The Clippers are now without their most efficient offensive and defensive players, and the consequences of those absences are on full display tonight at the Pyramid. The Grizzlies finish the game with 106 points in their 93 possessions (114.0/100) and they do it by brutalizing the Clippers within 15 feet of the basket and by luring the Clippers into a series of bad defensive decisions.
Memphis scores on its first seven trips, during which the Clippers establish some horrible patterns that plague them all night. On the game’s first possession, the Clippers choose to send help low to Zach Randolph off O.J. Mayo. That’s a silly decision by Rasual Butler, particularly with Mike Conley cutting through to the weak side. Baron Davis offers some help, fully recognizing that Conley is harmless from the weak side corner, particularly if Randolph is the guy who has to make the play. Mayo? Not only is he…well…O.J. Mayo, but he’s also the only pass Randolph can reasonably make out of the post. He does, and Mayo records the game’s first bucket.
Memphis runs the Clips in circles all night — even when the stuff isn’t all that well-executed. Take the game’s third possession, where the Grizz run a couple of stagger screens off which Mayo curls a la Ray Allen. Mayo gets a modicum of separation, but nothing extraordinary. But it doesn’t matter, because as Mayo approaches the elbow to collect the pass from the perimeter (Randolph), both the trailer (Butler) and Gasol’s man (Kaman) run at him. The second Kaman reacts, Gasol breaks for the hole. Mayo hits his big man with a bounce pass en route, and Gasol has an uncontested driving slam.
Gasol beats the Clippers in every conceivable way a big man can dominate a game down low, and we see the full portfolio before the first stoppage. In isolation against Kaman on the left block, Gasol uses a baseline pivot to get some room to launch a little left-handed hook. Twenty seconds later, the Clippers botch a basic pick-and-roll coverage on a Conley-Gasol S/R. Conley draws Thornton courtesy of an early screen from Rudy Gay before anyone gets set that bumps Baron off the Grizz point guard. It’s an ugly mismatch for Memphis, but the Grizz give the Clips a reprieve and go with the initial call — the aforementioned Conley/Gasol S/R.1 What do the Clips do? They look a gift horse in the mouth. Thornton and Kaman trap Conley on the action, thereby allowing Gasol to roll to the hoop unfettered. Credit the Grizzlies for spacing the floor beautifully with Mayo, Gay and Randolph, making any defensive rotation virtually impossible. Personally, I’d have Camby sag on Randolph, not only because Marcus is among the best weak side helpers in basketball (bad back notwithstanding), but because Randolph is the least dangerous of those three Grizzlies from that distance, especially from the left side of the floor, where Zach is set up.
While this mass hemorrhage is occurring, Baron Davis keeps the Clippers in the game on the other end of the floor. He finishes the first quarter with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field and sinks 3 of 5 attempts from the stripe. He does it the smart way — bullying Mike Conley, then a rusty Jamaal Tinsley with his back to the basket. If you’re a strong guard like Baron, a matchup against these two is gold, but the fact that the Memphis bigs don’t provide much in the way of help compounds the advantage even more. Baron takes full advantage, and the result is his finest offensive quarter of the season.
Unfortunately, Baron gives it back in the third quarter when he falls into Alpha Dog mode. With the game teetering on the edge for the Clippers in the third quarter, Davis commits three bad plays. The first comes in transition, where Baron opts for the unsteady 26-foot PUJIT with that scissors kick that accompanies his shot when he’s not set. Over the next couple of minutes, Baron makes two uncharacteristically lazy passes — one a sloppy entry to Craig Smith, the other an errant dish along the perimeter to Steve Novak.
The Clippers’ second unit vaults them back into the game, but then another defensive lapse reverses that momentum. On a Conley-Gasol pick-and-roll, Conley is barely able to nudge his way inside the arc. Gasol rolls, but Rhino diligently stays with him. Meanwhile, Ricky Davis is assigned to Mayo in the right corner. Given everything that we’ve just laid out – a Conley-Gasol pick-and-roll well in check, why in (enter deity here)’s name would Ricky Davis leave Mayo for an instant? For whatever reason, Davis decides to step toward the action, leaving an unmanned Mayo to perform a baseline sprint and flush a lob from Conley for a fierce alley-oop.
