Game #67: GRIZZ @ Clippers Sunday 3/5 7 PM—ESPN

[esqtvd]

good news everywhere


1)THANK GOD NO SUNDAY MATINEE

2)

Read on Twitter

3) Everybody's dream come true?? Has RoCo's time come [as moi predicted]?

Read on Twitter

In recent days, starting with a shootaround Thursday in San Francisco, the Clippers have been preparing with an expectation that Marcus Morris Sr. is on his way out of the starting lineup, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on internal conversations. Such a change would be significant: Morris has started 155 of his last 156 games, including the postseason, since March 2021 because of the Clippers’ belief in his value as a tough shot-maker who better provides space for Leonard and George to operate in the offense.

One question that arose following Friday’s loss was how the Clippers would fill such a vacant power-forward job. Nicolas Batum started against the Kings with Morris missing a second consecutive game with what the team cited as a strained calf.

Little-used forward Robert Covington, who had 15 points and multiple deflections in a season-high 31 minutes against Sacramento, could be a candidate.Covington’s average of 16 minutes is his lowest since his rookie season in 2013-14. He has played 40 or fewer games in a season only twice; this season, he is at 38.

Lue “talked to me and told me basically what his plan was; he just told me stay ready,” Covington said. “You don’t know when things are gonna shift but he just said, keep doing what you’re doing. Like, things are going to shift.”

https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2023-03-04/los-angeles-clippers-tyronn-lue-stabilize-lineup-rotations

[Wammy Giveaway]

Read on Twitter

With a loss, Clippers:

1. Will be a lottery team by way of going under .500, the third time this season
2. Their second 6-game losing streak
3. Eliminates them from playoff contention completely

Not only do they have to contend with a trap game consisting of role players, scrubs and G-Leaguers, they get to face former Clipper Luke Kennard.

Clippers have always done well whenever they are one game away from major changes. Think about the times they were one game away from going down 3-0, and preventing the automatic series loss to come back from and win their series. Versus Mavs and Jazz, Clippers fought behind the fear of going down 3-0. Now, against the Grizzlies, they're fighting for the right to stay in playoffs and save Tyronn Lue's job.

But remember, Lue's not alone. Frank's is on the line. George is risking himself getting traded.

This game will determine fate of the Clippers. And when there's a threat, there's a response.

I see Clippers automatically winning this one. But it will be a hollow victory.

[The High Cyde]

Another day, another must win game lol

[nickhx2]

how many must win games have we had this season btw

[LamarWho]

This game has all the recipes for another disappointing loss. Pick a guy from Memphis that averages less than 6 ppg, he'll drop 30 on us tomorrow.

[MartinToVaught]

Grizzlies by a million. Memphis having so many absences just increases the chances of our heartless, gutless team folding.

[Scoundreldays]

If we lose tomorrow, it's time to call it a season honestly. By no means should the Clippers underestimate this team without Ja. I know they are also missing Adam's, Brooks and Clarke but they were formidable last year without Ja.

[Dynamix]

I've been incredibly down on the team lately, but after reading some of these comments I'm starting to feel like a hopeless optimist.

[Roscoe Sheed]

This game has all the recipes for another disappointing loss. Pick a guy from Memphis that averages less than 6 ppg, he'll drop 30 on us tomorrow.

Call it the Shake Milton phenomenon. I went to a game right before the nba shutdown in 2020 in which Philadelphia rested all of its key players and Milton went off for something like 42 points. The clippers still pulled it off, but it was much closer than it should have been

[MartinToVaught]

This game has all the recipes for another disappointing loss. Pick a guy from Memphis that averages less than 6 ppg, he'll drop 30 on us tomorrow.

Call it the Shake Milton phenomenon. I went to a game right before the nba shutdown in 2020 in which Philadelphia rested all of its key players and Milton went off for something like 42 points. The clippers still pulled it off, but it was much closer than it should have been

Nothing beats the time Terrence Ross dropped 51 points on us. He was averaging 9 points per game before that.

[esqtvd]

I've been incredibly down on the team lately, but after reading some of these comments I'm starting to feel like a hopeless optimist.

