chris Paul, who has been banished from the team. I wrote about both situations.
Game Information
Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
When: 5:00 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – John Collins – Ivica Zubac
Grizzlies: Vince Williams Jr. – Jaylen Wells – Cedric Coward – Jaren Jackson Jr. – Zach Edey
Injuries
Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic Out (Hip), Bradley Beal Out (Hip), Derrick Jones Jr. Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Questionable (Back), Chris Paul Out (Not with team)
Grizzlies: Ja Morant Out (Calf), Ty Jerome Out (Calf), Scotty Pippen Jr Out (Toe), Brandon Clarke Out (Knee), Javon Small Out (Toe)
The Big Picture
The Clippers finally got a win on Wednesday, taking out the shorthanded Hawks in Atlanta. As decimated as the Hawks were, the Clippers are at the point when any win is a good win, much less a blowout that they controlled for most of the game. It was the Clippers’ best defensive effort of the season as well as one of their best games at limiting turnovers. It will be hard to replicate that dynamic, but it’s something the Clippers will have to work on to continue winning games, especially while they are short-handed as well.
The Antagonist
The Grizzlies have turned things around somewhat since the Clippers last played them, largely due to the play of second-year big man Zach Edey. Edey looks transformed in his sophomore season, impacting the game in a real way on both ends of the court. Even though the Grizzlies’ traditional point guards are out, Vince Williams has stepped up nicely in that spot. Add in a strong rookie in Cedric Coward and the remaining rotation stalwarts of better Grizzlies teams in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama and you have a competent team that can win in multiple ways. The Grizzlies, much like the Clippers, are down a bunch of guards, but have the youth and athleticism that has so troubled the Clippers for years, and are playing better of late. The Clippers will need to really show up to win this one on the road.
The Chris Paul Situation
I was going to do a solo article on this or a solo podcast, but I may as well just include my thoughts here. First and foremost, it’s a sad situation. Even though I didn’t think Chris had a ton left to give when he signed this summer, I thought it would be a fun reunion between the Clippers and the greatest player in franchise history that would at least give one or two throwback CP3 games for fans to enjoy. Instead, Chris has been mostly really bad, and the team is miserable. It was not what anyone wanted. There were no vintage CP3 games, and that hurts.
In terms of the situation itself, it’s very odd. Most of the reporting seems as if it’s come in, and I’ve of two minds about it. On one hand, Chris clearly ticked a lot of people off, including apparently much of the coaching staff, several players, and maybe even front office staff. That kind of behavior is unacceptable, whether he was right in his criticisms or not. If that many people are upset with you, the issue in the situation is probably you. Chris is grating as we all know, and the team being so bad seems like it made his gripes and criticisms go over the top. That’s all on Chris.
On the other hand, multiple respected NBA reporters (Chris Haynes and Tim McMahon) have stated that Ty Lue was not on speaking terms with Chris, and had not been for weeks. No matter how annoying Chris is, to me, that behavior is far more unacceptable. Ty is, in essence, Chris’s manager, and refusing to speak with your employee to sort out differences despite them reaching out is childish behavior at best and petty cruelty at worst. This situation maybe could have ironed itself out if Ty was willing to speak to Chris and really hammer out issues – now we will never know if this whole saga could have been avoided.
This also reflects poorly on the front office. Lawrence Frank took responsibility for the team disappointing to start the year in his press conference and said that Chris was not the scapegoat for the Clippers’ play. That’s a nice sentiment, but the fact that there was this much tension between a key veteran player and the coaching staff (as well as other players) and it was not nipped in the bud more forcefully does not make the front office look good in that regard either. Lawrence needs to take the blame not just for a flawed roster, but for people management mistakes too.
Finally, I must say – why couldn’t the Clippers have just sent Chris home for the rest of this road trip instead of severing ties completely? Was it that bad? They couldn’t have suspended him two games for “Conduct detrimental to the team” to give him a chance to redeem himself? I get it, going to these lengths for a veteran who is playing really poorly and was not supposed to be a big part of the team might seem like too much – but Chris is not just an ordinary member of the team. I don’t know what was said between Chris and the rest of the team; maybe the situation was truly irreversible. But the cutting short of his retirement tour in such an abrupt and unceremonious fashion has left a bad taste in my mouth, and I know it has for other Clippers and NBA fans as well. It’s a bummer.
