Comments on: Clippers Rooting Interests April 7 2023

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 04:45:29 +0000

So we need to win out, otherwise the Pels jump us if they beat Minnesota. Warriors are gonna win. Which means it’s Phoenix or play-in

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 03:36:59 +0000

Biyombo got hurt, Payne took a hard fall (and made some bad decisions), Lakers’ shooters are showing up big time. And yet, Suns are up 1. Bron is obviously pacing himself (both ends), AD is getting outworked by Landale. They’re trying to get in on hot shooting and 50% effort

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 03:16:00 +0000

Lakers have made 3 more 3s on the same number of shots. This could go south if shooting luck turns. Only their backcourt is showing up, unimpressive otherwise

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 03:11:46 +0000

I believe like Steph needed Draymond, Looney and guys like Iggy, Klay, GP2 and Wiggins to be effective on defense, like Jokic needs Aaron Gordon, KCP, Bruce Brown, Luka needs guys like DFS, Josh Green, Kleber. DFS is gone and they added Kyrie… Luka is a guy who can be a decent defender by anticipation, positioning and IQ, like Jokic. Without the good defenders around, there’s too many defensive breakdowns which give the attackers options to choose – killing the value of anticipation as you can’t prepare for 3 options if your team defense doesn’t eliminate the other two.

This is also what Dame has lacked for years. I don’t question his effort at all. But they are all limited defenders so you gotta build around that on defense as well, not just offense

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 03:06:19 +0000

Man, Wolves vs Pelicans is gonna be such a huge game

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 03:05:12 +0000

I’d LOVE to see the Lakers in the play-in (or the playoffs with PG back)

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 03:03:04 +0000

If we have a chance to influence it – Kings, hands down. Lack of defense, lack of playoff experience, getting Sabonis into foul trouble is a thing to attack, bench minutes are winnable. Perimeter defense and matching Sabonis is critical and I got some faith in doing reasonably okay – while doing well on offense. They could outshoot us on any given night but I see way more variance and less resilience when the momentum swings than with the Suns. Mike Brown is a big plus for them but Monty Williams is at the same level.

KD is unstoppable with some regularity, Booker is at times and because of Booker we will badly, badly miss PG, more than in the Kings matchup. Bridges is gone but Craig and Okogie aren’t slouches. They got better bench depth and better defense than the Kings. Sacramento got the shooting across the board but they DO depend on Sabonis, shooting and Fox.

I see more weaknesses to attack with the Kings than with Phoenix. IF Phoenix is fully healthy, that might be Sacramento’s biggest trump card over teams like us, the Lakers, the Suns or the Warriors.

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 02:49:44 +0000

Great analysis!

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 02:47:38 +0000

Thank you, much appreciated! Everything is about spacing with him, the guys around him and his own spacing (which he usually provides by binding good defenders, forcing help defense and then finding the open man in good position). If the guys around him knock down shots at a reasonable clip, there’s no issues. When they don’t and opponents pack the paint, then he has to hit outside shots and the odds are against him and the team. The Clippers got the pieces. Put enough scoring around him and play the guys who can hit 3s that night. If you don’t, he has to be too much of a scorer, takes too many shots, can’t get assists either as the big and the passing and driving lanes will be covered and shooters miss, turnovers are more likely, it turns into an avalanche.

But the solution is rather simple, not that hard to find fitting lineups. When you do, only rarely do you have to sit him because he does too much or is simply off. Defensively, Zu and the glut of wing defenders the Clippers have are an excellent fit. Plumlee is solid enough but a big downgrade when we look at synergies/complementary skillsets.

By: WhyNotTyler

WhyNotTyler — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 02:36:22 +0000

Looney is killing the Kings. Looks like Warriors win. And Memphis is already locked into 2nd, Kings 3rd so let’s gun for 6th – somehow 😉