It's not media hype. It's reality. Did you watch the last game against the grizzlies? In the last 5 minutes of that game, Paul fell down like he was shot with a gun. Looks around for a foul and then gets back up and continues dribbling. Few minutes later, he runs into a standing still Marc Gasol, flops to the ground and gets a foul. Paul does it all, and without him Jordan, Deandre would be lost on the offensive end. Add to that that Griffin hasn't even had enough pride to work on his free throw percentage. I'm sorry, but if this team is gifted this series by the refs, it will be a mockery, and it will be an excruciating series to watch in the last 5 minutes when Blake and Paul are flopping every 5 seconds and then jumping up arguing every call. I am sorry Clippy, I just don't have any respect for the clippers brand of basketball. It's not my cup of tea. And this from a guy who picked them as a league pass team over okc. They were going to be that FUN team to watch. But it just got out of hand. This team is terrible, dirty players: reggie evans grabbing dude's nut sacks, Paul dropping on the floor like he's gotten shot, Blake jumping up after every foul. It's just too damn much.
The Clippers do flop, but you make it sounds like that's all they do. If the flopping was such a significant part of their game plan, if they were really being gifted all of these FTs by the refs, then you'd think they'd be shooting more FTs. http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/team/_/stat/offense-per-game/sort/avgFreeThrowsAttempted Ooh a whopping 0.5 more than the Grizz. Stop using this as a premature excuse. As a Clipper fan, I can tell you that Blake gets fouled with no call a heck of a lot more than he gets bogus calls. The guy lives in the paint is constantly hacked while going up, and shoots 7 FT/game. The reason he flops is because he's trying to get some of these calls-- but I wish he wouldn't because, frankly, it's not helping his case. The Clippers offense is at its best when Foye, Mo, Butler, and Young are threats-- in fact, they can beat anyone (and have) when two of those guys are on. This makes it very difficult to guard Paul because he's so good at finding the key guy. When those guys are all off, then the Clippers are very easy to beat because it's just a two man team. I know everyone wants to see "flop city" lose but don't let that cloud reality. This is a well balanced team with few weaknesses (the main one being bad coaching), and that-- not the flopping everyone wants to think-- is the reason they've been successful against the top teams all year long.
I'm leaning towards the Grizz in this series b/c they are more well-balanced in terms of inside-outside, better defense/rebounding, and experience. However, Chris Paul is easily the best player in this series. And we've seen what he can do with a pathetic Hornets team. If he's "on," he can really turn this series. But I don't have confidence in the Clippers' defense to pick them.
The Clippers have had the 9th best defense in the NBA since the all-star break. That's what fueled their great run after their mid-season collapse. That said, they have been playing like shyte this last week, Paul just had a groin strain, and they are getting very little rest for a likely Sat. game so I'm hoping they aren't reverting back to that crappy mid-season team.
However, what the Clips have going for them is they have the best player in the series bar none, and the best clutch player in the league this year. In the playoffs, games are always close. And CP3 has been by far the best player in the 4th quarter this year.
This is true. Paul is a game changer for sure. I think (or hope) that TA, Dante, Mayo, Pondexter and Conley can somehow slow him down. To be sure, the grizzlies have every style of defender on this team, if we can't stop him, no won can. That said, outside of Paul, I like every other matchup the grizzlies have: Rudy vs Butler, Marc vs Dendre, Randolph and Speights against Blake and Martin, Evans. Our bench vs. their Bench. Our coach vs. their coach. Our inside game vs their 3 point game. OJ and TA, vs Nick Young and Mo Williams.
Going back to an earlier post by a Clippers supporter, the only advantage they have in this series is CP3 and Blake Griffin. The Grizzlies are better in all other areas, including coaching. After advancing last year and extending OKC to 7 games, Memphis has some seasoning in their sauce. The Clippers don't. CP3 should do very well but I have doubts about everyone else, including Blake Griffin. Even if Blake gets his season averages, other Clippers' player have to step up because a 2-man show won't be nearly enough. If the Clippers have home-court, I will be shocked if they win both of the first two games. By then, the Grizzlies will have figured them out (except for CP3) and will close 'em out in 5. Weaknesses are magnified in playoff series and that's why the Grizzlies are a strong pick over the Clippers IMO. The fragile chemistry of the Clips will be exposed. The young MJ can tell you something about the team with the best player losing in the playoffs to a better balanced, more seasoned and more talented opponent.
Yeah, but the Grizzlies aren't exactly the late 80s Pistons either. They are getting an awful lot of press for what amounted to one good playoff run. That said, they will most likely have HCA and, with that, I'd put them as the favorite for sure. It'll go 6 or 7 though.
Well, having the two best players is a pretty big advantage. But also the Clippers have much better shooting. The Grizzlies are better defensively and have a bit more size and depth.
Outside shooting from Young, Foye, Butler and Williams will decide the series. I don't trust any of them. We'll see. Discussing this matchup has me more fired up about it than before. Saturday can't get here fast enough.
That, and FT shooting, and I agree about not trusting them too. Has me very worried and that's why I really wanted HCA for that extra crutch. Doesn't look good.
Good news for you and me both: Two consecutive threes by Redick just put the Magic up 12 with about 4 1/2 minutes left. The Knicks will lay down in the 2nd half for the Clippers and the Pacers will get the Magic in the 1st round. Redick wants this game really bad as they obviously want the Pacers instead of Miami.
I don't think NYK really cares and are just trying to win to have a good flow. And if NYK wins, the Magic winning sucks because they won't give a crap for their game against the Grizzlies tomorrow. Oy, the life of a Clipper fan!
I don't see a CP3-led team losing to a Memphis team in 5 games. That just is not going to happen. CP3 himself will will that team to 2 wins. CP3 by himself with a weak Hornets team got 2 wins v. the Lakers, and past the first round 2 years prior. And he's playing at a very high level right now. Memphis doesn't have the superstar player, but rather a group of good to very good players. Their overall depth will tire out the Clippers' top-heavy lineup, but not in 5 games. Memphis was scary last year b/c of Zach Randolph's emergence into a super performer in the playoffs. He's nowhere near that this year. While this year's team is more well-balanced with the return of Gay, Zach's play is nowhere near what it was in the playoffs last year, and he most likely won't replicate it. If Zach was the Zach of last year's playoffs, this would be over in 5. But this will go 6 or 7, and Memphis will most likely prevail b/c of their depth and defense.
Man I want a Knicks-Heat series so bad, for entertaining purposes more so than basketball's b/c the Knicks will bow out in 5 games at the most.
So why did the Sixers beat the Bucks tonight and why are the Knicks really trying to win against the Clips when #6 is out of reach? Makes no sense to me. Seems like both teams would prefer the Bulls to the Heat in the 1st round.
I think both teams want to get into a rhythm for the playoffs. The Sixers prior to this mini-winning streak were god awful. The Knicks need to integrate Amare into the flow since this is his 3rd game back. The #6 seed was never in reach b/c there was no way the Magic would lose to the Bobcats. And as you can see, even Redick looks like an elite player v. a pathetic Bobcats team, arguably the worst team in the history of professional sports. EDIT: LOL @ CP3's disgusted face after that Novak's 3. That team is not a playoff team w/o CP3.
I have watched only like 2 Grizzlies game this season so I was just wondering: How would a zone defense work against them? Memphis isn't that great of a 3 pt shooting team so I was just wondering how they manage to face that.
B/c they would demolish you on the offensive boards. You need people to box out Gasol/Randolph and those guys.
The Clippers run a lot of zone and did that against Memphis in all three games, including the final few minutes of the last game to make a desperate run (which failed). I expect you'll see it a lot.
