Re: Training Camp/Preseason News

[jflipclip]

I saw a $15 upper level ticket special for opening night on Facebook. Thinking about it...

[mkwest]

Player Profile: Matt Barnes

“I was just thankful for an opportunity after all the things I went through in the summertime and then really being hurt in the playoffs last year a lot worse than everyone thought,” Barnes said.

Despite being without a contract for much of the summer, Barnes put a renewed focus into his offseason training, incorporating a new weight program and diet to get back into shape. With his ankle back to full strength, Barnes worked with mixed martial artist John Marsh and spent a lot of time with the 42-year old MMA fighter during the summer training in Redondo Beach.

Basketball wise, Barnes worked on every facet of his offensive game with a focus on shooting from midrange along with layups and floaters.

“I was really hurt by the fact that I wasn’t signed earlier so I kind of felt that I had to, not regroup myself, but get everything together and say ‘Okay, no one wants me I’m going to show you a big season,’” he said. “That’s the way I looked at the summer and just worked my tail off to get ready for now.”

“I look at my team as my family and I will do anything for my family,” Barnes said. “This is a discussion Blake and I had before I got here because people thought we had a beef and we didn’t. I just had to explain to him the way I approach the game and he understood that and I wanted him to know I was his teammate so people aren’t going to be taking him down and getting away with it.”

“After I came here and worked out one day, Chris (Paul) saw me and he thought I was still a Laker,” Barnes said. “I told him I wasn’t and then he told me I was going to be a Clipper and days later I was so I didn’t argue.”

Rafael Guerrero, Clippers.com

Clippers' Matt Barnes is proving his worth

"It's always been a situation where I've had to work for it," Barnes said. "So I've always looked at it as a challenge more than anything."

Barnes has proved his worth during the exhibition season, practicing hard, playing in every game.

He is playing a key role now that Hill is out because of a sore right knee.

"My job is to just bring energy, toughness, rebounds," Barnes said. "When you get to play with a point guard like Chris, if you run the court, then he'll reward you. I haven't played with a point guard like Chris since I played with Steve Nash."

"He's in the right spot," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He runs the court. He guards four positions, basically. He's a very good slasher. He's a very good rebounder. So, I've been real pleased with Matt and just his activity overall."

"I've told everybody this: I hate playing against Matt," Paul said. "But I knew him on my team, I would love it. He's passionate on defense, just like I am.

"I always say this about the NBA: You've got to respect everybody, but never fear them. Matt don't fear nobody. From the best player in the NBA to the worst, he don't fear nobody. We need that and I love it."

"I need to know I can score," he said. "Like everybody thinks that you just always know that you can. But I need to know that I can so I can make sure I have the confidence going into the season."

Brad Turner, LA Times

[mkwest]

Clippers Shoe Gallery

Eric Bledsoe


Chauncey Billups


Caron Butler


Chris Paul


DeAndre Jordan


Blake Griffin

[jflipclip]

I like those Lebron Soldiers Bledsoe rocks. I saw him wear those blue ones with the blue alternates in our first preseason game, that was pretty sick.

DJ's UA shoes look nice as well.

[mike3]

Anyone else not like CP3's? look a little ugly to me haha.

[playaloc916]

Man, Odom has been really disappointing so far. I admit, I thought he was going to redeem himself and play with a chip on his shoulder, but it looks like he's done. His mind's just not in the game anymore. More like he conned us into signing him (we signed him right?) just so he can live in LA again. He's supposed to be redeeming himself, and he comes into camp/preseason the fattest he's been in his career.

I can see Barnes getting a few minutes backing up Blake. At least he seems like he came to play.

And that video with Blake and Paul's son was nice. Blake seems like a nice guy, lol.

[scoobs07]

^ Yeah it's a real bummer, we really needed a stretch 4/5 to compliment Blake/DJ. He was put in a position to succeed being traded to the city he lives in and on top of that, having the best PG in the NBA passing him the ball. Hopefully he will get into shape fairly quick and be able to at lease back up Blake for a solid 12 minutes per night. Hollins has been impressive in training camp and I think has earned at lease 10 minutes per game. I wouldn't be surprised if Thompkins uses this as a opportunity and has a break out season, the kid could spread the floor. Fortunately, LO is a expiring 8.5 million dollar contract.

