The Memphis Grizzlies come into Sunday’s game with brimming confidence. Before the game, Grizzlies’ head coach Lionel Hollins portrays his team as a cohesive group of guys who have taken it upon themselves to have impromptu film sessions and to call out counters on the floor when the first offensive option isn’t working. The manifestation of all this was witnessed the other night when Memphis blew Portland out of the Rose Garden.
For the Clippers, Memphis represents a particularly dangerous challenge because the Grizzlies lead the world on the offensive boards. Coming into Sunday’s game, the Grizzlies had collected over a third of available rebounds off their own misses. Meanwhile, the Clippers rank 29th out of 30th on their defensive glass.
It’s completely counter-intuitive then to look down at the box score at halftime to see that the Clippers have given up only a single offensive board, while grabbing eight of their own.
The only thing that’s stranger?
The Clippers trail by 15.
Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay are the primary assailants. The Clips haven’t had an answer for Gay on the wing in the teams’ previous two meetings. And the Clips, while not a bad defensive team when up against more traditional drive-and-kick schemes, have trouble when offenses swirl around a high post threat like Gasol. Kaman’s head ends up on a swivel, but his reaction time is a beat behind the game, and the entire Clippers’ defense breaks down. Memphis also outperforms its shot selection. In the first half, Baron Davis runs underneath screens for both Mike Conley and Jamaal Tinsley — which seems sensible. Unfortunately, the Memphis point guards burn the Clippers, going 8 for 11 in the first half for 18 points.
Most of all, the Clippers are just plain soft.
“What I told them at halftime was, ‘Look, [the Grizzlies] are just too comfortable out there,’” Mike Dunleavy said after the game. “You’re letting these guys stare the basket in the eye.”
It takes another 13 minutes or so, but the Clippers begin to knock the Grizzlies off their spots. The Clips challenge every screen, outwork the Grizz for defensive position, and display quick feet on every pick-and-roll. They outscore Memphis 33-7 in the fourth quarter and surge to a 10-point victory.
With all due respect to the 33, it’s the 7 that’s most impressive for the Clips.
Here’s how it plays out in the fourth:
49 Responses
What about Eric Gordon?! Last we saw was him grimacing on the sidelines… please tell me he has not re-injured that groin!
Nice comeback Clips! I was sure you were gonna lose that one….. glad you proved me wrong.
Again, after all the Al bashing I read here over the summer, I’ve gotta say I’m proud of the kid. He’s contributing BIG on the boards, and his shot selection is so much better. Good for you, Al! Keep it up!
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I’ve missed the last three games because of the holiday, and I’m pissed I missed this game. Seems like it was a thriller. Great Job Clippers! Inching ever closer to that .500 mark.
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Clippers won 8 of last 14. That’s without Gordon for 5 games. With Griffin, this team CAN win 48 games. We can compete for 7th or 8th spot for sure.
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Awesome breakdown, I love these videos
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Agreed. Keep the vids coming!
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Staples Center was going crazy around this time. So intense! btw. Great video breakdown indeed.
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
That was the most fun I had watching a Clippers game since their little playoff run, years ago
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Kevin,
The Clips’ stellar defense must be their second highlight of the season after a similar display not long ago where they held opponents during a 16-0 run.
This was great to watch not just for the superb basketball, but for the terrific commentary as well. Keep it going. This is a stellar basketball blog.
Kevin Arnovitz Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Thanks for the kind words, Spurs fan. Looking forward to watching G. Hill & DeJBlair blossom this season.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 1:21 am
Defense & rebounding should always give the clips the kind of transition opportunities they had in the fourth. I love the fact that Gordon is so good at pushing the ball to the rim. I’d outlet to him over Davis anytime.
