Clippers' Newfound Identity

Ranma · Post #1 » by **Ranma** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:03 am

esqtvd · Post #2 » by **esqtvd** » Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:36 pm

Rather than start a new thread, I'll park this here:

https://sports.yahoo.com/austin-rivers-maybe-got-chance-182340896.html

Rivers, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:

“People can say whatever they want about me and my father [LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers],” the guard told ESPN during a lengthy interview Wednesday night. “I get it. I can even put my ego aside and understand why people don’t like the situation. When I was growing up and I’d see the coach’s son, you’d be like, ‘He sucks. He’s only on the team because of his dad.’ So I get it.”

“People are like, ‘Well, his dad gave him his chance.’ Is that true or not? I don’t know. It might be,” Rivers said. “[But] could it be that my pops knew how good I could be because he’s my pops?

“I know what the narrative is on me,” Rivers said. “It’s because I come from money and I have a swagger and confidence about me.

“[But] if I didn’t have this confidence or swagger in myself, I wouldn’t be built to handle the negativity that I’ve gotten. I would’ve already broken down years ago because I’ve gotten this since high school. I’ve turned it into a fuel and it’s helped me. I go into each away arena and it’s rough, because of the s— I hear. This chip on my shoulder, this swagger and confidence, it helps me. If I didn’t have it, I would not be in the NBA.”

“I’m not saying poor me. There’s people that have real problems,” Rivers said. “So don’t feel bad for me. I don’t need anybody’s sympathy. I’m having my best year yet. I’m trying to get back and healthy so I can help our team.

Ranma · Post #3 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jan 19, 2018 11:16 pm

Read on Twitter

esqtvd · Post #4 » by **esqtvd** » Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:39 am

LOL, from the comments of the LATimes article. He is such a wanker

delia01

'But freed from heavy expectations and Chris Paul scowls, they’re an absolute blast.'

Even by Plaschke standards, that was fast flip flop. On Tuesday he was writing about how the Rockets got the better of the "lopsided" trade and today the Clippers are the story of the year. Geez. What a hack.

“It’s amazing how quickly things can change,’’ Frank said.

HA! A few days, apparently.
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Neddy · Post #5 » by **Neddy** » Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:39 pm

esqtvd wrote:LOL, from the comments of the LATimes article. He is such a wanker

delia01

'But freed from heavy expectations and Chris Paul scowls, they’re an absolute blast.'

Even by Plaschke standards, that was fast flip flop. On Tuesday he was writing about how the Rockets got the better of the "lopsided" trade and today the Clippers are the story of the year. Geez. What a hack.

“It’s amazing how quickly things can change,’’ Frank said.

HA! A few days, apparently.
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I miss Simers

MartinToVaught · Post #6 » by **MartinToVaught** » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:36 pm

I don't agree that the trade was lopsided, but I don't think Plaschke is actually contradicting himself in those quotes. Just because he thinks we didn't get enough in return for CP3 doesn't mean he can't also think the team is playing looser and freer without him. The latter opinion is a judgement of the Clippers' style of play, not the quality of our roster.

Ranma · Post #7 » by **Ranma** » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:49 pm

Read on Twitter

Direct Link via ART19

Neddy · Post #8 » by **Neddy** » Tue Jan 23, 2018 5:23 pm

Read on Twitter

some take away from this graph..

1.Lou is not a net negative player Jamal was, but it is only because of his idiotically absurd offensive means. i don't think it is sustainable for much longer. gotta trade him and get the most out his value.

2. I have been saying this for sometime, but Austin's defense passing "eye-test" seems like a mirage. every graph I have ever seen, this is just about who he is as a player. he is not a terrible player as some posters claim around here and surely have made improvements in last several years, but by no means, he is a defensive stopper of any kind.

3. Wes' defense is a surprise...

4. Blake is at least not hurting us defensively, and has been so for some years now. wish he would work harder for rebounds when DJ is shipped out. Blake has gotten used to depending on his buddy for rebounding but that is not part of this graph, just my personal thought.

