GAME 44: Clippers (27-16) vs Hawks (22-20)—Monday 10PM

[MartinRiggs]

Kennard has just insane stats. More pts then minutes,8/8 ,7 rebounds,+30.

Looking forward to watching that replay.

[esqtvd]

Kennard has just insane stats. More pts then minutes,8/8 ,7 rebounds,+30.

Looking forward to watching that replay.

Coffey only played 9 minutes, 4 points @ plus+14. Patterson 14 minutes @ plus+11.

Zubac had good numbers [12/9, 5 for 7 with 2 blocks] but was a team worst minus-18. There's an alchemy to this sometimes: He didn't do anything wrong but sometimes its just not working. Zu sat out most of the second half, Lou all of it.

[RingColluder]

As nice as this game was, it's not going to make me forget the other 40+ games we've seen from Kennard. If there's a deal to be made for Lonzo I'm making it, but Im sure Lawrence Frank has 0 chance of trading Kennard anytime soon or he looks dumb.

Coffey also played extremely well. TMann I've been on record loving, such an incredible player and the ultimate Clipper. He is untradable, along with Morris and Ibaka.

Given how bad Zu looks w anyone who isn't Kawhi and PG, I sadly think he has to stay with the starting lineup assuming we don't trade him.

So our 2nd team appears to be: Tmann, Kennard, Coffey, Ibaka.. either Patterson or PG Kawhi. Great. TMann and Kennard seem to work great together and do contrasting things that balance out. Lou Will is done, sorry you're the new kennard.


But despite the nice comeback win, we need to continue to look to make moves. I'm not going to rely on Kennard shooting out of his mind (and Morris in the 1st half) especially when teams lock down on defense.

But at worst, it's nice to see we have some optimism for our 2nd team lineup in the future if no trades are made.

Jesus Christ Paul George looks like garbage. Can we **** trade his trash contract before it's too late??? I'd easily take 75 cents on the dollar for a player similar to him but w a better contract.

[og15]

PG can’t be traded until June, so there’s really no point whining about trading him right now, it is literally impossible. A player can’t be traded until 6 months after signing an extension.

Since returning from injury, George has been very up and down. He started the season so hot that I was constantly expecting the “reverting to the mean” stretch, and that is what is happening.

In his last 13 games, he’s scored 15 pts or less in 6/13 games, if we go to 17 pts or less, it is 8/13 games. Basically his consistency has been awful. Kawhi for comparison has scored 15 pts or less once all season, and 17 pts or less 4 times all season. PG is not Kawhi. Paul George is also not a point guard or primary ball handler. Paul George needs a point guard to get him the ball in his sweet spots and to “get him going”. Until the Clippers get that, I think we’re going to see issues with PG’s consistency, especially with him being asked to be a pseudo primary ball handler / point guard.

[clipperlover]

Maybe the revolving door at PG hasn't been much of a help for Paul George getting consistency. Might be time for Lue to move Mann into the starting line-up and play him heavy minutes. PB is just not dependable from a physical standpoint. Let Mann take over that role now and develop consistency. When he comes back, PB can come off the bench.

Clippers had Kawhi, PG, Morris, Mann and Kennard in at the end last night. Could we be seeing more of that?

[TheNewEra]

Mann may have more of a future as a 2-3-4 type defender. Jumper needs work but I’m seeing he does have amazing touch around the rim and quick hops on the catch. Maybe try to focus more on post moves and spins using his quickness until the jumper comes

[TheNewEra]

PG can’t be traded until June, so there’s really no point whining about trading him right now, it is literally impossible. A player can’t be traded until 6 months after signing an extension.

Since returning from injury, George has been very up and down. He started the season so hot that I was constantly expecting the “reverting to the mean” stretch, and that is what is happening.

In his last 13 games, he’s scored 15 pts or less in 6/13 games, if we go to 17 pts or less, it is 8/13 games. Basically his consistency has been awful. Kawhi for comparison has scored 15 pts or less once all season, and 17 pts or less 4 times all season. PG is not Kawhi. Paul George is also not a point guard or primary ball handler. Paul George needs a point guard to get him the ball in his sweet spots and to “get him going”. Until the Clippers get that, I think we’re going to see issues with PG’s consistency, especially with him being asked to be a pseudo primary ball handler / point guard.

