Zach Lowe article: "The Edge of Glory"

[og15]

I've always found the perception of Memphis in comparison to the Clippers to be one of the most interesting things, and such a great example of perception vs reality. Memphis got to the WCF with a great help from Blake getting injured, and playing a Westbrook-less OKC. Then they got swept....

Since then, they've had a first round loss to OKC and a second round loss to GS and before that, a first round loss to the Clippers and 2nd round loss to OKC. I'm not saying this to hate on Memphis, they are a very good team and battle hard, but their "claim to fame" over the Clippers is taking advantage of the opposition being injured, and significantly injured. These two teams either lost or had a significant player severly limited.

The Clippers have made the 2nd round every year but one, the year Blake got injured, and if Blake didn't get injured in 12-13 and they beat Memphis, which they could have, they would have made the WCF that year. Memphis has 1 missed playoffs, 2 first round losses, 2 second round losses and a WCF loss.

They have a 34 year old Randolph, 33 year old Allen turning 34 in January, 30 year old Gasol turning 31 in January, and their younger guys, Green (29), B.Wright (28), and Conley (28) are not Blake young. Even Courtney Lee just turned 30. Their main core of guys (Randolph, Gasol, Conley) have been together for two more years than the Clippers core (6 years, this season is year 7), add Allen and it is 5 years with those 4 players together.

I'm not denying that older teams win in the NBA, they actually do, but then saying Memphis is on the edge of glory and a younger team that has been together for a shorter period like the Clippers is not doesn't make logical sense.

[nickhx2]

We aren't on the "edge of glory".

OKC is on "the edge of glory", Memphis is on "the edge of glory", the Cavs are on "the edge of glory"...you know, teams that have been to the conference finals/NBA Finals and came close to the ultimate goal.

We are on the edge of the getting out of the 2nd-round, or, at least we were...the west will be brutal again, this could be a one-and-done year for all we know.

lol @ Memphis

They got the right to get swept in the WCF after they lucked into playing us with Griffin injured and OKC with Westbrook injured. Read the freaking article and discuss its very valid points, instead of perpetuating the 2nd round hot takes with no reasoning behind them.

If people tried to understand why these 2nd round outings happen, instead of just assuming they happen cause they're supposed to, they'd be a lot more more optimistic for the Clippers. But yeah, that's too much effort I guess.

yeah i'm pretty tired of this hot take, all narrative-based stuff. i expect it though from people who aren't fans.

seeing it from actual fans is not what i expect though.

[nickhx2]

I'm not denying that older teams win in the NBA, they actually do, but then saying Memphis is on the edge of glory and a younger team that has been together for a shorter period like the Clippers is not doesn't make logical sense.

yeah i think the clippers are in a substantially better position to win than memphis.

[illastrate]

This is just Wammy with another one of his ridiculous proposals.

All I did was try to create a possible trade scenario where the Clippers wouldn't be forced to give up DeAndre or any of Doc's main guys (because he values friendship and chemistry a lot). The only answer was a farm trade.

Just because I post something outlandish doesn't mean my trade is going to happen. But ever since the farm trade of 2007 that led the Celtics to a championship, I now believe that anything can happen.

Now I hate you too, Illastrate.

The thing is, I don't hate you Wammy. I just feel you make these outlandish proposals and come up with off the wall ideas for shock value. Maybe you don't intend to be, maybe you truly believe in what you say. And that's fine, you're entitled to your opinions. But don't be surprised when others are taken back by them.

[nickhx2]

This is just Wammy with another one of his ridiculous proposals.

All I did was try to create a possible trade scenario where the Clippers wouldn't be forced to give up DeAndre or any of Doc's main guys (because he values friendship and chemistry a lot). The only answer was a farm trade.

Just because I post something outlandish doesn't mean my trade is going to happen. But ever since the farm trade of 2007 that led the Celtics to a championship, I now believe that anything can happen.

Now I hate you too, Illastrate.

The thing is, I don't hate you Wammy. I just feel you make these outlandish proposals and come up with off the wall ideas for shock value. Maybe you don't intend to be, maybe you truly believe in what you say. And that's fine, you're entitled to your opinions. But don't be surprised when others are taken back by them.

hard to say it more succinctly than this.

[Ranma]

Rowan Kavner, Clippers.com (10/5/15)

What do you think of what the Clippers have done this summer?

ZL: “It’s obviously a home run. They got to the playoffs last year and they had like six and a half viable NBA players that Doc trusted. They’ve turned that into Paul Pierce, who can play a lot of positions and Lance (Stephenson), who can play both wing positions. Cole Aldrich is useful and Josh Smith, if you give Josh Smith Glen Davis’ minutes, that’s a home run. They’re, not to put any pressure on them, but they’re loaded. All the problems they had last year,a lot of it was they just couldn’t outscore teams when even one of their best players was on the bench. Theoretically, that shouldn’t be an issue anymore.”
...

Is there something to bringing on a guy like Pierce for a team with deep playoff aspirations?

ZL: “For sure. They’re obviously much further along the trajectory than Washington is, but he did wonders for that locker room in Washington. He did wonders for the locker room in Brooklyn…He plays hard, and in big moments he’s not afraid. It can’t hurt to have that kind of steady, veteran leadership around. I think Doc can use him in a lot of interesting ways. Yeah, he can’t hurt. There are not a lot of alpha dog superstars who can so smoothly transition into role playerdom, and he and Vince Carter and a couple others have really done that well.”

24 Seconds with…Grantland’s Zach Lowe