Divas, Accountability, Chemistry and the Coaching Challenge

[MartinToVaught]

At least Kawhi has earned any special treatment he might be getting by being a two-time champion/Finals MVP. What's actually obnoxious has been the favoritism shown to guys like Jamal, Austin and Trez who have not only won nothing but have also made it harder for the team to win.

[clipperlover]

At least Kawhi has earned any special treatment he might be getting by being a two-time champion/Finals MVP. What's actually obnoxious has been the favoritism shown to guys like Jamal, Austin and Trez who have not only won nothing but have also made it harder for the team to win.

Silver Spoon should be in the prime of his career right now, but he just signed a 3 year deal (only first year guaranteed). That pays him less over 3 years than he stole from us in 2016-2017. Us trading for him rather than waiting until Boston cut him, re-signing for more using his Bird Rights than what he would have received as a free agent and then giving him the big money extension helped doom the Lob City era Clippers. Those financial decisions that only benefited the Rivers family hurt our team and created resentment. Those decisions alone should have convinced Ballmer to oust Doc.

[esqtvd]

When you sign with the Yankees, you go and you become a part of Yankee culture. You shave your beard and are clean cut when performing. If you are a little pudgy, you get your ass in shape etc. etc. They are the New York Yankees, not the New York Jason Giambis or the New York A-Rods.

The Clippers problem is they gave Kawhi the keys to their franchise while he was still in Canada and told him it was his to do whatever he wanted with it. That was the perfect time to set standards, demonstrate that there is a "Clipper Way," and invite him to be a part of building more of that and expanding it.

Instead, $50k tampering fines. Media leaks etc. etc.
What TF did you think was gonna happen? You thought he was gonna give away privileges?


This starts at the top of the organization for our foolish ways in pursuing these two. Then it gets to Doc, who couldn't run a lemonade stand.

Maybe this little dose of humility will make everybody re-evaluate what they're doing but, mostly, have the people up top NEVER EVER EVER show as much weakness and desperation as we did while the braided one was in Toronto. IDC if we have no rings, 2nd to worst regular season win percentage of all time, and haven't been to the CF. We are the Clippers. We have a good owner, good people in our org, and tons of assets. If the rest of the world won't view us as first class citizens, we can at least do it ourselves.

This goes for the lame fans here as well who never held this team or this FO accountable. You get exactly what you demand. Happy all the "Shutup and just enjoy this championship" panned out for ya. Or the "shutup and enjoy the best season in Clipper history" flow. How did that pan out?

So the better solution is to be miserable all the time?

Last season worked out great until this.






Hey, after 24 losing seasons out of 27 before Chris Paul got here, if you DIDN'T enjoy last season up until the bubble, the joke's on you.

[FTR, I heartily agree with the first part of what you wrote. In fact, that's my beef going into this season and before I warm up to them again, Kawhi and PG have some heavy amends to make to their team and to the fans, IMO.]

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ADD:

Read on Twitter

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LATE ADD: Well, it's not Kawhi but it's a start

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LAST ADD: lol

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LASTEST ADD: lmao

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[KL2]

It’s easy and lazy to take one line out of an entire press conference to suit an agenda. I wonder if these are Jovan’s burner accounts? Wouldn’t surprise me.

I thought both Leonard and George spoke well today. Accountability, ways to improve this season on/off the court, being on the same page, and wanting to get back to work.

It’s what a lot of us were hoping to hear. Will they back that up? We’ll find out soon enough.

I do know it’s refreshing to hear there is a system/structure in place. Players understanding what their role will be. Guys seemingly on the same page of what the goals are this season. So very different from last season. We’ll see how successful it is or not.

[esqtvd]

They can say whatever they want in press conferences. The skepticism is well-earned.

Read on Twitter

[KL2]

Sure, the skepticism is warranted. They’ve talked the talk and now it’s time to back it up.

My point is that these sites take one line and twist it to suit their narrative. That line makes it sound like Leonard is still clueless about what went wrong last season. When in fact you listen/read his entire answers it tells a different story.

I understand why some of these guys don’t like talking to the media. That’s life of the internet though. It’s more about clicks and likes than actually telling the entire story.

[esqtvd]

Sure, the skepticism is warranted. They’ve talked the talk and now it’s time to back it up.

My point is that these sites take one line and twist it to suit their narrative. That line makes it sound like Leonard is still clueless about what went wrong last season. When in fact you listen/read his entire answers it tells a different story.

I understand why some of these guys don’t like talking to the media. That’s life of the internet though. It’s more about clicks and likes than actually telling the entire story.

We agree it's time to back it up. Now. PG said last year was not a do-or-die situation--and they played like it.

Me, I don't think the people who got the blame were the ones at fault. And the ones who got the blame are no longer here, so there you have it.

One thing we should be able to agree on--PG is not gonna retire as a Clipper without Kawhi. His ass is out of here by the trading deadline unless this thing is up and running on all cylinders by then. Ballmer's gonna pull the plug on this sh*t.


And frankly I don't think any of this has anything to do with the media. From what I can see, a lot of people in the basketball world are laughing at the weak CYA bullsh*t Kawhi and PG put out there to the media today.

[NickP]

It's u utterly idiotic and immature to post tweets by Clippers haters as gospel. These morons focus all their energy on one game instead of focusing on what made is play that game 7. Yes for the last **** time our stars had a bad game.
But, our coach had bad 7 years. KAWHI AND PG ARE HERE TO STAY. Get that into your head and move the F on.

[TucsonClip]

Some of you want to hate on Jovan for that article? That was the summary of the entire season in a long form article set during a shortened off-season in which the organization blatantly admitted faults, fired the coach and let others walk out the door without a goodbye.

