The Oklahoma City Thunder has been a good measuring stick for the Clippers the past two years.  In the final game of the 2009 campaign, the 23-win Thunder team hammered the Clippers at the Staples Center by 41 points, 126-85.  In a nightmare season, marred by injuries, the 2009 Clippers walked off the floor for the final time to a chorus of boos from their usually forgiving fans.  Though both franchises were destined for the lottery, the Thunder finished the season on a resoundingly strong note, and a clear message was sent to the league that their talented young core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green would be a team to contend with in the future.  In a way, the Clippers and Thunder were as two trains passing in the night, one franchise bound for future glory, and the other was wracked with familiar questions and doubt.

The summer of 2009 changed the Clippers fortune, when they unexpectedly won the lottery and the rights to Blake Griffin.  Then, Mike Dunleavy, wearing his general manager cap, orchestrated some canny moves to bolster the bench by turning Zach Randolph’s bloated contract into Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair, as well as the acquisition of Rasual Butler.  Optimism was restored to Clippersland, and there was hope that the now rejuvenated, deep and athletic Clippers squad can make a run for the final playoff spot in the West.  As the 2009-10 campaign began, many observers saw the Clippers and Thunder on equal footing.  Both teams were on the rise, and has a chance to compete in the difficult Western  Conference.

The Clippers and Thunder met earlier in November, playing two games in a span of five days.  Each team won on the other’s floor, and both contests were decided in the fourth quarter.  Though the Thunder has proven themselves as contenders in the West and had a better record, the Clippers clawed back from their tough earlier schedule and proved their mettle by beating their Western Conference rival in a hard fought game in Oklahoma City.  It was a much needed victory, a type of win that playoff teams squeak out during the course of a season.  But four months later, that win in Oklahoma City has remained the Clippers best road victory against a playoff bound team in the 2010 campaign.  And when the two teams met again on this early March night, the fate of both franchises has already been defined.  And from the first few minutes on, the Thunder proved that, without a doubt, they are a team to be reckon with, come playoff time.  While the Clippers are once again, bound for the lottery, the fate of their franchise, their coach, and their free agents, unclear.

The Thunder asserted themselves on the defensive end very early on.  Coming in to the game, it was clear that the Clippers have an edge inside, and it was as if Oklahoma City almost conceded one on one coverage to the Clippers big men.  Their perimeter defense was suffocating however, and the Clippers perimeter players could not get an open look against the Thunder’s taller and more athletic counterparts.  Durant, while not known as a defensive stopper coming into the NBA, has groomed himself into a serviceable defensive player.  Green, Westbrook, Harden, Collison, and Serge Ibaka all played very physical and tough team defense, their defensive rotations were quick and aggressive.  They concede nothing and outmuscle the smaller Clippers wing players.  They would get 13 steals and block 11 Clippers shots during the game and hold the Clippers to 37 percent shooting.  Asides from Smith, no Clippers player was able to hit even half their shots.

Durant is a burgeoning offensive star who’s about to cross that rare threshold into superstardom.  But it is clear that the Thunder’s calling card is their rangy, athletic, perimeter defense.  It is the mark of a good, young team, one that the Western Conference powers will be loathed to face come the final weeks of April.  They suffocated Baron Davis early on.  With the Clippers offense stagnating after a promising early start, they trapped Baron in the corner and blocked his desperation three.  As if to redeem himself, Baron came right back down the floor and clanged off another three at the six minute mark.  Oklahoma City capitalized on every Clippers missed shots and boneheaded miscues early on and ran off 12 points in row.  By the time Craig Smith was brought into the game for Drew Gooden, the score was 18-6, Oklahoma City.  The burly Smith made his presence felt right away, scoring on his first touch and drew a foul.  All night long, the Clippers would crawl their way back to eight points, to six points, only to have Oklahoma City pull away again.  Never once did it feel that the Clippers were going to legitimately mount a charge against this Thunder team.  Near the end of the first quarter, Durant made a beautiful jab step against Rasual and blew by him for a thunderous dunk.  It is hard to blame Rasual, as Durant has been hitting step back fifteen footers against him early on, racking up 15 points in the first quarter alone.  It was a clear case of going up against someone who is taller, more skilled, and more athletic, someone who is on a completely different level as a player.  In a way, the dream that the Clippers have of being on the same level as this young Thunder squad was revealed to be a fantasy tonight.  As the 2010 season slowly winds to a close, the Thunder has proven to be a clearly a superior team, and a legitimate playoff squad.

