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Time to Step Up: The Winter of Discontent

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Time to Step Up: The Winter of Discontent 

Post#1 » by TrueLAfan » Sun Dec 26, 2021 3:51 pm

In the next month, we play 18 games. That’s not a typo. Today’s the 26th. We play game 50, 18 games from now, on January 26th. This is the brutal stretch, and we just lost PG for 3-5 weeks. We are way light on scoring, on players in general. It’s time to bitch.

Except, let’s not. Seriously. Bitching isn’t changing anything. Right after the draft, I was vaguely concerned/irritated by the fact that we have so many 6’4” to 6’7” SG/SFs on the roster. Now, they’ll have time to shine. Now is when they can make their bones in the NBA—in important minutes of important games, not in garbage time. Players that have been complaining about playing time—I’m looking at you, Serge—have the chance to show why they should get more. It’s going to be a $#\tshow no matter what, but if we look at it as an opportunity—if it we convince our players, mainly our young players, that this is an opportunity, because it is, then we might come out of this okay.

Brandon Boston? Step on up, son. You want the minutes. You’ve got a lot of the skills to be a good player. Now you need to buckle down and be disciplined and play some D, make better decisions. You’re going to get those minutes—take advantage. Step up, kid.

Keon Johnson? You just started to get minutes. Word is you were tough as nails in practice and figuring things out. Show us. We don’t expect miracles—it’s only seven months since we drafted you. But you had and have expectations and abilities to go where you did. Hone those skills, bro. Step up and step in.

Jay Scrubb? I’ve been hearing for two years how you were this undiscovered JUCO gem, that you were lottery talent playing on teams below your talent level. You’ve shown flashes post injury of that ability. Show us more. Step up and ball for us, when we need you—it will make your NBA career.

Serge Ibaka? You’re going to get minutes now. Mook is in protocols. Play hard, don’t complain. Gotta say that, IMO, the complaining you’ve done doesn’t look good on a guy who was hurt last year and the team never wavered in its public commitment to. Hartenstein has been playing like a monster; that was your problem—that and your own tentativeness. Time to come back, Serge. Step up.

Jason Preston? Yup. I remember you. You’re listed as “missing a large part of the season.” And a large part of the season will be gone by the time PG comes back—over 60%. You seem like the type of guy that’s a gym rat and a hard worker, who has pushed hard for what he’s gotten. Now is the time to show that. If you can get ready to play, great. If you’re still a month or two away—your time is still close and you need to be all in on practices and game study and team loyalty. Our team’s leading playmaker just went down. You can show that you understand the depth of that.

I’m not stupid. I know we’ve taken a massive hit with PG going down at the worst time of the year. But it is what it is. I don’t want to play the “if ___ was here, then…” Ain’t gonna happen. Players are out. Other players have to step up. We’ve talked to varying degrees about how we think we’ve actually got some young, NBA caliber talent. There’s no perfect time to jump in—but, like it or not, it’s time to jump. Now.

And we can be reasonable with expectations to. Game 50 is one month away. If we were .500—25-25—at the end of the day on January 26th, it would be fantastic. 8-10 would be an amazing run for a team missing it’s two stars during a brutal schedule run. Hell, 7-11 would be good. 6-12 would be … well, not great, but understandable. That’s my bottom line. Anything over 6 wins in the next 18 games is fine. People will have been stepping up—getting some glory out of our discontent.
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Re: Time to Step Up: The Winter of Discontent 

Post#2 » by Dynamix » Sun Dec 26, 2021 4:08 pm

My main regret is that Preston will most likely be out for this entire stretch. Would've been an ideal situation for the young point guard to get some decent minutes, especially while Reggie was out.

I'm also a bit concerned about Luke and Hart missing extended time.

But having said that, let's unleash the Scrubb!
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Re: Time to Step Up: The Winter of Discontent 

Post#3 » by KL2 » Sun Dec 26, 2021 4:08 pm

This is why I wanted the young guys to get minutes early and often so they’d have reps and feel comfortable in the situation the team is now in. Coffey and Scrubb have the most playing time experience. Boston was coming along and now Johnson has to be thrown in the deep end. Thankfully he looks prepared.

In the other thread I said no more sending healthy bodies to the g-league. It’s time to use all hands on deck.

They should also take advantage of signing another player for Jackson under the hardship rule. Maybe they don’t sniff the floor but use it while you can.

And there it is.

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Re: Time to Step Up: The Winter of Discontent 

Post#4 » by KL2 » Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:50 pm

Sign another player.

Jay Scrubb has entered health and safety protocols.
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Re: Time to Step Up: The Winter of Discontent 

Post#5 » by MartinToVaught » Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:29 pm

Mildly interesting fact: Xavier Moon is the nephew of former Clipper Jamario Moon.
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The Spursian Test 

Post#6 » by Wammy Giveaway » Mon Dec 27, 2021 5:13 am

Leonard isn't coming back until the Clippers qualify for the playoffs. Now George won't be back for at the most four weeks, but it could be worse, and given Clipper's losing history, there's a chance he could be lost for the rest of the season.

The Clipper's poise will be extremely tested. They haven't had a regular season ejection since Tyronn Lue became coach, yet they've teetered that line a couple times this season. Clippers have had three two-game losing streaks, unlocking their "fear of going down 3-0 in the playoffs" sense of urgency to protect their championship chances, but have since gone on to have two three-game losing streaks. They are currently 17-16, one game away from being .500 and in the play-in tournament, two away from going under .500 and turning into a lottery team to miss the playoffs altogether.

Including tonight's loss to Nuggets, there are 20 games without George up ahead. A 5-in-7 is coming up, at least four or five of the games are against lottery teams of which Clippers haven't been able to take seriously, and some games could get postponed even with the newly approved 10-day hardship addendum, increasing the likelihood of a back-to-back-to-back should schedulers decide to up the ante. Clippers have not had a double-digit losing streak ever since the birth of Lob City with the vetoed Chris Paul trade - they were one game away from a ten-game losing streak in 2017-18 season. And, get this: Clippers are 9-11 when both Leonard and George are not playing, a .450 win percentage. This could end up being the season where the Clippers hit 10 losses in a row. Once you have that, they're out of the playoffs. And when the Clippers are eliminated from contention, Chris Paul wins.

Can the Clippers find it in themselves to win games without any superstar power for the next 19 games? Who becomes the de facto All-Star, or can a role player become an All-Star for a day, or is this the return of the Revenge Of The Role Players?
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Re: Time to Step Up: The Winter of Discontent 

Post#7 » by Bobbymcgee » Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:23 am

The more playing time the youngsters get the better. Especially Boston.

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