As discussed in my previous post, I'm still holding off crowning my beloved Clippers as contenders until they show better consistency where winning games is concerned.
Due to the intensity of this season's condensed NBA schedule, the Clippers have won three games and lost one in a few short days since my "Managing Expectations" piece, which should put me at ease. I'm still coming around slowly. Problem is, the games they won were all hard-fought and still within ten points at the final buzzer, while the one they lost was out of reach early in the third quarter and ended with a 29-point spread.
The Good: Beating the Lakers on Saturday was huge.
The Clippers have been the long-forgotten second fiddle (even third, perhaps, when the WNBA's Sparks are winning) of Los Angeles pro ball since their arrival in 1984. Since the Staples Centre opened in 1999, they've had the unique distinction of being the second-best NBA team in their very own stadium. Imagine what it must feel like sharing your space with the league's most successful franchise while consistently reaffirming your title as the "Worst Franchise in Sports." The Lakers and Clippers do not share a locker room, but they do share parking lots and hallways, and are thus bound to cross paths with some regularity. Something tells me that players from the two teams would have had a hard time communicating due to the polarity of their roles.
I picture their past relationship playing out like a lunchroom scene from a bad teen movie, wherein Kobe and the "cool" kids in purple and gold harass and ostracize the nameless "losers" in blue and red sitting at the next table. Cherokee Parks, the goth, gets teased about his hair and tattoos. Marko Jaric, the foreign exchange student, can't defend himself with his limited English. Whang Zhizhi, the token Asian, tries desperately to ignore the tater-tots bouncing off the back of his head. Andre Miller, the quiet loner, gets robbed for his lunch money...daily. Michael Olowokandi, the uncoordinated tall kid, gets his pants pulled down in front of the popular girls...daily. And Eric Piatkowski, the Rooster...well, his nickname really is "The Rooster."
While the Lakers have been more associated with winning than Charlie Sheen, the Clippers have struggled just to earn anyone's professional respect since their founding in 1970. The Lakers are arguably the most successful NBA franchise in history, boasting 31 Conference Titles and 16 Championships. The Clippers have neither. As described in the opening paragraph of the Los Angeles Clippers' Wikipedia entry: "The team has only had six winning seasons in its entire history, and only two since moving to Los Angeles in 1984. They have never won a division title or gotten past the second round of the NBA playoffs." In other words, the Clippers are simply not good...ever.
Until now, or so it would seem.
The Clippers followed this past weekend's win over the Lakers by beating the lowly New Jersey Nets on Monday. The Nets are terrible, so the only significance of this win was that the Clips achieved it without star point guard and team leader Chris Paul, who's sitting out right now due to a pulled hamstring suffered towards the end of the Laker game. To those paying attention, the victory proved that the Clips could win without Paul. To those paying closer attention, they simply beat the Nets just like everyone else does when it's their turn.
The Bad: The loss to the Jazz on Tuesday was of epic proportions.
One can try to blame the Chris Paul injury, which left the Clippers without their new quarterback and hero. One could choose instead to blame the grueling, lockout-shortened schedule, which had the Clippers playing three games in three nights. One could even blame the challenging environment provided by the loyal and reputedly ruthless fans in Utah, where the Clippers have not won a game since 2003 and are 2-43 over their past 45 visits. But the real blame has to fall on the Clippers players and coaches themselves, who didn't appear to notice they were involved in an NBA game until it was too late.
The Clippers came out of the gates apathetic and unprepared. They missed seven of their first eight shots, allowing the Jazz to jump out to a 13-2 lead within minutes. The game never really got much closer the rest of the way, especially in the second half when both teams sat their starters to let the rookies and role-players get some burn. Even then, the Jazz reserves took it to the Clips and stretched the already gaping lead. The 108-79 final score was so extreme it's probably best forgotten.
And it would seem as though the Clippers may have done just that.
The Upset: The Clips take down the champs.
