For a meaningless Mid-March game between two lottery-bound squads, there was no shortage of interesting story lines surrounding today’s game against the Cavs: 1. Eric Gordon’s second attempt to return from his wrist injury. 2. Baron Davis’ return to the Staples Center. 3. The Clippers attempt not to be swept by the league’s worst team, a month after becoming the answer to future Jeopardy question Who did the moribund 2011 Cleveland Cavaliers beat, finally ending a league record 26 game losing streak? (Most people won’t know the answer but will guess the Clippers anyway). Then, far lower on the list: 4. Blake Griffin “Hitting the Rookie Wall” watch. 5. Trying to figure out whatever there is to figure out from watching the team finally play at full strength.

Oh, and also an hour before the game a man charged out of the stands wielding a steak knife, after which, according to the Clippers Post Game radio show, he was surrounded by a joint task force of police men and Staples Center Security elite and subdued with rubber bullets. So there was a lot going on.

Maybe the knife really shook people, because what followed was an uneven game, not unlike the one the Clips lost to the Cavaliers last month. The Cavaliers never led after the second quarter – but the Clippers never put together the 8 minute stretch of energetic error-free basketball that would have put the Cavs away.

For me, at this point in the season the answers to certain individual questions (How will Mo Williams work with Eric Gordon? Could Kaman be a Sixth Man for an entire season?) have become as important as wins and losses. It seems natural that players also sense it when that barrier has been crossed. These Clippers are definitely still playing hard (unlike, say, last March’s contract hunters, Travis Outlaw and Drew Goodon… which, by the way, worked for both of them) but there were signs of inattention scattered between spurts of good play – the kind of foolish mistakes there seemed to be fewer of when the team was still “in contention.”

There were quarters that ended on possessions when the Clippers failed to get off a final shot. There were total defensive breakdowns, where everyone would simultaneously abandon the paint – at one point allowing a man named Alonzo Gee to streak untouched down the paint and rise for a full 360 slam like he was auditioning for the dunk contest. There were multiple lane violations. Little signs of a team with wavering attention.

But in the end, the Cavs were just worse. I mean, I know piling on bad play is pure hubris for a Clippers fan, but aside from JJ Hickson (who, if you’ve only seen him play against the Clippers you must think is one of the ten best players in the NBA) these Cavs played some ugly basketball. There was one inexplicable stretch early in the fourth quarter when – down 2, and on the verge of taking the lead – the Cavs burned three consective possessions on Lake Harangody jump shots, the first of which was one of the ugliest shots you will ever see in an NBA game. Or any basketball game, for that matter. The fact that epitomizes the Cavs play today: In their 6 possessions in the final 2 minutes the Cavs managed a total of three shot attempts. The Clippers didn’t play particularly well, but they did just enough to put away a weak team.

So that was the game. What about those storylines?

How’s Eric Gordon look?

Plenty of people realize Eric Gordon “took a step” this year, but I think to some extent Blake Griffin’s All-World rookie season (in addition, obviously, to EJ’s recent injuries) have overshadowed how dramatic that leap has been. There’s a short list of guys in the NBA who can roll off an injury and drop 29 points, guys who – judging from their blasé reactions – expect to walk in and drop 29. Eric Gordon is on that list.

Last year, Eric Gordon’s poor performances in “return” games were blamed on a lack of confidence. He would look tentative, as if each time he came back he was readjusting all over again – to his shot, his legs, the speed of the game, the flow of the team. What happened to that Eric Gordon? He came out gunning two weeks ago coming off the Wrist Part I, and tonight he did the same. It was a showcase of his confidence this year. On his first touch, he knifed to the basket, split two defenders, forced contact, and made a tough shot as he went to the floor. After jacking up a couple ugly looking contested 3s in the first half, Gordon found the range in the fourth quarter, knocking down 3 in 4 possessions. He was 6 for 10 from three and completely without that hesitations we saw from Eric as recently as past November. I really don’t know how to explain it. (It would pain me to credit the magic of Coach K even a little). But I can’t ever remember watching another player so fully going from a guy who seemed a little shaky in the confidence department to being a cold blooded scorer who always wants to take his shot.

Also, he still has that Demolition Man haircut.

