1) If you get outshot by the Pelicans and go below 30% from deep, you’re in big, big trouble.
2) If you then further allow the best shooter in this rookie class two WIDE, WIDE open 3s – within 2 minutes for crying out loud – you’re putting yourself behind the 8-ball even more.
3) When you start the game giving up 26 points in under 7 minutes – while only scoring 12, you simply aren’t good enough.
4) The Pelicans dictated the game, apart from maybe two good stretches we had. We had to adjust to Zion, to Ingram and because we had to adjust defensively, it completely changed our offense as well (the PJ ‘conundrum’ has been explained quite a bit). I missed part of this game as Bally Sports cut out a full 7 minutes but even with that missing, on top of the spacing that’s badly missed (in particular by Russ), I recall at least 3 turnovers resulting from guys facing double teams while PJ is wide open and then failing to pass to him (Zu, Theis and Norm). This is NOT a criticism of PJ as a player. He’s got the best net rating and plus minus on the team, he saved a lot of possessions for us, he got stops. It’s simply addressing that a capable shooter not shooting the ball is effectively the same as a non-shooter beyond the arc.
5) Fully agreed on Scott Foster. Calls missed, not just on PG. But that’s something we can’t really influence.
6) What we can influence is rotations (not a fan). Is our closing lineups (not a fan, even though tonight Norm deserved closing over Zu). Is not leaving Jordan Hawkins wide open. Is trying. This is the other situation I found infuriating: down 6, three minutes left, Mann tries to strip Zion after the rebound, he’s stationary and the shot clock is down to 21. How do you not even TRY to force an 8-second violation? I don’t get it. He passes, you got a chance for a turnover. He wastes too much time, same. Worst-case scenario is that he beats the defender(s) and we foul him earlier instead of later. PG prioritising dunk attempts over scoring were other decisions that weren’t great but less infuriating than that shit.

There’s a lot more that could be better but Imma wait for the Dallas game first. Pels aren’t an easy matchup and it’s okay to lose that one, especially when you shoot that poorly, start the game that poorly, make other mistakes and have Scott Foster assigned. Beat the Mavs and go 1-1, all good. Lose and it’s far from good.

Harden is running the offense well with 10 assists. PG is an assassin with 34. Norm goes for 20 off the bench. Terence, Zu, PJ and Theis are scrappy as hell. Kawhi has no capacity to take the game over and deliver a win. Old man LeBron would have won this game. So would KD or Steph or any of Kawhis other peers. I sure hope he’s rounding into form still and this will improve.

• Scott Foster is an a**hole. Worst ref in the league and it’s not a close call. Robbed PG of at least 4 trips to the line as well as Theis. Favorable whistle for N.O. His attitude was predictable after PG called him out for missing a clear foul on the arm. Clips never got another even reasonable call in their favor. In a game that was basically a 2-3 possession result, Foster was a difference maker.
• Q1 felt like an adage: death, taxes & Valanciunas/Ingram playing like MVPs vs the Clips.
• Impressed with the Q2 comeback. Give Norm his due. I’m hot and cold on him often, but he’s a bucket and didn’t get played off the court against a long, athletic team
• Q3 was a back and forth slog, but we fumbled the bag due to not being able to guard Zion.
• PG is one of the best players in the league so far this season. Really fun to watch.
• Kawhi looked tired from midway Q3 onwards. Poor shot selection and shot execution. Give those shots up to Harden/Mann/PG. He arguably shot the team out of the game at some critical points.
• Got nothing from Russ, sadly. He messed up some finishes, threw the ball away, took bad, poorly executed shots. Our point guard situation is going to get exposed by the good teams. Harden and Russ have to be better at the things the team needs: Russ has to finish his layups, provide pace and have a multiplier effect on the floor. Harden has to be a big time scorer for the Clips. I would’ve much rather had him taking 5 more shots than to see Kawhi heave bricks into the 3rd row.
• Heading into the game I felt we needed more scoring and playmaking from Harden and T-Mann to beat the elite teams. We got a good 2nd half from T-Mann and I think he’s starting to find his balance between scoring and glue guy work. He passed up shots early, but that 3 he hit in Q4 was key and was the type of thing were going to need from him because teams are going to leave him open.
• We didn’t get a great offensive game from Harden. He can get to the line and get an accurate 3 pt shot off any time he wants. We need him at a much higher usage rate. That said, I thought Harden’s defense against Zion was very good in that final Q4 stretch and it gave us a chance to win.
• Ty Lue messed a lot of things up. Too late bringing Kawhi/Harden back into Q4/ Stayed with PJ Tucker way too long when he couldn’t provide much. Amir Coffey was the more viable matchup against this long N.O. team. Going small didn’t hurt the Clips as much in Q4, but not having Zu or Theis gave Zion the chance to grab a critical offensive rebound and put back. I just don’t trust Ty Lue to make the right calls or adjustments in tight games.

They better show up to play the mavs at the start. Going down big early against the Pels was inexcusable.