Preseason Game 1: LA Clippers Vs Raptors in Honolulu on 10/1 @ 7PM

[Forte IV]

I can see why Milos should start but honestly he really should come off the bench. Having Lou and Austin as your play makers off the bench is asking for disaster. The starting 5 has 4 guys (if Austin is starting) that can make a play. We saw that in the first 5 minutes of the game. Let's not overreact to one pre-season game. It seems as every time Austin plays badly people like to remember and criticize him, but when he plays well no one says anything. Austin can play, so let him.

[og15]

Agreed. I know he's the easy target, but he shot 37% 3PT on a 299 3PA sample size last season, and in total, as a Clipper in 2.5 seasons he's shot ~60% FG at the rim, so one game can't now become the standard for his abilities in both those areas.

[Alatan]

Hi guys i like how the new Clipper team looks and i just wanted to drop some of my thoughts. I like the motion and teamwork that the Clippers displayed and it will improve with more chemistry.

I think that you should not play Teo with Williams. Williams is best with the ball in his hands and they are both bad defenders. I also dont like Williams as the 2 next to Beverly so in my opinion you should start Teo next to Beverly and Williams with Rivers in the 2nd unit. Teo can magnify the strengths of the starters and Rivers and Williams can Iso score in the 2nd unit.
Since i doubt that Teo will endure more than 30 minutes currently you could probably give some starter minutes to Rivers.

The best thing would actually be to stagger the lineups a bit so you would not lose much playmaking. Maybe even cut some minutes from the starter to preserve them for the playoffs. There is also the interesting possibility of swapping out Williams or Teodosic since they can have cold shooting nights.

Jordan 36-/Reed 12/Harel
Griffin 36-/ Deker 12/Gallo
Gallinari 36-/ Johnson 12/Deker
Teodosic 26+/Rivers 21-
Beverly 28+/Williams 21 +

[esqtvd]

Agreed. I know he's the easy target, but he shot 37% 3PT on a 299 3PA sample size last season, and in total, as a Clipper in 2.5 seasons he's shot ~60% FG at the rim, so one game can't now become the standard for his abilities in both those areas.

Exactly. And as a starter last year his numbers were even better. He was the incumbent by merit and also for continuity's sake as one of the only 3 remaining rotation players.

There was no nepostism. Austin had a crap game and by the end he went from 5th starter to Head Scrub, captaining the leftovers.

Remember, Austin's still the junior member here--the other guys are all around 30; he's only 25. At the moment, it's Pat Bev [29] who needs to find himself, and Austin stepped back.

Austin is not an All-Star or an all-anything. He needs a role, and he was deferrring to the other 4 starters as well as Milos. When a role emerges for him--and right now this is Vinnyball, just let everybody do their thing and figure out a plan later--Austin will gladly fill it. He's not the same punk kid whose arrogance brought him thisclose to becoming a Tel Aviv Maccabi; he has to walk the wire between too much confidence and not enough and how to do that is not yet clear. He did his role last night just by not getting in the way--this team has to find itself first, and only then he can find his place on it.

In the grand scheme of things, and in the veteran pecking order, Austin's still "the kid," and he played accordingly.

[Don Tommy]

Why the uproar over who starts? Milos is not in shape enough to play 82 games at over 35 minutes a game. And when I was playing, we always had a saying, it's not who starts the game that matters, it's the guys on the court at crunch time that count. And from what I have seen by actually watching games, not ESPN highlights, is that Rivers can play! The only thing is... will he try to do too much without CP3 here?

[nickhx2]

i think the people who care strictly about who starts are the ones who only see austin rivers as a product of nepotism.

what really matters is how we mix and match the backcourt. my hope is teodosic turns out to be at least an average defender so that way we aren't beholden to lineups that just won't work.

[esqtvd]

i think the people who care strictly about who starts are the ones who only see austin rivers as a product of nepotism.

what really matters is how we mix and match the backcourt. my hope is teodosic turns out to be at least an average defender so that way we aren't beholden to lineups that just won't work.

Hey, Doc hid JJ and Jamal. How much worse can he be? We'll muddle through somehow!!

[Neddy]

My kids just broke our bigger tv the other day so we'll see if I watch this game.

welcome to the parenthood, my man. my daughter is in high school now... with a "boyfriend"....

[Neddy]

I was wrong about Milos -- he's going to give us all of the playmaking we used to get from CP3 but without being a lockeroom cancer; he should start in place of Austin.

These guys look like they're having fun out there -- can't remember the last time this team was this fun to watch.

from what I saw, MIlos can make plays as well as anybody. it is his defense that will be tested, but can't question his playmaking abilities. as for Austin vs MIlos, lol you guys really serious? Austin shot 25%, was -15 in +/-, and from the 2 and a half quarters I saw, he showed his usual tunnel (court) vision, made terrible plays, forced shots he usually never makes in the first place, and I thought his defense was just terrible, often caught out of place and overplaying the ball and losing his man often. Milos may have missed all of his 5 shots he took, but 8 assists in 20 minutes with +2 +/- was not bad at all. Patrick Beverly is a good player, and love his overall game but he isn't a playmaker we need. Austin is a combo guard which is much more fitted for the bench role. Nepotism aside, look at our roster and can any of you honestly think it is a good idea to have Milos/Lou/Wes come off the bench at the same time and leave the starting unit without a clear playmaker? do you guys really want a career 3.4 assists per game player to be our starting PG? come on it is not even a debatable topic. Milos doesn't have to play 35 minutes as a starter either, and if coming off the bench has a condition where Milos will play more with the starters and in the 4th quarter along with Beverly, that is an acceptable argument but Austin being the starting 2 who is undersized himself at 2 with the court vision of a race horse next to 3 and D guard Beverly with 3.4 assists per game player as CP3's replacement is a joke. our offense will sag everytime when Blake has an off night making plays, and I know it was our first pre-season game but Blake was overpassing and not getting into the paint enough. we need a playmaker and make Blake play his natural position.

[mkwest]

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[Forte IV]

Okay I'll say it. I don't want Milos starting because it wont let Blake be point Blake. You all know that's true.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

My kids just broke our bigger tv the other day so we'll see if I watch this game.

welcome to the parenthood, my man. my daughter is in high school now... with a "boyfriend"....

This isn't the first TV they broke, they just broke the cheap one the first time. I also found a legal way for me to watch NBATV on my computer. I didn't watch any of the game, I hope this is one of many steps for the team to get ready this season.

[QRich3]

Okay I'll say it. I don't want Milos starting because it wont let Blake be point Blake. You all know that's true.

That's something I have thought about, but Point Blake needs someone to bring the ball up still, he can only do it in some select transition possessions. And if the guy who brings the ball up can break down his man and give Blake the ball at the perfect time in the perfect position, it's gonna be better than him receiving it out of balance with the defense all over him near the 3PT line. And Milos can make a difference there, as opposed to Beverley/Austin. If Milos ends up being an above average PG in this league, he has to start.