NBA PLAYOFFS: GAME 1: (5) Los Angeles Clippers @ (4) Phoenix Suns l Sunday l 5:00 l TNT

[lilfishi22]

6 is a safe pick. 7 is basically a moral victory for the Clips so can't go with that. 5 is kind of ambitious although not unexpected.

7 is a moral victory for the Clips? Not sure about that. I don't think the team losing in 7 considers it a moral victory. I certainly didn't feel that way vs Dallas.

Yes, 6 is kind of just throwing out a number that seems fair even though most teams win on their home floor, and our road record isn't good (though I guess good with KD even though we didn't really play anyone).

I think if healthy, we should be able to do 5. I don't think it's that ambitious of a pick. If George was healthy I'd say 7.

If there is a game 6 and George is back by then, and is near 100%, I wouldn't assume we'd win that one.

Not for them but if they took us to 7 when we're healthy, have KD and they are down a PG for all or just a few games, I think fans would see it as a moral victory for them.

It clearly wasn't for us because we were seen as the more talented, the more well rounded and the team that was expected to go to the WCF. After whooping them in the first 2 games, there was talks of a sweep. It was a disappointment we didn't get past the second round. BIG BIG difference there.

[bwgood77]

6 is a safe pick. 7 is basically a moral victory for the Clips so can't go with that. 5 is kind of ambitious although not unexpected.

7 is a moral victory for the Clips? Not sure about that. I don't think the team losing in 7 considers it a moral victory. I certainly didn't feel that way vs Dallas.

Yes, 6 is kind of just throwing out a number that seems fair even though most teams win on their home floor, and our road record isn't good (though I guess good with KD even though we didn't really play anyone).

I think if healthy, we should be able to do 5. I don't think it's that ambitious of a pick. If George was healthy I'd say 7.

If there is a game 6 and George is back by then, and is near 100%, I wouldn't assume we'd win that one.

Not for them but if they took us to 7 when we're healthy, have KD and they are down a PG for all or just a few games, I think fans would see it as a moral victory for them.

It clearly wasn't for us because we were seen as the more talented, the more well rounded and the team that was expected to go to the WCF. After whooping them in the first 2 games, there was talks of a sweep. It was a disappointment we didn't get past the second round. BIG BIG difference there.

I just don't think there is anything to moral victories, especially for a team with Kawhi. This team certainly has championship aspirations. Maybe a super young team getting to the playoffs for the first time is a moral victory to get there even if they lose to the 1 seed, and any wins are nice. Our young team making it to the playoffs a couple years ago for the first time was finally a nice moral victory for them..Booker finally gets to the playoffs after all the bashing, and getting all the way to the finals was a huge moral victory. Now for us and the team, upon losing, it didn't, but I think if you are going to talk of moral victories, something like that is more of one than if the Clips took us to 7. They already took Dallas to 7 in the first round a couple times and knocked them out. Also with our playoff run 2 years ago, Paul had never won the Western Conf..hadn't even made it to the WCF until he hooked up with Harden.

[lilfishi22]

7 is a moral victory for the Clips? Not sure about that. I don't think the team losing in 7 considers it a moral victory. I certainly didn't feel that way vs Dallas.

Yes, 6 is kind of just throwing out a number that seems fair even though most teams win on their home floor, and our road record isn't good (though I guess good with KD even though we didn't really play anyone).

I think if healthy, we should be able to do 5. I don't think it's that ambitious of a pick. If George was healthy I'd say 7.

If there is a game 6 and George is back by then, and is near 100%, I wouldn't assume we'd win that one.

Not for them but if they took us to 7 when we're healthy, have KD and they are down a PG for all or just a few games, I think fans would see it as a moral victory for them.

It clearly wasn't for us because we were seen as the more talented, the more well rounded and the team that was expected to go to the WCF. After whooping them in the first 2 games, there was talks of a sweep. It was a disappointment we didn't get past the second round. BIG BIG difference there.

I just don't think there is anything to moral victories, especially for a team with Kawhi. This team certainly has championship aspirations. Maybe a super young team getting to the playoffs for the first time is a moral victory to get there even if they lose to the 1 seed, and any wins are nice. Our young team making it to the playoffs a couple years ago for the first time was finally a nice moral victory for them..Booker finally gets to the playoffs after all the bashing, and getting all the way to the finals was a huge moral victory. Now for us and the team, upon losing, it didn't, but I think if you are going to talk of moral victories, something like that is more of one than if the Clips took us to 7. They already took Dallas to 7 in the first round a couple times and knocked them out. Also with our playoff run 2 years ago, Paul had never won the Western Conf..hadn't even made it to the WCF until he hooked up with Harden.

