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CLIPPERS LOSE
The #18 Clippers blog on the Web! (The Clippers of Clippers Blogs)News Roundup: January 19, 2010
Rush, Skinner Dealt To Kings For Second RounderJanuary 15, 2010 - In what was a pure salary dump, Kareem Rush and Brian Skinner have been dealt to the Sacramento Kings for a top-40 protected second-round pick in the upcoming draft. The Kings, 8-7, are enjoying their best start in years, and are looking to make a playoff run. Skinner gives them another big up front, and Rush more insurance for the oft-injured Kevin Martin. The Clippers save $1.5 million this year, and also shed Rush's 4 year, $2 million contract. I like this for the Clippers. They no longer have to pay a pair of guys who have yet to play this year, and even get a top 40 pick out of it. The Kings get two players for essentially nothing, but those players are barely worth roster spots.
Clippers Trade Grade: A- | Kings Trade Grade: D
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Mike Dunleavy Steps Down As GM, Replaced By WashburnJanuary 16, 2010 - Mike Dunleavy is no longer our general manager. Today, he announced his resignation as general manager, stating that he wanted to focus solely on coaching the Clippers back to the playoffs. He is to be replaced by former Hawks GM Liam Washburn.
Frankly, I'm not particularly happy with this. While Dumbleavy is an atrocious coach, he has actually been decent as our general manager, ditching some of our worst contracts and players, and acquiring some solid role players. If only it were the other way around, and he was stepping down as coach. Liam Washburn did an excellent job in Atlanta, leading them to their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. However, supposed rifts with players and fellow team executives are concerning. If he gets rid of Dunleavy, then I'll be on board. With the Clippers being a better than expected 5-5 without Blake Griffin, Washburn will likely stand pat in regards to roster movement this season.
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Blake Griffin To Play Against MavericksJanuary 19, 2010 - Coach Dunleavy has announced today that #1 pick Blake Griffin will make his debut tomorrow night in Dallas. Griffin, 20, has missed all ten games to this point due to a broken kneecap sustained in the Clippers' final pre-season game. Earlier this month, rumors of a January 20 return for the rookie power forward surfaced. After opting against season-ending surgery to repair the kneecap, and will make that date.
Griffin will come off the bench, and likely play limited minutes. The former Sooner will have his hands full, matching up against superstar Dirk Nowitzki. "Team trainers told me that it was a huge risk but that it was my decision to make. I couldn't wait any longer", said Griffin. While we are currently eighth in the West, our Pythagorean record predicts a 13-16 (37-45 pro-rata), and we have enjoyed a favorable schedule. Blake Griffin's return, though risky, is necessary if we want to make the post-season this year. This move will likely move Marcus Camby to the bench eventually, and cause a severe dip in minutes for Craig Smith.
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CLIPPERS LOSE
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Los Angeles Clippers (5-6) @ Dallas Mavericks (12-3)
Despite Baron's 32 And Griffin's Return, The Mavericks Beat Us
Mavericks 105, Clippers 94
January 20, 2010 - So, we lost to the Mavericks by double digits, but I'm fairly happy about the game. Our starting backcourt of Baron Davis and Eric Gordon had a combined 57 points, Blake Griffin enjoyed a solid debut and we matched the NBA's second best team in every area except free throw shooting. We simply fell short, and that's nothing to be ashamed of.
For once, we did not begin the game with an 8-2 run, with the Mavericks narrowly leading for most of the first quarter. Halfway through, Blake Griffin subbed in for the first time, drawing some cheers from the road crowd. Griffin immediately posterized Erick Dampier for his first career points. This triggered a run, with Baron and Gordon lighting it up. We finished the high-octane first period 33-29, with Baron and EG accounting for two-thirds of our points.
The second quarter wasn't so favorable. Dallas used a 10-2 run to retake the lead, which they proceeded to build. With surprising ferocity on defense and the boards. Dirk Nowitzki enjoyed a dominant second period, despite not scoring much. Jason Kidd was nailing treys and layups, Jason Terry got to the line at will, and Shawn Marion made Al Thornton look like... well, Al Thornton. We finished the half on a 7-0 run triggered by a rare make from long range by Baron to go into halftime down 57-50.
That momentum continued into the third, as we opened with a 10-4 run to get us within a point. Unfortunately, they started drawing fouls again, with JET scoring 11 of his 29 in the period. We got to the line a few times as well, but we hit just over half of our attempts. Another problem was three-point shooting. Gordon and Baron, who have both been in slumps this season from beyond the arc, both hit their first attempts from distance, and then used their misguided confidence to chuck 7 missed threes in the third. One final stretch of inspired play out of a timeout had us going into the fourth down just three points.
