New and Improved Clips

11:44:32 PM EST
Feeling Ecstatic
Hearing Argyll Broadswords

I wrote in the last entry the San Antonio Spurs would slaughter the Clippers; it wasn't even worth the time to play the game.

Talk about wrong.

The Clips broke the Spurs' seven-game winning streak without even having to try too hard. This is Clips basketball as it can and should be played every night. That 18-4 run in the second half was just lovely.

"It just shows what our team can do," Corey Maggette said. "When we execute and do what we're supposed to do, it's hard for teams to beat us - even the world champs." That's the way to talk! Yes!

Nice to see Maggette starting to fit in with his team again. He contributed--not spectacularly, but solidly--and the team didn't have to work him in specially. It's becoming a good thing to have him back.

Excellent combo work from Brand, Cassell and Kaman. Damn, they're good when they're on all cylinders!

Final score: 98-85, LA Clippers. Wowsers.

Sidelines: Next game is against the Bulls in Chicago on Friday, 8:30 Eastern. The Bulls are wildly inconsistent, but so are the Clips. Tough to predict, but I'm going with LA by six. Televised on League Pass and KTLA.

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1:42:30 AM EST
Feeling Worried

I've decided the Spanking logo only goes on those Clippers games in which they lose by twenty or more points. Losing by sixteen today is close, but not quite enough.

...except that I'm still tempted to say they deserve one by cummulative effect. The other night the non-Playoff Utah Jazz beat them. Today the middle-of-the-Playoff-pack Memphis Grizzles got them solid.

What's happening to the Clips?!

Is it the return of Corey Maggette? He seems to be having a difficult time fitting back into the team. In turn, the team isn't doing well re-assimilating him. They're in turns isolating him and going to him on every possession. Neither is a smart move; he's been gone too long to be comfortable as either ignored or the first option. (And isn't that supposed to be Elton Brand's job anyway, being that go-to guy?)

"It's only my second game back, so the more I play, the more it's going to get better," Maggette said. "You just try to fit in with what Coach is doing right now and get back to where I need to be."

The Clips were so busy trying to work Corey into the lineup they failed to defend the perimeter. Memphis' Brad Miller had himself a field day with that lapse and hit over and over and over...and when Miller wasn't shooting from outside, Pau Gasol was getting inside and racking up points and blocks.

Final score: 102-85. Stupid game, just stupid. Dangerously close to spanking territory.

Sidelines: Next game is Tuesday the 7th against the San Antonio Spurs in Staples Center. The Spurs will destroy the Clippers. Add this one to the loss column, and don't even bother to play it.

 

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1:09:57 AM EST
Feeling Worried

How in the name of bleeding Jesus did the Clippers lose to the Utah Jazz?! That shouldn't even be possible. Not this year.

But lose they did, in Salt Lake, a place they haven't won since Christ was a kid. The Jazz ran 'em all over the place before falling apart in the fourth, as the Jazz always do. With a lead as big as they had, however, they could afford to give up nearly twenty points in the final period and still scrape out a win.

Corey Maggette may turn out to be the problem I was worried he'd be. The Clippers have played without him for almost all season, and how's he going to fit back into the team? Tonight, his first back in nearly five months, he was out of sync with his teammates. He jacked up bad shots. Most of all, he couldn't or didn't defend fer nothin'.

The Jazz had Andrei Kirilenko back, though the Salt Lake Tribune had him listed as out 'til Sunday. AK being back for Utah certainly did more for them than Maggette being back for LA. Nobody can really shut Andrei out when he's got himself going, but still...somebody should've tried.

Final score: 105-103, Utah. Of all the stupid shit...

Sidelines: Next game is against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The Hornets are a middle-of-the-road Playoff team. They shouldn't be any real problem for the Clips...though if this Jazz game is any indication, there could be problems in LA.

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3:36:01 PM EST
Feeling Quiet

It'll be nice to see Maggs back in uniform!

First the good news: Corey Maggette is supposed to be back tonight against the Utah Jazz. How good he'll be is anybody's guess, but just having him back is better than not. He'll probably not play many minutes; first, the Clips don't need him to beat the Jazz and, second, he'll need a couple games to get back into things. Still, after we've waited for half a season, just knowing he's back rocks.

...and just as nice to see AK-47 in street clothes.