[madmaxmedia]

I think we will win.

[LamarWho]

He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[nickhx2]

guys

remember when ty lue tricked everyone into thinking he finally saw the light and was going to start playing covington more while putting marcus morris on the shelf, and then instead he started morris started while telling covington (and the fans) "GFY" while the clips won a squeaker against a team missing half its relevant players

like, 95% probability that this happens, so i just wanna get it ready so i can quote myself being snippy and right like usual

[NickP]

I've been incredibly down on the team lately, but after reading some of these comments I'm starting to feel like a hopeless optimist.

My optimism comes from the fact that we have Kawhi and he's been playing at a very high level and seems ready for the playoffs. I'm hoping that the role players start balling and put behind them this losing streak and start a new one.

[esqtvd]

guys

remember when ty lue tricked everyone into thinking he finally saw the light and was going to start playing covington more while putting marcus morris on the shelf, and then instead he started morris started while telling covington (and the fans) "GFY" while the clips won a squeaker against a team missing half its relevant players

like, 95% probability that this happens, so i just wanna get it ready so i can quote myself being snippy and right like usual

Harden and Embiid just beat the Bucks. On the road. On national TV. ABC, not TNT. With Doc Rivers as their coach.

PG and Kawhi never had a game like that on National TV like forever. They got Doc fired and now they're going to do the same for Ty.

Fkn frauds.

[MartinToVaught]

You know it's the regular season when...

Harden and Embiid just beat the Bucks. On the road. On national TV. ABC, not TNT. With Doc Rivers as their coach.

[NickP]

You know it's the regular season when...

Harden and Embiid just beat the Bucks. On the road. On national TV. ABC, not TNT. With Doc Rivers as their coach.

Lol @ Philly losing last year in the playoffs in a typical Doc pattern. But Doc throwing his players as always under the bus? Priceless.

[madmaxmedia]

I've been incredibly down on the team lately, but after reading some of these comments I'm starting to feel like a hopeless optimist.

My optimism comes from the fact that we have Kawhi and he's been playing at a very high level and seems ready for the playoffs. I'm hoping that the role players start balling and put behind them this losing streak and start a new one.

I think we’re going to get a game where we’re at least equal to the sum of our parts, which is enough to win tonight. To get anywhere in the playoffs we’ll need to be more, really not sure about that one.

We have played better than the losing streak indicates, OTOH theres been times earlier in the year where winning streaks have involved some luck and bad teams. I think things are gonna revert back to the mean for now.

[nickhx2]

I think we’re going to get a game where we’re at least equal to the sum of our parts, which is enough to win tonight. To get anywhere in the playoffs we’ll need to be more, really not sure about that one.

We have played better than the losing streak indicates, OTOH theres been times earlier in the year where winning streaks have involved some luck and bad teams. I think things are gonna revert back to the mean for now.

so i definitely not just agree with needing to be more than a sum to get anywhere in the playoffs - i think it's literally the only way this team has a chance to go deep, let alone win it all. when kawhi first signed he said something about having to go through all trials to mold into a team that could go all the way, and what i will say is the last 5 games are absolutely 5 games the team can and should be using as a catalyst for change. the best teams need to be able to either overpower their opponents with superior firepower (3-peat lakers, GS of earlier years) or they need the calculus, inside and out, on how to win in as many situations as possible. IMO this team coulda been the former but not anymore. so now we need to do the latter, and what's that mean for these guys? figuring out close games where you're up, close games where you're down, down by 15 in the 4th, down by 7 in with 10 seconds left, games where kawhi can't buy a bucket, etc etc etc.

i mean, we all know all this, right? but given the lack of games left i don't think we have enough reps for the team to find all the answers they need before the end of the season. especially given that lue spent almost the entirety of it seemingly applying zero solutions for the team's (paul george's) carelessness in critical junctures, as well as their inability to generate better looks for kawhi in those same critical junctures. give us 20 more games and i'm still not sure lue is finding those solutions, given his inflexibility all season. at this point, imo, it's on the players to figure that out and maybe they can, maybe they can't, but not much we can do except wait and see.