Baron’s Return

There really wasn’t one. Baron sat this one out with back spasms. It’s hard not to feel for Baron who, according to reports, learned that his grandmother had to check into the hospital the same day he was traded for Cleveland. I’ve already waxed poetic about Baron plenty, but it’s depressing to imagine Baron freezing away his final productive years in Cleveland. (Is there still buyout talk? Is the idea of Baron coordinating the circus in Miami crazy?)

Is Blake Griffin hitting the “Rookie Wall?”

Blake had his best game in a month, scoring 30 points along with 9 rebounds and 8 assists. It was a good day for youtube curators of Blake Griffin highlight reels, who have suffered through a slow month. Surprisingly, Cleveland chose to play Blake one-on-one for much of the game, despite not really having a player in their front court capable of matching up with him physically. Samardo Samuels drew the unenviable assignment the most often, and was victimized accordingly, first with a down-the-lane reverse jam, and later with a stumbling upside down prayer that was first called a travel, then a basket with a foul, and finally a foul before the act. Whatever. It was pretty spectacular.

The huge stats, of course, don’t necessarily disprove the idea that Blake Griffin might be hitting the dreaded “Rookie Wall.” It would be strange if Griffin wasn’t tired. He’s played starter’s minutes for 60 games, didn’t have an All-Star break, and was forced to become the primary offensive weapon at the same time that coaches were beginning to game plan for him anyway. That takes a toll. Blake had room tonight, a rare commodity during Eric Gordon’s absence, in addition to relatively weak opposition. On the East Coast trip, teams were using two guys to force Blake to make plays 12-18 feet from the basket. Today, Blake got whatever position he wanted with a power dribble and a few backward jolts. Luckily, the Clippers next two opponents – Phoenix and Washington – aren’t strong inside either so… undecided. He clearly has plenty left, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t lost a little pop. (The decrease in rebounds the past two weeks might be a better indicator of this than points, which I think had a lot to do with opponent’s ability to double Blake without consequences in the absence of Eric Gordon).

(By the way: Blake’s quote on the pre-game knife-wilder:  “That was crazy man. There aren’t too many stand offs in Oklahoma. Not that I can remember.” Wait – does that mean he is leaving for the Thunder?)

What do we learn about the team flow with everyone playing?

Simple. To steal a word from Mike Smith, Eric Gordon changes the entire “geometry” of the team. His slashing ability makes it impossible for defenses to smother Blake with unvarying double teams. On defense, his ability to keep perimeter scorers out of the lane creates far fewer easy layups and/or situations where DeAndre or Blake have to foul. How many times in the past month have Blake and DeAndre been left alone to stop a streaking shooter? In short, the next time Eric Gordon gets injured I probably shouldn’t write that “Randy Foye can be Eric Gordon lite – at least for a few weeks.” Eric Gordon is a star. Mike borrowed a little flair from Clyde, noting that EJ “alleviates and facilitates.” And if Eric Gordon, it turns out, is as essential to this team’s success as any player, then is it time to start worrying about his propensity to injury? He missed 20 games last year, and he’ll miss almost 30 this year. With such a small sample size it’s hard to separate a few unrelated humps and bruises from a pattern. Time will tell obviously.

(Also – and I know this should be its own post – but in terms of “what the team needs going forward” take a look at the list of free agents that went up on ESPN. Pretty uninspiring group of small forwards (the Clippers most obvious need). Fliers on Caron Butler or Tayshaun Prince, or maybe Vlad Rad, CJ Miles. And down from there. Last off season, Neil Olshey showed admirable restraint in staying away from overpaying a free agent just to get a free agent. It will be interesting to see if that means he is more likely to try to trade than give, say, Prince 3 years 18 million dollars)

More proof that Kaman would make a good sixth man

I’m fully in this camp. I’m convinced Chris Kaman could win the sixth man of year. I know it’s not traditional, but there are so many things I like about Kaman as a sixth man (this is all assuming DeAndre and Kaman are still on the team next year.) 1. The mismatches. No back up 5 in the West could guard him. 2. As the sub he’ll often be in when the team is in the penalty, minimizing DJs foul shots. 3. He’s a guy who needs to get into a rhythm. You need to get Kaman his shots, but not at the expense of Blake, EJ, and Mo Williams. I love the lineups where Vinny plays Kaman with an energy unit (Aminu, Bledsoe, Moon, Smith, say) and just features Kaman in the post, play after play. Today, we saw the equally important corollary: When Kaman is off, the damage is limited. Sabermatricians can argue over the myth of the hot hand, but Chris Kaman is the streakiest guy I’ve ever seen. Today was one of those days for Chris – missed shots, sloppy fouls on defense, a few ungainly looking turnovers. But it’s effect on the flow of Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin was limited – and the rest of the second unit still continued to play hard defense and crash the boards.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Back in November the Clippers turned in their biggest stinker of the season, getting run off the Pacers home floor 107-80. They shot poorly from the field (33 percent, 22 percent from three) and they defended poorly (Pacers shot 50 percent from the field and 54 percent from the beyond the arc). But that Clippers team looked so different from the one that lost to the Pacers.

