Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images
Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz
7:30 p.m.
ESPN
KFWB 980 AM
For the Clippers, the challenge of beating two of the best in the West in consecutive games pales in comparison to winning against the Jazz on the road. We’ll preview the matchup as they try to avoid their 43rd loss in 44 trips to Utah.
1. What did we learn from the Clips’ 29-point loss at Utah a couple of weeks ago?
Charlie Widdoes, ClipperBlog: That Vinny Del Negro is thinking “big picture.” Playing without Chris Paul and Mo Williams in the middle game of a back-to-back-to-back, he conceded defeat around halftime. Ryan Gomes, Courtney Fortson and Trey Thompkins all played big minutes, although it was tough to argue their play could have been worse than the “starters.” A very Popovich-ian approach from the onetime Spur.
Breene Murphy, ClipperBlog: That it’s hard to trust this Clips team on the road without Chris Paul, and it only makes it worse without Mo Williams. On both sides of that Utah game, the Clips took care of business at home. But in Utah, without their floor leaders for both first and second units, the Clippers looked hapless.
Jordan Heimer, ClipperBlog: That when Chris Paul is out, Mo Williams’ value becomes that much more obvious. Chauncey Billups’ pedigree may be closer to Paul’s, but Williams is the only player who can – kind of, sort of, fractionally – use speed and aggression to replicate the pressure CP3 puts on defenses. When both point guards missed the Utah game, the Clippers became an iso-happy, perimeter-shooting team.
2. To snap out of their Utah funk, the Clippers need to ____________________ .
Charlie Widdoes, ClipperBlog: Come out with energy. With Paul healthy, they enter every game with enough talent to win, but they make it much easier on themselves when they are active on the glass and play defense with purpose. If they can do those things, they should be able to win even if they don’t shoot 3′s at a 60% clip, like they have in the last few games.
Breene Murphy, ClipperBlog: Keep the Chris Paul machine running. In the last two games, Paul has been instrumental in the wins with his aggressive playmaking. Paul driving this bus means quality looks for everyone else, and his composure on the road will help a team that has struggled so far this year (2-4 away from Staples).
Jordan Heimer, ClipperBlog: Start fast. Obviously, a healthy Clippers team can beat the Jazz with talent to spare, but the home court advantage of EnergySolutions is the X-factor. Come out of the gate with the same energy we saw against Oklahoma City and take the crowd out early.
3. Which team wins their 13th game of the season on Wednesday night?
Charlie Widdoes, ClipperBlog: The Clippers. I think it’s awesome that the Jazz have won 12 games already, it really gives a voice to those who question the notion that you need to be either contending or rebuilding. With Paul and Williams healthy, though, this one should go differently than the last one and 42 of the last 43.
Breene Murphy, ClipperBlog: Clips. Last year, Blake Griffin had a dunk fest against the Knicks, the energy infected his teammates and spread to the following games (the win over the then-first-place Hornets happened right afterwards). With Blake’s monstrous dunk over Perkins inspiring the team similarly this year, mix with Chris Paul’s best string of performances, and dashed with the humiliation of the last loss in Utah, I think the Clippers bull-doze on through.
Jordan Heimer, ClipperBlog: The Clippers. Chris Paul is so competitive that he would cheat his grandmother in a game of canasta. He’s so competitive he threw at his toddler in a game of T-ball (Editor’s note: this is a true story). He’s so competitive he’d still rather be a Laker, but only “for the challenge.” (I kid) At any rate, the man talks a lot about his overactive competitive drive. He suffered through last week’s beating on the bench – but he took it personally none-the-less.
Twitter: @charliewiddoes, @clipperheimer, @breenemurphy
28 Responses
I noticed against the game against denver that Blake hurt his wrist. Ive seen him grab it a couple of times since that game, anyone have any news on if he is playing with an injured wrist?
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 1:35 pm
If you’re talking about the grimace he made at the foul line, I was guessing at the time it was his groin area. Clips have said he is fine; nothing to see here, but, he did obviously grimace, so something was going on there…
Lets hope it really is nothing.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Charlie widdoes breene murphy and jordan heimer all said the clips will win tonite. Haven’t seen that yet. One of you guys have to have doubt so they can prove the person wrong. But I understand clips have been playing amazing ball. I hope I get to watch this game tonite. Go clips. Demolish the jazz
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 2:26 pm
I’ll happily change my response if you think it’ll make a difference tonight.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Game will be televised nationally on ESPN. Lots will be watching after the attention Blake’s dunk has recieved. Anything less than a win will be unacceptable. Cannot afford another blow-out.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Control Milsap and we win the game. Most of our recent losses to Utah can be pinned directly on Milsap’s efficiency, rebounding and scoring against us.
Come on guys, you all should be mentioning this.
Charlie Widdoes Reply:
February 1st, 2012 at 3:17 pm
I totally agree that Milsap went to work last game, I just don’t think that a) I learned anything from that or b) that it makes some sort of a difference in tonight’s game. With Paul and Mo back and defensive communication improving, it should be a win even if Milsap goes off for 40.
Breene Murphy Reply:
February 1st, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Matty, you’re totally right, Millsap’s performance was a large part of the last win. Should have mentioned the bigs close-out defense as the 1a argument to what I still feel is the most important issue for the Clippers tonight: Keeping Chris Paul aggressive.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Man I can’t wait for tonight’s game!!!! The Dallas OKC game should be a good one too.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 3:24 pm
The Clips really need to limit the easy baskets around the rim and the offensive put backs. Every time the Clippers go to Utah it seems they get killed by mid level talent making easy shots. Jerry Sloan had a lot to do with that in the past, but with the talent level the Clippers are bringing on this trip I’d hope they come away with a better result. The fact that ALL 3 bloggers are confident in the Clips makes me uneasy, but I guess that’s all part of the “changing the culture of losing” thing. I’ve always rooted for the Clippers but that internal pessimist is always tugging at me. Winning @ the Jazz would get one more monkey off our collective backs.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 3:39 pm
No Al Jefferson, and no Raja Bell? The Clippers have no excuse if they drop this one, in Utah or not. Double-team Milsap and let someone else beat you. I like our prospects of going 7 games above .500, and quite honestly, I can’t remember the last time that happened. 13-6, I’ll take that. Go Clips!
