Clippers 97, Lakers 91: An Eric Bledsoe Recap

Sacre is still a long-shot to make the final roster. He looked good only because he was playing with Nash. Nash made Marcin Gortat look like an all-star in PHX last year. Sacre is a very sound defensive player. He was DPOY in the WAC last year. The defensive mentality and defensive fundamentals you have in college translate to the pros and it’s all about timing and execution. DJ is still a work in progress but the improvements are there. Because DJ was working on his game all summer, he did not get a chance to use it in-game. Now he will be able to practice in-game and learn from his mistakes and he will make that jump. D12 is very imposing so the advantage goes to him. Pau Gasol is long and a savvy veteran so advantage goes to him. DJ is not in Pau’s league in terms of game IQ but that will come as DJ gets more exposure. It was a good sign that VDN left him out in the 4th quarter last night.

I concur. Green is easily the worst player on the team.

The reason Green is starting is, we all know, the bench will consist of Bledsoe, Crawford, Barnes, Turiaf, and Hollins, and when Billups comes back, Green is benched, and when LO comes back, Turiaf is benched, and when Hill comes back, Barnes and Hill will split time as back up 3, with a little Hill at the 2 if Crawford is clanking shots. Even when Billups gets back, hes’ going to miss games here and there, insert Green. This team has conceivably 12 players who could start in the Association. Vinny appears to already have an idea how he will use the players, and I agree. The bench has it core players, the starters have their core players, and Greens game closely resembles what Chauncey is going to bring the table. And?? Green hasn’t been that bad these last few nights out, a few highlight worthy plays, he’s going to be ok. Barnes has proven through-out his career that he’s not a starter. The guy plays his best hoops in training camp, and pre-season, because he’s usually fighting just to make a roster. I’ve always liked Barnes’ skill-set, but Green is better suited from a skill and temperment level to run with the starters, and Barnes is perfectly suited for bench-duties. Lets recognize the valued contributions this entire roster has to offer, and stop the ‘who’s on first, whats on second, I don’t knows on third” approach. Barnes makes his impact on a game from the bench. He can’t impact as a starter, Blake, DJ, and CP handle that, sprinkle in a little Caron, and that’s it, and thats plenty. Green? Run the floor, stay in front of your man, get a hand up on the 3′s, guard passing lanes in transition, that’s all he has to do. Green is capable. No need to rebound, that’s Blake and DJ’s job, something Barnes excels at, but something Blake and DJ need to do, to get better as NBA players, and to best assert themselves, and best establish their dominance. Barnes sneaking rebounds away from Blake and DJ stunts their growth as players. Everyone has to play their roles. Right now, Bledsoe needs to be the best back up point guard he can be, and the entire team needs to do what Vinny has been saying all along, “work your minutes!” If they do that, this team will win 58 games, Jordan! I am feeling you!

I think VDN is a worst coach than Alvin Gentry. He should be 26. He, by virtue is better than Mark Jackson, Jaque Vaughn, and Mike Dunlap because he has more coaching experience at the NBA level than all 3 of them combined.

George Karl got the Nuggets with a very dysfunctional team with Melo to the playoffs when he had throat cancer. He also got the Sonics in the 95-96 season to the NBA finals against Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

The reason Denver is an easy out because they did not have a star last year nor this year. Carmelo Anthony was also a second-tier star. He had Allen Iverson for a few years too and when you have two renown coach killers in Iverson and Antonhy, you know he’s not going to do so well. If you have a superstar like Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul then George Karl can do better. He always gets the most out of the talent he has on his roster. You cannot say that he is not a good coach. A coach is only as good as the pieces he has on his roster.

George Karl is a Coach of the Year candidate almost every year because he coaches his butt off. I love George Karl as a coach and would love to have him here. If you ask me, the top 6 coaches in the NBA are: 1) Pop, 2) Rick Carlisle, 3) Doc Rivers, 4) Rick Adelman, 5) George Karl, 6) Tom Thibideau. I would say Between Karl and Adelman you could make them interchangeable at their rankings. I put Karl and Adelman ahead of Thibs because they have a bigger sample size and a longer head coaching career than Thibs. Their work speaks for itself.

FD, you have to take a look at context and perspective. If Karl were coaching the Clippers right now, I would lock them into the WCF at the minimum barring injury.