That the Clippers somehow closed the 10-12 point lead to four points in the third quarter at the four minute mark is a bit of a surprise.  Rasual Butler got hot in the third, abetted by some beautiful drive and dish by Eric Gordon, and hit some three pointers to pull  the Clippers to 68-64.  During one sequence at the 6:27 mark, Drew Gooden set a solid pick and freed Eric for a drive into the lane, as the defenders converge on Eric, he kicked the ball out to a wide open Butler for a 3.  It was a solid play, executed by a fundamentally sound basketball player from Kansas who knows how to set picks.  At the 5:50 mark, the same play was ran but with Kaman instead of Gooden.  This time, Kaman rolled to the basket too early, hoping to get the ball, and the play broke down as Eric was never able to find daylight.  It was another opportunity lost, and the Thunder once again pulled away convincingly as James Harden was brought back in.  They would score the next eight points during the next three minutes and re-establish their lead back to 76-64 as the third quarter drew to a close.

With Craig Smith picking up his fifth foul at the 11:43 mark of the fourth, the Clippers most effective offensive weapon on this night was taken out of the game.  After that, the Thunder re-asserted their dominance and slowly put the game out of reach.  Harden made a smart, aggressive move to the hoop and put his body into Kaman’s chest, drawing a foul and putting the Thunder up by 15 at the 9:57 mark.  Gordon would hit a three and made a tough layup to pull the Clippers to within 11 but that would be as close as they get the rest of the way.  The final score of 104-87 was not quite emblematic of the game, as the Clippers were within striking distance for most of the night.  However, one never got the sense that it was all that close, that the Clippers were capable of overtaking the Thunder on this night, or this season.  As the final stretch run of the 2010 season begins, it is clear that the path of the two franchise has diverged, as clear as that last game of the 2009 campaign.  Thinking back on the exuberance from the Oklahoma City Thunder players on that April night of last year, when it seems that they enjoyed their time on the court, and didn’t want to go home for the off-season, it reminded me of another Clippers squad from the 2000-2001 campaign.  The season was lost a long time ago, but their joy was infectious as they blew away a 51-win Phoenix team on their final home game of the season.  Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, and Lamar Odom celebrated on top of the scorer’s table and thanked their fans.  They milled around the Staples Center floor afterwards, not wanting to leave, wanting to play on, as if the promise of their vast potential shimmered seductively before their eyes, as fragile as a mirage; and as if by leaving, they might forsake that beautiful synchronicity which they had miraculously achieved on that night, and might never attain again.  Yet the promise of next season burned brightly that evening, and Clippers fans left the Staples Center yearning for the 2001-2002 season to begin.  It is perhaps too much to hope for with this 2009-10 Clippers squad, and one cannot help but admire this young Thunder team with a bit of jealousy and perhaps yearn for what could have been.

There is a swirl of themes surrounding the Clippers right now, many of which come into focus in a big win over a very good team Monday night, albeit the Clips almost blow the game in spectacular fashion over the final couple of minutes.

It’s clear that the Clippers aren’t a horrible team. If this core group remains healthy though the final quarter of the season, they won’t embarrass themselves on a regular basis, and they’ll probably pick up some solid wins at home (As it is, the Clippers have won 12 of their past 16 games on their home floor). They still have a couple of wings who can stretch the floor, a center who — when he makes good decisions — can put a lot of pressure on the opponent’s interior defense, and a point guard who — when he’s not preoccupied with trying to shoot his team to success — does a good job of finding those scorers. They also now have a power forward with a versatile enough game to keep the defense off-balance. None of these five guys is a complete player at his position and the team defense won’t be top-shelf, but there’s a cohesive unit out there that can score — the Clippers have racked up an offensive rating of 107.7 or greater in four of their past five games.  Add to that starting five one of the better backup point guards in the league, a couple of intriguing talents, and an efficient, othersized power forward in Craig Smith (who’s dinged up right now). That’s a solid nine-man rotation — one that can tilt big or small, depending on need.

