Found Objects – 8.21.2011

• Yesterday’s showdown between the Drew League and Goodman League was a classic, with the Goodman League ultimately eking out a 135-134 victory. TrueHoop’s Beckley Mason and Kyle Weidie capture the game’s true essence in their must-read pieces.

• Despite their loss, the Drew League wants a rematch in L.A. in September (check out Javale McGee’s block and Craig Smith’s missed dunk, along with the rest of the top-10 plays)

• TrueHoop’s Hornets247 came up with a few trade scenarios to help improve the Hornets’ current squad. After one particular trade, they like the idea of pursuing DeAndre Jordan with their loads of cap space:  More...

By Brian Chan
Special to ClipperBlog

The NBA is the best basketball league in the world. Naturally, only the best college and international players make it, and even the lowliest bench player had his moment at some point. Brian Cook was once Big-10 Player of the Year! With the start of March Madness upon us, I thought it would be fun to look at the top Tournament performances by the current Clippers roster.  More...

Yes, that’s what you think it is, Blake Griffin on the reverse jam. Considering the agony of last year, it’s comforting to see that he is completely healthy. Earlier in the week, Craig Smith tweeted that Blake was as strong as Karl Malone and as athletic as LeBron. I think that’s a bit hyperbolic, but only a bit.  More...

FreeDarko is a personal favorite of mine and Clipper fans have to check out the October 1st post if only to see Craig Smith and DeAndre Jordan bearhugging Chris Kaman.

For years, NBA defense has been defined by a similarly cold and angry calculus. But don’t tell that to the Clippers, whose regular team-wide hug sessions have brought a new sense of togetherness and the most surprisingly effective defensive rotations in the league.

From the Clippers’ release:

Los Angeles Clippers forward Craig Smith underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure today on his right knee. He is scheduled to be sidelined from four to six weeks.

Smith, who averaged 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 16.4 minutes in 75 games played with Los Angeles last season, was re-signed by the Clippers as a free agent on July 20th.

If this timetable holds, Smith will be ready for the start of training camp.