Game 43: Los Angeles (10-32) @ Golden State (13-31)

[TheNewEra]

EJ was the first rookie to score 40 the other night. Now is Jordan the first rookie to grab 20 rebounds this year or am I forgetting someone?

Rookie Mike taylor he needs to get back faster than anyone to soak up the spare time. Mike needs to break a rookie record in assists to keep the trend going.

[JJ LoDuca]

^ Haha, that would be pretty sick. It would give us some reason to remember this damn season, anyway!

A tough game to watch, this one. Bottom line is, we just need healthy bodies back. Someone said earlier that there's no way Z-Bo should take this long to come back from a bruise...its so frustrating, I just wanna go into that training room and slap some sense into those boys. Then again, that would probably put them out for another 2-4 weeks. Hopefully Camby can make a return tomorrow.

[GetMoney]

I tell you one thing, you cant win basketball games when half the guys on a team are selfish basketball players that are only worried about scoring points. Amazing how some guys cant realize to pass the ball when you get double teamed and have absolutely no clear shot.

word.. bunch of stat whores
that was horrible basketball

[cinnamon]

Are we sure that is who they are and how they naturally play? I expect they played as more unselfish team members in college when they were getting firm and good direction on these matters.
These are very young guys in their first and second years in the NBA, with no veteran teammates playing beside them and setting a good example, and no wise coach to give them the guidance they would be getting on many other teams.
I don't think we can put this all on their shoulders.
Unselfishness and teamwork is my favorite thing to see in an NBA game --- I always note it with pleasure (or even courtesy, like last night when Garcia took several steps to lift our player up from the floor when one of his own teammates had fouled him hard.)
I don't see that kind of uselfishness on the Clippers now --- but I don't think that is necessarily because this group of young guys are a selfish lot. They may, or they may not, be --- but they need some help right now.
If they are not selfish, they need help to carry the games so they can show what the nature is of their play. If they are selfish, they need some help from more mature and wise colleagues and coaching to develop in a better direction.

[StutterStep]

Are we sure that is who they are and how they naturally play? I expect they played as more unselfish team members in college when they were getting firm and good direction on these matters.

When the cats (veterans) are away, the mice (rookies) will chuck! EJ and Al took all the shots in the first quarter? That's what it looked like while I was watching. It was embarrassing to see those two not even attempt to lob the ball to DJ a few times. I think they tried ONE lob to him. DJ had 10 dunks 2 games ago with Mardy in the game. Mardy goes out, and DJ hasn't cracked double-digits these last 2 games.

Pass the dam$ ball!

[illastrate]

Are we sure that is who they are and how they naturally play? I expect they played as more unselfish team members in college when they were getting firm and good direction on these matters.

When the cats (veterans) are away, the mice (rookies) will chuck! EJ and Al took all the shots in the first quarter? That's what it looked like while I was watching. It was embarrassing to see those two not even attempt to lob the ball to DJ a few times. I think they tried ONE lob to him. DJ had 10 dunks 2 games ago with Mardy in the game. Mardy goes out, and DJ hasn't cracked double-digits these last 2 games.

Pass the dam$ ball!

I gotta admit, we need Mardy back (I can't believe I said that). He was steady, unselfish, and loved throwin lobs to DJ.

[cinnamon]

When the cats (veterans) are away, the mice (rookies) will chuck! EJ and Al took all the shots in the first quarter? That's what it looked like while I was watching. It was embarrassing to see those two not even attempt to lob the ball to DJ a few times. I think they tried ONE lob to him. DJ had 10 dunks 2 games ago with Mardy in the game. Mardy goes out, and DJ hasn't cracked double-digits these last 2 games.
Pass the dam$ ball!

I'm not saying this isn't happening out there --- I'm simply suggesting that we not judge these guys, who are just starting out in their careers, and in a very tough situation, and are doing the best they know how to do.
When the veterans are away and the coach is weak, who is giving these guys the guidance they need to play any differently from this?
I made so many mistakes when I was just starting out in my career that I'm very glad I had a senior guy teaching me, and that I didn't have thousands of people watching me and passing judgment. I surely would have been waived early on. There must be others who feel the same.
When this whole team, vets and all, has played together for a while, we hope they will trust each other and feel connected to each other as teammates, and play the way we want them to play.
For the young guys, they really haven't had the opportunity yet to develop in this direction.
I appreciate their efforts now, and hope that in future they will have a chance to learn to play more unselfishly in less trying circumstances, with the support and guidance they need and deserve.

[StutterStep]

I gotta admit, we need Mardy back (I can't believe I said that). He was steady, unselfish, and loved throwin lobs to DJ.

That's why I always like Mardy. Plus, he plays defense. Hopefully next year you guys can get back on track!

[StutterStep]

I'm not saying this isn't happening out there --- I'm simply suggesting that we not judge these guys, who are just starting out in their careers, and in a very tough situation, and are doing the best they know how to do.

I def. agree with you. I just don't want them to fall into these bad habits (of not passing) that I saw from Baron early on. If everyone starts thinking they need a dozen or more shots each game, the Clips are going to have turmoil. You are right weak coaching continues to be a major problem.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

A good example of what happens when you play unselfishly and not for stats is the Boston Celtics. No one in their big 3 even averages 20 points I think. But they win and they got a championship. That can be something our team might want to emulate.

I do agree with you guys that we need Mardy back. He's really impressed me and we are REALLY playing with out a true point guard right now. Besides Jason Hart but we all know how that's going.

[JJ LoDuca]

Al, EJ, Ricky D, and Novak are all scorers, not facilitators. When a team is without a consistent facilitator like Mardy, the dudes who score are gonna do what they know: try to score. Does it make them look like chuckers? Sure. But I don't think it's because they're selfish. They're not "stat whores," they're just trying to help their team by doing what they know how to do best. In Al and EJ's case, they are young and haven't developed an adept passing game yet. I see Gordon as a nice playmaker one day, but today is not that day. Thornton is a one-on-one player. Ricky is a shooter. Novak is useless unless he is shooting. So when Jason Hart and Fred Jones are the closest thing to a point guard you have, there's gonna be a lot of "chucking." Not out of selfishness, but out of necessity!

[mkwest]

I pretty much agree with everything JJ said. All of our point guards are out due to injury (and Jason Hart doesn't really count). I never thought I would be missing Mardy like I have been, but I am. Aside from Baron, he knows how to set his teammtes up and is improving his shot selection by the second. EJ is a rookie who has had the keys to the car for all of 30 something games. Al is a 2nd year player who even at 25 years of age lacks the years of experience that NBA players younger than him have, because he started at a much later age than most (he began to focus on basketball right before college and worked his way up). Mentors that he has had to play with at the same position have been Corey Maggette, Tim Thomas, Ruben Patterson & Ricky Davis (so bad habits are bound to surface in one form or another).

The rest of the guys are 3rd stringers for the most part. Samb has played 98 total minutes in his career, Novak saw little time off the bench in Houston. Ricky Davis has been one big pile of suck, so I won't be apologizing for him lol.