So much this

[Clemenza]

PG can’t be traded until June, so there’s really no point whining about trading him right now, it is literally impossible. A player can’t be traded until 6 months after signing an extension.

Since returning from injury, George has been very up and down. He started the season so hot that I was constantly expecting the “reverting to the mean” stretch, and that is what is happening.

In his last 13 games, he’s scored 15 pts or less in 6/13 games, if we go to 17 pts or less, it is 8/13 games. Basically his consistency has been awful. Kawhi for comparison has scored 15 pts or less once all season, and 17 pts or less 4 times all season. PG is not Kawhi. Paul George is also not a point guard or primary ball handler. Paul George needs a point guard to get him the ball in his sweet spots and to “get him going”. Until the Clippers get that, I think we’re going to see issues with PG’s consistency, especially with him being asked to be a pseudo primary ball handler / point guard.

The cold nights I get but he can't have cold nights and make a ton of turnovers on top of it all. I think that's more the issue here. He's had some really good games -enough to make the all star team- but then comes the stinkers like last night. Like you said he needs a point guard to set him up for easier baskets and get him to his spots. Too much iso dribbling and he gets in trouble. Ty Lue needs to cut his point guard duties down drastically which will help him big time on the offensive end. We're going to need his stellar defense as well.

[SK21209]

Obviously Kennard isn't going to be perfect from the field every game, but the energy he and Mann brought was the real catalyst for the comeback. I'm now convinced that Kennard can be a solid contributor for us if he's given a little more ballhandling responsibility. Please just do Lou+Patterson for Hill in the next few days:

Hill/Bev
George/Kennard
Kawhi/Mann
Morris/Batum
Zubac/Ibaka

I'd be very comfortable with that group going into the playoffs.

[Clemenza]

Mann may have more of a future as a 2-3-4 type defender. Jumper needs work but I’m seeing he does have amazing touch around the rim and quick hops on the catch. Maybe try to focus more on post moves and spins using his quickness until the jumper comes

That jumper is starting to come alone sooner than we think. He balled out but that corner three he hit late in the 4th told me alot has the path he's headed down. And I'm calling this hot take now while its early.. He's low key turning into a team leader. Not as good as Kyle Lowery of course but he's filling into that same sort of mold. Fiery, tough, hardnosed, fighter, rally the troops, etc. Then you add in points from PG, Morris, Kennard, Ibaka, Zu, Pat Bev, etc.. then Kawhi can simply be himself, the mute assassin, and take over the forth quarters like he did during his Toronto championship run and like he did last night. Then all the talk of him needing to be a leader, more vocal, score 30 a night, etc. will become less and less and less.

[Clemenza]

Obviously Kennard isn't going to be perfect from the field every game, but the energy he and Mann brought was the real catalyst for the comeback. I'm now convinced that Kennard can be a solid contributor for us if he's given a little more ballhandling responsibility. Please just do Lou+Patterson for Hill in the next few days:

Hill/Bev
George/Kennard
Kawhi/Mann
Morris/Batum
Zubac/Ibaka

I'd be very comfortable with that group going into the playoffs.

OKC wants picks, picks, picks, and more picks. Lou and Patterson do absolutely nothing for them. Hopefully he gets bought out. DJ Augustine in Houston, Frank or Elfrid Payton off the Knicks. I think one of those is who we'll end up with. For better or for worse I just don't see us giving up Zu, Pat Bev, or Morris at all.

And yeah definitely not expecting Kennard to shoot like he did last night but if he's 50% of that on a nightly basis then we're good to go

[SK21209]

Obviously Kennard isn't going to be perfect from the field every game, but the energy he and Mann brought was the real catalyst for the comeback. I'm now convinced that Kennard can be a solid contributor for us if he's given a little more ballhandling responsibility. Please just do Lou+Patterson for Hill in the next few days:

Hill/Bev
George/Kennard
Kawhi/Mann
Morris/Batum
Zubac/Ibaka

I'd be very comfortable with that group going into the playoffs.

