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Lob City: Not A Vacation Destination

Mar 01, 2012
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by Nick Flynt




Yesterday, you may have been made aware of an assault of sorts leveled at the current Los Angeles Clippers team by Beckley Mason of HoopSpeak.com. If not, then you missed out on reading a fairly blunt and direct piece whose main idea is best summed up by its title — “Boo the Clippers.” The audacity!

Okay, actually I’m kidding. Beckley has raised some excellent points in that post, and it mirrors things I’ve heard from people I know (and also things I’ve heard from random people shouting on Twitter). The key point to the common dislike of the team seems to be personality. Or several personalities. Here’s the word on Blake’s demeanor (and even though I have some excerpts on here, definitely go and read the whole thing):

“There’s something menacing and unwelcoming in Griffin’s on-court demeanor that I didn’t detect last season. The way he jogs back down court after finishing an open layup seems self-congratulatory. The tedious way he alternates between shoving his head straight into his defender’s gut and throwing his head backward as though he was just tased on an attempted prison break. The way he takes just under 15 minutes to release a spot up 18-footer. It’s become apparent that Griffin has only four charmless facial expressions: rage, smug, aggrieved and vacant stare.”

If you can get past Blake’s “charmless facial expressions,” you’re met with Chris Paul’s obnoxious mannerisms:

“Look Chris, I know you have to play in Vinny Del Negro’s ‘offense,’ and I get that you aren’t recovering that bang it on Dwight Howard explosiveness any time soon. But dude, you are the mini-Tim Duncan of endless whining.”

And those are just the stars. Let us not forget that Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin are two of the most dirty, overtly physical forwards in the entire NBA.

“Of course it takes more than one player to sour me on a whole franchise. Role players like Reggie ‘The Gonad Destroyer’ Evans and consummate teammate life-threatener Kenyon Martin don’t exactly endear me to the squad.”

Now, you might think all of this blockquoting and passive agreement is leading to a “but…” defense from me. But really, I’m not sure I can disagree with what Beckley (and others) have said.

The Clippers are a really annoying team.

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul both definitely scowl and complain a lot. I haven’t seen any players complaining complained about (that’s a mouthful) more in regards to referee intimidating (or whatever you want to call the constant gestures and shouts) since Kobe’s peak frustrations in the 2005 season. Reggie Evans flops and shoves and, yes, has issued a low blow to Chris Kaman that made me lose a lot of respect for Reggie when it happened. Kenyon Martin is Kenyon Martin.

But then, why didn’t we hear as much bitterness directed at Blake Griffin last season? I feel fairly sure that his attitude didn’t magically change from this season to last. I’ve seen the same amount of scowling and complaining as ever. Chris Paul certainly flopped and whined to referees more than his fair share in his time with New Orleans. The role players we mentioned have always been themselves, whether with the Clippers or not. A key difference? They’re all now on the same team, and this team is getting massive media coverage. The Clippers (especially to non-Clipper-fans), have essentially become the biggest conglomeration of complaining, flopping and general ugly on-court personality in the NBA. This is the first team since the peak Spurs that I can recall being hated almost purely for on-court action rather than off-court smugness or the like.

Making it even worse for the Clippers is the fact that, even though they produce their share of highlight reel plays, they don’t exactly play a full-throttle, exciting brand of basketball. The Clippers aren’t the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns with more obnoxious personalities. They’re more like last season’s Miami Heat, but with on-court annoyances rather than off-court media faux pas (or whatever you call Lebron’s Decision and Chris Bosh’s innate ability to be disliked). Now, I’m not saying that the Clippers go about winning the same way that the Heat did their first go around, but I think the Clippers have mirrored last season’s slower paced Heat in terms of falling short of high aesthetic expectations that have been placed on them. That makes it a lot harder to overlook the personality stuff the Clippers have going on. The Clippers (like the Heat) seem to have fallen firmly in “I admit that they’re good, but I don’t like them” territory for a lot of people.

For Clippers fans, this strange new thing called winning is likely excitement enough (and mixing in some nice putbacks and lobs, even if the team isn’t fastbreaking every other time down the floor, is still nice), and it’s easier to look past flopping and complaining when the flops are getting your team calls and the complaining is about calls you want the Clippers to get. But from an outside point-of-view, I can definitely see why this Clippers team is more heel than hero (even outside of the whole Donald Sterling ownership issue, which Beckley also mentioned in his post).

For those on the outside, Lob City has so far ended up being a misleading tourist trap rather than a neat vacation destination. But for the people on the inside of Clippers fandom, Lob City is home. And the first inhabitable home fans have had in years, at that.