5. Milos is not as bad of a defensive player. he rates slightly above Austin.

6. Juwan's offense or lack there of, is probably by design. Evans does not get to be a #1 or #2 or #3 option when on the floor, and he is too often not the primary ball handler when he does get to come into the games. I still think Evans and Sindarious are not great, but very solid second rounders we've had for the last decade since DJ slid all the way down to the second round for us to pick him up. I can't think of any other 2nd rounder that worked out. Bullock failed here, CJ failed here, the guy who knocked out all damn teeth out of Austin's mouth in China didn't make it here, but these two kids are actually helping.

esqtvd · Post #9 » by **esqtvd** » Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:03 pm

Most of Austin's minutes have been beside Lou or Milos, both subpar defenders. Austin always gets the tougher defensive assignment.

I'm not going to make any 'eye test' argument that he's even a plus defender anymore, but will point out that despite claims to the contrary, these advanced stats are not independent of the other guys you're on the floor with. Put Austin out there with Pat Bev and the numbers will swing a lot more in his favor.

And although my 'eye test' is pleasantly surprised that Milos is not nearly as bad a defender as advertised, if he's out there with Austin, no way you give him the tougher defensive assignment, stats be hanged.

Post #10 » by **QRich3** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:32 am

That graph is based on TPA, which is a sort of per-possession estimate of BPM. Which is a boxscore stat, so not very useful for measuring defense, imo. That stat will always underrate guys who don't get rebounds, blocks or steals, regardless of their actual defensive impact.

Which is not to say Lou or Austin are good defenders, they're not, but that graph will exaggerate their shortcomings, just as it does with other good defenders not big in the boxscore, say Klay Thompson, who's the third worst defender in the league according to that TPA metric. On the other hand, it measures bad defenders like Westbrook, Cousins or Pau Gasol among the best in the league because they get rebounds, steals and blocks.

Defensive metrics based on regressed +/- numbers, instead of the boxscore, like RAPM and PT-PM, are more accurate for me, and while they still say both Lou and Austin are terrible defenders, they're closer to make up for it with their offense than boxscore metrics suggest.

I do agree that we should trade them both while their value is high though.

Post #11 » by **QRich3** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:42 am

Actually, taking a quick look at the actual RAPM numbers for this season (posted here from APBR), Lou's offense doesn't make up for his bad defense as much as it did last year, and according to these he's been a net negative player this year, while he was comfortably a positive last year, where both his offense and defense were better.

Obviously RAPM will have a lot of noise at this point in the season because it needs more games to be reliable, but still I think it's worth noting.

It says Milos for instance has been great defensively, but taking a further look at the numbers we can see the reasons why the Clippers have had such a better defense with Milos in than with him out, have been largely random. For instance, opponents shoot 29.3% from 3 when he's in, 36.7% when he's out, and the opponent's free throw % is also 5% lower when he's in. He's not doing that, randomness is. Austin is the opposite, opponents happen to shoot 6% better from 3 when he's on the court, and while the odd possession can be because he didn't close out properly or whatever, this tends to be random and adjusts over time.

Post #12 » by **og15** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:32 pm

Yes, Milos hasn't seemed too poor on defense eye test wise, except for the games where he does end up guarding a PG, and someone quick and you can definitely see that he can't keep up with them.

On the other hand, there wasn't really much indicating that he was elite on defense like the stats suggested, but sample size was an issue there too.

I'm just happy he isn't terrible on defense, but even healthy, I'm not sure this team was going to better than an average to below average defense anyway.

esqtvd · Post #13 » by **esqtvd** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:55 pm

Austin and Milos

every once in awhile you run across a stat where Austin really shines

Read on Twitter

Most of the guys above him have far fewer attempts. Austin's volume is up there with the big boys.

BTW, another reason I never mourned Bledsoe. Not my kind of ball-dominant guard.