The first five minutes of the penultimate quarter saw a lot of back-and-forth play. Blake got into a rhythm, but our other reserves simply weren't producing. (Griffin would finish with 13 of our 17 bench points) Dallas capitalized on a couple of our bad plays to get back up 7, then both teams got into a bit of a slump. With two minutes left, Dallas led 96-91. Ricky Davis bricked a three, and Jet got an and-one play on the other end. From there, it became a free-throw shooting contest. Unfortunately, the Mavericks are the best free-throw shooting team in the league, and we're the worst at three-point shooting. Dallas won 105-94 in the end, but the game was closer than that.
Griffin's debut was solid, with 13 points and 7 rebounds on 5-10 shooting in 26 minutes. Craig Smith played just three minutes thanks to the rookie's presence. Baron finished with a season-high 32 points, while Eric Gordon broke out of a slump with 25 points. However, his four turnovers proved costly. The stacked Mavericks had five players score at least 13 points, and improved to 12-3 on the season, good for second in the Western Conference (just a half game behind the 13-3 Lakers). When asked whether he thought the Mavericks were contenders, Dunleavy said "Absolutely. Rather than rebuild, Cuban decided to spend more money, and its finally paid off." We fall to 5-6 with the loss, a game behind Brian Skinner, Kareem Rush and the Kings for eighth place.![]()
The first points of Griffin's NBA career (poor Damp...) | Shawn Marion predictably made Al Thornton his bitch![]()
Baron Davis scores a shitload of points in another loss | In the NBA, the whistle is mightier than the sword33 17 26 18 94
29 28 22 26 105
JORDAN Player Of The Game: Jason Terry (Mavericks): 29 points, 5 assists, 10-11 FT (37 minutes)
Jason Terry was absolutely dominant. Though Baron won the scoring battle 32-29, Terry was more efficient, taking 17 shots (to Baron's 22), and more importantly, Dallas got the win. The Mavericks won the game by getting to the line at will, and Terry was at the forefront of this movement, taking 11 free shots and sinking 10 of them. The perennial fringe-all-star combo guard was better than Dirk, at least for one night.MCDWYANE Shitass Of The Game: Ricky Davis: 1 points, 0-5 FG, 1-4 FT (17 minutes)
After an awful outing against the Heat, most of Rasual Butler's minutes were given to Ricky Davis, who had an even worse game. Though he didn't commit any turnovers in his 17 minutes, Davis made the least of his possessions, missing all five of his shots (including a couple questionable long threes), and going 1-4 from the line. Yo Dumbleavy, I know you like to keep a small rotation this year, but keeping in the ice-cold Ricky Davis as opposed to Rasual Butler is what I'd call a poor judgment call to say the least. C'mon son.
Other Noteworthy Performances
Dirk Nowitzki: 18 points, 11 rebounds (38 minutes)
Jason Kidd: 13 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds (41 minutes)
Shawn Marion: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks (36 minutes)
Josh Howard: 14 points, 3 rebounds (32 minutes)
Baron Davis: 31 points, 7 assists, 3 steals (40 minutes)
Eric Gordon: 25 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 12-17 FG (42 minutes)
Blake Griffin: 13 points, 7 rebounds (26 minutes)
Chris Kaman: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks (32 minutes)
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Lamrock wrote:Yeah. I lowered his durability to 25 for the rest of the season so he's an injury risk. I don't have any plans to deal him - at least at the deadline right now. Torn between standing pat and making a minor deal at the deadline. Right now, Baron, Kaman, Gordon and Griffin are the only untouchable guys on the roster.
Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:02 pm
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Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:34 am
CLIPPERS LOSE
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Los Angeles Lakers (13-4) @ Los Angeles Clippers (6-6)
Game Of The Century.
Clippers 111, Lakers 108
January 26, 2010 - We trailed nearly the entire game, let Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest both enjoy 30 point games and we committed 17 turnovers. Thanks to some extremely favorable officiating, 55 bench points and a whole lot of heart, we pulled out the biggest victory of the season, perhaps the century.
At first, it looked as if the Lake Show would run us off the court. Jumping out to an early 14-2 lead, with Eric Gordon being benched early due to a pair of quick fouls, Mike Dunleavy was forced to take an early timeout. Ricky Davis sunk a trey, Chris Kaman drew foul after foul, and thanks to an early 11-4 free throw attempt advantage, we entered the second quarter down just 2. Kobe and Andrew Bynum, LA's leading first quarter scorers, both had a pair of fouls.
The next two periods would prove to be close, but it wasn't until there were two minutes left in the third that we took the lead. Baron Davis shook off a slow start to score a dozen of his 22 in the third quarter, but showed signs of fatigue with a couple of sloppy plays. With the "road" team leading 70-65, a lineup consisting of primarily our second unit enjoyed a 10-2 run to take their first lead of the game. Unfortunately, a pair of Artest treys were the cornerstone of a 10-0 Laker run to put them up 82-75 going into the fourth.
