ClutchFans Game Thread: Clippers @ Rockets 3/29/2014

Chris Paul won't be the problem, it's Blake Griffin. Griffin on Tjones is a huge mismatch, but I hope he proves me wrong.

 

Lol you think CP3 isn't going to be a problem...Lol just watch

 

Big game tonight... Gotta close the season with W's against LAC and OKC.

 

CP3 and Blake are both going to be problems.

We couldn't stop CP3 WITH Beverley, we're certainly not stopping him Without Beverley. Anyone who thinks *any* team is stopping CP3 is smoking something. He's ranked in the top 2 of PG's by just about *everyone* for good reason.

And Griffin basically owns Dmo/Tjones/<insert PF> every time we've played them. We simply have nobody that can slow him down, and it's been that way for the past 2 seasons. Griffin is having a 2nd tier MVP conversation level season. He's going to be as tough to stop as CP3.

Take a look at his games. He consistently beats the crap out of us.

http://www.basketball-reference.com...&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts

All this talk about who's stopping which PG's is being spewed by people that haven't really thought about it. The reason the most Elite PG's are Elite, is that virtually NOBODY stops them.

If the best defenses and perimeter defenders in the NBA can't stop the likes of CP3, Westbrook or Parker, we sure as hell aren't the ones to do it.

We've never contained CP3 or Griffin in the last 2 years. Meanwhile, they've consistently contained Harden.

Seriously... take a look at the actual games.

Here's Harden's performances against the Clippers...

http://www.basketball-reference.com...&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts

When you can't stop the opposing team's main weapons, and they can stop one of yours, that's a recipe for a bad outcome. And having Beverley vs Lin isn't going to change that.

The Clippers are a bad match up. It's that simple.

 

When playing certain teams like floppers, the best defense is offense. I'd set tons of screens against CP, beat him up and tire him up. Less post ups by JH, pls.

 

That would be the logical strategy. Unfortunately we're still on the light side when it comes to a good screen/pick offense.

Sure, we do a decent initial PnR (despite Dwight's weak screens), however our ability to craft double/triple and staggered screens has been sorely lacking for the last 2 seasons.

We're just not going to break guys like Harden free off a single pick against the best defenses. I'd *love* to see more advanced offensive sets, but this late in the season I think we're basically just going to have to roll with what's in the current play book.

This is where having coaches like Pops and Doc Rivers shows the biggest coaching difference.

Pops is building sky scrapers, our coaching staff is still building sand castles.

 

I actually like playing our young guys against the Clips. Shows them how a dirty team really plays, and what vet tricks to watch out for come playoff time. The old fall down while defending the post trick. The old pull the chair trick. The old grab whatever body part you can find to pull a man down during a loose ball rebound trick. And who can forget that classy PG runs straight at the center and falls down trick. Chris Paul is the all time champion of that one. All those years on the Hornets, it was like he was a torpedo and Yao the submarine.

The Clips are the modern day version of the Jazz, they have a dirty PG and a cheap shot PF a white 3pt specialist and then the rest of the team are thugs designed to throw you off of your game. They will lose in the playoffs when they lose HC advantage. Or when they play the Grizz LOL.

 

All on Harden. Harden has been AWOL on both offense, and especially on defense against the Clipper this year. Discounting the 1st game when the whole team didn't show up, we have been competitive even with Harden subpar performance. He step up and we win.

 

exactly. i agree 1000%.

 

And it took MJ to stop the old Jazz. Ain't no MJ here.

 

Thank you for the truth sir.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Dwight Howard.is out. First clue: attended shootaround in slippers. Second: he said so.</p>&mdash; Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/statuses/449932544213925889">March 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Still waiting on a prognosis on Howard's ankle, but since he is listed as a game-time decision I'd guess day-to-day after tonight.</p>&mdash; Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/statuses/449934464584413184">March 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Rockets playing with the same starting line up as last season.

 

Welp no Dwight and no Bev. This is gonna be telling since Rockets have no back up center, point guard, shooting guard. Looks at Casspi/Ham/Garcia quickly....and no SF apparently.

 

With Dwight and Bev out, I wouldn't be upset if McHale pulled a Popovich and rested Harden and Parsons too (*hint* you're playing them TOO many minutes).

Nah, Parsons will play 45 minutes tonight.

 

Just checked the spread. I think we will win today.

 

This is a throwaway game now that Dwight is out. Rest Harden and Parsons please.

 

Team will be fine with Asik. Just watch.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Doc says Danny Granger (left hamstring strain) was sent back to LA for treatment. He will not play for remainder of road trip.</p>&mdash; Los Angeles Clippers (@LAClippers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippers/statuses/449942893134766080">March 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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This is the one team I don't think we would have a chance of beating in the playoffs. We don't matchup well with them, especially now with Beverly's injury. They are our Rocket's of 1993's Sonics