Thanks to a Chris Paul bailout, the Clippers escaped Philadelphia with a 78-77 victory. ClipperBlog contributors D.J. Foster, Nick Flynt and Michael Shagrin answer three questions from the game.
1. When the Clippers go big, they’re _____.
D.J. Foster, ClipperBlog: Awesome! Look, this was an ugly game. Since neither team could buy a jumper, the best strategy was to smash into someone and pray for an offensive rebound or foul call.The Clippers’ floor spacing with Blake Griffin, Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin all on the floor together was pretty laughable, but they out-possessed a Sixers team that doesn’t usually let that happen. This was a real WWI type battle, trench warfare and whatnot. Can’t blame Del Negro for resorting to desperate measures.
Nick Flynt, ClipperBlog: Clunky. The Clippers came away with the win tonight by rebounding the 76ers to death and enjoying some gifted missed free throws down the stretch. Offensively, Chris Paul managed to get a few clutch baskets despite the Clippers having the spacing of a pick-up team circa 1933. Most teams aren’t going to lose against a lineup that can’t score or guard the perimeter without fouling.
Michael Shagrin, ClipperBlog: Scary. A forward combination of Blake Griffin, Reggie Evans, and Kenyon Martin earns the titles of strongest and most physical frontcourt in the league. It also provides Vinny del Negro with some leeway (which he desperately needs) to sit DeAndre Jordan when he’s having trouble contributing. It further means less Ryan Gomes, who by the way, shouldn’t even be in the arena during the last frame.
2. Describe the last 30 seconds in 30 words or less.
D.J. Foster, ClipperBlog: Chris Paul continues to make everyone around him look much better than they actually are. Del Negro and Ryan Gomes owe him big time after that disastrous inbound attempt.
Nick Flynt, ClipperBlog: A slow, painful march to the win with a late detour on an inbound that looked like it was taking the team to Chokeville.
Michael Shagrin, ClipperBlog: Massive amount of credit for the success in crunch time goes to heady veteran play by Kenyon Martin. When Blake hurriedly tossed the ball from his strewn position on the floor toward halfcourt, it was received without drama by KMart. Knowing his place, he shoveled the ball to Paul with eight seconds left on the clock. You know what happened next. (Ed note: That’s more than 30 words, but whatever, he’s right. Leaving it!)
3. MVP from this game?
D.J. Foster, ClipperBlog: Reggie Evans was the hero this game deserved. His hustle and offensive rebounding in the fourth quarter gave the Clippers multiple chances they otherwise probably wouldn’t have received.
Nick Flynt, ClipperBlog: Co-MVPs tonight. Reggie Evans had some huge boards down the stretch while enjoying a night off on the defensive end (the 76ers didn’t have anyone to isolate and take advantage of his D, fortunately). Your other MVP is, of course, Chris Paul. Tough fadeaways against great D, drives to the rim, solid defense. CP3 is pretty good at this stuff.
Michael Shagrin, ClipperBlog: While I’m inclined to give the MVP to Reggie Evans or Chris Paul, tonight game saw Blake Griffin’s mere presence on the floor alter the course of just about every offensive possession. Griffin established early the ease with which he could generate his own high percentage shot. This forced the Sixers to liberally collapse the key on defense, which opened up opportunities to nab long offensive rebounds and hit jumpers.
21 Responses
Shagy, I appreciate the contrariety, but Blake does not deserve the MVP of the game. As DJ mentioned on his Lob City breakdown, he settled for outside jumpers way too much in this game and also let Elton Brand out to a fast start. Not saying he played awfully, but Evan and Paul clearly deserve the commending here.
On a less jovial note, I almost barfed in my mouth when I say Gomes throw that inbound garbage ball. Are you kidding me Vinny?! That is where we missed Billups!! But seriously, Gomes should never ever be in the game down the stretch like that. Vinny should have organized a better play to get the ball into one of our great free throw shooters
Posted on February 10th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Great win against one of the East’s best teams. Gosh, every time I see Elton Brand in a Sixers uniform I’m thankful that the Sixers offered to overpay before Sterling could sign the check!