Ricky Davis is a respectable on-ball defender, but there aren’t fifteen guys in the league who offer more unwarranted help off their perimeter defensive assignments than Ricky.
Meanwhile, Rasual Butler is pressing and it’s starting to hurt the team. You can’t deny Butler the wide open looks. It’s safe to assume that those will eventually start falling again at a decent clip. But in recent days, Butler has been trying to raise his shooting percentage five points with every shot, launching all kinds of contested, off-balanced, ill-advised stuff off the dribble. The numbers say that he’s doing an above average job on the wing defensively, but his offensive presence is killing the Clippers right now. He simply can’t fill Eric Gordon’s role as the featured ball-side threat on the perimeter, and Rasual desperately needs to return to the weak side corner, where he’s been most successful over the course of his career. Of course, this can’t happen until Eric returns.
Some positives:
- It won’t make any Top 10 highlight reels, but Craig Smith’s 94-foot solo break at (2nd, 9:30) was like watching the big boy in Pop Warner ball rumble to the end zone against kids who are powerless in size and strength to stop him.
- DeAndre Jordan assumes Marcy Camby’s role on the glass, and collects five rebounds during the third quarter while the Clippers are trying to hang on. He collects seven total rebounds in 18 minutes — crucial in helping the Clippers win the rebounding rate battle against the league’s 2nd best glass squad. Jordan needs to go back to basics — worry about nothing but the glass, protecting the hoop, and being decisive defending the pick and roll.
- Ricky Buckets performs well during temps d’ordures. Davis plays the entire fourth quarter and scores 10 points on 5-8 shooting from the floor. Given that Denver starts Aaron Afflalo at the 2, maybe Mike Dunleavy should give Ricky a more extended look as a starter.
1Despite the fact that this possession plays out nicely for Memphis, if you want to know why a team with so much fire power entered the night with the NBA’s 10th least efficient offense, this is why. Another example: the Grizz practically need an engraved invitation to exploit Hasheem Thabeet against Steve Novak in the post after Mike Dunleavy assigns the sharpshooter to the No. 2 overall pick. Can you imagine how little respect Dunleavy (or Hollins for that matter) has for Thabeet’s post game?
36 Responses
I have tried to support dunleavy, i really have. but i cant watch it anymore. I cant watch butler try and take someone off the dribble and throw up some garbage. I cant watch al(the black hole) force up any more bad jumpers. I cant stand to see any more baron davis pull up threes. Dunleavy lost control. I cant take another injury. I cant watch another deandre freethrow. I cant look at jason powell on the sideline for another second. I lost it last night. And Im done. I dont care about injuries anymore, there is to many excuses.Other teams deal with them fine. Our offense is an ugly, inefficient, and random mess. Its a shame because this is really a great site, with great columns that is responded to by some very intelligent bball fans, I guess i will return when we have a new coach, maybe….
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gsr Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Just firing Dunleavy is not going to yield much. There’s a better way to handle it. Let Clipper fans sign a PETITION against Sterling, asking NBA to revoke his ownership rights and give him ultimatum to sell the team.
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bongstradamus Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 10:18 am
or like we could start a non-profit organization to buy the Clippers outright, leverage season ticket packages, etc. Didnt Green Bay sell ownership of their football club to the city?
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laknights Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
gsr, That’s the type a response I’d expect from a high school kid, “We’ll sign a PETITION, they’ll have to listen to us!” Yeah right, those petitions are REAL POWERFUL legal documents.
I’m with Brad, Sterling shouldn’t focus on players giving up on coach, he needs to understand (by empty seats, low ratings, hit him where it counts, in his wallet), that coach has lost the fans.
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Pez Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I feel you brad. I’ve given mdsr plenty of opportunity to prove himself as a coach…and granted we’re missing arguably our two best players, certainly the two most interesting…but he’s got to go. I wonder if there’s any chance of Sterling ending mdsr’s coaching stint.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Will somebody explain how Dunleavy can possibly give up the coaching job and stay on as GM (as people have suggested)? You think he might be a little bit vindictive against the players who lost him his coaching job (in his mind)? And howt’s a mean, petty guy like Dunleavy going to react when a new coach wins with the same players? Just get rid of him before another season goes completely down the drain. I’m pretty sure that any decent coach can win with this team. Admittedly, even Dunleavy would win more games with Eric and Blake in the line-up, but that won’t change the poisonous, joyless atmosphere that this guy has created.