More good news: Andrei Kirilenko, whom the Jazz need to have any chance of winning tonight, is out until Sunday with back spasms. This is a no-brainer win for the Clippers with him out. (Probably was with him in, but now it's a total gimme.)

One comes back, two more go down. We need these guys back on the court!

Now the bad news: Chris Kaman is still out with that bad ankle...and Zeljiko Rebraca, who was picking up minutes replacing him, is out for two games with a sore left hamstring. LA's options at center are getting pretty thin here. Do they move Brand to center? Hmmm.....

This will be the Clippers' first win in Salt Lake since '88. 'Bout friggin' time.

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1:11:30 PM EST
Feeling Chillin'

Beating the Charlotte Bobcats is like beating a child: They can't do anything to stop it, and most of the time they don't even try. No way the Clippers could lose this game.

Only...The Bobcats have a new offense going, one seemingly patterned on the Phoenix Suns': Run, run, and run some more. Run rings around the opponent, wearing them down, shooting from outside, and generally creating havoc.

That offense has immense potential, but the 'Cats have not yet perfected it...fortunately for Los Angeles. The Clips were able to avoid a humiliating loss to the worst team in the League, mostly due to the heroic play of their MVP candidate, Elton Brand.

Brand has every right to be thought of in the same MVP breath as Steve Nash and Kobe.

It was a competitive game during the first quarter, but the Clips blew it open in the second and third periods with a 22-2 run in about five minutes. The Bobcats fought back gamely; LA gave some ground but held fast with a decent lead.

Score at halftime: 59-44, Clippers.

"We needed this one," Mobley said. "They are a scrappy team and you don't want to take them for granted. We had a 21-point lead but we blew that a little but we pulled it out."

Sidelines: Next game is Friday the 3rd in Utah against the Jazz. With Carlos Boozer back, the Jazz are better than they were last time the two teams met. Kirilenko's back spasms, which kept him out for thirteen games earlier in the season, are back, however, so the Clips should win this handily. Televised on ESPN.

Corey Maggette is supposed to play on Friday in Utah. I'm iffy about this; the team has done just fine without him, after some early season disasters. What's his presence going to do to the chemistry and distribution of minutes?

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6:59:57 AM EST
Feeling Happy

Five straight losses have been hard to swallow. As the Clippers fall further and further behind the ever-surging Suns, memories of the bad old days force their way into the minds of fans who've hoped this season would somehow be different.

Amazing how just one truly impressive win can close the door on all the monsters of seasons past. And if there's one victory that's guarenteed to do the job, it's beating the Lakers. Beating them like red-haired stepkids is just icing on the cake.

And that's what the Clips did. Behind Elton Brand's fantastic play, Cuttino Mobley's re-emergence as a scorer, and newbie Vlade Radmanovic's nineteen points, the Clippers whipped their stable-mates badly. Special happy note to seeing Kobe Bryant looking like somebody just shot his dog.

Final score: 102-83, Clippers. Wow, what a way to get back on track!

Sidelines: Next game is Monday at home versus the Charlotte Bobcats, playing on FSN2 and League Pass. Realistically, this should be an easy slaughter of the worst team in the League. However, the 'Cats battled Division first place Phoenix to a standstill last night, showing more guts and power than they have all season. The Suns ended up winning, but it was a close thing through three quarters; if the Bobcats show up at Staples Center with the same intensity they did at the Purple Palace, this could get nasty. 

Chris Kaman sprained his left ankle in the first couple minutes of the game. Word is he'll be out at least two games. Who's going to take his place? Rebraca's not up to full strength yet (and I'm iffy about a center with heart problems playing hard minutes); newbie Vin Baker is said to still be a while away from being game-ready. Sooooo....who? McCarty? Oh, ick.

Double technicals for Cat and Kobe after a bit of a nastiness to do with a hard foul by Brian Cook on ET. Odd--neither Kobe nor Cat are known for getting pitched.

 

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11:47:32 AM EST
Feeling Worried

The Clippers' last real spanking came at the hands of the Houston Rockets, back when the Rockets were hopeless. It was absolutely fugly, that game.

Then came a period where Tracy McGrady was back on the court, but so mentally and physically agonized he was unable to will his team to victory. It would've been nice if the Clips had been able to get a rematch against the Rockets while TMac was a mess.