With Gooden in place, we’re seeing a half court offense that features rotating pick and rolls on both sides of the floor. This requires more of some players than they have been accustomed to contributing, especially Eric Gordon. Because he’s the ball man on more ball screens, Gordon is being asked to do more as a playmaker. He’s struggled with his handle this season, but tonight he looks a lot better, particularly in the second half.

My favorite offensive possession of the game comes at about the 4:25 mark of the fourth quarter. The Clippers demonstrate both patience and execution. It’s the kind of set that good offensive teams run on a regular basis:

Gooden and Chris Kaman offer Baron Davis an early stagger screen along the arc. Baron moves from right to left, but Deron Williams fights through the screens and Wesley Matthews is also waiting for Baron as he tries to turn the corner. Baron backs out as the Clippers reset. This time, Gordon curls around a back screen from Kaman, catches the pass from Baron in motion. As the Utah defense collapses on Eric, he dishes the ball in traffic out to an open Kaman, who drains the jumper from about 18 feet.

Eric Gordon has a massive fourth quarter, scoring 13 points. He goes 4-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-2  from the stripe, and hits all three attempts from beyond the arc. On the first two (4th, 10:54; 4th, 9:52), C.J. Miles drifts too far from the arc. On the final one (4th, 6:28), nobody picks up EJ in transition on a break initiated by a ridiculous swat of a Williams’ attempted layup by DeAndre Jodran, who swoops in from the weak side.

That 3-pointer by Gordon should be the dagger, as the Clippers go up 95-78 with just over six minutes to go in the game. The Clippers still lead by 12 with 2:29 remaining. The Clippers move themselves and the ball fairly well on the next two possessions (4th, 2:15; 4th, 1:50), but come away with only an off-balanced, fadeaway elbow jumper from Davis and a contested 25-foot Rasual Butler jumper from beyond the arc. Neither shot goes in. When the Clippers walk the ball up with a minute and a half remaining, their lead has been trimmed to five.

After that, the offense screeches to a halt:

• (4th, 1:30) Davis milks some clock, then gets a high screen from Kaman with :08 remaining on the shot clock. Everyone in the building knows that’s the call, including Williams and Carlos Boozer. Williams walls off the lane as Baron tries to penetrate, and ultimately strips Baron of the ball.
• (4th, 1:02) This time, the screen from Kaman doesn’t come until the :05 mark on the shot clock, but he pastes Williams (you argue it’s a moving screen as Chris seems to give Williams a little bit of a shove. Williams jaws about it with the official after he converts a layup on the other end + one.). Either way, it gets Baron the space he wants, as he drives to the foul line, pulls up and drains the jumper.
• (4th, 0:38) Yep. Again. Boozer practically leaves before Kaman does. As Davis dribbles left, he loses the ball. The only consolation is that he’s able to catch Williams in transition and foul before the Utah point guard can convert the layup. Williams misses both free throw attempts, a pair that would’ve tied the game.

During the Utah rally, the Clips give up a big bucket in transition to Andrei Kirilenko (4th, 1:05), but the other points are surrendered courtesy of slow reactions. Boozer beats Gooden off the dribble + one (4th, 2:01) to cut the Clippers lead to seven. On the next Jazz possession, Kaman loses track of Millsap, as the Utah power forward drifts out to about 17 feet along the baseline, where he catches a pass and buries an open jumper to cut the lead to five (4th, 1:31). Off the Davis made jumper, Deron Williams knives through the Clippers defense in about three seconds, drawing a foul on Kaman in the process (4th, 0:40). When Williams hits the free throw, the Jazz trail by only two. For about 40+ minutes, the Clippers play solid defense. They’re particularly sticky on the perimeter, and consistently effective against the pick-and-roll. If not for the pair of Williams’ misses, one of the more complete efforts of the season could’ve been squandered.

DeAndre Jordan’s line doesn’t look like much, but he plays one of his better games under the Hughes regime. The four blocks electrify the crowd, but it’s the humdrum part of the gig that impresses most. His screen/roll defense is decisive and, as the blocks suggest, he’s a help side menace against Utah’s inside attack.

As D.J. Foster noted last night, everyone on the Clippers’ roster has legitimate deficiencies and the Clippers can’t afford for each of them to surface on the same night if they want to win basketball games. But so long as some of the team’s worst habits are sublimated, the product on the floor might be good enough to steal some games and, as the very least, entertain.

