Clippers
Bruins and Clippers Both Getting it Together
02/07/09 21:22 Filed in: College
Basketball | NBA
Since losing two of three games in late January,
including an embarrassing meltdown against
Washington, the Bruins have played with an intensity
they had not shown this season, and fueled by the
best play ever from Alfred Aboya and Nikola Dragovic,
and the most consistent all-around play of the season
from Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday, the Bruins are
on a role, winning the last four by an average margin
of 22.7 points.
Since that awful second half in Seattle, the Bruins have played with more maturity than at anytime this season, not an easy thing from a team so young. Plus they have received solid play from a dozen different players, and as a result, they are playing like the team that so many experts picked to continue the run of the past three years, despite the critical personnel losses following last year's tournament and resultant dependence on so many freshmen.
UCLA has basically played 40 minutes of solid defense in virtually every game this season, but in these last four games, their offensive play has matched the defense in both intensity and results, averaging 85 points per game in that stretch, leading to consistent and totally dominant results.
I never thought this young team could make it four straight final fours, like some believed, until watching them the past few games. Now it looks like they could do it.
With newfound life, due to the return from the injury list of so many key players, the Clippers also continue to play their best ball of the season, scoring over 120 points for the second straight game, producing consecutive 20+ point victories.
This is the team that looked so good for a brief period following the trade for Zach Randolph, and now again really looks like a legitimate, quality team. Too bad they could not have gotten it together earlier in the season, but like I alluded to yesterday, the future for the Clippers actually looks brighter than it has in a long, long time.
theHoundDawg
Since that awful second half in Seattle, the Bruins have played with more maturity than at anytime this season, not an easy thing from a team so young. Plus they have received solid play from a dozen different players, and as a result, they are playing like the team that so many experts picked to continue the run of the past three years, despite the critical personnel losses following last year's tournament and resultant dependence on so many freshmen.
UCLA has basically played 40 minutes of solid defense in virtually every game this season, but in these last four games, their offensive play has matched the defense in both intensity and results, averaging 85 points per game in that stretch, leading to consistent and totally dominant results.
I never thought this young team could make it four straight final fours, like some believed, until watching them the past few games. Now it looks like they could do it.
With newfound life, due to the return from the injury list of so many key players, the Clippers also continue to play their best ball of the season, scoring over 120 points for the second straight game, producing consecutive 20+ point victories.
This is the team that looked so good for a brief period following the trade for Zach Randolph, and now again really looks like a legitimate, quality team. Too bad they could not have gotten it together earlier in the season, but like I alluded to yesterday, the future for the Clippers actually looks brighter than it has in a long, long time.
theHoundDawg
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Clippers Find a Bandaid or Two - Win a Game
02/06/09 23:13 Filed in: NBA
All it took was a bandaid and a couple of ice packs,
and the Clippers won a game.
Actually, after weeks of suffering with the heart of the team on the sideline, today meant the return of Zack Randolph, on the heels of the recent returns of Marcus Camby and Baron Davis. Tonight also marked the first contribution of the season from the underachieving and also sometimes-injured Ricky Davis.
The result was a 21-point win, something seldom seen in Clipperland this season (or last, etc.).
If Chris Kaman can find his way to a return to action, the Clippers could field a representative team for the rest of the season. Don't get me wrong, at 11-39, they're not gong to make the playoffs, but with this group of front-line players healthy, plus the talent of Eric Gordon and Al Thornton, and the recently discovered Steve Novak, they can compete with most of the NBA's teams, and if this group can stay together, unlike Clipper teams of the past, they could well be a playoff contender next season.
Final Clipper note: In tonight's win against Memphis, the Clippers set a franchise record with 16 three-pointers, shooting 55% from outside the line.
Non-Clipper note: Speaking of injuries, Milwaukee has almost equaled the Clippers in that department, having now lost 60% of their starting five for extended periods. First it was two-guard Michael Redd with tears to the ACL and MCL, then Luke Ridnour broke a thumb, and now Andrew Bogut's lingering back pain has been diagnosed as a stress fracture, and he'll miss several weeks as well.
I don't remember a spate of major injuries in the NBA like what has occurred over the past three-four weeks.
theHoundDawg
Actually, after weeks of suffering with the heart of the team on the sideline, today meant the return of Zack Randolph, on the heels of the recent returns of Marcus Camby and Baron Davis. Tonight also marked the first contribution of the season from the underachieving and also sometimes-injured Ricky Davis.