Nick Flynt

Latest posts by Nick Flynt (see all)

  • Tim

    I have always felt at home as a Clipper fan regardless. For you to sit there and say that the Clippers are more heel than hero is irresponsble, this is a 1st place team. So you mean to tell me the Lakers are choir boys, and never complain? You mean to tell me Tim Duncan, and Mano G and Tony Parker don’t cry for and get their calls? So Paul Pierce never challenges the refs, always has a straight face huh? All the winning teams whine and complain to get their calls even the mighty Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson did some of the same things. You can’t consistently beat the opposing team without beating the officials too. The teams that don’t get their calls from the refs, lose. This is why having All-Stars, and respected head coaches help. You have to have that one guy like a Sam Casselll, who can bark at the refs to get favorable calls. You loser writers aren’t use to seeing the Clippers doing the same things that you look the other way at, when your beloved Lakers or Celtics or Spurs do the same thing. Pau has such a great image, but dude cries just as much as Kobe. Kemba Walker never complains, but their a bunch of Losers over there in Charlotte. Get use to Blake complaining, the Man get fouled every time down the floor, and they don’t call it as much as they should, so he is entitled to be pissed off, and give scowled looks. Get off him. Chris Paul is allowed to do the same, thank you, we have permission now, we area 1st place team, it comes with the territory for get off us about it already!

    • L_REAZY

      Tim,

      I responded to you a few times on our past discussion about that trade for Ray Allen. Check out what I stated.

      L_REAZY

      • Tim

        I responded, enough said of the topic.

    • WC

      Name another player that had his nose blooded by the opposing team (ex- on the last road trip) THREE GAMES IN A ROW? I would bitch and moan at the refs too. Unless one is BLIND, you can see game in and game out that they are pounding on Blake. The guys is so strong he can absorb a lot of it and the refs either don’t see it because he’s still standing or don’t call it…..hence the scowling. As for CP3- it’s his team and he stands up for his guys.

      • Clipper Derrick

        I think the complaining is well-warranted. Sometimes I feel that the refs give opposing teams more lee-way with the foul calling. And it’s not limited to fouls on Blake. I’ve seen CP3 get hacked, in clear sight, and fouls not get called. If the non-calls get me up off my couch, to yell at the TV, then complaining about the non-calls are totally warranted.

  • Timmythetooth

    So basically you just described almost every player and team in the league. Are you kidding me with this article? Everyone knows that the NBA is top heavy on guys that complain all the time. I don’t get this article and further more I think he wrote this just to tap into the Clippers spotlight. It seams like the Clippers complain more because you are watching them more than ever. If you were to sit there and watch any other team you could come to a similar conclusion. If I changed the name of the team to the Lakers, do you think the analysis would change. Kobe and Fisher complain on every call against them. Go home Beckley.

  • Lob Angelino

    This article is garbage. Blake gets hacked and beaten as much or more than any single player int he NBA. He has the right to complain because the DUDE GETS MAULED!! @Tim is spot by saying that plenty of other NBA players do exactly the same…especially the Spurs, which should be the humble small town everyone-can-love them type of team. Instead, they are flop-city

    The general public and casual fan is 1000x more enamored with Blake’s highlight dunks than any of the side show. Sure, he complains and whines too much and I wish he would stop that, but his highlight real dunks are the first thing anyone thinks of. Paul is a transcendent star and certainly the brightest most well-spoken of the elite guards (ever heard D. Rose speak? the dude is dumb)

    Micro-analyzing his jog and facial expressions?! Give me a f***in break. Blake has flashed signs of smiling (remember when he did that superman slide last year), but its his job to be serious and a beast on the court. Now, we are holding that against him. Go F yourself, if the guy were being to smiley and happy, everyone would be saying he doesn’t take the game seriously enough.

    Infuriating article!!

  • Metal Matty

    I havn’t read such non-sensical drivel since the last Obama speech was posted on Yahoo. This is poppycock, plain and simple.

    Paul and Griffin are FOCUSED. If you have ever played sports you know those looks. It’s generally concentration. I don’t want Andre Blatche and Tyreke Evans on my squad.

    Look at Westbook. The dude is a lot like these two. MAJORLY focuesed. He scowles and complains and works his ass off.

    Neither Blake nor Paul is getting into unnecessary skermishes. They are playing the kind of ball that wins.

    OF COURSE…. anytime the kid that has been kicked around for years starts fighting back and winning the girls… there will be those that can’t handle it.

  • Metal Matty

    Message to the league…. Chris Paul is NOT your buddy. Blake Griffin is NOT your pal.

    Deal with it.

  • Meohmy

    why cant they be more likeable like Kobe Bryant. WTF is this crap?

  • Chris McD.