Around Halloween time as a kid, do you remember reading about Witches’ Soup? Basically Witches’ Soup was made by a witch that threw a bunch of nasty stuff into a giant black cauldron — boots, banana peels, spiders, eyeballs…ya know, that whole bit. I specifically remember as a child thinking about the point where I would no longer be able to stomach the imaginary soup, sort of like a make-believe game of Fear Factor. Even though I was a human garbage disposal at that age, eventually there would be too much nasty stuff added to let myself even fathom eating the concoction.

When the Clippers play poorly, it’s sort of like the basketball version of Witches’ Soup. Add one thing to the pot, like 15 turnovers, and you can survive that. Toss in 9 for 30 shooting from your starting backcourt and it gets a little tougher, but it’s still manageable. Sprinkle in 22 allowed fast break points, and 5-20 shooting from deep and all of the sudden things begin to look rather disgusting. In most losses this season, the Clippers have only done a small combination of things poorly. Tonight however, specifically down the stretch, the Clips seem to bust out every ingredient that has contributed to each of their 35 losses on the year.

Outside of the red-hot Rasual Butler, no Clipper plays particularly well tonight. Eric Gordon goes 4 for 13 and struggles to find his jumper all night. At this stage of his career, Gordon is a little like Butler in that if his shot isn’t falling, he’s not incredibly valuable on the offensive end. Of course the difference is Gordon can penetrate, but until he learns to properly kick out on his drives and stop leaving his feet to pass, he’s somewhat of an easy cover for a focused team defensively. Drew Gooden does a nice job drawing fouls and getting to the line (7-7 FT), but his 5 turnovers hurt. Between Gooden and Kaman, defenses can make a living by swarming the post once the Clippers’ big men put the ball on the deck, and a lengthy Sacramento team does a good job of doing just that tonight. It’s good to see Travis Outlaw attempt to assert himself on the offensive end, but he’s cold tonight and goes 3 for 10 from the field. Although Outlaw doesn’t shoot the ball well, his 8 rebounds from the small forward position are a sight for sore eyes. DeAndre Jordan had his typical roller-coaster of a game, getting 3 points, 5 boards, 3 blocks and 3 turnovers in 16 minutes of play.

Down the stretch it’s a frustrating display of the faults of Chris Kaman and Baron Davis. After dropping an easy pass underneath from Drew Gooden [3:42, 4Q], Kaman fails to get out in time to contest a 20-footer from Carl Landry [3:30, 4Q]. Even with the mistakes, the Clippers cut the lead to one behind a Rasual Butler three-pointer [2:06, 4Q]. On the ensuing possession, Kaman collects a defensive rebound but panics and floats a lazy outlet pass that’s knocked away by Ime Udoka. Udoka makes an incredible save and the Kings retain possession. Tyreke Evans then receives a handoff from Hawes [1:27, 4Q] in the high post that baffles the Clippers’ defense. Rasual Butler gets caught up in the handoff on Hawes, Kaman is late stepping over to impede Evans’ progress, and Baron Davis is in no man’s land in his help defense. The possession results in an easy layup for Evans and a huge swing back in momentum for the Kings. Kim Hughes likes to go back up without a timeout, but the Clippers looked flustered in their attempt to answer. Butler is on fire, but without the proper set being drawn up for him he has no chance of springing free for a decent look. The Kings scramble and lock up defensively, and the Clippers don’t get the ball within 25 feet of the basket even once. Eventually Baron Davis shoots a late shot clock three…from 30 feet away [1:02, 4Q]. Can you blame Baron for the shot late in the clock? Maybe not. But you’d surely like to think he could have helped manufacture a better look earlier with the game on the line.

Tonight’s game serves as a reminder of the imperfections of the Clippers as individuals. Baron Davis can’t really shoot. Chris Kaman’s decision making can’t be fully trusted late in games. Eric Gordon is not exactly a versatile offensive threat. DeAndre Jordan will make the occasional silly mistake. Can these faults all be hidden and compensated for? Absolutely — just most nights you can’t stomach it all at once.