[og15]

How long till Thompkins can suit up even?

[TheNewEra]

Hope Odom has slimmed down by now

[mkwest]

The Clippers waived Marqus Blakely today and the roster stands at 15.

Travis Leslie looks likely to start the season with the team.

[mkwest]

DEL NEGRO LOOKING TO 'FINE-TUNE THINGS' HEADING INTO OPENER

The team conducted a two-hour practice Saturday morning, working on everything from pick-and-roll defense to situational in-bounds plays. For Head Coach Vinny Del Negro, the next few days will be about building a foundation for the early stages of the season.

The Clippers are off Sunday and practice Monday and Tuesday before opening the regular season Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Asked what he’d like to accomplish between now and then Del Negro said, “Keep fine-tuning stuff. We are adding some things, talking about things, going over things at both ends of the court in a lot of situational things and just kind of mixing and matching guys. Hopefully, we get some good practice in on Monday and Tuesday and go from there.”

Forward Matt Barnes sat out for precautionary reasons with a “twisted ankle” that he sustained in the Clippers’ preseason finale against Denver. Del Negro said Barnes, who appeared in all eight exhibition games, will be “fine.” Lamar Odom and Grant Hill were also held out of practice as they continue to rest bone bruises in their knees.

JORDAN TALKS ABOUT DOUBLE-TEAMS

DeAndre Jordan, who was among the league leaders in field goal percentage this preseason, was double-teamed on a few possessions Thursday against the Denver Nuggets. He said it was the first time since his senior year of high school at Christian Life Center Academy in Humble, Texas that an opponent brought a second defender at him when he had the ball in the post.

After practice Jordan offered a candid and funny response when asked about adjusting to double-teams from opposing defenses.

“Chauncey [Billups] told me after the game, ‘You know what,’ and I said, ‘What’s up, Chauncey?’ He goes, ‘I can tell you’ve never been double teamed in the NBA.’ And I was like, ‘You think?’ After the game they were saying I was doing like a five-step drop, like a quarterback. I wanted to just pick up the ball and run away because I’d never seen that before.”

Jordan said he panicked when he first saw the double-team coming late in the first quarter, but after studying game film he’s already more aware of how to deal with it.

“I watched the film and, if I do ever get doubled again, I need to find ways to pass it out of the post and that’s what we worked on today [at practice] was doubling in the post and passing out of it and I made some good passes. I’m a pretty good passer, to be honest, but not when I’m not ready for it.”

Eric Patten, Clippers.com

[Don Tommy]

Q Rich was cut today. Who would you rather have on the bench, him or Leslie? He had 2 years and 5.4 mil (I think) on his contract, so getting him at the vets minimum would be easy.

[mttwlsn16]

Q

[og15]

Q-Rich wouldnt play. No need to add more of a glut to positions that are already saturated

[mkwest]

Ronny Turiaf and Ryan Hollins feed off each other with Clippers

"We have a nice little relationship going on," said Turiaf, a seven-year veteran. "It's like I tell him what I'm going to do and what to expect from me. He tells me what to expect from him. He likes me talking to him. Defensively, we're both active. We're both trying to make plays. We play off each other."

"I've always had respect for Ronny's game," Hollins said. "We'd always work out together during the off-season. He's one of those guys you hate to play against because he does all those little things. So once I got the opportunity to play alongside Ronny, I knew it was going to be a good thing."

With the uncertainly about when forward Lamar Odom might play while he recovers from a bone bruise in his left knee, Turiaf and Holllins provide the Clippers with quality depth behind starters Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Turiaf and Hollins are active, willing to play defense, rebound and set screens.

Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, called the Clippers last week to issue a warning to Hollins about flopping, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

During an exhibition game against the Lakers last week, Hollins was called for a blocking foul and he took a charge on Pau Gasol.

The NBA installed a rule for this season in which the league will penalize players they consider to be floppers.

Brad Turner, LA Times

[mkwest]

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