Posted on February 10th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Srsly when I saw Gomes out there with 8 seconds on the clock I cried then he called time out I got even more scared then he threw the most shittiest pass to Caron omg I was tearing my hair out at this point I couldn’t even look any longer Gomes should NEVER be out their in that situation he’s freakin anti clutch I would even put Trey Thompkins out there b4 I would put him I don’t know what Vinnie was thinking
Fullyloadedclips Reply:
February 11th, 2012 at 11:50 am
Reggie Evans is becoming the Bizarro Gomes. Reggie tries as hard as he can to NOT hurt the Clippers when he’s on the floor, while Gomes is like a walking catastrophe. Yes, it sounds stupid, but can they amnesty him? He exists only to lose games for the Clips at this point. All players have off games, or cause negative plays, but he’s having an off season. I’d rather have Brian Cook throwing that inbounds pass last night than Gomes. I don’t want to go negative after a win, but I did.
Posted on February 10th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
*18
Posted on February 10th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Ok why is nick flynt always so negative. And why is he doing the clipperblog anyway. He still continues to look at everything the clips do in a negative way. I hate to say it but I don’t like reading what a downer has to say about the team I go for. where’s breene murphy to do the post game 3 on 3
JoeLuis323 Reply:
February 10th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
X2! Nick = Simon cowell of clipperblog! (DownerDebbie)
nick Reply:
February 10th, 2012 at 10:56 pm
agreed, except its DebbieDowner
Posted on February 10th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Reggie & Kmart were fabulous on defense & on the boards tonight & both should be playing more than DeAndre who can’t defend,can’t score, & is a disappointment on the boards.He can block some shots & can dunk,but there’s more to being a basketball player than that & his deficiencies have been exposed in the past few road games. I predict that when he gets into better game shape KMart will be a big factor in any success the team has this season. He’s a tough solid pro.Great pickup.
griffin Reply:
February 11th, 2012 at 2:42 am
Demote is that u?
DeMote DeAndre Reply:
February 11th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
No, but it’s good to see somebody else here who’s not marinating in self delusion pretending DeAndre Jordan is good when he’s actually terrible. This is exactly the way it was with Davis last year. Davis finally was thrown out the door and the Clippers then were able to get Paul and now everybody is happy about that. They’ll also be happy when the Clippers finally throw the equally bad Jordan out the door and bring in Howard.
All this DeAndre Jordan self delusion is only interferring with your future happiness.
Bliss out.
DeMote DeAndre Reply:
February 11th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Griffin is not improving this year because DeAndre Jordan is a negative influence on him.
FD Reply:
February 11th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
I really like the way VDN played the bigs today also. I’m starting to like VDN except he can’t draw up plays at the end.
Posted on February 10th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
I really think Blake has regressed on O. Where are the bank shots? Even his post game seemed better last yr. He seems to have no will to dominate on offense. When teams slow the game down and defend him at the rim, he looks lost.
I don’t see this team doing anything unless Blake plays like the specual player we all think he is. He’s only 22, so…
I think the Clips need to hire someone just to work on Blake’s development. Send him to Houston to work with Dream since he loves to spin so much. He needs to master a short turnaround J ASAP. All the greats had it.
brad Reply:
February 11th, 2012 at 9:46 am
I was actually starting to notice blake getting back in his groove…Thought hes been playing pretty great…one of the best things I like about his game is that he can pass from the post
bongstradamus Reply:
February 11th, 2012 at 11:42 am
He seems to bitch more about calls this season too. One of the best things I loved about his game last year is he seemed unfazed by errant calls and focused on each possession. He’s letting himself get distracted a little more this season.
