Beating the spurs: what this team gained and learned

nickhx2 · Post #1 » by **nickhx2** » Sun May 3, 2015 6:47 pm

A while back I offered the idea that whichever team won this series would go on to win the championship. If it was the spurs, it was cause they were head and shoulders above everyone else ending the season. And if the clippers, it would be because beating the spurs would have meant some form of evolution on many fronts. Either blake would have turned into the MVP candidate many of us expected him to be this season, the defense miraculously came together all at once, DJ all of a sudden started to hit FT's, or the team just figured it all out mentally.

Well, at least a couple of those things happened. And while I think blake going into 2.0 mode was something you could reasonably expect, the mental evolution of this team wasn't something I personally saw coming. It wasn't something I was ever sure would happen with guys who, so often over the past few years, got emotionally hijacked (to coin a term from doc).But it happened in pretty much the best way possible and I think the mental toughness that this team has achieved will forever change everything.

Think about it:

Game 1: The team comes out as the underdog but show quite handily that we belong.

Game 2 + 3: A heartbreak game followed by a complete disaster. By all accounts we should have been done for.

Game 4: The turning point. Team goes into enemy territory and pulls out a huge win to essentially save the season.

Game 5: Another heartbreak game with brutal calls and a brutal ending. Yet another game that essentially ended our season. What chance did we have in game 6? You don't go into the champion's house and win a closeout game against an opponent that has had a decade of ultimate playoff experience. And don't forget how despondent DJ was, a player with a history of getting in his own head and hurting himself in future performances. You could count on blake and cp3 to show up, but who else besides that?

Game 6: The team comes up HUGE. Up until tipoff I expected a repeat of game 3, where the heartbreak would drag us down and get us blown out. But players besides cp3/blake showed UP. Blake took it to the next level by hitting massive jumper after jumper and he carried us until cp3 finally got going to finish the entire thing off.

Game 7: And then there was last night's game. You saw it, I saw it. Everything on the line, cp3 playing on one leg. And the players we needed to step up the most came through for us. The team would not be denied and they were rewarded.

There were several points in this series where the team should have buckled and imploded. Again, don't forget that this team has had a history of emotionally blowing up in critical moments. We should have been done for after game 3. Then we should have been done for after game 5. Then we should have been done for after cp3 got hurt. But the team kept finding ways to fight through it all, and moments of brilliance by guys like barnes, jj, and baby all atop the shoulders of cp3's and blake's transcendent play got us to this point. They've been pushed to the brink over and over only to realize they have all the heart they need to push back. They KNOW how to handle it and they KNOW that they can win in the face of all conventional wisdom.

It's gonna mean everything from now on. The team won't be dying out there on the mental side anymore, not now and not ever again. I am so grateful to the spurs that this team was able to experience all of this, partly cause of beating a finals-worthy opponent, but also partly because of the magnitude of what the spurs mean as a sports organization. And while I have to admit I don't have that same confidence in my opening words with cp3 having a serious injury, I will say with supreme confidence that it almost doesn't matter. Because if it doesn't happen this year, we will have many years of contending to come. Players stepping it up can mean we win it all. Good fortune can mean we win it all. And if not this year, one or two solid moves this offseason can make us title favorites come next year.

The team has permanently opened that championship window wider than it's ever been and we are closer than we have ever been. And you can't tell me that I'm the only one who feels it.

Dynamix · Post #2 » by **Dynamix** » Sun May 3, 2015 7:05 pm

Great post, man!

I'll admit it, I had my doubts before Game 6. Also had them towards the end of Game 7, when we couldn't get a board to save our lives and they pulled ahead. Just couldn't get Games 2 & 5 out of my head. But the guys rose to the challenge.

The mental boost from this win should be huge, but we need to stay focused and take care of the Rockets. Most of us knew that we can compete with anyone if the effort is there, now we just have to show consistency over multiple series. Of course, some good fortune/staying healthy will be important. And I'm still holding onto hope that Crawford/Baby aren't the only bench players that can contribute.