OKC wants picks, picks, picks, and more picks. Lou and Patterson do absolutely nothing for them. Hopefully he gets bought out. DJ Augustine in Houston, Frank or Elfrid Payton off the Knicks. I think one of those is who we'll end up with. For better or for worse I just don't see us giving up Zu, Pat Bev, or Morris at all.

It would be Lou+Pat+multiple 2nd rounders, I just didn't mention it above. I don't think they're getting a 1st rounder for Hill and they'd probably want to re-route Lou somewhere else for further draft compensation anyway. Augustine would be a bummer, he just isn't very good. I agree those three probably aren't going anywhere, I could maybe see them moving Zu if it was for Lonzo and we knew we'd get someone like Drummond as a buyout to fill that backup 5 spot.

[og15]

PG can’t be traded until June, so there’s really no point whining about trading him right now, it is literally impossible. A player can’t be traded until 6 months after signing an extension.

Since returning from injury, George has been very up and down. He started the season so hot that I was constantly expecting the “reverting to the mean” stretch, and that is what is happening.

In his last 13 games, he’s scored 15 pts or less in 6/13 games, if we go to 17 pts or less, it is 8/13 games. Basically his consistency has been awful. Kawhi for comparison has scored 15 pts or less once all season, and 17 pts or less 4 times all season. PG is not Kawhi. Paul George is also not a point guard or primary ball handler. Paul George needs a point guard to get him the ball in his sweet spots and to “get him going”. Until the Clippers get that, I think we’re going to see issues with PG’s consistency, especially with him being asked to be a pseudo primary ball handler / point guard.

The cold nights I get but he can't have cold nights and make a ton of turnovers on top of it all. I think that's more the issue here. He's had some really good games -enough to make the all star team- but then comes the stinkers like last night. Like you said he needs a point guard to set him up for easier baskets and get him to his spots. Too much iso dribbling and he gets in trouble. Ty Lue needs to cut his point guard duties down drastically which will help him big time on the offensive end. We're going to need his stellar defense as well.

I'd say that technically, he can, because he's being asked to be a PG/primary plahmaker, and that's not his skillset.

He's averaging 5.6 apg in those 13 games, and a better 2.8 tpg, but nothing amazing (2 to 1 is good for a player like him, sure). If the team is going to put the ball in his hands to run the offense, high turnover games will happen, and they will also at times correlate with poor shooting games.

The problem is that we can say "Lue should put him off the ball more", but someone else has to do it, and it takes away from Kawhi's game to make him he pseudo PG instead of having him create from his spots, and everyone complains if Reggie has too much playmaking duty, so what's the alternative without roster change?

[Clemenza]

PG can’t be traded until June, so there’s really no point whining about trading him right now, it is literally impossible. A player can’t be traded until 6 months after signing an extension.

Since returning from injury, George has been very up and down. He started the season so hot that I was constantly expecting the “reverting to the mean” stretch, and that is what is happening.

In his last 13 games, he’s scored 15 pts or less in 6/13 games, if we go to 17 pts or less, it is 8/13 games. Basically his consistency has been awful. Kawhi for comparison has scored 15 pts or less once all season, and 17 pts or less 4 times all season. PG is not Kawhi. Paul George is also not a point guard or primary ball handler. Paul George needs a point guard to get him the ball in his sweet spots and to “get him going”. Until the Clippers get that, I think we’re going to see issues with PG’s consistency, especially with him being asked to be a pseudo primary ball handler / point guard.

The cold nights I get but he can't have cold nights and make a ton of turnovers on top of it all. I think that's more the issue here. He's had some really good games -enough to make the all star team- but then comes the stinkers like last night. Like you said he needs a point guard to set him up for easier baskets and get him to his spots. Too much iso dribbling and he gets in trouble. Ty Lue needs to cut his point guard duties down drastically which will help him big time on the offensive end. We're going to need his stellar defense as well.

I'd say that technically, he can, because he's being asked to be a PG/primary plahmaker, and that's not his skillset.

He's averaging 5.6 apg in those 13 games, and a better 2.8 tpg, but nothing amazing (2 to 1 is good for a player like him, sure). If the team is going to put the ball in his hands to run the offense, high turnover games will happen, and they will also at times correlate with poor shooting games.

