ClipperBlog Live 3-21-12 Clippers @ Thunder

Someone needs to tell the Clippers to stop getting caught up trying to outplay the opposing team with the opposing team’s style of play. The elite teams know how to impose their style of play on opponents. The Clippers have no identity and don’t know how to impose their style of play. I keep saying that the Clippers are a jump shooting team and don’t know how to produce easy baskets. Why do I keep getting trashed for observations that are more or less accurate o what this team has been? Those of you who want to keep VDN to the end of the season, what reason do you have to keep him around versus firing him now?

Mehmet Okur got bought out by the Blazers. Would he be a good fit and good pickup for this team?

Look at this statement from Clips4:

“I ask how much of defense is a chemistry issue? Honestly, how much chemistry is required to play good defense on your man, know your rotations, and call out picks being set on your teammates. This team is ill-prepared for opposing teams on both the offense and defense. In a 5 on 5 pickup game, if everyone is playing good defense even if you don’t have chemistry from playing together, showing up on the defensive end ensures you have possessions to score when it matters the most.”

Clips4, let me ask you a question. Have you every played organized team sports before? I’m not talking about playing 5 on 5 pickup games at 24Hour Fitness.

I’m talking about organized team sports, where you have organized practices which are supervised by a coach, and you play against other teams who also have been practicing under the supervision of a coach. You play in organized games, with referees, and it is set up as a league.

You obviously have never played organized team sports before.

Here is the problem with your statement: You are contradicting yourself.

First off, you claim that chemistry is not required to play good team defense. You claim that all you have to do is show up and play hard, and you use a 5 on 5 pickup game as an example. You claim that in pickup games, there is no preparation or chemistry required. You just have to show up.

But in the very next sentence, you say that the Clippers are ill-prepared for opposing teams on defense. You claim they are not prepared. Is this not a contradiction? How can you be ill-prepared, if there is no preparation required?

You can’t compare 5 on 5 pickup games at Bally’s Total Fitness to NBA basketball games, Clips4. The fact that you did this, tells me you have no clue as to how organized basketball is played.

Practices are held for a reason. The reason is so that the head coach can prepare his players and build some chemistry amongst the team. This is why the teams who have been playing together for some time are usually the better defensive teams in the NBA. I.e., Spurs, Thunder, Lakers, Bulls, Heat. The players know each other, they are comfortable with each other, and they have good chemistry.

This is not 5 on 5 pickup ball, Clips4. This is organized team sports. This is the NBA. You can’t just “show up and play good defense which will ensure you have possessions to score”. It just doesn’t work like that.

The teams who have been practicing together and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses are the ones who are good at defense.

Preparation = Practice = Chemistry = Good Team Defense

P.S.,
Please don’t ever compare 5 on 5 pickup games to NBA basketball games again

No disrespect to Vinny, and I know I am going to get killed on this question, though, but I have an honest question, I need some feedback on. Could Larry Brown help our situation any?