Comments on: Clippers vs. Bucks Recap: Clips Fall 105-100

By: mlslaw1

mlslaw1 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:20:18 +0000

Couple reactions: Giannis is not Gobert. Giannis way better and so can’t go small ball v. that guy.
And, you wrote: “The other teams strategy seems to be allow the Clippers to iso and have success throughout the game up until the biggest moments. At that point the double teams come.” Reminds me of match play golf strategy where one player in the early holes “gives” short putts to his opponents. Then, in the latter stages of the match, that same “giving” player changes his tune and requires the opponent to make those shorties, now under way more pressure. Good strategy and it seemed to work v. our jump shooting stars. If this loss makes those guys at least think about sharing the ball more then that’s a plus.

By: mlslaw1

mlslaw1 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:12:00 +0000

The two stars are basically jump shooters who are volume shoot first players. We will live or die with those makes/misses. That’s the FOs gamble–and ours. So far, this year, not doing too badly.

By: mlslaw1

mlslaw1 — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:08:10 +0000

I’d take a peek, for sure.

By: imbat boyar

imbat boyar — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 18:44:16 +0000

PG position is not the issue but I cannot stop imagining how impactful scorers PG13 and Kawhi would be if they wouldn’t have to playmake every possessions.
PG13 is great at Catch&Shoot, Step Backs, Pullup Jumpers while Kawhi at getting to rim, fadeaways, elbow jumpers. They could focused to get their shots, getting to their spots and save energy with less ball handling, dribbling, shot clock management, defense reading etc.

The duo spends so much energy to playmake, especially against elite defensive teams where other guys depends the duo’s creativity more than usual.

Just imagine

By: Luna Rider

Luna Rider — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 05:44:09 +0000

Lou was taken out at 4 minutes, then put back in with under 2 min to go after Bev had a bad turnover. And Lou never touched the ball after that, then Bev came back in at the end. Clips never scored again after Lou came out at 4 min, guess that’s more what I was thinking of.

By: Paul Durant

Paul Durant — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:33:21 +0000

Great write up guys. I agree with the points that you made. There was really no advantage in going small to close out the game. The primary advantage in going small is that the floor is spread which opens up the court for drives and lay ups, drive and kicks and aggressive cutters and movement off the ball. Unfortunately none of this happened, so small ball in this case was a failure as we iso’d ourselves to another loss. It also didn’t work because Giannis moves like a guard with his foot speed on defense around the perimeter and can cover his man and driving lanes simultaneously. He then attacks the rim like a monster with his athleticism and bullying with his strength on a too small squad at the other end. Ty Lue should have learned from the Nets game when DJ,s tip put the icing on the cake.
Closing out big or just close games is also becoming a real concern. The other teams strategy seems to be allow the Clippers to iso and have success throughout the game up until the biggest moments. At that point the double teams come and the team is stagnant from standing around and watching. They are out of rhythm and have forgotten where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing not only on offense but on the defensive end as well. The mystified looks they give each other on Giannis dunks and drive and kicks are a huge red flag as was the first Memphis game.
Lou Williams should have the ball in his hands more often at the end looking to score and create like he did when the stars were out. He has to be Lou and stop playing second fiddle to Paul and Kawhi. Kawhi in particular seems to be fatigued at the end of games, and as great as Paul is he seems to tighten up. Lou may miss shots but he doesn’t tighten up.
This team needs to move the ball like the champion Raptors and Warriors and use guys like Reggie, Luke, etc in spots and trust Zu a little more. In other words play like a team with energy from beginning to end or the bad habits we are forming will do us in.
If not, by playoff time when every game is big, we will get a repeat in some form or fashion of last years flame out. Clipper fan since 85!

By: TheGreatestShowman

TheGreatestShowman — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:19:05 +0000

Huh? Lou was in the game down the stretch and only subbed out for Bev/defense.

By: Luna Rider

Luna Rider — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:07:48 +0000

All Iso ball at the end, at least Kawhi should have the ball over PG, as he’s the guy that’s proven to be clutch. Lou should have been in the game at the end also, he’s the other guy that can get clutch buckets. Like has been said, bad coaching the last few minutes.

By: chogokin

chogokin — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 02:40:03 +0000

Not gonna overreact to this one. Clips missed a ton of good looks in the first half, and the Bucks are a really good team – this was always gonna be a tough game.

I will say the lack of ball movement at the end of the game is a persistent issue though. We can’t spend 98% of the game playing great basketball and then, when it matters most, revert to shitty, clogged up, slow-developing iso-ball and expect to beat top-tier teams.

Also I feel like the problem is less of a “lacking a top-tier PG” thing, and more generally just that we don’t appear to have anyone who can consistently get to the rim and/or the line.

By: John Maclean

John Maclean — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 02:11:52 +0000

I’m not super pissed about this one other than PG going 0 for 100 down the stretch. He makes ONE of those shots and we win. I complain a lot about whether Zu is ready for prime time and although he wasn’t perfect he did a lot of great things today. Serge was good too. Two coaching moves that were bewildering were 1) taking Morris out in the fourth when he was hot and 2) going small to close it out. You make a good case on the point guard thing Rob but once again PG and Kawhi made bad plays trying to prove they’re LeBron—-which they’re not. I don’t want to give up Lou or pat and Mann is off limits but I’d really to see what this squad looks like with even an average QB. JJ Barea? Lin? How about a ten day just to get a look see?