Clippers @ Suns Wednesday game thread 1-3-2024

[GatorAZ]

The third wheel of our big-3 vs the third wheel of theirs is night and day. Harden can just do more things. I really can’t stand the Clippers. If they win a title before us I’m gonna vomit.

 

[Chaplin]

This team’s inability to handle adversity really makes it hard to care about them at all.

Did you watch the game? They handled the adversity created by that first half pretty well.

Clippers are a top 5 team in the league and we made it interesting without KD.

 

[95pro]

I'm actually not too disappointed by the expected loss. We should now know our problems better and try to prepare better.
On O, it's obvious that Booker should not be the designated "PG" with too much ball handling duty. Good team figured him out and he cannot deal with it properly while wasting energy. Beal and Gordon should take on more of this task, depending on what opponents give us. For all that, we need more and better screens and cuts with quicker move of the ball and/or ballhandlers' decisions.
On D, well we really need Okogie better integrated on O, he can be the game changer just by his D smarts and physical gift. His block on Zubac and Harden, and all the disruptions to their offensive flow.
Bol really turned heads with his play on both sides, no longer lost on the court couple of weeks ago. Bol and Okogie coming in together seems a smart move.
All in all, Vogel seems to be flexible and that's good sign for a still hopeful season.

JO has to let it fly from three. The entire league has him scouted already on offense.

We are not smart though in that we chased Westbrook off the the three point a couple of times. When will we learn? Sometimes it feels we don’t watch film.

 

[clyde2tw]

JO has to let it fly from three. The entire league has him scouted already on offense.

We are not smart though in that we chased Westbrook off the the three point a couple of times. When will we learn? Sometimes it feels we don’t watch film.

Yet, JO has been having the higher +/- for a couple of games already. He is not a reliable 3pt shooter but can facilitate in a proper off. system. He should have shot that 3pt instead of driving into GP for TO, because we'd still have chance for OR, but bad decision occurs, his overall effect on court is irreplaciable in hard games like this.

 

[Mainstreet]

Bol Bol is likely to continue to get minutes when Kevin Durant returns.

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[95pro]

Yet, JO has been having the higher +/- for a couple of games already. He is not a reliable 3pt shooter but can facilitate in a proper off. system. He should have shot that 3pt instead of driving into GP for TO, because we'd still have chance for OR, but bad decision occurs, his overall effect on court is irreplaciable in hard games like this.

He’s unplayable if he’s not going to shoot it, especially when it’s the Clips making aggressive double teams all game long.

 

[Hoop Head]

Bol Bol is likely to continue to get minutes when Kevin Durant returns.

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I guess Udoka hasn't done enough to earn minutes? I'm done with Vogel.

 

[Phrazbit]

If Bol does stay in the rotation it better be as a 5. These last 2 games, he's known who to cover on D, where to rotate and he isn't trying to do any open court dribbling at all and he isn't getting caught on the outside defending guys who make him look like a street sign.

 

[SirStefan32]

If Bol does stay in the rotation it better be as a 5. These last 2 games, he's known who to cover on D, where to rotate and he isn't trying to do any open court dribbling at all and he isn't getting caught on the outside defending guys who make him look like a street sign.

I was just thinking the same thing- he just hasn't been doing any stupid stuff. He was just so disciplined.

 

[wagon mound 464]

I cannot believe how well Bol bol has played.

Bol > 14 pts -- 6-7 FG ,, a pair of 3 Pointers made = I about soiled my pants. Good to see he is getting minutes and can play well.
The paying fans get excited when big Bol is in the game. His height and long arms can be a distraction for players attacking the rim to score.

 

[clyde2tw]

Actually, Bol did get stolen the ball once trying to dribble the ball, a minor error though just like the one 3pt Okogie should have taken but did not.

 

[taz02]

Good to see Bol play well. It would be nice to be able to field a lineup with 3 capable 7 footers.

In the end, it was closer than expected, though it felt like LA let up a bit while up by 20.

It feels odd watching Booker and the suns play, thinking if only our leading scorer wasn't injured we'd probably win. Feels like Booker is the 2nd best player on the team.

 

[Sparky16]

Good to see Bol play well. It would be nice to be able to field a lineup with 3 capable 7 footers.

In the end, it was closer than expected, though it felt like LA let up a bit while up by 20.

It feels odd watching Booker and the suns play, thinking if only our leading scorer wasn't injured we'd probably win. Feels like Booker is the 2nd best player on the team.

Booker needs to play SG - his turn overs playing the point i think effect the rest of his game. This team needs a PG yesterday. If that means Beal comes off the bench then so be it, if he dont like it he can waive his no trade clause

 

[Proximo]

Good to see Bol play well. It would be nice to be able to field a lineup with 3 capable 7 footers.