But it didn't happen that way. McGrady's apparently put aside whatever it was that made him look like a suicide looking for a razor blade. He's back--and a (relatively) healthy and happy TMac is still a potent weapon, one Jeff Van Gundy used to full effect against the Clippers.

It didn't help that Yao Ming--how can anybody be that huge?!--had his best game since he went out with the toe problem. Helluva time for him to decide he's well enough to do his job again. Why couldn't he wait just one more game?

It's not like the Clips played poorly. Not at all. They were rocking, with good teamwork from start to finish. Good basketball they played...just not good enough to stave off their fifth straight loss.

ET said it best: "Our season goes up and down and we are going to find a way to get it back. We don't have a monkey on our back. We have a gorilla." Sucker's eating all the bananas, guys, including the one that says "Number one in the Pacific Division" instead of "Dole."

Final score: 106-102, Houston.

Sidelines: Next game is Friday night against the Lakers in--guess where?--Staples Center. The Lakers really crushed the Sacramento Kings last night. This could be scary.

Daniel Ewing's jersey was retired by his high school, Willowridge, which is a suburb of Houston. Very cool.

It was throwback jersey night. Damn, those old Buffalo Braves uniforms are hideous.

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9:06:45 PM EST
Feeling Sad

I'd have been suprised if the the Clippers had beaten the Dallas Mavericks. That's a rare thing nowadays, a Mavs loss, and a team playing the way the Clips have been lately isn't likely to beat them.

The Clips were playing badly enough to dig themselves a 73-58 hole in the third. They finally responded, however, and got within two toward the end of the game. Nice comeback--almost pulled it off.

What is suprising is that LA made it so close at the end--and that they held Dirk Nowitzki down as well as they did. Held him down right up til 6.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when he managed a key defensive play...and the game-winning shot.

Final score: 93-91, Mavericks. Nothing to be suprised about...but it is four losses in a row. Not good.

Sidelines: Next game is Wednesday against the Houston Rockets in Houston. Rockets are slowly recouping, now that TMac's over whatever his misery was. Could be tough, though on the upside Houston can't win at home to save their lives.

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10:55:53 AM EST
Feeling Embarrassed

Yeah, there's the enthusiasm and drive that made you a superstar. Oh, wait...nevermind.

The Clippers have signed--get this!--Vin Baker! What on Earth is Clips' management thinking?! Didn't his time with the Rockets and Sonics teach them anything about this guy? Why not just sign Rodman, if your object is to spend money on a has-been with personal problems. At least Rodman does fun drag.

The guy is thirty-four years old and hasn't played all season. He's been working out down in Houston with John Lucas, so that's a positive, but how's he supposed to help the Clips in their post-season push?

May as well have signed Shawn Kemp. Yeah, he's old and weighs about four hundred pounds, but he'd probably come cheaper and do about as well as Baker.

Bad move. Stupid move.

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5:57:26 PM EST

He may look like an alien, but this man is necessary!

Sam Cassell's a gimme, right? The Clippers need him like nobody else, except Elton Brand. So why's there even a question as to whether or not Donald Sterling will offer him the extension he wants?

"If Cassell continues to play well and the team qualifies for the playoffs, officials would encourage owner Donald T. Sterling to re-sign Cassell, Clipper sources said. But Sterling would make the decision."

The Los Angeles Times

Does Daddy know you're drinking, kid?

What's everybody think of Mike Dunleavy, Jr., joining the Clips? Seems his daddy wants him pretty badly, slump season and all. I suppose it couldn't hurt; Mike Jr. has the skills and instincts. He's just got a tendency to malinger and be a bit lazy, and his shot's been off this year--all problems working for Dad would probably cure.

"Dunleavy's father, Clippers coach Mike Sr., is eager to acquire his son because, with Corey Maggette out, he thinks the Clippers could make a run deep into the playoffs with another key player."

The Chicago Tribune

This man is the Celtics for today, just as Larry Bird was before him. He's not going anywhere.

This last one, out of Boston, is so silly you wonder how a reputable newspaper dared print it.

"Of the various teams attached to Paul Pierce’s name during the most recent trade rumor season, the Los Angeles Clippers seemed to be one that repeatedly bubbled to the top. "

The Boston Herald

OK, all, chew on those a while. Of course ET will be signed to his extension, but if you think either the second or third rumors will come true, I have a nice bridge to sell.

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