The Clippers get everything they want offensively Friday night:

• Craig Smith dominates in isolation, taking Phoenix defenders at will on strong dribble-drives to the rack. Smith also plays the pick and roll, running a beautiful set with Eric Gordon at (2nd, 9:54). It’s nice to see Eric making plays, because he’s had a hellacious couple of months handling the ball.
• Gordon gets himself going with a couple of aggressive drives early, two of them in transition (1st, 9:12; 1st, 7:53), then stretches his game out to the arc, as Phoenix is unwilling to chase shooters off the line.
• Travis Outlaw also takes advantage of the Suns’ generosity on the perimeter. He drains a 3-pointer in the second quarter when the Suns inexplicably overload on a Steve Blake-Craig Smith screen/roll, even after Blake has reversed the ball away from the action (2nd, 7:29). This leaves Jason Richardson accountable for both Baron Davis and Travis Outlaw. Richardson is slow to close and Travis drains his first of four 3-pointers on the night. Outlaw picks up another bomb from beyond the arc in transition a couple of minutes later.
• Drew Gooden has some offensive skills, which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise when you look at his career efficiency numbers. He can run the pick-and-pop (though he doesn’t tonight), has a good enough handle to put the ball on the floor and drive (2nd, 8:50; 4th, 10:42), and though he’s not the master Marcus Camby is, Gooden will get his share of tip-ins at the rim (3rd, 5:58).

Despite putting up an efficiency number of 115.5, the Clippers hemorrhage at the defensive end, surrendering 125 points in 97 possessions to Phoenix (128.9/100). As is often the case with bad defensive efforts, the Clippers cannot defend the Suns’ pick-and-roll, a problem made worse once Kaman is ejected at the beginning of the third quarter for excessive kvetching:

The Clippers aren’t unique here. There isn’t a defense in the league that’s consistently and effectively taken away this part of the Suns’ game. Play Nash straight up (as in the first clip), and he’ll find the angle on the roll. Trap him (as the Clippers do in the second possession above) and you better rotate more quickly than the Clippers do on Friday night. If Amare Stoudemire pops off the screen (the fourth possession above), you have an awful choice to make: Step out on Stoudemire, and he’ll put the ball on the deck and drive past you; play off Stoudemire to protect against the drive, and he’ll drain that face-up jumper from 20 feet.

And here’s the kicker. Once you adjust against the pick-and-roll by sending weak side help, the Suns will swing the ball to the open man vacated by the help.  Take a look:

The bloodletting can’t be blamed entirely on pick-and-roll defense. The Clippers give up far too many baskets in transition to a team that finishes the break as well as any. The Suns convert 22 of 25 shots at the basket Friday night, many of them courtesy of run-outs. Whether it’s Jared Dudley’s trailing tip-in at the third quarter buzzer off Goran Dragic’s missed layup, or Grant Hill beating the Clippers’ transition defense down the floor to receive Steve Nash’s gorgeous 30-foot outlet pass for a layup, the Suns find easy baskets all night amid the chaos.

It’s somewhat difficult to evaluate Rasual Butler’s performance as the Clippers’ starting small forward this season. The efficiency numbers present a mixed picture. Counting stats like player efficiency rating (PER) conclude that he’s hasn’t helped the team a much offensively this season. His PER has lingered in the 11s, well off the league average. His on court/off court numbers tell a different story. He’s a +8 on a team that’s been outscored by a considerable margin over the course of the season. It’s a reach to call Butler a defensive stopper. His decision-making on that end of the floor, like the rest of his game, has wavered. He uses his length effectively, but can occasionally be overpowered by more physical 3s. Although he’s no Thornton, you can catch Butler blowing rotations if you watch a lot of Clippers basketball. Wednesday night, he’s part of the problem early, as the Pistons’ perimeter players are able to work their way into the paint for high-percentage shots. Tayshaun Prince alone converts five field goals inside, though not all of them can be charged to Butler. Prince, Rip Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey repeatedly post up the Clippers smalls and have success doing so in the first half.

In the fourth, Rip Hamilton nails three 3-pointers in fewer than four minutes. The first comes courtesy of a Ben Wallace pin-down that allows Hamilton to have all kinds of space in the left corner. Eric Gordon is watching the action on the strong side of the floor, but he has to be more cognizant that one of the best screeners of his lifetime is standing between him and his man. Hamilton isn’t a lethal threat from long distance (he’s 21-of-82 from beyond the arc coming into Wednesday night’s game), but give an NBA guard enough space and it’s a virtual shootaround. That’s what happens at (4th, 4:30), which allows the Pistons to tie the game. The next two Hamilton 3-pointers are excruciating. Just as Gordon does, Butler allows Wallace to shield Hamilton. By the time the Pistons reverse the ball over to Hamilton, it’s too late for Butler to close. Hamilton’s shot gives the Pistons a 3-point lead at (4th, 3:49). The potential killer comes at (4th, 0:45), but there’s nothing more Gordon can do. He’s right up in Hamilton’s space, but the heave gives the Pistons a 1-point lead and feels fatal.