Some Changes:

- Blake Griffin has had a double double in every game since that Pacers game. He logged 12 points and 8 rebounds then, but has averaged 24.6 points and 13.8 rebounds since. (Even if the steadiness of that production isn’t as even.)

- Eric Gordon has found his shot. He was largely going to the rim for his shots, but now, he’s shooting threes like everyone remembers, 14-33 in his last 5 games (42 percent).

- Return of Baron Davis, the good one. Since coming back Baron has turned into the table setter for the team, improving his shot selection (still not perfect) and even becoming feisty on occasion, just look at the game against the Lakers when Baron jumped in to scuffle with Lamar Odom and when Baron stood up to Zydrunas in the Heat game, Baron’s alive and kicking.

- DeAndre Jordan’s emergence. At the time of the first game against the Pacers, DeAndre was a center by default, but now he’s been playing really well of late, anchoring the defense and dunking all over opposing centers.

- Bledsoe and Aminu’s return to the bench combined with the decrease in minutes for Rasual Butler. ‘Sual played 20 minutes in the game against the Pacers but he hasn’t gotten off the pine recently, sitting in the last 7 games. He’s been largely inefficient and a reason for the Clippers then-stagnant offense. While Aminu isn’t shooting quite at the same clip that he was earlier in the year, the bench is stronger now.

All combined together and it’s no wonder that the Clippers are in a completely different place than the last matchup. Instead of 1-11 in recent play, the Clippers are 9-4 and learning, forming a unit and breaking bad habits. The next one to break: having let-down games.

Keys to the Game:

- Danny Granger v. Gordon. Not only is Granger a very good offensive option but his defense has improved mightily. In the last meeting, Eric Gordon lit up the Pacers for 11 first quarter points before Granger switched off of his natural matchup with Aminu and on to Gordon. EJ did finish with 19 points, but it was on 5 for 17 shooting, a large reason the Clippers were run off the floor. And then Granger’s the top option on offense, playing at a position that the Clippers have had a hard time guarding.

- Roy Hibbert. Like the Lakers’ Bynum, Hibbert is a strong low post presence with good shot-blocking capabilities. DJ is slightly shorter but he has the reach and athleticism to bother Hibbert. Being one of the only interior threats, stopping Hibbert is the best way to throw their offense off balance.

- Keep up the Intensity. The Clippers are 3-3 after big wins (Thunder, Hornets, Spurs, Bulls, Nuggets, Heat) and they just beat their in-house rivals for a huge win. It’s conceivable that the Clippers could let down for a 12:30 game the day after a big victory, but if they continue to learn from their mistakes over the course of the year, then they’ll play a focused game today.

Injury Report:
Brian Cook right ankle, doubtful
Craig Smith herniated disc, out
Chris Kaman left ankle, out

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The Clippers raced out to an early lead, paced by a great first half from Blake and DeAndre and then Nuggets started chipping away. First it was a long J.R. Smith three, then it was Chauncey Billups’ four point play and the Nuggets brought a fifteen point lead down to 8 to close the second quarter. Then the Nuggets came out of break, the Clippers gave up five straight points on three free throws from Chauncey Billups and an easy Nene Hilario steal that lead to a fast break where Blake, again looked confused on transition defense. Considering the recent history, it would be easy to expect the Clippers to get away from Blake, start hoisting bad shots and letting their offensive missteps transfer into a paranoid and lackadaisical defense. However, that wasn’t the case tonight as the Clippers even extended their first half lead and won by thirteen.

