Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Los Angeles Clippers: Oct 27 7:30 PM PCT

[LamarWho]

I checked the stats for the last 3 seasons. We averaged around 115ppg as a team in the last 3 years. I'll be curious to see what the # will be for this season without Kawhi. So far we are averaging 105 in 4 games.

[NickP]

Is Ibaka ever coming back?

[Clemenza]

Is Ibaka ever coming back?

Hope I'm wrong somewhere down the line but I don't believe in Ibaka at all period. I think his heath updates are a waste of everyone's time and falsely getting fans and teammates hopes up. He's damn near two years in with only a handful of games played for us and he's too content sitting on the bench in street clothes cheering the team on. Lue should just make him apart of the coaching staff. Morris Sr is another player I don't have much faith in at all. Remember he was supposed to be our #2 guy going into the season with Kawhi out. Look how that's turning out

[LamarWho]

Is Ibaka ever coming back?

He will "sometime" during the season He's washed and injury prone, he won't move the needle much for us.

[ejftw]

Man, obviously never happy about a loss, but the way JB has the Cavs playing with three big men, just grinding the **** out of the opponent in an era where small ball is the way to go is going to be fun to watch the rest of the year (minus the return game in Cleveland).

This was a game where Lue needed to abandon his pre-set rotations, tried out Isaiah and Zu together for a minute here and there and gave BJ some burn. Cleveland was just too long and big, covering the entire court on defense with their wing spans.

-21 on the boards, oy vey

[playaloc916]

The Cavs have an unconventional lineup, and just beat two contenders in the Hawks and the Nuggets. They are extremely athletic and long. It really threw PG and Kennard off. I didn't watch the game that closely, but as ejftw said, Lue should've mixed things up and tried a different approach. Without Kawhi, teams are going to focus hard on stopping PG. The team needs alternative schemes if PG is having an off night.

And it's a shame about Ibaka. I really thought he could've been the missing piece, but I guess it was just too good to be true.

[playaloc916]

We don't have an identity yet without Kawhi [and Bev]. Remember the Shai-Gallo-Tobias year. WITH Bev. And oh yeah, we had Lou and Trezz. Every one of them was a leader in his own way. This year has only PG, with Reggie as the #2 and being asked to do too much AGAIN--the bane of his career.

This bunch of castoff role players will get their spit together--they're a NEW team really--hopefully enough to win more than they lose. And yes, one of the our kids [all LATE-round rookies, mind you] stepping up would help, but let's be serious--a Donovan Mitchell or Devin Booker is NOT gonna happen. Let's be realistic.

O jeezus, don't tell me our last hope is Marcus Morris.

I think the team needs to incorporate Bledsoe better. He brings a more aggressive, wreckless dynamic, but if they can control it, it might be pretty effective. And yes, Mr. June can't be the second option. He takes too many deep threes, and teams are aware that he can score. He needs to mix it up and drive more often.

At the moment, it seems nobody else except PG can comfortably get 20+ a game. Some one really needs to step up and take on some of the scoring load. By the end of the season, Mann could possibly be that guy, but it's going to be a rough stretch until then...

[Clemenza]

We don't have an identity yet without Kawhi [and Bev]. Remember the Shai-Gallo-Tobias year. WITH Bev. And oh yeah, we had Lou and Trezz. Every one of them was a leader in his own way. This year has only PG, with Reggie as the #2 and being asked to do too much AGAIN--the bane of his career.

This bunch of castoff role players will get their spit together--they're a NEW team really--hopefully enough to win more than they lose. And yes, one of the our kids [all LATE-round rookies, mind you] stepping up would help, but let's be serious--a Donovan Mitchell or Devin Booker is NOT gonna happen. Let's be realistic.

O jeezus, don't tell me our last hope is Marcus Morris.

I think the team needs to incorporate Bledsoe better. He brings a more aggressive, wreckless dynamic, but if they can control it, it might be pretty effective. And yes, Mr. June can't be the second option. He takes too many deep threes, and teams are aware that he can score. He needs to mix it up and drive more often.

At the moment, it seems nobody else except PG can comfortably get 20+ a game. Some one really needs to step up and take on some of the scoring load. By the end of the season, Mann could possibly be that guy, but it's going to be a rough stretch until then...

He's running point at the moment, shooting at will, and has the ball in his hands on every possession when he's in the game. Not sure how he's not being incorporated within the offense. He's incorporated a bit too much imo

[esqtvd]

I think the team needs to incorporate Bledsoe better. He brings a more aggressive, wreckless dynamic, but if they can control it, it might be pretty effective. And yes, Mr. June can't be the second option. He takes too many deep threes, and teams are aware that he can score. He needs to mix it up and drive more often.

At the moment, it seems nobody else except PG can comfortably get 20+ a game. Some one really needs to step up and take on some of the scoring load. By the end of the season, Mann could possibly be that guy, but it's going to be a rough stretch until then...

LA TIMES:

Guard Eric Bledsoe has made 14 of his 22 shots within 10 feet this season but has struggled mightily outside point-blank range. His decision to take a pull-up three-pointer in the third quarter, early in the shot clock, was particularly ill-advised, costing the Clippers a possession when they had trimmed their 15-point first-half deficit to just four.