Things began to look hopeless when the deficit reached fifteen with LA leading 92-77. Al Thornton was benched for the rest of the game after attempting a layup on the wrong side of the backboard. Rasual Butler and Eric Gordon sunk back-to-back threes, and Baron jammed a fastbreak dunk to get us back into it. Bynum would end the drought with a dunk, but Butler and Gordon were on fire, and the young Laker Center soon fouled out. With 3:14 remaining in the fourth, the Laker lead was 100-95. Then, the best stretch of basketball the Clippers have played all season commenced.
Starting with a Butler trey, we went on a 14-0 run, we scored on five straight possessions. After the Lakers having a 57%-40% first half advantage in field goal percentage, we used the run to pad ours, and ruin their's. They even failed to score on a sequence in which they got three consecutive offensive boards. Phil Jackson smartly took a timeout following a Butler layup, and the Lakers made a run of their own.
With hard-nosed defense, and smart basketball, the Lakers took an 8-2 run to get within three points with 28 seconds remaining. Baron dribbled out the clock, before being fouled with 10 seconds left. I thought the game was over, then cursed Baron when he bonked both of them. Thankfully, Baron redeemed himself by stealing the ball from the Lakers' newly appointed starting point guard Jordan Farmar and dribbled out the time for the win, capping the most satisfying victory in recent memory. When asked about how the Clippers managed to overcome a 15 point fourth quarter deficit, player of the game Rasual Butler said "all heart baby, all heart".
We got 20+ point performances from Baron, EG and Butler, and got nearly half of our points (55/111) from our bench. However, Butler and rookie Blake Griffin, who combined for 41 of those points, will start in the next game, over veteran big Marcus Camby and retard Al Thornton, Dunleavy announced after the game. "With Al's versatility and Marcus's age, I think starting Rasual and Blake is the best course of action. Marcus and Al will still get the same amount of minutes, but will do so with the second unit".
Leading scorer Kobe Bryant criticized the officiating, saying "We shouldn't have lost this game. We couldn't buy a call this game". Phil Jackson shifted the blame to his players. "We didn't get the calls because we simply didn't play with intensity. We didn't take these guys seriously and paid the price. We need to get Pau more involved, because we aren't paying him to score 8 points". The Lakers surrender their status as the #1 team in the league to the 13-3 Trailblazers, who we play next. The game will be our last in the month of January, and kick off a seven game road trip. We currently hold a half-game lead over the New Orleans for the final playoff seed in the West.![]()
Defensive stalwart Eric Gordon lets Shannon dunk | Al Thornton doesn't quite get what a reverse layup is![]()
Baron and the referee: A bromance | Kobe was not pleased with the calls![]()
Bynum somehow infiltrated our tough interior D | Rasual Butler scored 14 in the fourth quarter25 28 29 26 108
23 25 27 36 111
JORDAN Player Of The Game: Rasual Butler (Clippers): 27 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 11-14 FG, 3-4 3pt (31 minutes)
Rasual Butler did not play in the last game, and boy did he bounce back tonight. After a solid first half in which he scored 8 points in a dozen minutes, Butler didn't truly catch fire until the fourth quarter. When Al Thornton, our worst player, picked up a backcourt violation, Butler subbed in with 10 minutes remaining, and would play the rest of the way. Butler sank three treys, got to the line at will and even deferred to his teammates. The journeyman tied his season-high 27 points, and did so on just 14 shot attempts. He was very instrumental in our late 14-0 run. He will start over Al Thornton next game.MCDWYANE Shitass Of The Game: Al Thornton: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1-11 FG (28 minutes)
Al Thornton scored the first points of the game with a thunderous dunk, and continued to look like he might be developing in a productive player. Unfortunately, he would go on to miss his next 10 shots (four of them ridiculous three-point attempts, of which he is 0-20 at this season), and have a few ridiculous turnovers. Its rare that I give this distinction to a player on the winning team, but Al Thornton was so awful that he has to be singled out. Thank God Dumbleavy is finally moving him to the bench.
Other Noteworthy Performances
Baron Davis: 22 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, 10-14 FG, 2-6 FT (34 minutes)
Eric Gordon: 22 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, 8-11 FG, 5-5 FT (32 minutes)
Blake Griffin: 14 points, 6 rebounds (27 minutes)
Chris Kaman: 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks (33 minutes)
Kobe Bryant: 33 points, 7 steals, 3 assists (37 minutes)
Ron Artest: 32 points, 14-20 FG, 4-7 3pt (38 minutes)
Andrew Bynum: 15 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 6 fouls, 5-7 FG (32 minutes)
Jordan Farmar: 13 points, 11 assists (30 minutes)
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Sit wrote:I like. I like it a lot. Just like the real-life Lakers who struggle against shit teams.