In the end, it was closer than expected, though it felt like LA let up a bit while up by 20.

It feels odd watching Booker and the suns play, thinking if only our leading scorer wasn't injured we'd probably win. Feels like Booker is the 2nd best player on the team.

Did you really feel like if Durant played we would have won, because I didn't.

Could we win yes, would we beat them in a 7 game series with each team at full strength - I don't think so.

I always assumed Kwahi would never be able to play a whole season with that knee of his being bone on bone practically - but somehow he seems to be doing it.

If he is good to go in the playoffs they are going to be very hard to beat.

 

[95pro]

Good to see Bol play well. It would be nice to be able to field a lineup with 3 capable 7 footers.

In the end, it was closer than expected, though it felt like LA let up a bit while up by 20.

It feels odd watching Booker and the suns play, thinking if only our leading scorer wasn't injured we'd probably win. Feels like Booker is the 2nd best player on the team.

The problem was Nurk, they pull him out with the high screens. Then they also ran him through off-ball screens. They continually did this while he was on the court, until we stuck Bol in there. This didn't work well with Bol since he is quicker.

 

[taz02]

Did you really feel like if Durant played we would have won, because I didn't.

Could we win yes, would we beat them in a 7 game series with each team at full strength - I don't think so.

I always assumed Kwahi would never be able to play a whole season with that knee of his being bone on bone practically - but somehow he seems to be doing it.

If he is good to go in the playoffs they are going to be very hard to beat.

Agree, "probably" could have had a chance to win last night with KD. 7 game series, I don't think so either.

 

[Chaplin]

Did you really feel like if Durant played we would have won, because I didn't.

Could we win yes, would we beat them in a 7 game series with each team at full strength - I don't think so.

I always assumed Kwahi would never be able to play a whole season with that knee of his being bone on bone practically - but somehow he seems to be doing it.

If he is good to go in the playoffs they are going to be very hard to beat.

I think we could have avoided getting into a 20-point hole in the first half had KD played. KD is actually not a good matchup for the Clippers, as they have nobody able to guard him.

Would we have won? Can't say for sure, but if KD played we damn sure would have been in a better position to do so.

 

[AzStevenCal]

...
It feels odd watching Booker and the suns play, thinking if only our leading scorer wasn't injured we'd probably win. Feels like Booker is the 2nd best player on the team.

Booker as a PG is probably our 3rd best player on the team. Maybe it will be better once he gets used to having a star shooting guard playing with him but right now, we've simply turned a dominant shooting guard into a barely mediocre point guard.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think we could have avoided getting into a 20-point hole in the first half had KD played. KD is actually not a good matchup for the Clippers, as they have nobody able to guard him.

Would we have won? Can't say for sure, but if KD played we damn sure would have been in a better position to do so.

Kawhi guards KD as good as anyone. That's part of the reason they beat us in the only game Kawhi played last year in the first round. KD may score but not as efficiently and Kawhi seems to rise to the occasion as no one can guard him.

 

[Chaplin]

Kawhi guards KD as good as anyone. That's part of the reason they beat us in the only game Kawhi played last year in the first round. KD may score but not as efficiently and Kawhi seems to rise to the occasion as no one can guard him.

I disagree, but what else is new? . Last year was a throwaway year with a completely different team and a KD that had yet to be fully assimilated into the team.

 

[95pro]

Kawhi guards KD as good as anyone. That's part of the reason they beat us in the only game Kawhi played last year in the first round. KD may score but not as efficiently and Kawhi seems to rise to the occasion as no one can guard him.

Without any roster tweeks, the only helpful player could have been Little. He has the size to match up against bigger forwards. Leonard still has that quick first step and is able to draw superstar calls still.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Well least suns tried no.kd sigh good effort
...

Hope big 3 can be on court togather again soon

Still good suns are above .500 least beat magic blazers

 

[Mainstreet]

Without any roster tweeks, the only helpful player could have been Little. He has the size to match up against bigger forwards. Leonard still has that quick first step and is able to draw superstar calls still.

Nassir Little seems to have soreness issues with his left knee. I hope it's not a continuing problem.

The Suns need help at FC and another point guard would help the backcourt.

 

[Mainstreet]

I guess Udoka hasn't done enough to earn minutes? I'm done with Vogel.

I'm not sure Udoka is quick enough to be effective as a backup center except in spot duty.

The Suns have similar issues with Nurkic but with few options. I think this is why we are seeing Bol Bol.

 

[GatorAZ]

I didn’t see the entire game but what happened between Book and Mann?