Ouch. As for R-Jax, I've always defended Jamal and Lou for having the courage to jack it up there when we needed points and nobody else was doing jackspit. Somehow Reggie is getting us 15.5 ppg [#2 scorer] on admittedly dreadful efficiency--32%/30% and 1 FT per game, for a 41% eFG.

But Bledsoe is not much better at 43% eFG and is non-existent outside 10 feet--taking only 7% of his shots from mid-distance [at a meh 33%] but then taking 31% of his total shots from three--at an ABOMINABLE 15%!! And that's not gonna improve appreciably--he's a 33% career 3-pt shooter--you'd rather have any of the rest of our shooters take it.


Look, I'm not down on Bled either--his 42%/34% from last year [and a career-low 1.6 TO per game] will be just fine. He too is being asked to do too much. We gotta get help from somewhere else. I think R-Jax and Bled are heroes.

[playaloc916]

We don't have an identity yet without Kawhi [and Bev]. Remember the Shai-Gallo-Tobias year. WITH Bev. And oh yeah, we had Lou and Trezz. Every one of them was a leader in his own way. This year has only PG, with Reggie as the #2 and being asked to do too much AGAIN--the bane of his career.

This bunch of castoff role players will get their spit together--they're a NEW team really--hopefully enough to win more than they lose. And yes, one of the our kids [all LATE-round rookies, mind you] stepping up would help, but let's be serious--a Donovan Mitchell or Devin Booker is NOT gonna happen. Let's be realistic.

O jeezus, don't tell me our last hope is Marcus Morris.

I think the team needs to incorporate Bledsoe better. He brings a more aggressive, wreckless dynamic, but if they can control it, it might be pretty effective. And yes, Mr. June can't be the second option. He takes too many deep threes, and teams are aware that he can score. He needs to mix it up and drive more often.

At the moment, it seems nobody else except PG can comfortably get 20+ a game. Some one really needs to step up and take on some of the scoring load. By the end of the season, Mann could possibly be that guy, but it's going to be a rough stretch until then...

He's running point at the moment, shooting at will, and has the ball in his hands on every possession when he's in the game. Not sure how he's not being incorporated within the offense. He's incorporated a bit too much imo

Maybe incorporate was the wrong word. Utilize was what I meant. I'm not crazy about his outside shot, but he's a pretty good slasher and built like a tank. There's plenty of people willing to shoot (Bled included), but having multiple players focusing on penetrating could help when outside shots aren't falling.

[playaloc916]

I think the team needs to incorporate Bledsoe better. He brings a more aggressive, wreckless dynamic, but if they can control it, it might be pretty effective. And yes, Mr. June can't be the second option. He takes too many deep threes, and teams are aware that he can score. He needs to mix it up and drive more often.

At the moment, it seems nobody else except PG can comfortably get 20+ a game. Some one really needs to step up and take on some of the scoring load. By the end of the season, Mann could possibly be that guy, but it's going to be a rough stretch until then...

LA TIMES:

Guard Eric Bledsoe has made 14 of his 22 shots within 10 feet this season but has struggled mightily outside point-blank range. His decision to take a pull-up three-pointer in the third quarter, early in the shot clock, was particularly ill-advised, costing the Clippers a possession when they had trimmed their 15-point first-half deficit to just four.

Ouch. As for R-Jax, I've always defended Jamal and Lou for having the courage to jack it up there when we needed points and nobody else was doing jackspit. Somehow Reggie is getting us 15.5 ppg [#2 scorer] on admittedly dreadful efficiency--32%/30% and 1 FT per game, for a 41% eFG.

But Bledsoe is not much better at 43% eFG and is non-existent outside 10 feet--taking only 7% of his shots from mid-distance [at a meh 33%] but then taking 31% of his total shots from three--at an ABOMINABLE 15%!! And that's not gonna improve appreciably--he's a 33% career 3-pt shooter--you'd rather have any of the rest of our shooters take it.


Look, I'm not down on Bled either--his 42%/34% from last year [and a career-low 1.6 TO per game] will be just fine. He too is being asked to do too much. We gotta get help from somewhere else. I think R-Jax and Bled are heroes.

Bled's outside shooting has been pretty suspect, I hope he doesn't take too many jumpers. It's his driving and finishing inside that is valuable.

I still remember being shocked at Baron Davis' 3pt % together with his 3fga one year... It was pretty gross...

[LamarWho]

Bled has never been a good shooter for a guard. He's not a bucket getter, not at this point of his career for sure. I like him on our team, but we never address the issue of lack of scoring in the off season. No Kawhi, no more 6th man of the year caliber players, that's a big gap to fill in the scoring department.

[TheNewEra]

Hope Ibaka isn’t another Chauncey situation and never gets fully healthy during tenure.

[esqtvd]

Bled has never been a good shooter for a guard. He's not a bucket getter, not at this point of his career for sure. I like him on our team, but we never address the issue of lack of scoring in the off season. No Kawhi, no more 6th man of the year caliber players, that's a big gap to fill in the scoring department.

That's why I was so meh on signing Justise, who's been an offensive liability [41%/32%] his whole career. And now he's cracked the rotation?