Hopefully this game will trigger more defense, transition and easy hoops for the clips. At the very least it’s way more exciting to watch.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 7:17 am
The Clippers have responded vehemently on three nights that were crucial nights for Dunleavy’s career—on their make-it-or-break-it fifth game of the season, on their way out of a three-game losing skid in Oklahoma City, and, now, to grab Dunleavy his 600th win. Does that mean the team cares about him? I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure the Clippers just locked in their first month above .500 since January of 2007.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 7:51 am
As I watched that game, I was thinking “I hope there’s a breakdown of all this tomorrow”. Thanks.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 7:53 am
I saw the score in the afternoon and then watched the replay at 11. I knew the final outcome but still couldn’t see it as I watched the game. I started to think maybe the scores I saw were wrong, but damn that was a fast comeback. When the players begin to realize that they need to play with that energy in every quarter of every game then we’ll become a winner.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 10:50 am
I love these breakdown videos; you catch things I wouldn’t (like Marcus Camby’s signaling to Kaman to pick up his man on defense). These videos are better than most of the stuff on NBA tv.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 11:43 am
always great job with the vid
and i watch the first quarter of this game and missed the rest but luckily they re-aired it today and i recorded it with my dvr!
this was one of the most exciting Clipper games in recent memory….
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
This game was the flip side of the game we blew against Toronto where we gave up a 22 point lead and got stuck on 89 for what seemed like the whole fourth quarter.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
We have every reason to be optimistic. No matter what we think of Dunleavy’s coaching style, he’s a sure hand for sure. Sterling will not fire him and he might continue to be part of this team beyond 2011.
With Baron, Kaman, Griffin, Gordon and Thornton as our starting 5, I don’t think we should even waste millions on TOP TIER free agents next year. Instead we should spend those valuable dollars on replacing players like Ricky, Novak, Skinner and Rush with few solid defensive minded tough veterans who can solidify our defensive structure.
Age is not Camby’s side. To do justice to his tenure as a Clipper, we should take this season very seriously. It’s nice, that we can aspire for a playoff bound season now. Who knows by the time we reach allstar game we might be thinking of a season that is more than just making noice.
Baron loves this team. But he won’t be happy until Clipper fans show him their support as well.
Gordon for President Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I agree, I’ve been considering the impact a top-flight free agent would have on the team. I get the nagging feeling Blake and EJ would be stunted. The only free-agent I’d consider throwing major money at is LBJ, and to a lesser extent Joe Johnson (but I have continual reservations he can’t consistently play the 3, but with teams going smaller and smaller witht the use of PF’s as centers and tweeners as 4′s it might not matter).
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Your breakdown videos are an awesome tool for us basketball fanatics. That was the first one I watched but I’ll definitely be coming back to see more in the future.
thanks
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
like your vidoes !
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Gordon For President, what do you mean when you write that one of the only free agents you’d consider is LBJ? Consider? If LeBron wanted to play here, the Clips would be nuts not to give him a max contract without thinking twice. If the Clips had LeBron, they’d be instant contenders for the NBA Championship!
As far as Joe Johnson is concerned, I agree with you. He’s a terrific SG, but I question his longevity as a SF. Fortunately, the Clips are set at the SG position with Eric.
rbm Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Before granting max.contract to LBJ, we need to think TWICE. After acquiring him, can we still afford to keep Griffin, Kaman, Eric and Thornton? If not, what happened in Cleveland can heppen here in LA.
bongstradamus Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Tossing a max bid into the pile for LBJ is one decision that requires little to no thought. And yes, we hold the bird rights for everyone, so we can pay through the nose and keep them all and exceed cap as long as Pappa Sterling cuts the checks and wants to win. Sure, its costly from a luxury tax perspective, but thats how the Lakers kept everyone together and why they have a 91M payroll this year with a 26M luxury tax hit.
And since we need a 3, i think our primary target this offseason besides LBJ should be Rudy Gay. Preferrably we can trade for him before the end of the season so we can have him in restricted free agency. I like JJ, but hes a little older and as mentioned, hes more of a 2 than a 3.
Gordon for President Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 9:37 am
Perhaps I should’ve rephrased it better. My original sentiment is that if we are going to add a free agent, the only one I would want is LeBron. Wade, Bosh, Amare, and JJ simply don’t fit.
TNT57 Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 10:37 am
The sales pitch is as follows..”Hey Lebron, would you be interested in taking a losing franchise and turning it into a champion? Oh, and would you like to do it in the house of your biggest individual competitor and rival?”
Gordon for President Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
The response, “Where do I sign”?
God, if only!
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Who needs Thornton if we have LeBron? Not only would you gain LeBron’s leadership and offense, but you’d gain a top-notch defender as well. I haven’t heard defense and Thornton mentioned in the same sentence very often.
As much as I like Kaman, if I had to give him up to stay under budget and get LeBron, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But I don’t think that’s necessary (see below).