As far as future seasons go, making smart moves, improving the team... let's just enjoy this moment, shall we?

nickhx2 · Post #3 » by **nickhx2** » Sun May 3, 2015 9:57 pm

Dynamix wrote:Great post, man!

I'll admit it, I had my doubts before Game 6. Also had them towards the end of Game 7, when we couldn't get a board to save our lives and they pulled ahead. Just couldn't get Games 2 & 5 out of my head. But the guys rose to the challenge.

The mental boost from this win should be huge, but we need to stay focused and take care of the Rockets. Most of us knew that we can compete with anyone if the effort is there, now we just have to show consistency over multiple series. Of course, some good fortune/staying healthy will be important. And I'm still holding onto hope that Crawford/Baby aren't the only bench players that can contribute.

As far as future seasons go, making smart moves, improving the team... let's just enjoy this moment, shall we?

Thanks! And i agree. Future seasons will come. For now, it's time to get ready for phase 2

Quake Griffin · Post #4 » by **Quake Griffin** » Mon May 4, 2015 1:34 pm

Beat the Sterling fiasco.
Beat the Spurs.

this team may not be the best team in the NBA.
But dammit, theyre tough.

no more questioning it.

Post #5 » by **QRich3** » Mon May 4, 2015 2:39 pm

I agree with the general sentiment of the thread, this team has proven to be a lot more mentally tough than even I expected them to, and I was convinced they were a lot tougher than the casual drama fans were blabbing about. The Spurs were probably the best team in the league at this very moment and we were able to defeat them even though luck went their way most of the time, so that's really encouraging. Injuries apart, we're in the best situation possible right now, peaking at the best time and with the focus and confidence necessary for a deep run. BUT ...

But the Warriors are a REALLY good basketball team and they should be the ample favorites in a 7 game series, were we able to get by the Rockets. They're a lot deeper and a more complete team than us, they have no holes and play by memory on both sides. They have the kind of defense that can give us problems that the Spurs couldn't, and play fast and precise enough on offense to expose some of our bigger flaws.

Also, health and fatigue problems could complicate the Houston series a lot more than it should be on paper, so I'm not ready to claim this boost we just got is gonna mean anything at the moment. But yeah, my hopes are bigger than they've ever been and I've never been more proud to be a Clipper fan.

Chronz · Post #6 » by **Chronz** » Mon May 4, 2015 6:27 pm

This just comes down to getting CP3 healthy for GS.

illastrate · Post #7 » by **illastrate** » Mon May 4, 2015 11:12 pm

Chronz wrote:This just comes down to getting CP3 healthy for GS.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, still got a series to play vs a very good Rockets team.

Chronz · Post #8 » by **Chronz** » Tue May 5, 2015 9:37 pm

illastrate wrote:
Chronz wrote:This just comes down to getting CP3 healthy for GS.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, still got a series to play vs a very good Rockets team.

I meant that with them in mind. I think CP3 should play at least 2 games this series. But I never felt like this was a series we NEED CP3 to win, just one we need him to show up eventually.

madmaxmedia · Post #9 » by **madmaxmedia** » Tue May 5, 2015 10:03 pm

By midway through the Spurs series, I knew this was not the Clipper team of the past couple of years where we'd falter under adversity. I knew Game 6 and 7 would be close, win or lose.

The thing is, it takes most great teams a few years to develop and reach their potential. CP3 has been in his prime since he got here, but Blake has only recently become a real vet who can beat you in different ways.

The Warriors (assuming we reach them) will be tough though, as they are a better team than last year as well.

mike3 · Post #10 » by **mike3** » Wed May 6, 2015 9:18 am

Sounds weird to refer to Blake as a "vet", don't think you can say that just yet.

By the way guys, I'm making a Clippers playoff video recap no matter how our year ends. So stay tuned for that.

On the Rockets, I hope CP3 sits out Game 2. We need him healthy and not risking serious injury. Don't play CP unless we NEED him to win this series. Saying that, I think if we lose tomorrow, he'll play Game 3.