They are also down PG, every series without PG or Kawhi is one in which they'll be the underdog.

[Saberestar]

Paul George shooting threes before Clippers practice.

Read on Twitter

We play 4 times in a week and other playoff series have one more day of rest between games.

I am pretty sure that PG will not be back in any of those first 4 games. We are just too close to those dates. He probably will be ready to play in 10-14 days.

[Saberestar]

What rotation of players will the Clippers use?

Marcus Morris lost his starter spot and after that he was out for a week with back spams.

Covington has been in and out of the rotation. Batum was playing low minutes but lately he is playing a big role.

I think they will start with this group:

Westbrook/Hyland
Gordon/Powell
Kawhi/Powell
Batum/Morris OR Covington
Zubac/Plumlee

That way they would play a 9-man rotation with Norman Powell playing around 30 mpg as their 6th man.

Another option would be to replace Eric Gordon with Marcus Morris and play a bigger lineup since the start of the game. Westbrook, Zubac and three big wings.

[King4Day]

Watch on YouTube

;t

[bwgood77]

Paul George shooting threes before Clippers practice.

Read on Twitter

We play 4 times in a week and other playoff series have one more day of rest between games.

I am pretty sure that PG will not be back in any of those first 4 games. We are just too close to those dates. He probably will be ready to play in 10-14 days.

Yeah, I noticed often there are 2 days off and we only have that once. But the first game is the last one too.

I have no idea when he would be ready though. Not an expert on this stuff. Looked decent there though.

[sunsbg]

The schedule actually helps us with PG out. It's not like Clippers are young team either.

[King4Day]

I don't like the vibes going into this series.
Heavily favored to win by most media.
Many fans ripping other teams for their failures despite the Suns having done nothing to warrant any gloating.
The team still doesn't have rhythm yet, and yes, our bench isn't very good (I know the starters will be in there with them a lot but that's assuming no foul trouble or injuries.

I miss being the underdog.

[spanishninja]

I don't like the vibes going into this series.
Heavily favored to win by most media.
Many fans ripping other teams for their failures despite the Suns having done nothing to warrant any gloating.
The team still doesn't have rhythm yet, and yes, our bench isn't very good (I know the starters will be in there with them a lot but that's assuming no foul trouble or injuries.

I miss being the underdog.

I hope our heads are in the game this time. too much **** around last season when the playoffs started and we never got to top form.

[SunsRback4Good]

I don't like the vibes going into this series.
Heavily favored to win by most media.
Many fans ripping other teams for their failures despite the Suns having done nothing to warrant any gloating.
The team still doesn't have rhythm yet, and yes, our bench isn't very good (I know the starters will be in there with them a lot but that's assuming no foul trouble or injuries.

I miss being the underdog.

Yes, I agree this seems too good to be true. I’m changing my prediction to Clippers in 7 until Suns prove otherwise. Thanks for opening my eyes up King4day.

[King4Day]

I don't like the vibes going into this series.
Heavily favored to win by most media.
Many fans ripping other teams for their failures despite the Suns having done nothing to warrant any gloating.
The team still doesn't have rhythm yet, and yes, our bench isn't very good (I know the starters will be in there with them a lot but that's assuming no foul trouble or injuries.

I miss being the underdog.

Yes, I agree this seems too good to be true. I’m changing my prediction to Clippers in 7 until Suns prove otherwise. Thanks for opening my eyes up King4day.

Not saying nobody should feel good about the series but watch how Suns fans and the media explode if we lose one of the first 2 at home.
It's silly seeing people knock the Pels and trying to find reasons to hate them. That team is as far from a rivalry as it comes for the Suns.
And Dallas, yea it's nice they're out but if the Suns lose in round one or two, does any of that matter?

[POLI]

All this play-in nonsense the league invented for money reasons is completely stupid, to say the less.
It is completely unbearable to wait a week or longer for your first PO game while you are 1-6 seeded while the teams that did not deserve to be there are playing stupid games that will take nobody nowhere.
While they play and keep their shape, the good ones are waiting and getting the risk of getting out of shape.
It could be beneficial in our case so KD has more time to recover perfectly and Paul gets his rest, but time runs in favour of Paul George, for example.
It is completely unfair to wait this long for winning teams.

I do not want to enter the moral victory discussion, as I believe that the Clippers are going to give us a hard time and while we have the best players in KD and Booker, their roster rises above ours in number of quality players.
Our bench is nothing compared to theirs, IMO.

