If it’s true the the Hawks asking price for Collins isn’t even a 1st rounder we need to make that trade NOW. He’d bring youth and athleticism at the 4, and could provide some shooting too if he reverts back to his career numbers.

Someone in the F.O. is invested in the Wall acquisition working out and really wants him to play dominant minutes even if his play doesn’t warrant it. Today, Wall had perhaps his best stretch of the season through 3 quarters, but from the 8:30 mark of Q4 to the end of the game, he wasn’t good and he probably cost the team the game. In the last 9 min of the game, Wall was 0-2 from the field, taking an ill advised mid range and 3 pt shot (not driving to the rim); committed 2 turnovers; and committed 3 personal fouls (each of which led to FTs for Denver). Clips were outscored by -9 in that stretch and that was the game. Wall ended up -5 for the night after being net positive through 3 quarters.

Lineups are opportunity cost, and the cost of force feeding Wall was not playing T-Mann or the wing stop lineup.

John Wall gave me Rondo vibes when he was first picked up and hyped up by the team. It’s clear to me now that the F.O. really has a theory where a pace setting PG who attacks the rim is the dream addition to the team (note: it isn’t) and they think Wall is that player, when he hasn’t been that guy since 2018. The insistence that Lue force feed Wall into the lineup has wrecked Reggie Jackson’s rhythm, messed with team chemistry because they’re disrespecting the guy who has literally been the team’s bandaid, Mr. Big Government himself. This feels like the Clips prematurely throwing Lou Williams overboard for a washed Rondo. Now we’re doing it with a washed Wall on a team with 2 perennial all stars in a year where literally any decent team can make a run at the title. Lou was the heart and soul of the post lob city Clips. He was literally one of the 5 best Q4 scorers in the league in the prior 2 years. In the year they traded him, he won 2 key playoff games for ATL which allowed them to advance to the conference finals. We threw that away for Rondo and it cost us a trip to the finals, imho. Lou would’ve found a way to win a game or two vs the Suns by himself.

I can’t take this Front Office seriously. They’re like bad fantasy baseball managers who pick guys who were good 5-10 years ago because that’s who they remember watching. If the F.O. wanted to upgrade at point and made a trade for a DeAngelo Russell, I could at least see it as rational. Dumping Reggie for Wall made zero sense and it shows that the Clips don’t understand how to build a team. We have a surplus of guards and only one player at the 4/5 who is under 30.

Until this team resolves the Wall issue and figures out that they need to get rid of him or make sure he doesn’t get priority over Mann, the wing stop lineup, or Reggie Jackson, this team is going nowhere. The path to the title for this team is a healthy PG and Kawhi, and an empowered Reggie Jackson as either the 1st or 2nd guard. An upgrade at the 4/5 to add a younger, athletic big who can help us in non-Zu lineups would also be good, but frankly this team can get to the finals without that if it’s managed properly.

I just really wished Jokic played so this squad would be bitched slapped again because they don’t deserve our support. Mike Malone has officially surpassed Ty Rivers.