The Two Remaining Horsemen In A System Reboot -Official LA Clippers '24 off season thread

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

He can’t possibly think he’s a second option on this team. He’s not a better scorer or player than Reggie Jackson at this point until proven otherwise. Not sure if I’m feeling this

Reggie shoots a 2002 % from the field and is a HORRIBLE decision maker. He certainly has good qualities as well but this team needs a point guard

 

[ImmaGetJoeClarkArrested]

He can’t possibly think he’s a second option on this team. He’s not a better scorer or player than Reggie Jackson at this point until proven otherwise. Not sure if I’m feeling this

Hopefully he’s just talking about the bench there’s no way he thinks he’s Batman in any shape or form

 

[KFBF]

He can’t possibly think he’s a second option on this team. He’s not a better scorer or player than Reggie Jackson at this point until proven otherwise. Not sure if I’m feeling this

He isn’t Batman robin aqua man etc. He needs to just run fast and pass everyone else the ball. I hope this works out otherwise team is gonna look stupid for letting Hart walk to sign this guy.

 

[KFBF]

2022 Summer League, Game 2: Five Takeaways

After the team over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Clippers turned around on Tuesday evening to play their cross-hall rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately, the Clippers fell to the Lakers, 83-72, so we’re here to look at the ‘Five Takeaways’ from this game.

1.) Hey, Can’t Win ‘Em All​

In the true spirit of Las Vegas, sometimes you’re going to come up snake eyes. That happened to the Clippers on this night. After falling behind the Lakers early, the Clippers rattled off a 14-1 run and seemingly took control, even leading by as much as 12 late in the first quarter. The Clippers also held an 11-point lead late in the second quarter, but that lead would not last.
The Clippers shot just 31% in the game’s final three quarters. With all things considered, the only reason the Clippers were in this game for as long as they were was because of the free throws — the Clippers totaled 33 free throw attempts to the Lakers’ 14. Otherwise, it would have been worse. But now the Clippers are no longer undefeated in Summer League. A win would have put them at 2-0, tied with the Utah Jazz for the best record. As a reminder, the two best teams do play for a trophy (and ringzzzzz) at the end of this whole thing.

2.) Delightful Diabaté​

The biggest bright spot for the Clippers, at least with both sides of the ball factored in, had to be rookie Moussa Diabaté. The young Frenchman finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes. In fact, Diabaté even made a 3-pointer early on in this game which is a nice sign of what he could possibly be able to do in the future.
Diabaté did get too jumpy at times — quite literally — as he racked up 4 fouls for the game, 3 of them coming after falling for pump fakes and leaving his feet. But the hustle, tenacity and effort are all there. You can see why the Clippers were enamored with him. Diabaté has probably been the most impressive Clipper overall through the first two games. Considering Summer League is rough on bigs, it’s a positive sign.

3.) Boston’s Aggressiveness​

Second-year forward Brandon Boston Jr. finished with a game-high tying 15 points to go with 9 rebounds. Boston was tenacious in attacking the glass, but his penchant for driving into the teeth of the defense in order to draw contact and get to the line was on full display as the former Kentucky product racked up 12 free throw attempts, 8 of them coming in the third quarter.
In terms of overall skill, it appears that Boston’s driving and slashing ability is ahead of his jumper, and it’s really not that surprising considering his length and the ways he can contort his body around defenders. The jumper might come in the future, but for now it’d be prudent if he realizes what the best parts of his game are, and tonight showed what they can be.

4.) Sun Setting On Scrubb?​

It has not been an ideal two games in Las Vegas for third-year guard Jay Scrubb. After finishing with 11 points on 4 of 11 shooting in Saturday’s win, Scrubb had 15 points on 4 of 11 shooting in this game. He also turned the ball over 4 times and looked way too shot-happy on the offensive end. It’s not an awful look for a young guy, but it is somewhat concerning since there’s not much else of note to his game.
Scrubb doesn’t want to be on a two-way contract this year, but it’s hard to see any team in the league, let alone the Clippers, giving him a guaranteed deal. This isn’t the first time Vegas has been unkind to him, either. Last year, Scrubb averaged 11.6 points in Summer League but shot just 31.8% from the field. It needs to click for Scrubb soon, or else there might not be a spot on the team left for him.

5.) We’ll See About Tomorrow​

The Clippers do play tomorrow as part of the second night of a back-to-back. Their opponent will be the Denver Nuggets who are also 1-1. But since it is a back-to-back, it’s hard to say who will really play. We’ll likely see more of Justin Bean, Michael Devoe and Trey McGowens in order to keep the wear and tear on Brandon Boston Jr., Jason Preston and Moussa Diabaté down.
As for Preston specifically, he had a solid floor general game as he finished with 7 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in 24 minutes. He didn’t shoot well, but Preston never seems out of sorts or out of control. If he plays on Wednesday night, it’ll be a good chance for him to get more burn and more reps as the lead ball-handler.

Five Tidbits​

• Clippers made just 20 of their 33 free throws — 60.6%
• Xavier Moon had 5 rebounds and 5 assists but missed all 8 shots
• Clippers shot 26.7% in the second half
• Jarrell Brantley had 6 points and 3 assists in only 15 minutes
• Clippers had 7 turnovers and only 8 made baskets in the second half

Next game: Wednesday, July 13 vs Denver Nuggets (7:00 PM PT)

From Justin Russo’s Patreon.