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Check out this pattern starting Jan 1
w
w
w
L
w
w
w
L
w
L (Should’ve won this one. Vs Minnesota)
w
L
w
w
w
Today.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 3:44 pm
HoopsHype says Joel Przybilla is going to make a final decision this week between the Heat and the Bulls. Too bad, the Clippers would improve if he was their starting center then JOrdan could have moved to his correct postion of back-up center.
They also say Houston is in the lead on getting Kaman . . . for Hasheem Thabeet (two years $12 million left) and Jordan Hill (two years and $7 million left). This sounds like another one of those Houston fleeces New Orleans deals the NBA earlier nixed. Why would New Orleans want to burden itself with those two cap eaters when Kaman is an expiring contract.
I don’t see how New Orleans will get anything for Kaman since he’s going to walk at the end of the season and go to Dallas or Miami.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Answering this question:
“DeMote, answer me this? Would you rather have DJ or Kwame Brown?”
Kwame Browne is on a one year contract at $7 million. If the Clippers had him and that contract instead of Jordan and his four year $43 million, then they easily would be able to sign Dwight Howard as a free agent this summer and would then have the best team in the NBA for the next decade.
If the Clippers are unable to trade Jordan for Howard and if they lose out on getting him as a free agent, then that will be most unfortunate . . . and it will be the fault of the soap opera actor who got emotionally worked up over watching Jordan jump up in the air and signed him to the cap eating deal.
Clips4 Reply:
February 1st, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Here’s the reason why we would rather have DJ: DJ is Blake’s BFF. You want to keep Blake happy, you pick up the tab on DJ as long as he wasn’t egregiously overpaid. DJ is overpaid, but he’s not “Travis Outlaw to the Nets” overpaid for the production he gives.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Larry Coon wrote an article yesterday about where Dwight Howard might end up. By the way, he didn’t say anything about the Clippers not being able to trade DeAndre Jordan for him until December.
One thing interesting he did say is that Howard has made it clear that no matter who he’s traded to, he’ going to test the free agent market. Sensible and no surprise. So it’s not likely that teams are going to want to give up much to get him before then. The one advantasge a team would have in trading for him is they then would be able to offer him a higher percentage yearly raise and an extra year than other teams.
He mentions the Clippers but doesn’t seem to give them much of a shot. I strongly disagree with him. I think the Clippers have the best shot.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7407044/playing-dwight-howard-scenarios
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 4:27 pm
I saw that MV22 popped back in to stick up for Baron Davis again, something he and Clipperbull were often doing here laast year. Clearly they were wrong, by a long shot, but for some reason they wanted to try and dupe fans into thinking Davis was something he wasn’t.
MV22 missed the main point of my comment, and he responded with this:
“Demote is so locked into negativity that he uses negativity by bashing Baron Davis to describe how great CP is. CP is great, period.”
My point wasn’t that Paul obviously isn’t great, period. My point clearly was that the difference between the pitiful Clippers of a year ago and the good Clippers of the Thunder game was the difference between dumping Davis and in his place adding Paul. That is an indisputable observation. Paul’s excellent play shines even brighter when contrasted to the toxic, slow dribbling, brick chucking Davis that MV22 and Clipperbull were so often praising last year.
There clearly is a parrallel there with the attempted duping that is going on this year trying to make the fans think DeAndre Jordan is good when he’s actually just a mediocre back up center.
Truth is truth . . . with Davis and with Jordan.
clipperbull Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:04 am
The only thing that is clear and indisputable is that you were a fool last year and you’re still a fool.
Blake Berger Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:00 am
What puts you in a position to make such a comment?
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Going forward, I will thumbs down any post that mentions Dwight Howard unless we are playing Orlando and it is a strategy post. I invite others to join me in the new:
“Who Gives A F What Dwight Howard Is Doing. Let’s Discuss The Clippers: BROTHERHOOD”
AH Reply:
February 1st, 2012 at 4:56 pm
+1
Here’s a new topic:
The Clippers could have 2 rivals. Los Angeles Lakers are a natural rival in that they are a proximal agitate. I don’t see how two well-playing teams that share the same city, arena and division could not develop a rivalry.
The second rival? Oklahoma City Thunder. Again, there is a lot of geographic interlinking. Westbrook is a SoCal product that went to Final Fours with UCLA. Griffin was the stud and pride of Oklahoma. Even when the Clippers were not that good, OKC struggled with them (as Darnell Mayberry pointed out on his twitter). And now that Blake posterized Perkins? Durant seems pretty upset/annoyed at the dunk and the blowout. Circle March 21, Clipsters. The Clippers have a rivalry, and it’s with the West’s elite.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 4:43 pm
What kind of shampoo do you think Pau Gasol uses?
nick Reply:
February 1st, 2012 at 5:02 pm
loreal
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Shut the hell up Billups! What a seriously entitled douche. Killing me.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 8:25 pm
Just got outta work… What happened to butler?!?
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Is there any reason for Harris to make that last free throw?
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Great win for the clips tonight. Clipperblog Live soon?
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Wow! Clippers beat a scrappy Utah team on the road with no Caron Butler!!! I thought Blake G played his most complete game of the season!!!
Posted on February 1st, 2012 at 10:54 pm
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