The result was a 21-point win, something seldom seen in Clipperland this season (or last, etc.).
If Chris Kaman can find his way to a return to action, the Clippers could field a representative team for the rest of the season. Don't get me wrong, at 11-39, they're not gong to make the playoffs, but with this group of front-line players healthy, plus the talent of Eric Gordon and Al Thornton, and the recently discovered Steve Novak, they can compete with most of the NBA's teams, and if this group can stay together, unlike Clipper teams of the past, they could well be a playoff contender next season.
Final Clipper note: In tonight's win against Memphis, the Clippers set a franchise record with 16 three-pointers, shooting 55% from outside the line.
Non-Clipper note: Speaking of injuries, Milwaukee has almost equaled the Clippers in that department, having now lost 60% of their starting five for extended periods. First it was two-guard Michael Redd with tears to the ACL and MCL, then Luke Ridnour broke a thumb, and now Andrew Bogut's lingering back pain has been diagnosed as a stress fracture, and he'll miss several weeks as well.
I don't remember a spate of major injuries in the NBA like what has occurred over the past three-four weeks.
theHoundDawg
Injuries Are Hand Grenade to NBA Order
02/03/09 16:09 Filed in: NBA
In what seems like one fell swoop, the NBA landscape
has had a dramatic overhaul, due to an incredible
spate of injuries over only a couple of days.
The Lakers have battled much of the season to overcome injuries to a handful of key players, but none to the core of the team. They overcame a few weeks without Jordan Farmar, and a handful of games with out Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Kobe has played through injuries. The Clippers, of course, have had to play much of the season without the heart of their team, including weeks and months without Chris Kaman, Zach Randolph, Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, and Marcus Camby, plus time missed by the likes of Mardy Collins and Mike Taylor.
But now, these feelings are shared by much of the league's elite, with the high-flying Orlando Magic losing star point guard Jameer Nelson perhaps for the season, with New Orleans losing MVP candidate Chris Paul with an injury that may or may not keep him out for a length of time, but that could be a nagging problem for the rest of the season, and of course the Lakers will now be without Andrew Bynum for maybe three months.
New Orleans is not an elite team without Chris Paul, and having him at less than full strength, or not at all, could well keep them from the playoffs in the tough, tough West. Nelson means as much to the Magic, but with their record and in the mediocre East, they could coast at sub-.500 the rest of the season and still make the playoffs, and hope that Nelson could possibly be back by then.
Paul is listed as "Day-to-Day". Whenever I hear that, I think back to the 1983 baseball season, when Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia was injured in the first week of April, and listed as "Day-to.Day", he never played another game the rest of the season.
The Lakers, however, have super depth, and proved last year they could get pretty far without Bynum. Plus this year, they have an underrated and finally fairly health Chris Mihm to play some of those minutes, and I see the Lakers getting by just fine, with Bynum returning in time to get back in game shape before the playoffs,
theHoundDawg
The Lakers have battled much of the season to overcome injuries to a handful of key players, but none to the core of the team. They overcame a few weeks without Jordan Farmar, and a handful of games with out Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Kobe has played through injuries. The Clippers, of course, have had to play much of the season without the heart of their team, including weeks and months without Chris Kaman, Zach Randolph, Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, and Marcus Camby, plus time missed by the likes of Mardy Collins and Mike Taylor.
But now, these feelings are shared by much of the league's elite, with the high-flying Orlando Magic losing star point guard Jameer Nelson perhaps for the season, with New Orleans losing MVP candidate Chris Paul with an injury that may or may not keep him out for a length of time, but that could be a nagging problem for the rest of the season, and of course the Lakers will now be without Andrew Bynum for maybe three months.
New Orleans is not an elite team without Chris Paul, and having him at less than full strength, or not at all, could well keep them from the playoffs in the tough, tough West. Nelson means as much to the Magic, but with their record and in the mediocre East, they could coast at sub-.500 the rest of the season and still make the playoffs, and hope that Nelson could possibly be back by then.
Paul is listed as "Day-to-Day". Whenever I hear that, I think back to the 1983 baseball season, when Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia was injured in the first week of April, and listed as "Day-to.Day", he never played another game the rest of the season.