    I read the original post by Beckley Mason before even coming across this post, and understood where he was coming from. He even warns the reader that he’s tapping into basketball fan hyperbole. I thought nothing of it. Though I may disagree with what he wrote, he’s entitled to his opinion. I can’t deny some of the things he brought up, but I can say there’s lots of “personality improvement.” Griffin doesn’t complain as much as he did the beginning of the season. Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin may have been known in the past for their antics, but I haven’t seen any truly questionable behavior from them. Honestly, this is not the Bill Lambier era Pistons.

    But why write this follow up piece in response just to defend it, and also promote it? The bottom line is that the Clippers are not only notable, but winning. With that you get lots of criticism. Why stick up for this anti-Clippers talk ON A CLIPPERS BLOG? Just to get fans riled up?

    It saddens me to write that I’ve been disappointed in Clipperblog as of late. I’m subscribed to the RSS feed since Kevin Arnovitz used to helm it, and loved when DJ Foster ran it. Back then the writing was curt and overall objective, with a tinge of positiveness. I can’t expect a lot of the contributing writers to be on the same level as them, but I can’t help but feel this tinge of overanalysis and overcriticism whenever I read most follow ups. Even DJ’s posts tend to have this negative mood to them.

    • Curtis

      “But why write this follow up piece in response just to defend it, and also promote it? The bottom line is that the Clippers are not only notable, but winning. With that you get lots of criticism… Why stick up for this anti-Clippers talk ON A CLIPPERS BLOG?”

      Nailed it right on the head.

      I’ll be the first to admit that it’s important to be critical of your favorite team and to try to look at them from a non-fan perspective. But the fact is that the Clippers are playing winning basketball. Yes, they’re in a bit of a slump right now and the team defense needs to improve, but to constantly look at this team from a pessimistic outlook drives your audience away.

      I come to Clipperblog seeking insight and a perspective of the team that goes beyond the casual fan’s knowledge. DJ’s work about team defensive ratings in the post season in comparison to where the Clipper’s stand now was incredibly eye opening.

      But to bash the Clippers for their on-court behavior? C’mon give me a break. All teams have done it/currently do it/ and will continue to do it. All this post was about is one person’s opinions on the behavior of a team.

      If you really want to “Wow” me Nick, try to examine how the on-court behavior has affected the Clippers’ current standing in the Western Division and what this means come playoff time.

  • Tim

    I hope they hate the Clippers as much as they hated the bad boys from Detroit from way back in the day, that team that beat the Lakers in the Finals, that team. I hope they hate the Clippers like that. Blake Griffin is Laimbeer, Mahorn, John Salley, and Dennis Rodman, and James Edwards, rolled into one, with a little bit of Oakley, and Anthony Mason sprinkled in. No one liked those guys very much either, and so what!

  • Clips4

    I agree 1,000% with what pretty much everyone said here. This article is garbage. Worthless analysis like DeMote’s nonsensical rants about how DJ hurts the team.

  • JoeLuis323

    Nick You should post a response to this article and see where that takes us?
    #Dont feed the trolls Nick!

  • Larry H. Parker

    The explanation/reasoning behind all of this newfound hatred of the Los Angeles Clippers is quite simple.

    People only “hate” when they feel threatened.

    Similar to how my girlfriend becomes insecure in her actions & words when another beautiful female walks by us while we are out on a date. My girlfriend will nitpick, dissect, and “hate” on her and she will say silly things out of pure jealousy.

    When my girlfriend does this, it makes me laugh, and I actually enjoy it. Because I know that deep down inside, she feels threatened.

    Last season, the entire world fell in love with Blake Griffin. NBA fans (especially Laker fans) would say things such as, “I hope Blake comes to my team once his contract with the Clippers expires.”

    It is not a coincidence that they fell in love with him because the Clippers were not a threat. But now that the Clippers are clearly a threat to be better than your team, the nitpicking, dissecting, and “hating” begins. And just like my girlfriend does, fans of other teams will start to say silly things about the Clippers players out of pure jealousy.

    When the “haters” do this, it makes me laugh, and I actually enjoy it. Because I know that deep down inside, they feel threatened.

    • Tim

      I agree with you Larry H. Parker. I can remember as an old time Nascar fan, I loved Dale Earnhardt, HATED Jeff Gordon, because all Gordon could do was win, everything all the time. RIP Dale Earnhardt, but Jeff Gordon did Nascar, what Blake Griffin is doing to the Association. Completely destroying the competition, and doing like no one has ever seen before. Its discomforting, but nice to be on the right side of things this time. Blake Griffin will be the next great sports Icon.

    • Chris McD.

      Thank you, Larry H. Parker. And thank you for getting 2.1 million.