Marcus Canby’s approx. $18 million contract comes off the books after this season not to mention Ricky Davis’s $2.4 million. I’d hate to lose Canby ’cause he’s a great player both on the floor and in the locker room. But if that’s the price you gotta’ pay to get LeBron, then so be it.
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
rbm, you’re right. The Clips should think twice if they have the opportunity to sign LeBron.
1-Mississippi
2-Mississippi
SIgn this blank check Mr. James…….
If you add James to just Griffin, Gordon and Davis plus Kaman or Jordon, you can order your championship rings sized right now.
rmb Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Putting all the eggs in one basket is not a good idea. It took serveral seasons of struggle(without Shaq) to win a title in Lakeland by Kobe Bryant. He knows how difficult it is to win with just one superstar. Without Gasol & Odom, even with Kobe, Lakers are a mediocre team.
Now don’t tell me LBJ can win anything by himself without current starters remaining for 4-5 seasons. It’ll be foolish to let go Kaman and Thornton. This team has invested a lot on both. And they need to stay as Clippers because alternatives are not going to be any better.
The way JBJ reacted after losing to Orlando clearly shows his Kobe-like twisted ego. Do we really want him in LA?
bongstradamus Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I dunno RMB, LeBron is a flat out better team player than Kobe. The Cavs had one of the best records in the league last year and the biggest name on the team besides LeBron was Mo Williams and Big Z.
LeBron can take a team to the conference Finals with just himself. Kobe needed 2 other superstars to even get past the first round without Shaq. Given the talent we have still on rookie deals (Gordon, Thornton, Griffin, Jordan) or that can be moved for other talent (Camby, Kaman), i think its a no brainer to throw a max deal at LeBron. Adding him, if its even possible, addresses our biggest need (SF) and gives us someone to build around. Considering we have decent first round picks in coming drafts (Minnys draft pick) i dont think it would be putting all our eggs into one basket. We have guys that can start at the 1, 2, 4 and 5 spots, and the depth behind those starters, we need a solid 3 and there is no other better player at that position than LBJ. Kobe is a 2, Wade is a 2, JJ is a 2. We need a 3. That leaves LBJ and Rudy Gay. We’d be stacked if we were lucky enough to land LeBron, but i have a feeling he appreciates the finer things in life meaning hell take all the cash he can from Cleveland or go to NY for a chance at a legacy and bigger sponsorship opportunities. I think we have, at tops, maybe a 5% chance of signing LeBron. And thats being generous. We definitely do not want to pass on giving him an offer though.
rmb Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Top 2 superstars in LA? NBA won’t like that. It’ll create an uneven conflict of interests when it comes to broadcasting rights and revenue distribution.
If we want to build our team around, we already have Griffin and Gordon.
And we should not join the bandwagon next season. We have an opprtunity to be
the team which can stand tall on its own.
bongstradamus Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 12:10 am
Like I said, at tops 5% chance. We have a long way to go as an organization before we can attract a player of that caliber besides just having money to spend we have to also show we can compete and value winning. As a team we would be stupid not to try and sign LeBron, its about as sure a thing as betting on the sun to rise. Shaq and Kobe were in LA when they were the top two superstars, and I dont think itll be a conflict of interests. I really dont understand that point you are trying to make to be real honest. They are 2 different teams with 2 different fanbases. I dont think the NBA decides for LeBron where he signs, LeBron and his agent make that decision.
rmb Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:57 am
You’re right about everything. But we already know where LBJ wants to go. His destination of interest is Chicago. The Bulls are waiting for that second coming of Jordan magic.I think NBA loves that prospect. And let’s not forget about the possible Griffin Effect in LA market.
That’s why we should not waste our time pursuing someone we can’t have.
Gordon for President Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 9:41 am
LeBron will never go to Chicago and play in Jordan’s shadow, nor will he go to the Heat and be Wade’s sidekick. I say that because Miamia is already Wade’s team, not that Wade is better (he isn’t).
Posted on November 30th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
we have something special and Eric Gordon …..
everyone else is expendable in my honest opinion……
i would sasy build around him but we already have a decent squad….i was going to say we need a Q Ross type of guy on D but Mardy Collins really impressed me with his D…and he is so active…he cant score if his like depended on it but we dont need him for that….
but yeah….i dont care who we get in the off season honestly i just hope we are active…..
