GAME 26: Clippers (17-8) @ Wolves (6-18) 5PM PST Wednesday

[esqtvd]

tonight's unis
CLIPPERS favored by 9




INJURIES: Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns: OUT, Jarrett Culver: OUT, D'Angelo Russell: questionable (leg)

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Some interesting stuff from Brad Botkin:
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kawhi-leonard-playing-at-mvp-level-as-clippers-emphasis-on-passing-has-changed-offensive-equation/

The Clippers rank 18th in passes per game and 17th in assists. If you want to get technical, Ty Lue's Clippers are making 14 more passes per game this season than the team made under Doc Rivers in 2019-20 (285 to 271), which is adding up to less than one more assist each night (24.3 to 23.7).

It doesn't seem like a big difference. In fact, the Clippers have a slightly lower assist-to-pass ratio than they did last season. And yet, they're an entirely different passing team. It's been the hallmark of Lue's early tenure, staying on Kawhi Leonard to parlay the attention he draws in the paint into kick-out 3s for the Clippers' bevy of shooters.

And it's not hard to find a shooter. The Clippers are shooting a preposterous 42.4 percent from 3 as a team, by far the top mark in the league. New addition Nicolas Batum (46 percent from 3) and George (48 percent) have been smoking-hot all season. Serge Ibaka is shooting 38 percent from deep, Luke Kennard is shooting 42 percent from 3. Leonard is at 38 percent. Patrick Beverley is 42 percent. Marcus Morris 46 percent. Lou Williams 39 percent.

...

The Clippers are the No. 2 offense in the league at 119.5 points per 100 possessions, up from 114.2 last season, per CTG. They are creating 65 points per game on assists, up from 61 last season. And their formula is postseason gold: Individual creators, shooting everywhere, and a stretch-five in Ibaka who allows them to clear the lane on offense without compromising rim protection on defense.

Speaking of defense, the Clippers have climbed into the top five with a 107.7 rating. They have multiple elite perimeter defenders and a boatload of switchable pieces. They rebound. Their defensive shot profile is solid.

NOTE: Scoring is up league-wide. According to Basketball Reference, the league as a whole is setting record lows in PFs and TOs, with a record 111.3 points per 100 possessions, and new highs in FG%, 3-pt FG%, and FT%.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats_per_poss.html

Yes, shooting gets better every year but it also looks like Kyrie was right when he said there's not a lot of defense being played out there this year so far.

[TheNewEra]

This should be interesting. Beasley will be a problem but Russell can shoot them in or out of a game if he does play. Saunders might use Edwards in the backcourt for this one and have guys like Okogie and others try to defend Leonard.

Attacking inside and getting physical upfront on the glass will be our best advantage

[TheNewEra]

Defense and get a W

[MartinToVaught]

At this point, just waiving Reggie would be addition by subtraction. He's awful, and much like Doc did with his favorite scrubs, Lue is clearly never going to stop overplaying him until the front office does something.

[TheNewEra]

Stop leaving shooters open

[MartinToVaught]

This team is quickly becoming a disaster. The whole front office should be on the hot seat for the PG trade and the Kennard/Morris contracts, and Lue has no idea what he's doing. That winning streak was just this era's version of the undefeated December we had with Vinny.

[og15]

Stop leaving shooters open

The Wolves have shooters?

They are only 3/9 so far and Rubio (19.4%) and Okogie (20%) made 2 of the 3 (okay, they are 4/10 now). Still, while you can't just leave anyone wide wide open, I think playing off those guys and daring them to shoot is the right strategy

[og15]

Zubac struggling with these guys at the rim, good effort by them with the help though to get the blocks on him

[playaloc916]

Embarassing

[LamarWho]

Stop leaving shooters open

The Wolves have shooters?

They are only 3/9 so far and Rubio (19.4%) and Okogie (20%) made 2 of the 3 (okay, they are 4/10 now). Still, while you can't just leave anyone wide wide open, I think playing off those guys and daring them to shoot is the right strategy

You do know that most average shooters in the league will shoot like splash bros when they play us.

[MartinToVaught]

This team really is garbage outside of Kawhi and PG, and even PG can't be counted on in the playoffs. Just depressing to think about how we've traded all our assets away and hard-capped ourselves for Lob City 2.0.

[Clemenza]

This team is quickly becoming a disaster. The whole front office should be on the hot seat for the PG trade and the Kennard/Morris contracts, and Lue has no idea what he's doing. That winning streak was just this era's version of the undefeated December we had with Vinny.

Its not even the PG trade which was your guy Kawhi's doing to keep it 100..

Passed on Porter Jr. who would've started tonight if not already a starter
Used a pick to acquire Kabengele and he didn't develop/out of the rotation
Should've kept Saddiq Bey from Brooklyn instead of flipping him for Kennard
Didn't properly address the point guard situation in the off season
Didn't do a sign n trade for Trez
Overpaid Morris Sr.
etc

-all front office sh*t and not really even on Ty Lue. But the team is still one of the tops in the league when everyone is healthy

[MartinToVaught]

Its not even the PG trade which was your guy Kawhi's doing to keep it 100..

The front office failed to convince Kawhi to buy in, be patient and trust the process like the Heat did with Jimmy Butler. They also clearly exuded desperation and allowed the Thunder to fleece them. That trade may very well have closed our window before it even began.

[playaloc916]

These turnovers are just maddening

[TheNewEra]

That was the ugliest first half and only down 6

[MartinToVaught]

The only reason this isn't a 20+ point deficit is because the Wolves are terrible.

[NickP]

Quicker guards and quicker offense is hurting us. We need a good play making point guard.

[Clemenza]

Its not even the PG trade which was your guy Kawhi's doing to keep it 100..

The front office failed to convince Kawhi to buy in, be patient and trust the process like the Heat did with Jimmy Butler. They also clearly exuded desperation and allowed the Thunder to fleece them. That trade may very well have closed our window before it even began.

Time was of the essence. Him staying in Toronto or going to the Lakers was the alternative. There was going to be no convincing to buy in in that short time frame. He wanted a co-star and that was final. He didn't see SGA and Gallo as guys that would help him. But if we would've drafted MPJ then they could only get one of the two between SGA & MPJ. If they wanted both then I feel we keep our first round picks. But we're still a top team with PG healthy and the situation is fixable.

[Clemenza]

Quicker guards and quicker offense is hurting us. We need a good play making point guard.

Our backcourt is old as hell. Most of the team is 30 and up. Gotta draft and develop better from here on out.

[esqtvd]

Its not even the PG trade which was your guy Kawhi's doing to keep it 100..

Passed on Porter Jr. who would've started tonight if not already a starter
Used a pick to acquire Kabengele and he didn't develop/out of the rotation
Should've kept Saddiq Bey from Brooklyn instead of flipping him for Kennard
Didn't properly address the point guard situation in the off season
Didn't do a sign n trade for Trez
Overpaid Morris Sr.
etc

-all front office sh*t and not really even on Ty Lue. But the team is still one of the tops in the league when everyone is healthy

All true. The FO got off scot-free for last year too. Aside from brilliantly trading up a spot to get SGA, this FO has nothing to point to. Ibaka and Batum came to play with Kawhi, not the Clippers. And even Doc never blew a pick as badly as the Jerome pick.