The Lakers, however, have super depth, and proved last year they could get pretty far without Bynum. Plus this year, they have an underrated and finally fairly health Chris Mihm to play some of those minutes, and I see the Lakers getting by just fine, with Bynum returning in time to get back in game shape before the playoffs,
theHoundDawg
Injury Redux - The Clipper Rx Express
01/07/09 23:47 Filed in: NBA
After writing about how three injuries could hurt the
great Laker season, a few words also seem apropos
regarding the fact that the Clippers had been playing
much better until they were hit with what seems like
an annual blitz of injuries.
Not long after the trade for Zach Randolph, and what seemed like a new Clipper attitude, and a few victories, Randolph went down with a knee injury, joining Ricky Davis and Chris Kaman on the shelf. Then Baron Davis was injured again, and clearly, except for rookie Eric Gordon, the players they can put on the court could not compete against their injury list team, let alone the rest of the NBA.
And, it's hard to understand the recent roster moves made by the front office, i.e. Coach-GM Mike Dunleavy, releasing the capable Paul Davis, and acquiring Cheikh Samb, who now paired with DeAndre Jordan, gives the Clippers two 7-foot projects in the middle, and too few heathy NBA-quality bodies to fill out a starting five.
theHoundDawg
Not long after the trade for Zach Randolph, and what seemed like a new Clipper attitude, and a few victories, Randolph went down with a knee injury, joining Ricky Davis and Chris Kaman on the shelf. Then Baron Davis was injured again, and clearly, except for rookie Eric Gordon, the players they can put on the court could not compete against their injury list team, let alone the rest of the NBA.
And, it's hard to understand the recent roster moves made by the front office, i.e. Coach-GM Mike Dunleavy, releasing the capable Paul Davis, and acquiring Cheikh Samb, who now paired with DeAndre Jordan, gives the Clippers two 7-foot projects in the middle, and too few heathy NBA-quality bodies to fill out a starting five.
theHoundDawg
Politics Over (Almost) - Back to the NBA
11/05/08 12:52 Filed in: NBA
Longtime NBA star Kevin Johnson has been elected
Mayor of Sacramento, Ca. This was an interesting
race, full of scandal and intrigue. Johnson made
headlines with "Luis the Security Guard", after a
long-time city employee was fired for giving Johnson
an unauthorized tour of city hall facilities. Johnson
had his own problems, however, as his federally
funded St. HOPE Academy came under investigation by
the US Attorney's office, due to allegations that
students at one or more of the schools run by the
Academy, instead of spending their time being
educated, were instead gofers for Johnson, running
errands, washing his car, etc. That investigation is
still pending, but Johnson amassed 57% of the vote,
and introduced "Luis the Security Guard" during his
acceptance speech, and has promised to re-instate him
to a city job.
"Me First Shoot First" Allen Iverson will not be a good fit in Detroit, and he promises to do just as much for the Pistons as he did for Denver. The Nuggets pulled off a real heist in this deal, getting Chauncey Billups and two other bodies, and now look like they can be the "team" they hoped they would become when they traded for Iverson three years ago.
I think I mentioned I thought the Clippers would be improved this season. They might still be, if they only have to play the first half of each game. In their first 4 outings this season, the 0-4 Clippers have been outscored 212 to 142 in the second half. Omit the first game, and that stat is 168 to 93.
theHoundDawg
"Me First Shoot First" Allen Iverson will not be a good fit in Detroit, and he promises to do just as much for the Pistons as he did for Denver. The Nuggets pulled off a real heist in this deal, getting Chauncey Billups and two other bodies, and now look like they can be the "team" they hoped they would become when they traded for Iverson three years ago.
I think I mentioned I thought the Clippers would be improved this season. They might still be, if they only have to play the first half of each game. In their first 4 outings this season, the 0-4 Clippers have been outscored 212 to 142 in the second half. Omit the first game, and that stat is 168 to 93.
theHoundDawg
A Little About Last Night in the NBA
10/30/08 14:24 Filed in: NBA
It has only been two games and they have yet to play
a team that reasonably expects to make the playoffs,
but you have to be totally amazed by the play of the
Lakers. 710 ESPN's Steve Mason has caused a stir by
predicting they will win 70 games, and while I won't
go that far, they may get close. On the other side of
the court, the Clippers looked great in the first
quarter, but were never heard from again.