As Bob Marley's Redemption Song played in the ears of Clipper fans everywhere (that being parts of the Staples Centre and my living room), Chauncey Billups calmly drained a game-winning three-pointer to give the Clips a much-needed win over the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. In a back-and-forth game that saw team saviour Chris Paul still on the bench in (ridiculously expensive) street clothes while trade-bait Mo Williams went off for 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting, the Clippers emerged victorious in a true test of wills. This was a big win due in part to the Mavericks current (although potentially fading) status as Champions, but more so due to the Clippers strong play down the stretch. Closing out games is what separates the men from the boys in professional sports, and the Clippers played like men tonight.
After Dallas' Jason Terry hit a huge three-pointer with only seconds remaining in the game, it looked as though the Clippers had missed out on a great opportunity on their home court. As Terry's shot went through the net, the Clips on the court could be seen pointing fingers and arguing about who'd missed their defensive assignment. The younger players looked dejected heading for the subsequent timeout - hands down, shoulders slumped, eyes to the floor. But this is why the Clippers went after a player like Billups, an NBA Champion and Finals MVP himself in 2004, this offseason. He's a winner. He's a veteran. He's seen it all in his fourteen years in the league and does not back down from dare-to-be-great moments. He's cool, calm, collected, and clutch. He's "Mr. Big Shot!"
Chauncey Billups was recently named one of the most underrated offseason acquisitions in the NBA's annual GM survey, and tonight's game exemplifies why. When Chris Paul is out with an injury, Billups is more than capable as his replacement. He's been a star in the league for the better part of a decade and could start at point guard for most NBA teams, including the New York Knicks, who let him and his contract go prior to start of the season to make room for the long arm and longer salary of Tyson Chandler, only to find themselves with shoot-first and miss-most rookie Iman Shumpert running their offense...but I digress. Billups is born for games like tonight's. He is made for moments like these. He's the anti-Lebron. On a team suddenly full of stars, "Mr. Big Shot" doesn't care about who gets the most shine. He cares about winning. He simply goes about his business, making smart plays on both ends of the court until the big shot comes along. Then he takes it. And makes it. And gets back on defense.
Because that's what winners do.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Managing Expectations
This week, the historically lowly Los Angeles Clippers beat the star-studded Miami Heat. Some have taken this to mean that the Clippers have arrived; have lived up to the preseason hype that accompanied the acquisition of Chris Paul. This longtime Clippers fan, however, is not yet convinced.
First of all, they barely beat the Heat. In all fairness, the Heat lost the game and the Clippers just happened to be the other team on the floor that night.
While some of the credit is due to the Clips defensive effort, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime, the Heat could have won the game in regulation at the free throw line. As a team, the Heat shot 20-for-34 from the line in the game, including 9-of-16 over the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Lebron James led the charge, shooting 9-for-17 from the stripe with four misses down the stretch that would have either tied the score or given the Heat the lead. His final miss with 5.1 seconds remaining allowed the game to stretch to overtime.
The Heat continued to struggle through the overtime period, which was their second played in as many nights. They shot only 1-of-10 from the floor in the extra session, leaving the door open for a Clipper victory.
Secondly, the Clips were running a paltry 3-man offensive show in the first half, wherein only Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and Mo Williams had scored after more than twenty minutes of play. With the sudden wealth of talent on the Clippers' roster this year, they will have to demonstrate more offensive diversity in order to succeed against the league's elite teams. While both Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups eventually got into the act, each scoring in double-figures by game's end, their relative absence in the first two stanzas is cause for concern.
And third, this was only the Clippers second win this season against a winning team. Beating Golden State, Houston, and Milwaukee doesn't make up for big losses to better teams like San Antonio and Chicago. Their only other notable win so far came against a Portland team that beat them right back earlier this week, nullifying any real ground gained.