Then Butler takes over:

The 3-pointer by Butler is enormous. It’s initiated by a drive-and-dish by Baron, who attracts just enough attention from Rodney Stuckey. When Stuckey shifts his balance toward Baron, Butler is left wide open on the left wing.

Butler isn’t the long-term solution for the Clippers at the small forward, but when the Clippers can spread the floor and Baron Davis is aggressive, Butler’s presence on the perimeter forces the defense to make difficult decisions. And when he’s applying his full attention on the other end — chasing guys off the line and working through screens — he’s a useful defender. It’s a little harder now without Mr. Camby patrolling the back line, but aside from the second Hamilton 3-pointer, Butler does good work defensively during the Clippers’ stand in the fourth quarter.

In general, other than Hamilton’s 3-pointers, a ridiculous shot from Maxiell, and a poor defensive stand by Drew Gooden along the baseline (and unresponsive help from Kaman), the Clippers buckle down defensively in the fourth quarter. The unit of Blake-Butler-Outlaw-Jordan-Kaman string together a strong defensive series. They’re quick to the ball, challenge shots at the rim (Kaman, 4th, 8:07), fight over screens (Butler, 4th, 7:43), and close out on outside jumpers.

Kim Hughes has evidently backed off his bold pronouncements to transform the Clippers into an up-tempo squad. It’s a wise decision. Tonight’s game is a very deliberate affair — 87 possessions per team. The Clippers trail most of the way and it’s a frustrating slog. Schematically, they’re outplaying Detroit, finding better looks, but not converting. Gordon and Butler can’t find the net in the first half — both miss a couple of wide open attempts from beyond the arc. Apart from the missed open shots, the Clippers are working diligently in the half-court, looking for the pick-and-pop and making smart passes. Though the spacing is problematic at times, that’s more likely a product of a team that hasn’t worked together all that much. Meanwhile Jason Maxiell is launching unseemly shots from the floor. It’s madness (2nd, 9:00; 4th, 9:04). Charlie Villanueva (a 32 percent shooter from 3-point distance) drains a couple of his own. The Pistons actually shoot better from 16-23 feet (53.4 effective field goal percentage) than they do at the rim (42.9 effective field goal percentage).

The upgrade at backup point is paying dividends. Steve Blake has a gift for finding his big men at the rim (Gooden, 2nd, 11:03) and is reversing the turnover epidemic. The Clippers bring the turnover rate down to a respectable 16.1, still high but manageable. Blake sees 20 of the 48 minutes at point guard on a night when Baron Davis isn’t feeling well. Blake isn’t the zippiest point guard, but he knows how to execute the drive-and-kick, and is always aware of what’s materializing on the weak side of the floor. On a big possession early in the fourth period while the Clips are making their run, Blake finds Butler on the kickout at (4, 9:34), which pulls the Clippers even for the first time since the first quarter. Blake finishes with eight assists against two turnovers.

Kaman continues to struggle with his decision-making out of double teams (3, 2:02), but he shows off his full repertoire, including those dribble-drives when the defense is stretched. Chris is so quick to the hoop that the weak side defenders don’t have time to slide over and cut off his drive. Five of his eight field goals come in the immediate basket area and, better yet, he draws four Detroit shooting fouls, earning himself seven attempts at the stripe (5-7). He and Gooden control the glass and combine for 28 rebounds in 73 minutes. The Pistons’ bigs (Wallace-Jerebko-Maxiell-Villanueva) collect only 22 boards in 78 minutes. The Clippers are vicious on the offensive glass — a ridiculous 43.8 offensive rebounding rate and 28 second-chance points.

If the Clippers’ wings can exercise some discipline staying home defensively, if the big behind the Nash-Stoudemire screen-and-roll can act decisively, and they attack the Suns inside, the Clippers should give Phoenix a game. Hughes should consider sticking the lanky Butler on Nash, a physical Baron on Richardson and taking his chances with Gordon on Hill.