The debuts of the two one-year-and-gone locals were to form as I see it, and as I mentioned yesterday. Kevin Love, in 18 minutes off the bench, shot 5 of 8, scored 12 points, collected 9 boards, and had one steal, in Minnesota's victory over Sacramento. I checked Memphis' stats at half-time, and saw Simpson Mayo with 8 points. In his typical fashion, in a game that started close as the fourth quarter began, but which Houston then won going away, SM was nowhere to be seen, despite playing 40 minutes. He finished with 10 points, shooting 5 of 20, including 0 of 7 from 3-point range.
Elsewhere, former Bruin Jason Kapono, who had the highest 3-point pct. in the NBA in each of the past two seasons (they aren't crediting him with the title last season for sightly too few attempts), got off to another great start with 3 of 4 from downtown and 15 points in Toronto's win.
theHoundDawg
The debuts of the two one-year-and-gone locals were to form as I see it, and as I mentioned yesterday. Kevin Love, in 18 minutes off the bench, shot 5 of 8, scored 12 points, collected 9 boards, and had one steal, in Minnesota's victory over Sacramento. I checked Memphis' stats at half-time, and saw Simpson Mayo with 8 points. In his typical fashion, in a game that started close as the fourth quarter began, but which Houston then won going away, SM was nowhere to be seen, despite playing 40 minutes. He finished with 10 points, shooting 5 of 20, including 0 of 7 from 3-point range.
Elsewhere, former Bruin Jason Kapono, who had the highest 3-point pct. in the NBA in each of the past two seasons (they aren't crediting him with the title last season for sightly too few attempts), got off to another great start with 3 of 4 from downtown and 15 points in Toronto's win.
theHoundDawg
More on the New NBA Season
10/29/08 14:12 Filed in: NBA
A few more thoughts about the new NBA season:
Greg Oden is the re-incarnation of Sam Bowie, but not as talented. Like Bowie, Bill Walton, and some other touted big men coming into the NBA, he's started off with the injury bug and you have to wonder will his carer mirror Bowie's, never to be fulfilled?
Barring their usual rash of injuries, which started in the preseason this year, the Clippers do figure to be improved, and their tip-off vs. the Lakers tonight should be interesting. The Clippers, from this perspective, have nothing to lose in playing the Lakers, who looked totally dominant against Portland.
More question marks abound in Charlotte, where it looks like it will be tough for Larry Brown to work much of his prior magic, unless he stays a lot longer than his track record would indicate he will, and in New York, where except for the new coach, it doesn't look like much has changed. Charlotte looks set at point guard and power forward (depending on the health of Sean May), but the rest of the team looks like it needs improvement to be a work in progress. As far as the Knicks are concerned, their only visible improvement is Stephon Marbury starting games on the bench.
Terms that may surprise: Minnesota and Kevin Love (UCLA), and Philadelphia and Elton Brand.
Teams in the dumper: Sacramento and Memphis. How did Sacramento get so bad so quickly, and Memphis will soon learn that in crunch time, the last guy you want on the court is OJ Simpson Mayo.
theHoundDawg
Greg Oden is the re-incarnation of Sam Bowie, but not as talented. Like Bowie, Bill Walton, and some other touted big men coming into the NBA, he's started off with the injury bug and you have to wonder will his carer mirror Bowie's, never to be fulfilled?
Barring their usual rash of injuries, which started in the preseason this year, the Clippers do figure to be improved, and their tip-off vs. the Lakers tonight should be interesting. The Clippers, from this perspective, have nothing to lose in playing the Lakers, who looked totally dominant against Portland.
More question marks abound in Charlotte, where it looks like it will be tough for Larry Brown to work much of his prior magic, unless he stays a lot longer than his track record would indicate he will, and in New York, where except for the new coach, it doesn't look like much has changed. Charlotte looks set at point guard and power forward (depending on the health of Sean May), but the rest of the team looks like it needs improvement to be a work in progress. As far as the Knicks are concerned, their only visible improvement is Stephon Marbury starting games on the bench.
Terms that may surprise: Minnesota and Kevin Love (UCLA), and Philadelphia and Elton Brand.
Teams in the dumper: Sacramento and Memphis. How did Sacramento get so bad so quickly, and Memphis will soon learn that in crunch time, the last guy you want on the court is OJ Simpson Mayo.
theHoundDawg