For this year's Clippers to fulfill their new-found potential, they must win consistently against playoff-caliber teams. Beating the Heat in January means very little come May. It should be noted that the Heat were little more than a .500 team at this stage of last season, before they seemingly found the cohesion needed to carry them all the way to the NBA Finals. A number of lesser teams found ways to beat them early in the year, only to find themselves watching from home as the Heat burned through the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. The Clippers were one of those teams last year, handing the Heat a loss 367 days ago. Following the win, then-Clipper shooting guard, Eric Gordon, raved that the win was the best of his Clipper career.
This marks the clear discrepancy between the top-tiered teams in the NBA and the Clippers as we've known them; the former will settle for nothing less than championships, while the latter bathe in the glory of a single regular season home victory. Even more so when televised. Can you imagine players from the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Spurs, Mavericks, or even the Heat listing regular season wins amongst their greatest ever? Think Kobe ever hung his hat on a meaningless, January, one-game winning streak?
The best teams play for the "second season," and nothing less. Regular season foes are seen as mere obstacles and practice dummies for contenders, not career-defining opportunities. Sure, they serve as a measuring stick for performance. And, yes, every game is reflected in the standings. But, for the players on those teams striving to write their names in the history books, a career pinnacle marked by an all-but-irrelevant mid-season conquest would be cause for retirement.
Thankfully, the new Clippers seem to be coming to terms with this winning approach. When asked, post-game, about the win over the Heat this week, Blake Griffin had the following response:
"It's just another win. We can't hang our hat on that. It's about winning these games and winning the so-called smaller games because that's what puts your franchise in a winning position."
Exactly! Wining games because that is what winning teams do.
Oh, and it's also great when they do this...
For full game highlights, click on the following link:
http://www.nba.com/video/games/clippers/2012/01/11/0021100153_mia_lac_recap.nba
First of all, they barely beat the Heat. In all fairness, the Heat lost the game and the Clippers just happened to be the other team on the floor that night.
While some of the credit is due to the Clips defensive effort, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime, the Heat could have won the game in regulation at the free throw line. As a team, the Heat shot 20-for-34 from the line in the game, including 9-of-16 over the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Lebron James led the charge, shooting 9-for-17 from the stripe with four misses down the stretch that would have either tied the score or given the Heat the lead. His final miss with 5.1 seconds remaining allowed the game to stretch to overtime.
The Heat continued to struggle through the overtime period, which was their second played in as many nights. They shot only 1-of-10 from the floor in the extra session, leaving the door open for a Clipper victory.
Secondly, the Clips were running a paltry 3-man offensive show in the first half, wherein only Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and Mo Williams had scored after more than twenty minutes of play. With the sudden wealth of talent on the Clippers' roster this year, they will have to demonstrate more offensive diversity in order to succeed against the league's elite teams. While both Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups eventually got into the act, each scoring in double-figures by game's end, their relative absence in the first two stanzas is cause for concern.
And third, this was only the Clippers second win this season against a winning team. Beating Golden State, Houston, and Milwaukee doesn't make up for big losses to better teams like San Antonio and Chicago. Their only other notable win so far came against a Portland team that beat them right back earlier this week, nullifying any real ground gained.
For this year's Clippers to fulfill their new-found potential, they must win consistently against playoff-caliber teams. Beating the Heat in January means very little come May. It should be noted that the Heat were little more than a .500 team at this stage of last season, before they seemingly found the cohesion needed to carry them all the way to the NBA Finals. A number of lesser teams found ways to beat them early in the year, only to find themselves watching from home as the Heat burned through the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. The Clippers were one of those teams last year, handing the Heat a loss 367 days ago. Following the win, then-Clipper shooting guard, Eric Gordon, raved that the win was the best of his Clipper career.
This marks the clear discrepancy between the top-tiered teams in the NBA and the Clippers as we've known them; the former will settle for nothing less than championships, while the latter bathe in the glory of a single regular season home victory. Even more so when televised. Can you imagine players from the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Spurs, Mavericks, or even the Heat listing regular season wins amongst their greatest ever? Think Kobe ever hung his hat on a meaningless, January, one-game winning streak?
