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Before the season started, everyone in the media predicted the Clippers to out of the playoffs, tanking for a no. 1 draft pick.

Today...








When the Clippers started rattling wins I thought they shouldn't have won, I opened a discussion to the General Board on the possibility of this Clippers team - a role player team - could become the first in NBA history to win a title without having a single All-Star on the roster. Oh no, it doesn't stop there: what if the Clippers miraculously maintain the no. 1 seed for Doc Rivers and his coaching staff to participate in the 2019 NBA All-Star Game - without a Clipper selected to the All-Star Game? That, too, has never happened before in NBA history.

The superstar experiment failed. The role player team has overachieved.

Is it time to change our tune? Has Jerry West cracked the code - are the Clippers an elite Cinderella?

Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. We're going all the way, baby!

I've never thought we were tank for the 1st pick bad. I thought we were tank to miss the playoffs in the last month bad (because we stupidly traded for Geoff Green and Boston has that pick if we make the playoffs)/ maybe a tier below the 7th or 8th seed bad.

The Western Conference is bunched up right now. We are 3.5 games ahead of the 11th seed while atop the West. But we undoubtedly have some good wins that make you think we are contenders (for a good playoff seed) instead of pretenders.

If we are struggling for the 8th or 7th seed by season's end, I will re-affirm my stance to tank for a pick to give Jerry more opportunities to help build this roster through the draft.
If we continue to stay around 5 seed or higher, of course I'm going to say....full speed ahead....go get us to our 1st WCF.

Quake Griffin wrote:We are 3.5 games ahead of the 11th seed while atop the West.

The reality. And right now we're healthy. I'm going to enjoy it as long as it lasts. In 2012, out veteran squad tore off 17 in a row but ended up playing .500 the rst of the way as the veteran teams got healthy and the younger teams got their s*&t together. The real question is whether the FO will trade off a major contributor for a FRP in the spring and risk damaging the morale and culture. Tough decision.

As for still whining about the Jeff Green pick, meh. The important thing was that it was lottery-protected. As it turns out, it's a meh pick whether we keep it or don't.

I was wrong about this team over the summer. I will happily eat crow on that.

not sucking is way underrated

esqtvd wrote:

Quake Griffin wrote:We are 3.5 games ahead of the 11th seed while atop the West.

The reality. And right now we're healthy. I'm going to enjoy it as long as it lasts. In 2012, out veteran squad tore off 17 in a row but ended up playing .500 the rst of the way as the veteran teams got healthy and the younger teams got their s*&t together. The real question is whether the FO will trade off a major contributor for a FRP in the spring and risk damaging the morale and culture. Tough decision.

As for still whining about the Jeff Green pick, meh. The important thing was that it was lottery-protected. As it turns out, it's a meh pick whether we keep it or don't.

I think the FO will make net-positive value trades if they are available, and I think those can be made without damaging morale and culture. But they will generally refrain from salary dumping or tanking trades. The moves West has made have kept cap flexibility but have not signaled that he is going to try to gut the roster to create cap space, or tank for draft picks. I don't think it's in his blood to do a teardown like Heinke (unless the team is truly bad and basically already at the bottom), I think however he is always looking for value.

I prefer this approach to trading/renouncing everyone, then try to sign 2 max FA and fill out the roster with aging ring-chasers.

We're one bad week away from being the 9th seed.

An underrated part of the team's current success has to do with significant improvements from key players and even our coach. Another factor has been the front office's--most notably West's--remarkable reconstruction of the roster post-Lob-City. Doc has certainly benefited from West limiting his options in terms of playing favorites and, while he could still improve especially with regards to rotational adjustments, he's done a good job of getting the team to play team basketball. It's something I've always wanted from NBA coaches as well as teaching, but Doc is getting the job done for the most part, so I have to give him credit for that.

However, let's also not neglect to see that improvements from Tobias Harris and Montrezl Harrell as well as unexpected contributions from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari have helped elevate the team even as other players have regressed overall. Tobias has improved his all-around game by being more aggressive offensively without playing beyond his ability. He's made the most of his limited ball-handling but he's done a great job of facilitating as well as being proactive on offense. Harrell has made notable improvements on defense and even offense while still maintaining the high-energy style of play he's always been known for and even doing so with increased minutes.

Shai is quite an advanced rookie despite his lack of physical maturity and has arguably been our best backcourt player overall. Gallinari has been remarkably healthy [knock on wood] and I'll credit that due to Doc's (or the front office's) decision to limit his minutes. Gallo has always been quite efficient offensively but he's even improved on the defensive end with regards to his positioning. He seems to have lost a step and there's a bit of awkwardness and lack of explosion with his drives to the basket, but he's been making it work and playing, as he says, "winning basketball".

Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Avery Bradley have regressed overall IMO but they're still contributing in key areas and there is some hope for improvement from them later in the season. I think Lou has been less efficient this season, but he's still been coming through in the clutch and 4th quarter. Beverley still seems to need to adjust defensively to the new enforcement of no-impediment rules and his offense has been inconsistent at best. Bradley needs to work on his decision-making with regards to taking mid-range shots and passing to teammates, but his defense looks solid and reliable.

Mike Scott seems to be just as efficient as ever and maybe we could benefit even more from him playing more if he's worked into the rotation. Boban Marjanovic continues to be dominant in select stretches but there is a fine line with playing him too much as well. Tyrone Wallace and Sindarius Thornwell haven't really been factors but have put up impressive numbers together in limited usage. Marcin Gortat is towards the end of his NBA career but provides a physical presence as a screener and solid offensive option in limited minutes.

Rookie Jerome Robinson looks like he could definitely contribute offensively to the Clippers with his refined outside shooting and underrated playmaking and it seems like a matter of time for him to get the confidence and playing time, however, his defense definitely needs work if he wants to be a regular in the rotation. Getting him regular playing time in the G-League has been great usage of our affiliate team.

Milos Teodosic is our best playmaker but his conditioning and defense have been less than satisfactory. He's on the last year of his contract and looking to head back to Europe so he doesn't have long-term consideration for the ballclub.

Re Gallo's defense: I know Gallo is a not an all world defender but I think he may be better than some people expect. Gallo covered Lillard and CJ for like 30-60 feet one on one late in the last game. They thought they could beat him but they could not shake him. Both ended up with misses. I think Lillard's turned in to a contested air ball. That was impressive for me since Gallo is a legit 6-10.
There are vids of his defense of those sequences on this link.
http://butthegameison.com/thebeat/2018/11/26/game-19-lac-104-por-100/

Galloisdaman wrote:Re Gallo's defense: I know Gallo is a not an all world defender but I think he may be better than some people expect. Gallo covered Lillard and CJ for like 30-60 feet one on one late in the last game. They thought they could beat him but they could not shake him. Both ended up with misses. I think Lillard's turned in to a contested air ball. That was impressive for me since Gallo is a legit 6-10.
There are vids of his defense of those sequences on this link.
http://butthegameison.com/thebeat/2018/11/26/game-19-lac-104-por-100/

I seem to remember he did a pretty good job on Giannis as well. Dude is long, mobile and knows the game. If the effort is there, he can bother anyone.

Dynamix wrote:

Galloisdaman wrote:Re Gallo's defense: I know Gallo is a not an all world defender but I think he may be better than some people expect. Gallo covered Lillard and CJ for like 30-60 feet one on one late in the last game. They thought they could beat him but they could not shake him. Both ended up with misses. I think Lillard's turned in to a contested air ball. That was impressive for me since Gallo is a legit 6-10.
There are vids of his defense of those sequences on this link.
http://butthegameison.com/thebeat/2018/11/26/game-19-lac-104-por-100/

I seem to remember he did a pretty good job on Giannis as well. Dude is long, mobile and knows the game. If the effort is there, he can bother anyone.

I've noticed too. The effort is there. After that, like Joe Ingles, when you've got the length, you just need to know the right place to be. Just don't let them get around you.

DLaren wrote:We're one bad week away from being the 9th seed.

Exactly.. that's why I just staying calm and enjoying every win. But still low key we haven't even unleashed Jerome yet. Also the Motley kid is killing it on the Ontario Clippers in the G League. Our deep roster even reaches into the G League in case an injury or two happens which is always highly likely for any team in the NBA

I do not want to get carried away but I do think a championship ring is guaranteed!

esqtvd wrote:

Quake Griffin wrote:We are 3.5 games ahead of the 11th seed while atop the West.

The reality. And right now we're healthy. I'm going to enjoy it as long as it lasts. In 2012, out veteran squad tore off 17 in a row but ended up playing .500 the rst of the way as the veteran teams got healthy and the younger teams got their s*&t together. The real question is whether the FO will trade off a major contributor for a FRP in the spring and risk damaging the morale and culture. Tough decision.

As for still whining about the Jeff Green pick, meh. The important thing was that it was lottery-protected. As it turns out, it's a meh pick whether we keep it or don't.

A lottery pick in the hands of Jerry West is not meh.

See Kobe.
See Shai.

Quake Griffin wrote:

esqtvd wrote:As for still whining about the Jeff Green pick, meh. The important thing was that it was lottery-protected. As it turns out, it's a meh pick whether we keep it or don't.

A lottery pick in the hands of Jerry West is not meh.

See Kobe.
See Shai.

Well, since Doc lottery-protected the pick, there's no need to keep whining about it, eh?