“This is borderline embarrassing” –- Ralph Lawler [2nd, 6:25]
Want to watch something truly embarrassing? Take a look at Baron Davis and Marcus Camby defend a high screen by Rashard Lewis at the top of the arc:
- [2nd, 0:40] In the pantheon of NBA power forwards, Lewis isn’t exactly a bruiser. But on this set, you’d think he’s Maurice Lucas. Lewis is defended by Camby to the left of Anthony Johnson, who runs point for Orlando in the absence of Jameer Nelson. Baron Davis plays a few feet off Johnson. Lewis slides between Johnson and Davis, then sets a screen that straddles the circle at the top of the key. Davis puts no real effort to fight through it. In fact, Baron literally wraps his arms around Lewis in a bear hug. Meanwhile, Camby neither switches nor shows. I’m not sure how you’d classify his brand of S/R defense here. He follows Lewis with his arms extended and his back to Johnson. I guess Marcus figures that Davis will run underneath, and that he has to account for Lewis. When Davis gets caught, Marcus never runs out on Johnson, or even looks at him. He just takes off for the glass, hoping to get the rebound. Problem is, when you allow a team to shoot 64% from the floor, there aren’t that many rebounds to be had.
Orlando drains 16 of 26 from beyond the arc, the majority of which are clean looks. They get some of them on lapsed rotations, and some of them in transition — but always on lousy defensive decisions by the Clips:
- [3rd, 5:50] Hedo Turkoglu rushes the ball up the right sideline. He gets a quick screen from Dwight Howard, and uses it well as he drives toward the lane. While this is going on over on the right side, Courtney Lee has spots up in the weak side [left] corner, and Johnson on the left wing. Baron Davis is responsible for Johnson, while Gordon accounts for Lee. To review: Two shooters spread out on the weak side [and for the purposes of this specific half of basketball, Anthony Johnson is a shooter], with corresponding two defenders. So what does Baron do? He collapses on Turkoglu, even though Camby is the help defender, even though Turkoglu’s easiest kick is to the trailing Johnson [Baron's man].Well, the Magic are 36-11 for a reason — they capitalize on dense opponents. Turkoglu makes the easy pass to Johnson. Gordon now has to pick his poison — rotate onto Johnson, which will leave Lee alone, or leave a wide open look for Johnson [who finishes the first half 6-7 on 3PA]. Gordon chooses the former. There is no correct answer, because the play is already blown the instant Davis decides he needs to gamble on Turkoglu 18 feet from the basket. Johnson passes it over to Lee, and the rookie nails the 3PA from the corner.
- [2nd, 10:55] The Clippers have no orientation defensively whatsoever. JJ Redick pushes the ball up the left side against Eric Gordon. Tony Battie, Hedo Turkoglu, and Courtney Lee spread out along the arc [Incidentally, when did Tony Battie add an 18-foot jump shot to his game?]. Redick feeds Howard just off the left block against Randolph, then cuts to the right corner. Instead of following Redick to the weak side, Gordon yells for Ricky Davis to pick up Redick, so that Eric can help on Howard. Davis seems confounded by the request, and he may have cause. Howard isn’t the world’s greatest passing big man, but he’s certainly capable of passing over Eric Gordon to find one of two open shooters on the weak side.That’s exactly what happens: Howard kicks it out of the post to Lee. Now both Gordon and Ricky Davis close on Lee which, naturally, leaves Redick wide open in the corner. Lee dishes the ball over to Redick, who drains the 3PA.Bad decision-making, bad recovery — all of it compounded by bad communication.
About five minutes into the game, there’s a sequence that’s the perfect three-second embodiment of Zach Randolph’s defensive career:
- [1st, 7:13] Randolph guards Howard a couple of steps off the mid-left post. Howard faces up on Zach, pounds a single left-handed dribble into the floor, then takes a stride along the baseline, then goes up for a stuff.That’s it. Howard doesn’t freeze Randolph with a deceptive jab step, or execute some pretty footwork to get himself free. He merely uses Zach Randolph against Zach Randolph.