The disturbing trend of the opponents shooting a high percentage from three continued, and the Nuggets even got within 3 within three minutes of the third quarter, but there was a spurt from Eric Bledsoe that put the Nuggets back on their heels. He started the run with a right handed floater on the right side of the lane, then he nailed a three and then went back to the rim for another deuce and the foul (although he didn’t convert). Bledsoe benefitted from the zippy Nuggets guard Ty Lawson’s absence, but his play still required the gumption to make those shots, even if the shots were more open than normal because he had the slower Chauncey Billups guarding him. It’s been what the Clippers have been missing in the recent losses to Utah and Atlanta, that resilient ability to stare down a charging foe and make a steely move. They have harnessed this ability in certain spots, like the wins against the Hornets, Spurs and Bulls, but the win over the Nuggets felt different. It wasn’t like the Clippers survived the game, but that they actually won it.

DeAndre Jordan provided a surprisingly big lift on the interior and his play, beyond the Nuggets game, begs more attention. Yes, he turned in a Camby-esque 14 point, 20 rebound, 6 block performance in a win, but even in the recent losses he’s had a positive effect. In the last 3 games, he’s had 19 blocks. Yes, that’s right, 19 blocks. He’s still swatting at some of the shots like little kid exploding harmless soap bubbles, but there are some that lead to fast breaks. It’s no coincidence that the Clippers highlight of the game (a fast break, give-and-go alley-oop between Blake and Baron) started from a DeAndre block to his teammates. Granted, it was a mistake, as he clearly out-jumped the shot and swatted it off of his forearm, but it worked. That potential of defensive awareness will vastly improve his effectiveness. What’s most crucial is that he’s learning, becoming that low usage defensive anchor that compliments his front court partner and friend Blake Griffin.

Speaking of Blake, he again had a monster game, coming close to his first 20-20 game as he racked up 22 points, 18 rebounds and 7 assists (capped by a beautiful lob thrown to DeAndre), those assists a testament to his quick ability to adapt to the competition. His second half let downs, let downs at least in comparison to his first halves, continue to beguile. Maybe it’s just the teams figuring how to deal with his energy and bring Blake down to earth, even if his 7 points and 8 rebounds in the second half are what some centers average for a game, but he needs to figure out how to maintain his effectiveness. It’s crazy to pick the nits of a player that has the potential to be historically great (I had an argument with Daily Dime Live Host Zach Harper whether Blake could has the potential to be a Top-50 all time player), but if Blake wants to improve beyond a great player on a bad team, then he’s going to have to continually address his faults. I’m not even saying that he’s resting on his laurels, obviously he’s a hard worker, but his current situation is extremely difficult. Beyond just being on a bad team, he has to deal with the consistent negative stigmas associated with the owner and the franchise. Unfair or not, there is the extra push that he’ll have to endure to overcome the trivialities of an anomalous highlight machine on a bad team.

Watching this game, I began to wonder how closely Blake’s first half dominance is related to Baron Davis’ play. In the first half, Baron already had amassed his 8 assists, but in the second? None. It potentially provides a template for the answer to Jordan Heimer’s question brought up the other day, if Baron is healthy, then why isn’t he getting big minutes? This may be the answer, that he’s not able to sustain his play in the second half and those minutes need to go to Bledsoe in order to provide Baron with whatever rest is needed for him to finish out the ball game. Maybe Baron the facilitator requires a certain equilibrium, not too much playing time before he searches for his own shot rather than serving up passes to the rest of his teammates. It may just be something Baron needs to simply focus on, but the correlation and the trend is at least worthy of addressing.

Good news is that it didn’t have an effect on Eric Gordon who played another quietly impressive game. If Blake, DeAndre, Baron and Bledsoe are taking a chunk of the highlights, it’s largely because Eric Gordon allows them to be there. I’d bet that if you asked the casual NBA fan who was the scoring leader on the Clippers, few would answer Eric Gordon. And it’s not like he doesn’t contribute to the “big” plays. In the third, when the Nuggets were still fighting, Eric drove strong to the hole for a decisive lay-up and the foul. It was stabilizing, even if it didn’t completely prevent the slide that allowed for Bledsoe’s hot streak. Instead, Gordon has become a wonder in spite of his excellence, his handle down the stretch rightly questioned even though he has displayed the propensity to take over games (see November Jazz game in Utah and the second matchup with the Kings). He clearly hasn’t finished his development, which will involve the steadying of his handle so that he’s jerky dribble penetrations doesn’t fool himself more than the defenders.

But for now, Clippers fans should enjoy the solace of the win over the Nuggets. The two games prior showed that the Clippers are not going to make constant improvements, there will be setbacks against good teams, but they are learning enough where they can continue to bounce back and show very real progress.

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...