The best teams play for the "second season," and nothing less. Regular season foes are seen as mere obstacles and practice dummies for contenders, not career-defining opportunities. Sure, they serve as a measuring stick for performance. And, yes, every game is reflected in the standings. But, for the players on those teams striving to write their names in the history books, a career pinnacle marked by an all-but-irrelevant mid-season conquest would be cause for retirement.
Thankfully, the new Clippers seem to be coming to terms with this winning approach. When asked, post-game, about the win over the Heat this week, Blake Griffin had the following response:
"It's just another win. We can't hang our hat on that. It's about winning these games and winning the so-called smaller games because that's what puts your franchise in a winning position."
Exactly! Wining games because that is what winning teams do.
Oh, and it's also great when they do this...
For full game highlights, click on the following link:
http://www.nba.com/video/games/clippers/2012/01/11/0021100153_mia_lac_recap.nba
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Hell Freezes Over
I cannot believe the cost of shipping to Hades over the Holidays!
This past Boxing Day, following the Los Angeles Clippers' back-to-back intra-city preseason wins against the Lakers and easy victory over the Golden State Warriors in their season opener, I picked up a few extra winter garments at discounted prices to donate to Lucifer and his unfortunate souls below. I had seen the signs of things to come and recognized that Hell must surely have frozen over. How else could the Clippers' new-found success be explained?
The simple answer is the addition of all-world point guard Chris Paul, acquired via trade from the New Orleans Hornets a few short days before the preseason began. According to multiple news sources, the addition of Paul moved the Clippers from an outside-looking-in potential playoff team to contenders for the NBA Championship. While there is no denying Chris Paul's talent, nor his ability to make those around him better with his court vision and playmaking skills, this writer has yet to crown the Clippers as the best NBA team in the city of LA, let alone the Western Conference.
As a long-time Clipper fan, and I believe I speak for all four of us, I have experienced the disappointment of false hope before. I have learned to manage my emotions and temper my expectations over the course of a tempestuous twenty-year love affair with the "worst franchise in sports." After all, if more than two decades of lottery draft picks can result in...well...nothing but more lottery picks, how much can one player really change?
The truth is, though, there is more than one player involved. Also suggestive of Hell's freezing over, much hated and tightfisted Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, actually spent some money on free agents this off-season. First, the front office was able to talk two-time All-Star Caron Butler into leaving the reigning NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks for a starting role with the City of Angels' oft-ignored NBA laughing stock. Then, when the New York Knicks dropped five-time All-Star Chauncey Billups from their roster as part of the new collective bargaining agreement's amnesty clause, the Clippers were able to pick him up at the bargain-basement price of $2-million for the season (the Knicks will pay the other $12.2-million still contractually owed to Billups). Even more shocking perhaps was the re-signing of DeAndre Jordan. Not because the Clippers didn't need a center with Jordan's skill-set, but because they had barely played him since drafting him in the second round in 2008 and the Golden State Warriors had seemingly overbid for his services for the upcoming season. The Clippers choosing to match the Warriors' offer sheet and pay Jordan $43-million over four years is yet another warning of a cold front approaching Abaddon.
All this has resulted in the Clippers suddenly news-worthy roster. The team now boasts a starting lineup featuring four All-Stars in Paul, Billups, Butler, and last year's Rookie of the Year, Blake Griffin. Not to mention another coming off the bench in Mo Williams. Add to that the exciting dunking and shot-blocking of DeAndre Jordan, some first- and second-year players with star-potential, and a bevy of savvy role-playing vets, and one can see why the media has jumped onto the Clipper bandwagon so early in this young, lockout-shortened NBA season.