[WeekapaugGroove]

All this play-in nonsense the league invented for money reasons is completely stupid, to say the less.
It is completely unbearable to wait a week or longer for your first PO game while you are 1-6 seeded while the teams that did not deserve to be there are playing stupid games that will take nobody nowhere.
While they play and keep their shape, the good ones are waiting and getting the risk of getting out of shape.
It could be beneficial in our case so KD has more time to recover perfectly and Paul gets his rest, but time runs in favour of Paul George, for example.
It is completely unfair to wait this long for winning teams.

I do not want to enter the moral victory discussion, as I believe that the Clippers are going to give us a hard time and while we have the best players in KD and Booker, their roster rises above ours in number of quality players.
Our bench is nothing compared to theirs, IMO.

The play in only added a day or two to the break between the season and playoffs, they always had some time in between.

I bet if you polled players and coaches they would be in favor of the week break. Fans worry about the rust but players like the rest after a long season.

Sent from my SM-G986U using RealGM mobile app

[lilfishi22]

All this play-in nonsense the league invented for money reasons is completely stupid, to say the less.
It is completely unbearable to wait a week or longer for your first PO game while you are 1-6 seeded while the teams that did not deserve to be there are playing stupid games that will take nobody nowhere.
While they play and keep their shape, the good ones are waiting and getting the risk of getting out of shape.
It could be beneficial in our case so KD has more time to recover perfectly and Paul gets his rest, but time runs in favour of Paul George, for example.
It is completely unfair to wait this long for winning teams.

I do not want to enter the moral victory discussion, as I believe that the Clippers are going to give us a hard time and while we have the best players in KD and Booker, their roster rises above ours in number of quality players.
Our bench is nothing compared to theirs, IMO.

My brother, you need to find a hobby

[Cutter]

I'm not typically paranoid, but a little concern in creeping into my brain that Clippers will keep saying that Paul George is not quite ready to play in the first round against the Suns, he's still rehabbing, is listed as a game time decision, then as the Clips are announcing their starters to the Phoenix crowd, Paul George comes running out of the tunnel and the home crowd is stunned into silence. This would be an all-time covert rope-a-dope to catch the Suns off guard.

Suns though still beat the Clippers 120-105 so all is good, yeah

[Frank Lee]

37.5
Over/under CPs average minutes

[King4Day]

I'm not typically paranoid, but a little concern in creeping into my brain that Clippers will keep saying that Paul George is not quite ready to play in the first round against the Suns, he's still rehabbing, is listed as a game time decision, then as the Clips are announcing their starters to the Phoenix crowd, Paul George comes running out of the tunnel and the home crowd is stunned into silence. This would be an all-time covert rope-a-dope to catch the Suns off guard.

Suns though still beat the Clippers 120-105 so all is good, yeah

I think teams have to release the injury report X amount of time before a game. Maybe I'm thinking football but I don't think a team can roll out a player last second without the other team being aware it's possible. Otherwise they get fined or something.

[bwgood77]

I don't like the vibes going into this series.
Heavily favored to win by most media.
Many fans ripping other teams for their failures despite the Suns having done nothing to warrant any gloating.
The team still doesn't have rhythm yet, and yes, our bench isn't very good (I know the starters will be in there with them a lot but that's assuming no foul trouble or injuries.

I miss being the underdog.

I think I'm going to win, but fans talking trash before the game...don't like that..I mean let the play do the talking. If somehow it doesn't you have egg on your face. If it does, good, but no real reason for fans to talk trash. I don't really like players doing it much either, particularly if they haven't been able to win it all or win series when talking trash. I prefer the quiet "let play speak louder than words" like Tim Duncan or maybe Dirk or Nash did.

[bwgood77]

I'm not typically paranoid, but a little concern in creeping into my brain that Clippers will keep saying that Paul George is not quite ready to play in the first round against the Suns, he's still rehabbing, is listed as a game time decision, then as the Clips are announcing their starters to the Phoenix crowd, Paul George comes running out of the tunnel and the home crowd is stunned into silence. This would be an all-time covert rope-a-dope to catch the Suns off guard.

Suns though still beat the Clippers 120-105 so all is good, yeah

This wouldn't surprise me either, but probably not for game 1. "No timetable for return" means nothing other than they are not sure. For all we know they are thinking maybe a week a few days ago when saying that. All the "expected to miss first round" is not coming from the Clippers, just like when people assumed Book was out 2 weeks against the Pels last year and missed 2 games....that was all media talk and assumptions...not Suns reports.