    • pez

      I agree with you Larry.

      I also like this statement out of context:

      “When my girlfriend does this, it makes me laugh, and I actually enjoy it. Because I know that deep down inside, she feels threatened.”

  • Metal Matty

    In a league where referees are so poorly trained that they can’t even recognize a moving pick, you would have to be an idiot not to work the zebras.

    There is a lot to like about Paul, but his absolute best quality is that he WILL NOT be taken out of his game by moving picks. EVERY time a guy pops out late to trap him and flashes the now obligatory hip check, he trips, flops, staggers, cries, scowls or in some other way exposes the late rotation.

    Prior to Chris Paul it was STANDARD FAIR for years for the Clippers to get chased out of their offense (I’m looking at you, Dumbleavy) because their players would stupidly try to “run around” moving picks, meaning their guards would be pushed way out of position and by the time they would deliver the ball, their star player was posted up almost at the three point line. ALWAYS leading to a poor posession.

    As a caveet….. when I become an NBA coach, my first order of business will be to make it clear tha any player passing the ball to a post man who has been bullied all the way out to the 3pt line, late in a game, is off the team. Whether it is done legally or illegally is irrelevant. In that situation the PG HAS to beat his man of the dribble and creat havoc in the lane. And that will NEVER happen if you are constantly running AROUND hip checks and moving picks.

    ok, I am off my soap box.

    I’ve been a frustrated Clippers fan for too long, as you can see.

    • Metal Matty

      Oops, just realized, I am somewhat mixing the two (moving picks and hedging the dribbler). In both instances, hip checks have become the norm. But I should have been more clear.

      Also, Kenyon Martin is a major offender when it comes to moving picks, so this is not a complaint that the Clips are getting screwed or something. It’s more about poor or inconsistant refereeing ruining the game far too often.

  • http://www.800loanmart.com/ ClipsFan

    Wow, I guess I should have seen this type of scrutiny coming sooner than later. The Clippers are one of the best teams in the league and are gaining widespread attention this year. It seems as the spotlight stays shining on the Clippers more is coming to the light. However, there are two sides to each story and it is always easy to jump on a band wagon or follow what other people say. Blake Griffin gets hacked and chopped nearly every time he is in the paint and he does not receive a call each time. Regardless, as a true Clippers fan I will be rooting for the Clippers tonight in Sacramento.

    • Metal Matty

      Exactly, ClipsFan. The difference between Griffin and a whiner is that Griffin is actually getting fouled MUCH more than what is being called.

      Bottome line, NOBODY wants to get Mozgov’ed and since they also know Blake is a bad free throw shooter it’s open season.

  • Tim

    These are the same people who loved all of Gretzky’s goals, never said anything about McSorley, but will be quick say how much fighting there is going on in the NHL, and how ugly the sport is.

    • Metal Matty

      True, and despite Evans and Martin being supposed toughs, The Clippers if anything are middle of the row when it comes to being physical. Evans will bang, Martin is physical at times but doesn’t really have the weight to just bully around anyone he wants and on offense either dunks in the open court or throw up that timid hook/throw.

      Blake is somewhat physical but there is a major skill side to him including passing and footwork. Karl Malone/Charles Barkley, he is NOT.

      DJ blocks shots but is generally not a physical big.

      Caron is tough but on O shoots jumpers and on D only plays rough when a guy tries to expose him one on one. Otherwise, he is nonexistant and surely is NOT a rebounder.

      The rest of our guys are 6’1″.

  • DeMote DeAndre

    How is Kenyon Martin’s back? I read yesterday he was having back spasms, and I’m assuming that’s why Jordan had to play in the fourth quarter against Minnesota, with disastrous results. Hopefully that doesn’t happen again in Sacramento.

    The Clippers are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Seven teams in the West have a better record than that in the last 10 games and one other team, Minnesota (which holds the tiebreaker since they’ve beaten the Clippers twice) has the same 5-5 record, so if the Clippers keep playing like this they are going to barely make the playoffs, if they don’t lose out on the last spot to Minnesota. Things have to change.

    People want to pretend that the big problem with the Clippers in the last 10 games is that Billups is gone. That’s more delusion. The big problem is that teams are starting to exploit the Clippers’ huge weakness at center.

    The Clippers have to get another center.

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  • griffin

    Can there be anymore probing and hating from this guy

  • Metal Matty

    If you like you’re NBA stars to shuck and jive withe each other on twitter, play immature pranks on media and coaches, and clammour for the approval of their fellow NBA fraternity boys…. there are plenty of options. Orlando, Miami, New York

    If you want to ride with the serious students, us old school Clippers fans don’t mind scooching over just a bit to make room on the red, white and blue bandwagon.


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