For me, this upswing in Clipper fortune all dates back to May 19th of 2009 when the Clippers unexpectedly won the NBA Draft Lottery, ensuring them the first overall pick in that year's draft. I can still recall hearing the news and immediately letting everyone within earshot know that "we" had just won the Blake Griffin Sweepstakes and that everything was about to change for Clippers fans the world-over. Again, I felt I was shouting for all four of us.
We desperate citizens of Clipper Nation were not home free yet. We still had to wait for the announcement of the number one pick. If the Clippers' previously-incomprehensible powers-that-be had chosen the young Spanish homebody Ricky Rubio or, worse, the eternal project that is Hasheem Thabeet, I would have had to renounce my fandom and join the rest of the world in jeering Clipper Nation for the rest of my days. To my heart's content, though, NBA Commissioner David Stern took the podium at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York on the night of June 25th, 2009 and exclaimed the following:
"With the first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Blake Griffin!"
Blake's arrival in Clipperville was like my dream come true. I had been avidly following his Sophomore season with the Oklahoma Sooners and had declared him my favourite player to watch long before his name was called by Mr. Stern. His freakish athleticism, stoic demeanour, and tireless work ethic assured me that he would star for the Clips from the get-go. When my girlfriend called me from the NBA store in NYC I knew she was hunting for a surprise souvenir.
"Who's your favourite NBA team, again?" she asked.
"The Clippers," I replied.
"Right," she continued, "and who's your favourite player?"
"Well," I explained, "he hasn't actually played a game yet, but his name is Blake Griffin."
A week later I was proudly wearing the jersey on the courts near our apartment in Victoria, BC. Needless to say, I was the only one. Now, with Griffin's jersey among the most popular in the league, I would probably look like just another bandwagon jumper in my red and blue #32. The Clippers were among the most popular visiting teams in the league last year, selling out arenas nationwide over the course of Blake Griffin's travelling above-the-rim exposition. What a difference a rookie season can make.
In my mind, there is no way that Butler, Billups, Paul, and possibly even Jordan would have ended up with the Clippers were they without Griffin. He is the draw for fans and players alike. His exploits are exciting, his candour is compelling, and his star is shining brightly for all to see.
Thankfully, due to the media's sudden love for all things Blake and never-before-seen regularly scheduled nationally televised appearances for the Clippers, the new shining stars of Staples Centre can now be seen even outside of the greater Lob Angeles region.
My money says that even Beelzebub and the boys will be spending the hellishly-cold winter months indoors, glued to their TV sets to catch all of the goings on in Lob City. I wonder what NBA League Pass costs down there?
This past Boxing Day, following the Los Angeles Clippers' back-to-back intra-city preseason wins against the Lakers and easy victory over the Golden State Warriors in their season opener, I picked up a few extra winter garments at discounted prices to donate to Lucifer and his unfortunate souls below. I had seen the signs of things to come and recognized that Hell must surely have frozen over. How else could the Clippers' new-found success be explained?
The simple answer is the addition of all-world point guard Chris Paul, acquired via trade from the New Orleans Hornets a few short days before the preseason began. According to multiple news sources, the addition of Paul moved the Clippers from an outside-looking-in potential playoff team to contenders for the NBA Championship. While there is no denying Chris Paul's talent, nor his ability to make those around him better with his court vision and playmaking skills, this writer has yet to crown the Clippers as the best NBA team in the city of LA, let alone the Western Conference.
As a long-time Clipper fan, and I believe I speak for all four of us, I have experienced the disappointment of false hope before. I have learned to manage my emotions and temper my expectations over the course of a tempestuous twenty-year love affair with the "worst franchise in sports." After all, if more than two decades of lottery draft picks can result in...well...nothing but more lottery picks, how much can one player really change?
