San Antonio vs Los Angeles

[Cheesebeef]

Agree to disagree. Barnes is nothing to get excited about, but he's not horrible.

yes he is. he's a below average regular season player and a terrible playoff performer. he's not a good defender, can't create for himself, and is a bad shooter at the 3.

Hawes was sold as a scorer but he couldn't even score at a sex addicts convention at this point. I don't recall reports of Pierce wanting to come to LA anyway, so not sure that was even a viable option at the time.

It was all over radio and print in LA at the start of FA, but the Clippers panicked and went out and got Hawes and doubled up with that decision by signing Jordan Farmar.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11171639/los-angeles-clippers-talk-deal-brooklyn-nets-paul-pierce

http://fansided.com/2014/11/09/paul-pierce-wanted-play-clippers/

 

[Rivercard]

It was all over radio and print in LA at the start of FA,

Next thing you know you'll be telling me Adrian Peterson wants to be a Cardinal.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Next thing you know you'll be telling me Adrian Peterson wants to be a Cardinal.

haha.

 

[Catlover]

Yea but how is he supposed to be dominant when the other team starts hacking him and forces Doc Rivers to bench him til the last 2 mins of the game like they've been doing this entire series?

He can't be dominant on D from the bench.

Looks like the Clippers owner is already having second thoughts about giving someone who is such a liability offensively the MAX contract.

https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/593275178433417217

That was Bill mixing conjecture with humor. It's a stretch to suggest that it's evidence that a separation is imminent.

 

[AfroSuns]

Paul is cursed to never get out of 1st round of playoffs.

 

[Cheesebeef]

great game so far, but Spurs will pull it out in the end when the Clips wilt like they have in every close pressure 4th quarter.

 

[Cheesebeef]

man... what a series this has been!

 

[Cheesebeef]

just great, great basketball.

 

[AfroSuns]

just great, great basketball.

A really GOOD game.
WTF is Ballmer crying, best they will do is tie the series, not move on!

 

[Cheesebeef]

A really GOOD game.
WTF is Ballmer crying, best they will do is tie the series, not move on!

they're on the verge of being booted out of the playoffs, that's why.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Game 7 folks

 

[Joe L]

Paul is cursed to never get out of 1st round of playoffs.

Only he has, several times.

 

[Joe L]

You have to wonder just how great Pop is when he feels the need to hack DJ just to have a chance to win. Game 2 and 5 should have been loses for the Spurs, if not for 2 boneheaded last second plays by BG and DJ. The only reason why they were in a position to win those games was due to the hacking.
If not for the hacking, this series would be over by now. Seems Pops can't rely on playing the Clippers straight up.

 

[Absolute Zero]

You have to wonder just how great Pop is when he feels the need to hack DJ just to have a chance to win. Game 2 and 5 should have been loses for the Spurs, if not for 2 boneheaded last second plays by BG and DJ. The only reason why they were in a position to win those games was due to the hacking.
If not for the hacking, this series would be over by now. Seems Pops can't rely on playing the Clippers straight up.

I think that speaks more to the athleticism and talent of the Clippers more than the Spurs' coaching. Pop has to be cagey and try stuff like this since he has bad matchups here, including Blake Griffin and whoever the Spurs put on him.

 

[Rivercard]

he's (Barnes) a below average regular season player and a terrible playoff performer. he's not a good defender.

I thought Barnes played a nice game last night, especially guarding Leonard on the defensive end. Nothing flashy, just playing his role.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I thought Barnes played a nice game last night, especially guarding Leonard on the defensive end. Nothing flashy, just playing his role.

that was the first average playoff game he's played in two years.

 

[Rivercard]

that was the first average playoff game he's played in two years.

Lol

 

[Cheesebeef]

my lord... Doc Rivers is a whiny bitch.

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/5/1/8528603/doc-rivers-clippers-spurs-first-round-ridiculous

This rule isn't new and I never heard of him complaining about it for other teams who got put in the same position.

 

[Rivercard]

my lord... Doc Rivers is a whiny bitch.