What would Eric Gordon look like if he were quicker, 3 inches taller, and a better ballhandler? Surely he’d look like a perennial All-Star with an unstoppable offensive game. Surely he’d resemble the recurring player that pops up in all of Mike Dunleavy’s better dreams. But do you know what this hypothetical monstrous version of Gordon would really look like?

He’d look just like Tyreke Evans.

For those of you who hven’t been able to watch Tyreke Evans compete this year — you’re missing out.  Evans is a frightening new breed of guard with a blazingly fast first step and the ability to jump from zero-to-sixty faster than you can blurt out your favorite profanity. Team that with the lax handcheck rules, an incredibly muscular frame, and the height to finish in the trees and you’ve got yourself one special player. The best example of Evans general freakishness is how easily he blasts through the Clippers iso-set defense with the clock running down late [0:04, 3rdQ]. With the exception of Roy, Wade, and LeBron, that’s a jumpshot situation for just about everyone in the league.

Eric Gordon drawing the defensive assignment to this freight train of a player serves as a nice reminder of the gauntlet Gordon must run through as a defender at the 2 spot. The Evans – Gordon matchup is fascinating despite their respective teams appearing lottery bound. Evans is the future at guard in Sacramento just like Gordon is in Los Angeles, and their mano y mano battle tonight is likely the first of many to come.

One of Gordon’s biggest defensive strengths is his lateral quickness. Evans spends most of the first half deferring to Omri Casspi to create and score, but when Evans does try and attack off pick and rolls Gordon does a nice job of staying low and acting as a proverbial speed bump. The defense behind Gordon is what matters most, and it’s smart most of the night — Chris Kaman and DeAndre Jordan are regularly seen making their presence known around the free throw line area. Like a good safety in football, the Clippers bigs cheat up and over towards Gordon to ensure that he’s never left alone on an island with Evans. The defensive focus in the first half and a somewhat tentative Evans help the Clippers jump out to a 60-45 halftime lead.

With the Kings halfcourt offense not producing, Evans takes it upon himself to attack in transition before the Clippers backline can get set and rotate. With a head of steam and some momentum the assignment suddenly shifts from manageable to nearly impossible. Evans gets the majority of his 11 points in the third quarter off transition opportunities, with the most impressive being the layups in under four seconds and six seconds on the shot clock.

Evans is great in the third, but it’s the Eric Gordon show in the fourth. With the lead cut to six, the Staples crowd eerily silent, and the pendulum swinging in the Kings favor, Gordon snatches all the momentum back with a emphatic two handed jam in traffic for the bucket and the foul [10:03, 4Q]. Gordon follows up the next possession [8:14, 4Q] by receiving the ball on the right wing, jab-stepping left and going hard at the rim. Andres Nocioni, widely renowned for his ability to draw offensive fouls and general dirtiness, attempts to slide over and underneath the leaping Gordon to take the charge. Nocioni is much too late however, and Gordon is able to center himself in mid-air and finish with the contact for the and-1. Gordon’s next bucket comes from a page out of the Dunleavy playbook [7:39, 4Q]. Gordon starts on the right wing and initiates a dribble hand-off with Steve Blake. Gordon then darts across the three point line to the opposite wing, where he receives a high off ball screen from Chris Kaman. The screen gets just enough of Gordon’s defender and he’s freed up for a 26-foot three ball that’s true.

The scoring outburst from Gordon opens up the entire halfcourt offense. Kaman’s layup at [6:16, 4Q] is a direct result of the Kings’ help defense over compensating for Gordon. With Gordon ballhandling on the left wing, the pass to Kaman at the free throw line presents itself easily and Kaman only needs two dribbles to get to the rim and score. The very next set at [5:35, 4Q] is designed to be a Gordon/Kaman pick and roll, but Kaman slips and pops to the elbow where he’s wide open for an easy 16-footer. The next time down [4:28, 4Q] Gordon takes it right at Tyreke Evans, draws the foul, and flips up a shot that careens off the glass and falls in. It’s yet another and-1 for Gordon who finishes with 14 fourth quarter points and a season-high 30 for the game. The final bucket and harm puts the Clippers lead at 18 with 4:28 to play – far too much for the Kings and their mightmarish cover of a guard to overcome.