The truth is, though, there is more than one player involved. Also suggestive of Hell's freezing over, much hated and tightfisted Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, actually spent some money on free agents this off-season. First, the front office was able to talk two-time All-Star Caron Butler into leaving the reigning NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks for a starting role with the City of Angels' oft-ignored NBA laughing stock. Then, when the New York Knicks dropped five-time All-Star Chauncey Billups from their roster as part of the new collective bargaining agreement's amnesty clause, the Clippers were able to pick him up at the bargain-basement price of $2-million for the season (the Knicks will pay the other $12.2-million still contractually owed to Billups). Even more shocking perhaps was the re-signing of DeAndre Jordan. Not because the Clippers didn't need a center with Jordan's skill-set, but because they had barely played him since drafting him in the second round in 2008 and the Golden State Warriors had seemingly overbid for his services for the upcoming season. The Clippers choosing to match the Warriors' offer sheet and pay Jordan $43-million over four years is yet another warning of a cold front approaching Abaddon.
All this has resulted in the Clippers suddenly news-worthy roster. The team now boasts a starting lineup featuring four All-Stars in Paul, Billups, Butler, and last year's Rookie of the Year, Blake Griffin. Not to mention another coming off the bench in Mo Williams. Add to that the exciting dunking and shot-blocking of DeAndre Jordan, some first- and second-year players with star-potential, and a bevy of savvy role-playing vets, and one can see why the media has jumped onto the Clipper bandwagon so early in this young, lockout-shortened NBA season.
For me, this upswing in Clipper fortune all dates back to May 19th of 2009 when the Clippers unexpectedly won the NBA Draft Lottery, ensuring them the first overall pick in that year's draft. I can still recall hearing the news and immediately letting everyone within earshot know that "we" had just won the Blake Griffin Sweepstakes and that everything was about to change for Clippers fans the world-over. Again, I felt I was shouting for all four of us.
We desperate citizens of Clipper Nation were not home free yet. We still had to wait for the announcement of the number one pick. If the Clippers' previously-incomprehensible powers-that-be had chosen the young Spanish homebody Ricky Rubio or, worse, the eternal project that is Hasheem Thabeet, I would have had to renounce my fandom and join the rest of the world in jeering Clipper Nation for the rest of my days. To my heart's content, though, NBA Commissioner David Stern took the podium at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York on the night of June 25th, 2009 and exclaimed the following:
"With the first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Blake Griffin!"
Blake's arrival in Clipperville was like my dream come true. I had been avidly following his Sophomore season with the Oklahoma Sooners and had declared him my favourite player to watch long before his name was called by Mr. Stern. His freakish athleticism, stoic demeanour, and tireless work ethic assured me that he would star for the Clips from the get-go. When my girlfriend called me from the NBA store in NYC I knew she was hunting for a surprise souvenir.
"Who's your favourite NBA team, again?" she asked.
"The Clippers," I replied.
"Right," she continued, "and who's your favourite player?"
"Well," I explained, "he hasn't actually played a game yet, but his name is Blake Griffin."
A week later I was proudly wearing the jersey on the courts near our apartment in Victoria, BC. Needless to say, I was the only one. Now, with Griffin's jersey among the most popular in the league, I would probably look like just another bandwagon jumper in my red and blue #32. The Clippers were among the most popular visiting teams in the league last year, selling out arenas nationwide over the course of Blake Griffin's travelling above-the-rim exposition. What a difference a rookie season can make.
In my mind, there is no way that Butler, Billups, Paul, and possibly even Jordan would have ended up with the Clippers were they without Griffin. He is the draw for fans and players alike. His exploits are exciting, his candour is compelling, and his star is shining brightly for all to see.
Thankfully, due to the media's sudden love for all things Blake and never-before-seen regularly scheduled nationally televised appearances for the Clippers, the new shining stars of Staples Centre can now be seen even outside of the greater Lob Angeles region.
My money says that even Beelzebub and the boys will be spending the hellishly-cold winter months indoors, glued to their TV sets to catch all of the goings on in Lob City. I wonder what NBA League Pass costs down there?
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