I think you are interpreting this too harshly. It's just his opinion, I've heard him say it before in a very non-whiny tone. A lot of people share that opinion.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think you are interpreting this too harshly. It's just his opinion, I've heard him say it before in a very non-whiny tone. A lot of people share that opinion.

the whiny part of it is his silence on the issue in the past... and the fact that he keeps talking about it.

and he complains so much about the officials, that's it's just part of his M.O. The guy is a bitch... and if the Clips don't get out of the 2nd round, he starts cementing a legacy as a chronic underachiever, IMO. Yeah... he won a title, with one of the best Big 3s of all time, but hasn't done jack since then except watch another Celtics team completely meltdown with a 3-2 Finals series lead, including a hellacious Game 7 meltdown and then accomplish nothing with oodles of talent on the Clippers.

 

[Rivercard]

the whiny part of it is his silence on the issue in the past... and the fact that he keeps talking about it.

and he complains so much about the officials, that's it's just part of his M.O. The guy is a bitch... and if the Clips don't get out of the 2nd round, he starts cementing a legacy as a chronic underachiever, IMO. Yeah... he won a title, with one of the best Big 3s of all time, but hasn't done jack since then except watch another Celtics team completely meltdown with a 3-2 Finals series lead, including a hellacious Game 7 meltdown and then accomplish nothing with oodles of talent on the Clippers.

That is just rediculous. Hata's gonna hate. Rivers has taken the worst franchise in sports for decades to now competing evenly with the world champions. There would be no shame in losing in a game 7 of the first round to the 2015 San Antonio Spurs.

And BTW, he's talking about the seeding now because he is asked about it in interviews - it's not like he's bringing it up out of the blue.

 

[Absolute Zero]

my lord... Doc Rivers is a whiny bitch.

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/5/1/8528603/doc-rivers-clippers-spurs-first-round-ridiculous

This rule isn't new and I never heard of him complaining about it for other teams who got put in the same position.

That chronic complaining is why they were ranting about him on the radio the other day. He complains about the playoff matchup he gets, he complains about the officials after losses, then adds a softly spoken "asterik" saying "that's not why we lost though", and he complains about officials when they win too apparently, etc.

 

[Cheesebeef]

That is just rediculous. Hata's gonna hate. Rivers has taken the worst franchise in sports for decades to now competing evenly with the world champions.

He took over a franchise that the year prior to him won 56 games and made it to the second round. And he hasn't inched them forward from that status since. That ain't hate... that's the truth.

And I LIKE the Clippers.

There would be no shame in losing in a game 7 of the first round to the 2015 San Antonio Spurs.

in a vaccum... no. But if they lose, there is shame in losing 3 home games in your first round playoff series, completely blowing last year's series against OKC, and going up 2-0 against the Grizzlies three years ago and then getting curb stomped the rest of the way. All with as much or more talent then anyone in the league.

And BTW, he's talking about the seeding now because he is asked about it in interviews - it's not like he's bringing it up out of the blue.

then he should say it is what it is, because that IS what it is and if he truly had a problem with it, maybe he should have said so BEFORE it effected his team. saying it after the fact is nothing more then sour grapes.

 

[Rivercard]

going up 2-0 against the Grizzlies three years ago and then getting curb stomped the rest of the way. All with as much or more talent then anyone in the league.

Um, that was Vinny Del Negro's team.

And in my opinion, OKC was a more talented team last year than the Clippers. Yes that was a tough loss in game 5, but I wouldn't blame that on Doc. They were only a 3 seed, not exactly a freight train that derailed.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Um, that was Vinny Del Negro's team.

ah... you're right. Last year was Doc's first year. So, if he doesn't get out of this series, he's still looking at accomplishing nothing more then Del Negro who got the 2nd round once, and lost a series he shouldn't have in the first... pretty much exactly what Doc is looking at if they lose on Saturday.

In other words... he hasn't moved the needle at all. Since Doc got here, the team's bench has gotten worse and they've been stuck around 56 wins with a second round exit. How is that all that different from what Del Negro did his last two years?

And in my opinion, OKC was a more talented team last year than the Clippers. Yes that was a tough loss in game 5, but I wouldn't blame that on Doc. They were only a 3 seed, not exactly a freight train that derailed.

OKC was more talented? Paul/Griffin is just as respected as Durant/Westrbook and the Clippers not only blew Game 5, but also blew a 16 point lead in Game 6 playing OKC WITHOUT Ibaka who got injured in the second quarter. They collapsed mentally when the going got tough, something I usually attribute to a HC.