The problem is that we can say "Lue should put him off the ball more", but someone else has to do it, and it takes away from Kawhi's game to make him he pseudo PG instead of having him create from his spots, and everyone complains if Reggie has too much playmaking duty, so what's the alternative without roster change?

If just have to limit Reggie if he's not playing well which is what happened last night. And yeah turnovers do come with running point but he can still cut back on a few of them. Maybe when they're staggered and PG is with the second unit maybe Kennard can get him a few easy looks cause its definitely not happening when Lou Will is running point. Or we wait for the trade or buyout for another pg

[Captain Ballmer]

PG can’t be traded until June, so there’s really no point whining about trading him right now, it is literally impossible. A player can’t be traded until 6 months after signing an extension.

Since returning from injury, George has been very up and down. He started the season so hot that I was constantly expecting the “reverting to the mean” stretch, and that is what is happening.

In his last 13 games, he’s scored 15 pts or less in 6/13 games, if we go to 17 pts or less, it is 8/13 games. Basically his consistency has been awful. Kawhi for comparison has scored 15 pts or less once all season, and 17 pts or less 4 times all season. PG is not Kawhi. Paul George is also not a point guard or primary ball handler. Paul George needs a point guard to get him the ball in his sweet spots and to “get him going”. Until the Clippers get that, I think we’re going to see issues with PG’s consistency, especially with him being asked to be a pseudo primary ball handler / point guard.

I'd also like to add that, PG drawns less fouls with playing even more ball handler role in Clippers Uniform. Career .302 ft attempt rate, 2019 OKC ,335 ft rate decreased to ,277 last season. this year his at ,228 rate(by far career low except the 6 games comeback season).

2019 OKC 2.70 foul drawns per game
2020 LAC 1.75 foul drawns per game
2021 LAC 1.75 foul drawns per game so far.

He makes less And1 per game too as usual, from 0,72 in OKC to 0,35 last year and 0,36 and1 generated per game this season so far.

Finally, the defense. first time in his career he has a negative dbpm and lowest steal percentages.

Guy is simple misused in Clippers different from his entire career. He's definitely not performing elite whatsoever but there is a light. Take that ball in his hand and tell him to be more aggressive on D and his spots in O. I believe he'll be more effective in the flow as solely finisher.

[RingColluder]

PG's role was perfect in that last stretch when him and kawhi came in.

Play defense, sit in the corner and do not touch the ball.

Pathetic we have to demote the max player all star to this, but that's what is best for the team. Step the **** up Paul

[BenchOnaQUEST]

Still.. What a game!!! We finally started a winning streak, for the first time since mid February. This was the most exciting win of the season so far. It should go a long way in galvanizing the team!!

[RingColluder]

PG can’t be traded until June, so there’s really no point whining about trading him right now, it is literally impossible. A player can’t be traded until 6 months after signing an extension.

Since returning from injury, George has been very up and down. He started the season so hot that I was constantly expecting the “reverting to the mean” stretch, and that is what is happening.

In his last 13 games, he’s scored 15 pts or less in 6/13 games, if we go to 17 pts or less, it is 8/13 games. Basically his consistency has been awful. Kawhi for comparison has scored 15 pts or less once all season, and 17 pts or less 4 times all season. PG is not Kawhi. Paul George is also not a point guard or primary ball handler. Paul George needs a point guard to get him the ball in his sweet spots and to “get him going”. Until the Clippers get that, I think we’re going to see issues with PG’s consistency, especially with him being asked to be a pseudo primary ball handler / point guard.

Not whining about trading him, but he is playing awful.

He has had maybe 3-4 good games this season but generally been inconsistent in every single game as either a ball handler or shooter. He usually shows up on defense, but offensively he's been a trainwreck.

Yes, PG needs a Point Guard but a max player who thrives on being a "playmaker" like him needs to play better even if we don't make. move at the deadline.

[TheNewEra]

Still.. What a game!!! We finally started a winning streak, for the first time since mid February. This was the most exciting win of the season so far. It should go a long way in galvanizing the team!!

Such a epic game