Until this team demonstrates any wherewithal on the defensive end of the floor, it doesn’t matter how many offensive weapons return to the lineup.
30 Responses
That was the worst defensive effort I have ever seen in a pro game, and I’m positive the the Anaheim Arsenal would have played better D. Mike Smith said this game broke the record for most 3s ever made against the Clips.
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Posted on February 4th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Defense is about effort, lack of defense means lack of effort, isn’t the coach responsible for getting the players to put out effort? Or maybe the team assembled is of players who lack the ability to play defense, isn’t it the GM’s responsibility to evaluate the talents and abilities of the players he assembles? Wouldn’t a good GM compensate for 1 or 2 poor defensive players by surrounding them with good defensive teammates?
I mean I’m just saying….
2/11 vs. Knicks, first break of the game, stand and shout from the top of your lungs: “MIKE MUST GO”
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Posted on February 4th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
The players might have given up on Dunleavy…but then again, the bench players were playing their hearts out when we were undermanned. Maybe the “starters” just don’t have a crap, or maybe Baron just wants to undermine Dunleavy. Whatever the cause, the team have completely collapsed these past three games since Baron came back. Something has got to give. Baron, Ricky Davis, Zach, & Thornton aren’t known for their defensive prowess to begin with…but they have gone from atrocious to worst of all time under Dunleavy’s woeful gaze.
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HP Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Great point. Here’s hoping the starters are just rusty. Maybe Dunleavy should just start benching starters. I mean, what’s going to happen? They’re going to fire him?
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Posted on February 4th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Tonight we played the perfect example of what a “team” looks like. They’re extremely well coached and they play hard and with a purpose. They have one superstar, and they built the entire team around him. They had a PLAN, and it’s paying off big time now.
Our plan seemed to be to throw together the biggest names we possibly could, even though none of their games make sense together. This is what it would look like if your fantasy team were an NBA team. Except worse. Much, much worse.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Actually, Tony Battie has always had that 18 footer, you haven’t been paying enough attn…..
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Kevin Arnovitz Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Mea Culpa. I owe Tony Battie dinner.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 6:49 am
This is awful
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 7:40 am
The clippers can make a profit by selling tapes of “not how to play team D”
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 9:36 am
baron needs to go… the clippers have been sunk. watch… we’re goin to blow this year’s #1 draft pick. We’re cursed
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Q.D. Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Baron sunk our battle ship
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 11:04 am
I wish Ralph and Mike would stop sugarcoating everything.
Embarassing? How about disgraceful?
All Mike could do is ramble on about how good the Magic were and how well Al Thornton was playing.
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Philip J Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Ralph and Mike are really the only reason I even watch games anymore.
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MichaelCage! Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I agree with you ACD…I actually miss Bill Walton, who would actually say that the Clippers are playing atrociously and call them out on it. Ralph and Mike’s desperate attempt to find any ray of optimism amidst increasingly embarassing blow-outs is becoming painful to listen to. It might be their job to keep viewers entertain and buck up their spirits, but at a certain point, they should just call it like it is.
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markshimmyjackson Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
seriously, stop hating on them. waaaay better than stu lantz and joel meyers, make me wanna kill myself. you should listen to clippers postgame talk on the 710… ralph is always pissed off. its actually pretty hilarious.
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MichaelCage! Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I don’t hate Ralph and Mike. And yeah, they’re way better than Joel Meyers and Stu Lantz. But I do have to say, without any prejudices, that Chick Hearn+Stu Lantz was superior than Mike and Walton, which is better than the current pairing of Mike and Ralph, which is better than Joel Meyers and Stu in terms of calling it like it is.
I loved it when Chick chastised the Lakers when they whined to the refs. Can you imagine how livid Chick would be if he were alive today and had to watch this current crop of Lakers roll their eyes and throws a tantrum everytime they get a whistle?