Posted on December 1st, 2009 at 12:32 am
*in Eric Gordon
Posted on December 1st, 2009 at 12:34 am
but yeah its interesting this whole lebron james thing….honestly out of all the teams he could play for i think ours is the most talented …..
but i doubt he would come to the west….
Posted on December 1st, 2009 at 12:35 am
If you can get Lebron, you get him… For the next three years you’ll have Lebron, Kaman, Gordon, Griffin, Jordan and Baron… You’re a champioinship contender… We can worry about four years from now then… And hopefully with a ring or two.
Posted on December 1st, 2009 at 7:31 am
Like everyone else I’m stoked to see Al’s improved game this year, but I still think he’d be best as a 30mpg scorer off the bench at the 3 and 4. A more complete player (better shooter, better passer, better defender) at the 3 would make us much better. I don’t want to take a lot of shots away from Blake and EJ, but if we could get a talented 3 like Joe Johnson (assuming he accepted his role) we could have the talent to compete for a title.
Posted on December 1st, 2009 at 9:26 am
Per ralphs Twitter, Gordon is a game time decision with a sore left hamstring. Blake progressing and healing on pace.
VH Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 2:32 pm
What is the estimated return date for Griffin?
Gordon for President Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
2013.
Posted on December 1st, 2009 at 1:24 pm
i say all for Rudy Gay……
B. Davis, Telfair/Collins
Gordon, R. Davis
Gay, Thornton
Griffin, Smith/Jordan
Kaman, Camby/Jordan
Gordon for President Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Ricky Davis will not be on the roster next year. And Rudy Gay is not that much of an upgrade over Al. Better offensively? No question. But he still doesn’t bring the toughness, rebounding, and defensive intensity we need at the 3.
Ben Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Yup
Rudy Gay is just a bit more athletic than AL…..
and Al is a better rebounder….
but yeah we need someone who rebounds…that toughness and your right DEFENSE!!!
First2one00 Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Rudy Gay is a great player but he’s a score first player.. He’s gonna worry too much about his minutes, shots, points.. I do believe that he can play a significant role on any team when it comes down to the wire he’s a guy you can rely on.. but he’s a bit too selfish.. We already have enough offensive talent to go around… the last thing we need is more firepower at the 3.. It would keep the Clips way off balanced… Plus Gay still needs to improve on his passing… With Kaman, Griffin, Gordon, Thornton, and Davis.. we need a defense first player… We need someone like Shane Battier.. someone who focuses on defense primarily and someone we can trust with something as simple as a spot up jumper.. A player such a Bruce Bowen comes to mind… (I’m not suggesting Bowen, I’m just using his GAME as an example) One player that comes to mind is Trevor Ariza, but he’s under contract for a while.. I guess what i’m trying to say is.. We can’t really afford to get someone who will bring more offense because it will only take away opportunities from the young guys that we have that have yet to develop to their full potential… I really think our best bet is to focus our team around Gordon and Griffin.. Gordon needs to learn how to not shy away from those big game moments.. and judging from Sunday’s game, he’s starting to break out of his shyness.
bongstradamus Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I totally see the pragmatism of your argument, but Im more of a put more threats on the floor kinda guy. I would much rather watch highlights of Rudy Gay dunking than Shane Battier and his picture perfect defensive stances denying opportunities.
Id go for Gay because then youve got 5 brutal offensive weapons starting, teams would crawl up into little fetal balls and cry to mommy not knowing who to defend. Its true though, Rudy needs help passing, can be somewhat selfish shooting and probably has a lot more to learn, but hes oh so fun to watch and he absolutely destroys us whenever he plays here. No other guy i want finishing a fast break on an alley oop. His game works with Baron too, they both thrive in chaos and on fast breaks.
I mean, hes no LeBron, but he aint a bad fallback plan to button up the 3 next year, he fits right in. Hes a realistic target. We could use a better defensive player, sure, but I think having more threats and mismatches creates more havoc for other teams. If Rudy can close down lanes, body up his man and play mediocre D, we should be fine but he averages 20, 7 and 2 and thats better numbers all around than we currently have with Al.
Posted on December 1st, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Adding Kobe, LeBron and Chris Paul should do it. If possible Dwight Howard as well.
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 am
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