Comments on: Clippers vs Pistons Preview: Derrick Jones Jr. Returns

By: mlslaw1

mlslaw1 — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:22:46 +0000

Hadn’t thot of Yanic guarding AG or Chet–but he’s got the tools–still pretty raw but improving every effing game.

By: Freeman Williams

Freeman Williams — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:37:24 +0000

Haven’t had a chance to watch since Zu has been out, so I have not see how Yanic looks now that he has been getting real minutes. Has he looked athletic enough to get some PF minutes, along with backup center duties?

As mentioneda bove , he is a large body. Is he athletic enough to provide a bit of resistance to someone like Aaron Gordon or Chet Holmgren? He won’t give us offense but one or two extra stops defenseivley might be what we need against the Denvers and OKCs

By: khyber jones

khyber jones — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:33:20 +0000

If I were the Clippers, I'd look at how great Kawhi is playing and shop him for two first round picks + some seconds and filler.

If the team stays together, Clipper fans will get to enjoy some really good basketball and I think the team would probably make the play in and maybe even the #6 seed. However, it's very unlikely that this team is on the same level as OKC, SAS, Denver or even Minnesota and they'd likely get bounced in the first round.

They could surprise us and get into the 2nd round under the right circumstances, but we'd have lost the opportunity to cash in on Kawhi. Next year will be the final year of his contract, and his market value simply won't be as high. He'll also be a year older and the squad is unlikely to make a real run at the western conference finals.

I think the only reason to keep Kawhi and Harden this season is if they are able to integrate Zu when he gets off the IR in a way where the team truly elevates with an improved bench into a squad that can really challenge to make the conference finals.

However, the cost of that is low marketability for Kawhi/Harden in their final contract years with no draft picks. I think the window is closed on this squad as of the start of next season and the ideal time to start the rebuild is now. By trading Kawhi and/or Harden, that's 92M of salary space that can be traded to build back draft capital w/expiring contracts. As nice as it is to see Kawhi ballin' like this, not trading him puts the Clippers in a weaker position over the next 3-4 seasons.

Next season, the team has options on Lopez, Bogi, Batum, Dunn. By getting rid of thsoe deals and getting picks for Kawhi and/or Harden, they have a real opportunity to rebuild and retool quickly and get draft capital.

By: Oodypkt

Oodypkt — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 03:45:34 +0000

This is greatness. Kawhi is an all-time talent.
We are lucky to have Batum on our team.
Yanic put back slam is nasty. That’s preview of things to come from him.
It’s long season. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

By: mlslaw1

mlslaw1 — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 01:15:57 +0000

This team, like most teams (and as Coach K likes to say) plays better when they forge a “woking margin.” And, they’ve been able to do that lately and then hang on. They’ve lost the close games cuz they were gassed and because Brook was in the doghouse. I really keep harping on the stretch 5 dynamic as the catalyst to this streak. I also think Zu’s absence has been a shot in the arm for Yanic and Miller, who both had key moments/contributions in last nite’s W. Yanic is one large physical specimen. Like his stoic attitude–altho I did seem him to the bicep flex on one play 🙂

By: John Maclean

John Maclean — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 23:35:37 +0000

If they truly are reborn they have 19 games until the trade deadline. The schedule is VERY easy, and if the team that waxed Houston and Denver shows up for these 19 games they could possibly go 15-4 which would put them at .500 by the deadline. I’m not a Kawhi hater so I was stoked to see him redeem all the shit people talk about him. We’ve had 6 games that were decided by 3 points or less. The league average for teams is to go .500 in such games but we lost them all. We would be 13-18 right now if not for that, and have a much more realistic shot at truly competing. How does it take this many games to figure it out? A rhetorical question without naming names.

Anyway, I guess we’ll see how the next few weeks play out.

By: mlslaw1

mlslaw1 — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 22:25:48 +0000

Lots of chatter about trading Kawhi for assets but Big Steve (BS) has to be just marveling at Kawhi’s recent play and saying to himself: how can I trade that guy? I also think BS has likely has an insider’s clue as to how Aspiration will play out (and that he’s not worried). So, I don’t think he’s gonna ship out either star.

Coach K is right that these guys are playing for their lives — they like/love LA — and I think BS wants them here and firmly believes they can make some noise THIS SEASON. Maybe he’s delusional, maybe not. For me, if either guy has to sit out a bunch of games, we’re severely cooked — but you could say that for a lot of star heavy teams. How would Denver fare if they lost Joker for 15 games? 0/15? Same goes for Luka — those guys are that good.

Kawhi and James are quite the combo when they’re on–and when the other guys (Collins, Dunn, Nico, Brook, Sanders) chip in with the 3 ball, we’re a tough out. As one of our members likes to say: “Let’s see how it goes.”

By: Jpo805

Jpo805 — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 21:53:04 +0000

I don’t think the purpose of trading Zu would be to build around our aging superstars. The purpose would be to reload or rebuild for the future. Zu is a great asset and the FO should cash in on him while his value is high.

We are not going anywhere with this core even if Ty makes the adjustments that you’ve alluded to and furthermore, as much as we want Zu to be that player that we all see in him, Ty doesn’t want that. That’s the inconvenient truth of the matter. So why keep a player that the coach isn’t willing to properly or fully utilize. It’s like keeping your motorhome when you owe money on it and only use it once of year.

Its unfortunate but we are stuck with Ty and Kawhi and James have no real value on the trade market given the restraints of the CBA.

We need to stop viewing Zu as a building block for the next era. He isn’t. He’s part of the 213 era and his tenure should end on the same timeline as Kawhi’s and Harden’s.

Regardless of what happens going forward, the FO should trade Zu to restock assets and ride out Kawhi’s and Harden’s remaining years. The focus should be on the future not on what we can do to get this current core into the play-in.

By: mlslaw1

mlslaw1 — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:55:31 +0000

Preach baby

By: JCplusULTRA

JCplusULTRA — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:47:11 +0000

I was high on this team and roster, but then Ty Lue happened. Injuries have forced him to play lineups he either couldn't figure out or refused to. The proof is in the pudding. The team is effective and winning with the lineups Ty didn't play. As players come back healthy, we'll see if Ty reverts to his stubborn stupidity or if he's learned anything in this win streak. Obvious shit Ty Lue didn't see/utilize:

Space the goddamn floor with shooters
Move the damn ball off double teams
Put fresh legs with Lopez to cover the perimeter
If you must go with a slow lineup, play long or big (basically put in Batum)

Obvious shit Ty Lue/JVG STILL don't get:

Stop putting Kawhi on the best player
Stop putting Kawhi on an off-ball shooter
Jordan Miller is one of our best rebounders