Totally behind spending more on development for all these guys. Hell, hire a buddhist monk to lead team meditation. Poach the Sun’s medical staff while you’re at it. We got lightning in a bottle here. This could be a dynasty.
Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 3:25 am
If Blake’s game hasn’t regressed,it certainly hasn’t improved & his decision making is becoming more like the late unlamented Chris Kamen. I don’t know if anyone is coaching him or if he’s interested in being coached-it took a year & a half for him to accept Del Negro’s advice to bounce the ball before he took foul shots-but he definitely needs help. I read in today’s NY Times that Olajuwon stayed after practice every day to execute hundreds of passes out of double teams in the post making sure to do it with both left & right handed shooters to improve his post passing. That would be a good start for Blake. He might also spend some time practicing post moves with his left & right hand,which is basic for any post player. Is anyone working with him on these things? It sure doesn’t look like it. It would be a shame for him & the Clippers if this fabulous talent doesn’t fulfill his enormous potential.
Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Another great day in Clipper Land. The rumors of doom that spread across this site a few days ago are here and now shown to be 100% false. The cloud of doom now lifts.
The doomsday rumor was that DeAndre Jordan could not be traded until next December. Wrong. DeAndre Jordan can be traded for Dwight Howard in March. This comes from the false rumor mongers’ oracle himself, Marc Stein. Stein today writes that Jordan can be traded between between March 12 and March 15.
This is from Stein’s article today:
“There are also a few restricted free agents who either re-signed with their old teams or saw offer sheets matched since the lockout was lifted that can’t be traded until after March 1 because of various restrictions, which apply when the salary in the first year of the new contract is greater than 120 percent of the player’s salary in the final season of his previous contract … and when the player’s team is over the salary cap. Under the league’s new labor pact these players can’t be traded for three months from their signing date or January 15, whichever falls later. Here are some notable names who, because of this rule, are trade-eligible for only a small window in March:
L.A. CLIPPERS DeAndre Jordan (tradeable March 13-15) ”
Since the trading deadline is March 15, that’s all the time that’s necessary.
Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Stein probably is wrong saying there only is a short window between March 12 and March 15 to trade Jordan, and the reality probably is that Jordan can be traded anytime after March 12. But at the very least even Stein says there is that window, and that window is all that’s necessary.
The reason I say Stein probably is wrong comes straight from what he himself says in this new article quoted above, “Under the league’s new labor pact these players can’t be traded for three months from their signing date or January 15, whichever falls later.” This is the same sentence I cited a few days ago from the Wikipedia article on when free agents can be traded.
How does he get only a three day window from that? Jordan was signed December 12 so three months from the signing date is March 12. OK so far that he can be traded starting March 12, but where does the end of the window being March 15 come from? All it says is “three months from their signing date or January 15, whichever falls later.” March 12 is later than Jan 15, so again March 12 is when he can start being traded, but nothing there says anything about the window closing on March 15. The only thing is that the trading deadline is March 15, and *that wouldn’t keep Jordan from being traded in the off season during free agent signing in a sign and trade for Howard*. That’s a key point.
It sure seems that what Stein’s article today is saying is that I was 100% correct earlier and that the rumor that the Clippers couldn’t trade Jordan until next December without his persmission was 100% false.
Here is the whole of Stein’s article today. The key part is at the end.
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-120210-11/nba-dwight-howard-more-trade-chatter
Cult of Lawler Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:26 pm
It is a three day window because the trade deadline is on March 15. One would think you would even read the article you are quoting, but instead you just decide to believe the parts of it that you would like to be true, then assume it is wrong where you don’t like the facts. You really are becoming comical in your lack of basketball knowledge and overall comprehension abilities.
Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Clippers are way better without DeAndre in the 4th quarter. That’s why they won last night. I like BG, evans and Kmart line up against certain teams. DeAndre is a great energy guy off the bench and can get the tip at the start of the game, but can’t be in during the 4th.
Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
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