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FireDunleavy .com Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Yeah, he’ll trade Blake Griffin for his son.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 7:16 am
At the risk of sounding utterly ridiculous, I want to point out that if you look at the stats from last night’s game, they are all virtually identical: turnovers, fastbreak points, blocks, steals, assists, three-point shooting, fouls, shot attempts, free throw attempts. The only two stats that were different were made free throws and made shots. I guess the point is that it’s just frustrating beyond belief to actually rebound and protect the ball at the same rate as the other team and still seem like you’re never really in the game. But it comes down to running many a terrible offensive set and giving the other team open looks through a seemingly unbreakable pattern of lazy, uninspired defense.
Do people think this team would play for Jeff Van Gundy?
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SamMays Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I think we have to look to Gordon and Griffin to instill some pride and work ethic in several veteran dogs. It’s sad when you have to hope your young players can lead the vets, but that’s where this “team” is at.
I think Baron will play hard for a new coach, briefly. If things go well, he’ll continue to play hard. If things don’t go well, he’ll fold as is his habit. Also, Van Gundy is a defense first coach and defense isn’t really something Baron is interested in, so that doesn’t bode well…
Also, if Dunleavy goes, I don’t think Sterling will spring for another high-dollar coach. He’ll probably promote someone from within who is cheap.
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bongstradamus Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 10:24 am
I think most teams play for Van Gundy. When things go bad for Van Gundy is when he starts second guessing his own impact like with the Knicks and Houston, both those times ended because JVG was being neurotic.
But yea, he demands defense. Thats his thing. If you play D, he plays you. Hes great with the guys though and he knows how to utilize the strengths of his players incredibly well. Kurt Thomas got 10 extra years on his career thanks to JVG using him appropriately.
Hes the best coach not working, including Avery and Byron. JVG is the guy to get.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 7:57 am
MIKE DUMLEAVY needs to be fired.You can see the team has no desire to play for him. we can still save our season if we can pick up BYRON SCOTT. MAYBE THE CLIPPERS will play better… CLIPPER FANS GO TO FIRE MIKEDUNLEAVY.COM and read comments
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 9:44 am
THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS MADNESS IS TO STOP BUYING TIX. Can you imagine one full season with 2 or 3 thousand people per game? That’s the only way we take back the power. ONE ENTIRE 82 GAME SEASON. David Stern would have to react and the media coverage would force the issue. IT’S IN OUR HANDS.
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gsr Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
If that happens, Sterling will sell the team for good.
Season ticket holders should stand-down. STOP renewing that worthless package.
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SamMays Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Sterling has never sold an apartment building and he will never sell this team… That’s not what he believes in. The Clippers are an appreciating asset to him, bought for 10-million circa 1980 and now worth over a quarter of a billion. He won’t sell under any circumstances short of his death.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Baron will not play for Byron Scott.
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Stian Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Let’s get Byron Scott then.
Baron is Stephon Marbury West and he needs to go as much as Dunleavy.
I don’t want guys like Griffin, Gordon and Jordan to pick up any of this POS’s habits and attitude.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Realllllly surprised with Butler’s poor performance so far. I thought he was just what the Clips needed.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Once again they can use injuries as an excuse for the poor play. Dumb loony won’t be fired while three of his best players are injured…..and so it goes…..
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gsr Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Aged veterans and talented rookies get injured under Dunleavy because he plays them 40+++ minutes each game; as if there’s no other game to play tomorrow.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Hey folks,
It is my first posting here. I have been following the Clippers for about 4 years now. It is becoming increasingly painful and frustrating to watch the Clips play. It is amazing to watch them knowing that they have so much power to make anyone’s life hell on the court. This team does not lack talent. The problem I believe is how it is being used and handled. It may be time to bring a new coach in.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 11:22 am
[...] Memphis 106, Clippers 91 – Clipperblog.com [...]
Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Team is totally undisciplined on both ends of the floor…Dunleavy’s fault. But I see Sterling keeping him until the end of the season and then not giving him an extension, which might piss the Dunce off enough to walk. I can’t see Sterling firing him now and paying him for two seasons for nothing.
