Battle of LA Part 2: Clippers AT Lakers

[Kyle]

Goudelock, Fisher, and MWP beat us tonight. Pretty flukey performance. Let um win one game, dont wanna embarrass them too bad with a season sweep lol.

[Det the Threat]

So we handed them this one.

Let's hope that CP3 didn't play too much and will be able to go against the Grizz, as we need to get as many wins as possible, before the real tough stretch of the schedule starts for us.

[mkwest]

Are we out of the playoffs now?

No. We have a higher percentage than the Lakers. We'll be about 6th in the west and 1st in the Pacific.

[areg789]

Tough loss, gotta get ready for Memphis tommorow.

[mkwest]

Clippers fall 91-96. Despite the bad calls against us, poor execution down the stretch did us in. Got to dust it off and prepare for Memphis tomorrow.

3rd game between the LA teams in April will take the series.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

I never like a loss to the Lakers. Got more games coming up and another one against them.

[mkwest]

Pau is a little beyotch.

[kombayn]

Uh-oh! I think we're actually getting a little bad-blood. Did you see CP3 & Kobe talking sh*t to each other? These 2 teams do not like each other, and CP3 & Blake feel like they can takeover the imaginations of that "casueal-fan" city right now if they can. I don't want to be to optimistic right now but we can be the "Heat '10-'11" team last year but win Larry's Trophy.

[donemilio21]

**** Gasol, I would have twist and broken his hand if he did that to me.

[mkwest]

Uh-oh! I think we're actually getting a little bad-blood. Did you see CP3 & Kobe talking sh*t to each other? These 2 teams do not like each other, and CP3 & Blake feel like they can takeover the imaginations of that "casueal-fan" city right now if they can. I don't want to be to optimistic right now but we can be the "Heat '10-'11" team last year but win Larry's Trophy.

Yep. Both sides can downplay the rivalry talk all they want, but these games clearly mean lot to the players involved. Otherwise, there's no reason to be all chippy. 11 techs have been called in the two games so far. 4 on us and 7 on them. Neither team wants to lose to the other and that's good for the city and it's good for basketball. Both teams will see each other as a threat of obtaining a home court advantage in the playoffs and another team that you must get by if you want to advance. That's why these games mean something. People can choose to discredit whatever they want if that is what is going to make them feel good about themselves, but you're not playing in the past, you are playing for today. This Clipper team is still pushing to build something positive and work toward a goal of reaching beyond the limits and restraints of the past.

The season is still young, but our guys know that we can win and beat quality teams. We still need to get healthy, need to improve our on-court chemistry and win some games on the road. All of our road games so far have been either tough opponents or environments with a huge advantage (GSW, Utah, San Antonio, Portland). There are holes that need to be filled between now and the end of the season, but we're heading into the right direction.

[mkwest]

**** Gasol, I would have twist and broken his hand if he did that to me.

We're the cocky ones though.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

**** Gasol, I would have twist and broken his hand if he did that to me.

We're the cocky ones though.

Exactly, lol

[Sofia]

Ignoring the ridiculous calls and no calls that sparked the Lakers come back, what really annoyed me about the end of the game was the play that we ran down 4 with 21.6 seconds left.

Blake came off a cross screen by Paul on the baseline and flashed across to receive from Billups 12 feet out on the 45. This started fine, as Pau got caught on the pick and was still crossing the split line when Griffin caught the ball, however instead of looking to score from here (which Blake had been doing with high success this game) the play was to hit a spot up 3. Billups ran on court after the in bound and through a pick by Butler to spot up on the point, while Butler rolls to catch and shoot on the free throw line extended.
I've gone back and watched this one a few times, and Griffin doesn't even look to make a move on the catch. Griffin isn't one to shy away in the clutch and didn't like he did tonight, as he was not hesitant to shoot that three when he apparently stepped on the sideline, and had a few other quick moves where he created his own shot in the 4th down the stretch. This suggests to me the options drawn up by VDN didn't nclude Blake or CP3, instead they were:

A: Billups 3 at the point off the Butler screen from the rebound;
B: Butler 3 on the wing after rolling/slipping the pick for Billups;
C: Panic!

Butler was unlucky that there was a Laker tip on the so so pass (Peace?) and caused the misread on the catch and loss of possession.

My question from this, is why are we looking for our 3rd and 4th option to create and score in this situation. I would have much rathered we got the ball into the hands of Billups or Paul to make that pass for either the other potting up, an off the ball pick and pop by Mo or Foye, and Griffin coming off that pick rolling to the basket.

[Kyle]

Lets put everything into perspective.
Goudelock came in averaging 1 ppg and had 14..
MWP, a 15% 3pt shooter hit a big three in the. Fourth.
Fisher has 11 pts when he comes in averaging 5.
We lead the nba in ft attempts but only shoot 14 and blake only shoots 2.
We have 25 fouls to their 15.
They shoot about 20 more free throws.
We out rebound them and have less turnovers.
A 50% ft shooter goes 7-10.
Held kobe in check.
CP3 is coming off an injury.

Overall I dont think we played bad. I think we out played them
But the laws of the percentages definitely went their way. Im not sure if goudlelock is going to 14x his ppg total in one game and idk if a 15% 3 pt shooter is going to hit a big three again. Definitely still think we are the team to beat in the pacific. Chalk this one up as us giving it away or a flukeuish effort if you want to go by the stats.

[B-Scott]

Goudelock averaged 1 point a game because of lack of playing time and experience. Not talent. Brow was taking a extended look at Darius Morris over the last two weeks. Goudelock averaged 24 a game in college last season and was one of the best shooters in the draft and won the three point contest. He is a combo guard. Brown had to figure out how to use him. He had him splitting time with Kapono to back up Kobe but the ball is not in his hands enough and not enough minutes

At PG he has the ball in his hands more and he can shoot and create for himself.

3 weeks ago Mike Brown said Goudelock is 2nd to Kobe on the team when it comes to being able to create his own shot off the dribble, and the teams best shooter. Just he needs time and experience. Limit his turnovers.

Lakers got the free throws because they went inside

[og15]

Lakers also got FT's because when you're loosing, you have to foul teams at the end of the game, what did they shoot, 6-8 extra FT's? They still had the advantage, but it was a little less than the numbers would suggest.

It was a tough game, a winnable one for sure, but it happens. The play call after the foul was definitely poor, and there were other factors that could have made the game smoother. Blake was good on his iso's today, but in general, it's probably more beneficial for the team to run more plays with movement than to run so many iso's.

I'm also not a huge fan of some of the rotation principles that the team is using on the pick and roll. I'm seeing too many times where a guy like Bynum will get left alone under the basket with one of the guards and the Lakers just throw a lob to him. I'll have to check the tape, but it was related to how the team was playing the pick and roll, and how they were rotating, and there should have been some adjustment.

[og15]

Blake and DJ discussing flopping and if there is a rivalry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ZUxJbj ... r_embedded

-Blake basically says he has nothing to say to Matt Barnes and isn't interested in trash talking about it
-DJ says there isn't necessarily a rivalry, and before last night, we had only won one game against them, so there's not much to take from that

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNtg92oI ... ure=relmfu

-on the other hand, Andrew Bynum thinks it's always been a rivalry. Obviously different people have different ways of defining a rivalry