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Ralph is classic. Walton kept it real. Joel Meyers is horrible. Stu Lantz thinks he knows everything. Chick Hearn is legendary.
AND
Elton Brand…out for the season!
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Next we need the news: Baron Davis…out for the season due to unspecified and mysterious groin injury. The Clippers rebound to win three in a row.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Blake Griffin. Keep tanking. Clippers go for the title 3-peat in 2014!!!
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I’m usually not a very vindictive person, but I smirked when I read that EB was out for the rest of the reason.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Said Brand, “This was supposed to be special. This was supposed to be winning, supposed to be fun.” Welcome to the club, EB!
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
seriously— is there a curse? everyone from the last few years associated with the clippers have had some kind of shitty result with their careers
a) Shaun Livingston– injured
b) Cutino Mobley– Heart problem
c) Yaro Koralev– out of the league
d) Baron Davis– turned into a liability
e) Elton Brand–all star to “out for the year” 2 out of 3 years
f) Chris Kaman– cant stay on the court
g) Chris Wilcox– #8 pick to bench warmer
h) Olowakandi– no comment
i) Marko Jaric–best PG prospect in europe to worst PG in Memphis
j) Elgin Baylor– Legend to Joke
k) Dunleavy– savior to architect of a joke
l) Danny Manning— bad knees
m) Maggette– disaster in Golden State
n) Odom– consumate under-achiever
o) Q Rich– 3 point shooter who cant shoot
p) Miles– villan in Portland among other places
q) Lawler– waste of talent
r) Kevin Arnovits– waste of talent
s) Thornton– “head down basketball”
t) Mike Taylor– broken hand
u) Tim Thomas– Tim Thomas
v) Zach Randolph– Jake Voskul
w) Marcus Camby– 10-32
x) Kobe/Ray Allen– spurn clips–end up contending/winning championships
y) Pedrag Drobnjak– had to take a shower
z) Danny Granger– All Star
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EricGordonsAnkleBrace Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
i) Marco Jaric is BALLS DEEP in Adriana Lima, that more than makes up for all the ineptitude on this list.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
EB being out for the season is actually better for Philly. With EB and Andre Miller in the lineup, Philly was awful. EB completely throws a wrench in their up tempo offense. He’s not a great outlet passer, he needs to sit in the low post and have them feed him the ball, but Philly has nobody to stroke it from outside to prevent the defense from collapsing. Worse, with EB clogging up the middle, Andre Miller and Iggy can’t slash to the hoop where they’re effective. Without EB in the lineup they had won 10 in a row. When he came back, they lost 4 out of 6. So now that he’s gone again, they will probably make the playoffs. Addition by subtraction.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
why don’t we entertain the notion of making a deal for Tayshaun Prince. Although, he doesn’t score too much he plays great defense and would be a great backup to Al. Maybe then Al wouldn’t be stuck getting burned by Carmelo Anthoy and would shoot higher percentages on the offensive end.
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EricGordonsAnkleBrace Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Tayshaun was an Olympian, Al Thornton wishes he could carry Tayshauns jockstrap. Puhlease he’d be Al’s backup, u r clueless.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Tayshaun Prince or Shane Battier. Both those guys would bring toughness to the team. Battier is probably the more realistic choice.
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Dj Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Unless the Clips are ready to give up our first rounder either now or in the future, we’re not getting either one of those guys. We just don’t have the trading pieces to be a player this trade deadline.
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Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
ROOT FOR MINNESOTA!
If i’m not mistaken, we get Minny’s 1st round draft pick if they finish 11th or better in the league… last time i checked they were the 11th worst team…we’re good
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Posted on February 6th, 2009 at 12:17 am
[...] observation from Kevin Arnovitz of Clippersblog. He notes the defensive prowess that Zach Randolph is famous [...]
Posted on February 6th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
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