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Chris. Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Dunleavy sadly will have this year, especially while Blake is injured. If the team ever gets healthy, it will be a true test to see how far he has lost these players. I think it’s to the point of no return and i hate Dunleavy but he will last with the injury excuse.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I’ll be shocked if Dunleavy doesn’t get the boot soon. Losing to NOH without Chris Paul is like losing to an NBADL team. Losing to MEM, a team who admittedly cannot guard a chair (see OJ Mayo’s recent quotes), due to inability at generating offense (paired with horrid defense to boot) is beyond my comprehension. The only reason the Clips were down by only 10 was because of Baron dominating and carrying the team through the 1st half.
Any decent NBA coach should be able to guide this talented Clipper team to at least .500 mark, regardless of injuries. Rick Adelman got the Rockets playing solid ball – and that’s without their TWO all star players, which really when you think about it, left the Rockets with a group of limited role players plus Ariza. Even with Griffin and Gordon out, Dunleavy still got Kaman, and Baron – both borderline all star players. A starting lineup of Baron, Butler, Thornton, Camby, and Kaman is definitely a legitimate team that should be playing at least .500 ball. So why are we losing?… The answer is simple, inability to utilize the team’s strengths – and of course, only the coach is to blame for that.
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Jorge Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
You’re so right. What drives me crazy sometimes is the look on Mike’s face as if he’s surprised. know what I mean?
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
whoooooooooo go Zach Randolph!
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
boy did they reach with the thabeet pick.
dude has a ways to go.
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bongstradamus Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Thabeets really Michael Olowokandi with a great plastic surgeon.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Fire Dunleavy Petition. Please sign!
http://www.petitiononline.com/clip7777/petition.html
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
U break down the game all the time. Maybe u can find some room in there somewhere to break down the horrible coaching as well…..
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Beard The Curse Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I know Kevin is in a tough spot, he probably interacts with Dunleavy so there’s that. And second, he doesn’t want this to turn in a fire Dunleavy campaign. But it’s pretty apparent this team has quit only 13 games in.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
mike taylor signed with red star. of serbia. damn…that’s cold.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
OKLAHOMA CITY, November 17, 2009 – Thunder guard Shaun Livingston underwent a successful minor arthroscopic procedure today to resolve swelling in his left knee.
During the procedure, which was performed by Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Bill Clancy, a loose anchor was removed from Livingston’s left knee. The anchor was originally placed during a previous surgery.
“Shaun Livingston had successful minor arthroscopic surgery on his left knee,” said Dr. James Andrews. “His knee surfaces and previously repaired ligaments look excellent. He should be back to 100 percent in a few weeks.”
It is estimated that Livingston will be out 3-4 weeks.
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
nba.com has a great article up about what NBA coaches should be on the hot seat for losing their jobs and Dunleavy is #2 in the odds to be fired (behind Lawrence Frank).
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/fran_blinebury/11/18/coaches/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1
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Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Sterling is all about the $, which is why there are 10 million reasons why Dunleavy’s not going anywhere (see the L.A. Times article from yesterday). Face it: we were duped into buying tickets due to good marketing: i.e. the “Blake Griffin” show ads all over the paper. Sterling wants to hold down the fixed costs as much as possible. So think about how much it would cost to fire a guy holding not one but two key positions (GM, head coach) and come up with minimally qualified replacements. Dunleavy can definitely GM better than Elgin Baylor (the Clips are deep with a shallow payroll: even losing the 15th man [Kareem Rush] for the season hurts the team). But can he coach? Who else could blow a 15 point 4th quarter lead in Game 7 against the Lakers in ‘00 and blow a sure title? That Smith, Pippen, Sabonis team would surely have played at least decently inspired defense under Van Gundy when it all mattered. Is it any wonder this Clippers team is blowing so many 4th quarter leads? This team in years’ past was reeling since the loss of Elton Brand, and now is floundering without Eric Gordon. Both guys step up in the 4th to play inspired basketball despite a coach who does not inspire it. OK enough babbling- I’ve still got 500 pages to go in Bill Simmons’ book (wow, if he of all basketball fans got suckered into buying season Clips tickets, Sterling must know something about making $).
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Posted on November 20th, 2009 at 11:58 am
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Posted on December 4th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
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