Comments for 213hoops.com https://213hoops.com L.A. Clippers News and Analysis Sun, 21 Sep 2025 11:05:57 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3.19 Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by John Maclean https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65870 Sun, 21 Sep 2025 11:05:57 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65870 One last thing. I can’t imagine the players see what gets posted at our intimate little blog, but I hope they all pull together and use this as a rallying cry. Put on the black hat and just go crush everything in your path.

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by John Maclean https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65869 Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:58:00 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65869 This was masterful. Great post.

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by John Maclean https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65868 Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:44:33 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65868 Everyone knows these types of arrangements are ubiquitous. See Dirk passing on $95 million with the Lakers to take $25 million with the Mavericks. I’m not making a moral appraisal but rather an objective one. When we’re talking about generational wealth for kids from the hood and some twerp starts sticking his nose into this, the fraternity isn’t just going to shrug their shoulders and take it. Welcome to the real world.

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by dhpat https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65867 Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:28:46 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65867 Is this going to be relevant in 2 weeks or is Pablo going to release his 5th and 6th installments?

The public has very short memory or attention span.

Pro sports in general have a lot of warts: gambling, corruption, cheating, domestic violence.

Did the fans get as upset here?

I do think that is funny that all of all the teams that are now being characterized as “evil” — the Clippers.

Oh my! We have come a long way, baby!

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by dhpat https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65866 Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:25:50 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65866 No hate on Pablo. He is milking this for his benefit.

The 4th Estate lost any credibility a generation ago.

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by mlslaw1 https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65865 Sat, 20 Sep 2025 18:47:26 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65865 Like most of you, I’m reading almost everying I can get my eyes on about this. Now, again, they’re focusing on “Uncle Dennis,” KLs “designated representative,” characterizing him as a ruthless, greedy scoundrel. But I’ve always thot that the agent is no more than his principal — i.e. they’re basically the same and have the same interests.

Have to say that I did appreciate Balmer speaking out in his defense — this is not a court of law but the classic court of public opinion so the dynamics are way different — even tho Steve’s statements now open him up, somewhat, to picking them a part and for counter revelations to come out.

But where does this leave Kawhi? I guess I’d like to hear from him on all this but he’s always been so secretive about personal stuff — and money gets very personal, doesn’t it? He no doubt has been advised, justifiably, to clam up right now but it isn’t doing him any good in terms of the public courthouse. Many folks are thinking the worst.

I recall some years back when someone was talking about the true market value worth of star players like LBJ in a no salary cap world. The numbers were abosolutely staggering. Everyone knows this and so the temptation–and the line crossing–has to be done with that seeming market value unfairness in their minds. But what about all the other, legit income generated by shoe deals, other product or cause endorsements for these stars? Why doesn’t that money cross the line and become salary cap circumvention? Is it just because the star has to show up occasionally and so what if the team “introduces” the star to the sponsor/cause/carbon credit pusher? So, aren’t the accusers being somewhat picky here?

The facts will come out even more clearly than they are now. But I very much doubt that the underlying understandings as to how players “supplement” their income will change. Players and their agents know that they have a limited playing window (in light of health and performance capability) to maximize their “take” and so are very motivated to “cash in” during that window of time. That motivation leads to taking chances to skirt or cross the cap line.

I think the next Pablo Torre out there will come up with revelations on other athletes and their agents who have crossed the line. It’s only a matter of time.

How will this particular saga end? (and end it will, to be sure). There will be punishment (how can there not be?) after Silver’s fact finding ends and he shares the same with the other owners (who will likely be split on what to do). Besides Sterling, this may be Silver’s defining moment.

Drama.

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by John Maclean https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65864 Sat, 20 Sep 2025 03:35:17 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65864 I’m an objective Clippers fan and routinely hard on us. So when this story first broke I was prepared for anything. But what’s starting to piss me off is the way that Torres is dripping things out one drop at a time with the obvious calculation to make this as painful as possible while prolonging his 15 minutes. Investigative journalism is a powerful and necessary thing for rooting out corruption, but just lay out all the facts already and stop with the gaslighting.

He’d better be proven right on this if he still wants a career. And whether he is or not he will be persona non grata among NBA players and affiliates—which could quite possibly extend into other realms like the NFL. Who’s going to trust him now? Like Channing Frye said “why you sntichin’?”

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by dhpat https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65863 Fri, 19 Sep 2025 20:24:27 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65863 Justin Russo on Substack. I follow him. Worth the small fee.

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by mlslaw1 https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65862 Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:05:07 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65862 link?

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Comment on 2026 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division by John Maclean https://213hoops.com/2026-nba-season-preview-southwest-division/#comment-65861 Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:57:38 +0000 https://213hoops.com/?p=21258#comment-65861 I agree with all appraisals. I’m skeptical about the Rockets because I’m not sure FVV is HIM in terms of putting a team on his back. Short of some dramatic leap forward from him I think they will flame out in the playoffs.

Kyrie is unlikely to return this season, but if he were at 100% Dallas could seriously threaten the Thunder.

The Spurs fortunes all ride on Wemby’s health. People who are that freakishly tall tend to have systemic issues with their physiology and that blood clot thing is unsettling. But he’s so unique that if healthy watch out. I could see a world where he’s just so dominant at both ends that no one–even the Thunder—have an answer for it.

Finally something positive to talk about. Love this guy. https://sports.yahoo.com/article/former-espn-sportscenter-anchor-stan-172726114.html

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