I view it as the erasing of the chalk board that was the 2019-2020 season. Nail the ending and turn the page to a new chapter, one which is hopefully expunged of all the drama and failure.

[MarxyLebronist]

This is starting to smell like a Jerry West player dragging op.

[esqtvd]

Some of you want to hate on Jovan for that article? That was the summary of the entire season in a long form article set during a shortened off-season in which the organization blatantly admitted faults, fired the coach and let others walk out the door without a goodbye.

I view it as the erasing of the chalk board that was the 2019-2020 season. Nail the ending and turn the page to a new chapter, one which is hopefully expunged of all the drama and failure.

yeah Jovan just told the truth but I don't see anybody admitting fault just blaming the dear departed lol

but I don't care what they say in press conferences--SHOW ME
this team never learned to hump
hopefully they learned something

[MartinToVaught]

Last season worked out great until this.

Yeah, melting down in Games 5 and 6 sure worked out great.

Hey, after 24 losing seasons out of 27 before Chris Paul got here

Apparently some people still haven't gotten the memo that when a franchise improves, you're supposed to raise your standards to match. Imagine being okay with last year's frustrating, underachieving and inconsistent team because we lost a bunch of games with Pooh Richardson and Stanley Roberts back in the day.

[Wammy Giveaway]

I understand why some of these guys don’t like talking to the media. That’s life of the internet though. It’s more about clicks and likes than actually telling the entire story.

Clicks, likes and propaganda. The end game is for the Clippers to cease to exist as a basketball franchise entirely. "The world would be a lot better off if the Clippers never existed," that sort of It's-A-Wonderful-Life mentality.

[TheNewEra]

Finally a peaceful day

[esqtvd]

Last season worked out great until this.

Yeah, melting down in Games 5 and 6 sure worked out great.

Hey, after 24 losing seasons out of 27 before Chris Paul got here

Apparently some people still haven't gotten the memo that when a franchise improves, you're supposed to raise your standards to match. Imagine being okay with last year's frustrating, underachieving and inconsistent team because we lost a bunch of games with Pooh Richardson and Stanley Roberts back in the day.

By all means let's change the subject Championships are won and lost in Game 7s but let's ignore that and whine about Game 5.

Kawhi and PG ADDED to the humiliation of Clipper fans--and now we have to WATCH THE LAKERS GET THEIR RINGS.


https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-12-05/lakers-clippers-season-opener-kawhi-leonard

Had a fun conversation with Lakers forward Jared Dudley on my radio show the other day. The comment that stood out the most was one the always entertaining journeyman offered about the Dec. 22 season opener against the Clippers.

“It’s perfect that they get the front row for the ring ceremony,” he said of the Clippers.

Shade so perfectly executed, Sunbrella should make him a pitchman.

...

So yeah, Leonard, George and company know they are talented, but are they proud? Not of the names on the back of the uniform, but of the logo on its front?

As much as I love the whirlwind of free agency, as much as I champion the player empowerment it has created, I also love the narrative of “the franchise,” which continues to diminish as mercenaries overrun loyalists and force fans to choose between rooting for players and rooting for laundry.

After the most gutless meltdown in NBA history, I'm not rooting for the laundry. Unless and until they fix this humiliation--the entire basketball world is laughing at them [and us]--they're not real Clippers any more than Ratface Andre Miller was, and have not earned an ounce of our loyalty or affection.

The 2020-21 season, its schedule officially unveiled Friday, starts with the Lakers getting the rings the Clippers thought they were getting when they pulled off the seminal acquisitions of the 2019 offseason. Will it end with payback for the embarrassment of last season?

Or will it end with two hired guns shrugging off another early exit and entering free agency knowing the losing belongs to the Clippers — and not them?

[nickhx2]

Finally a peaceful day

so ready for the new season!

still almost can't believe doc is gone lol

[esqtvd]

Finally a peaceful day

so ready for the new season!

still almost can't believe doc is gone lol

apparently he's not

[TheNewEra]

Some of you want to hate on Jovan for that article? That was the summary of the entire season in a long form article set during a shortened off-season in which the organization blatantly admitted faults, fired the coach and let others walk out the door without a goodbye.

I view it as the erasing of the chalk board that was the 2019-2020 season. Nail the ending and turn the page to a new chapter, one which is hopefully expunged of all the drama and failure.

Hated how Jovan and the Athletic used the female staffer headline and teaser like it was a big issue. Reading it the whole thing was a inconvenience of time. Usually respect his work but there has to be more give and take and responsibility at some point

2020 you don’t put a teaser like that with a black man and let people run wild with accusations and their imaginations for hate. Most of all behind a paywall that rubbed be the wrong way the most

[madmaxmedia]

I don't completely blame Kawhi for his bad shooting in the back half of those games. The entire team clearly ran out of steam, the offense was stagnant, body language was terrible, ball movement was minimal. I get Kawhi and PG are the guys that need to carry the team but team chemistry was just not there- when the chips were down, the entire team folded. At least they went down shooting, because no one else was going to rise up and do it.

[KL2]

Part of the problem last season was the team focusing on their own hype and what the media said about them.

Who cares if the world is laughing at them now? If they’re more worried about that then fixing their own house then this season will be no different.

Thankfully we have a coach who is telling them to ignore the outside noise. A coach who is actually doing his job by instilling a system/structure, getting guys to buy in and on the same page. A coach who is not letting anyone skip the steps by thinking a championship is won on paper.

Thankfully we don’t have much longer to wait to see if they back up the new attitude/talk.