 

[KFBF]

Justin Russo

2022 Summer League, Game 3: Five Takeaways

Following a loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Clippers had to turn right around and play on the second night of a back-to-back when they took on the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, the Clippers would not prevail in this game, either, falling by a score of 80-75.

1.) Boy, That Offense Was Offensive​

The Clippers struggled on offense all game, minus the little spurt at the end where they decided they could finally score. On the night, the Clippers converted on just 35.6% of their field goal opportunities while sinking 31.8% of their 3s. Yeah, neither mark is good. And it really summed this one all the way up as they trailed all night to a Nuggets team that was just flat out better.
Perhaps fatigue played a factor since it was indeed the team’s second game in two nights, and these are young guys who haven’t really played together all that much which throws another wrench into this whole thing, but it was just bad basketball. Decisions were awful, shots were awful, the whole thing was .. well .. awful. It’s really as simple as that.

2.) Jarrell Brantley Is Interesting​

Seems weird to say in a game where another player on the team finished with 18 points, but Jarrell Brantley probably had the best overall performance on the Clippers during this contest. Brantley finished with 6 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in 23 minutes. Quite often, Brantley would make the right play by simply being in the right place and directing traffic. It’s an underrated quality.
Brantley had 13 points in the Clippers’ Summer League opener and followed that up with 6 points, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on Tuesday night. Brantley is an intriguing player, standing 6-foot-5 and a bulky 250 pounds. He’s stocky for a wing, but there’s a chance he could see time as an undersized four-man that operates out of the short-roll and as a pick-and-popper. Maybe Brantley inks a two-way deal. Only time will tell, but he has been impressive.

3.) Brandon Boston Jr. Struggles​

Brandon Boston Jr. had a very nice and efficient night in the Summer League opener, dropping 15 points on 4 of 8 shooting. He struggled a bit shooting wise Tuesday night, going 3 of 12 from the field but did finish with 15 points after getting to the free throw line 12 times thanks to some nice, aggressive forays to the basket. Tonight was a bit different, though.
Boston finished the evening with 8 points and 7 rebounds as he connected on just 3 of his 15 field goal attempts en route to a pretty disastrous evening all-around. Boston also picked up 7 personal fouls and 2 turnovers along the way. He never quite looked comfortable out there in this one. Could have been from playing a second straight night; could have also just been a bad game. Players are allowed to have those. But this was quite porous.

4.) Preston’s Area For Growth​

Second-year guard Jason Preston — and it feels weird saying second-year since it’s technically his first year of on-court action — tallied 9 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in this one while shooting 3 of 8 from the field. His floor game remains composed, measured and steady. It’s rare that you’ll see him flustered out there, and his floater game seems legit. But there is a concerning area.
Quite frankly, Preston needs to be aggressive in looking for his shot. Maybe not “Jay Scrubb Aggressive™” but definitely a lot more than what Preston has been. Preston’s seventh and eighth field goal attempts of the night came inside the final minute of play when the game wasn’t really close anymore. The avenues are there for him to get shots up. Sometimes he just needs to take them rather than looking to pass. It’ll come with time, though.

5.) Diabaté Hobbled, Misses Game​

Clippers’ second round pick Moussa Diabaté had to miss Wednesday’s game due to a right ankle injury which occurred late in Tuesday night’s game. There’s no word yet on if Diabaté will at all be available for Friday’s game or even the game after that. But based on a video that Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints tweeted out, it’s not looking great.
It’s never great when a rookie gets injured, let alone in Summer League. And it’s probably best for both the Clippers and Diabaté to not let him play at all the rest of the event. Diabaté showed more than enough in his two games to give fans considerable optimism about the type of player he could develop into down the line, so shut him down and get ready for training camp.

Five Tidbits​

• Jay Scrubb had 18 points but also 5 turnovers
• Clippers shot a grotesque 28.2% in the first half
• Justin Bean contributed 6 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes
• Both teams finished with 15 turnovers
• Clippers had 9 offensive rebounds but only 2 second chance points

Next game: Friday, July 15 vs Utah Jazz (2:00 PM PT)

(Top photo courtesy of NBA TV)

 

[KFBF]

Justin Russo

2022 Summer League, Game 4: Five Takeaways

After a tough defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Clippers were no longer eligible for the Summer League championship, which meant they weren’t going to get any rings out of this trip to The Strip. Instead, they did get a chance to play spoiler — and against a familiar punching bag, no less. The Utah Jazz still had a chance for a championship, but, like past experiences, it did not go their way as the Clippers silenced Utah’s championship hopes, 82-65.

1.) Massive Fourth Quarter Run​

This game was one of the worst displays of competitive basketball in the known universe for the first three quarters. Like, actively awful. We’re talking about dumpster fire status. Through three quarters, the Utah Jazz led the Los Angeles Clippers, 56-50. Both teams were shooting 36% and had turned the ball over more times than a YMCA game.

Thankfully, at least for them, the Clippers found their game at the perfect time. Los Angeles used a 32-9 fourth quarter to eventually defeat the Jazz, 82-65. In that fourth quarter, Brandon Boston Jr. scored more points (13) than the entire Utah team. To make matters crazier, Jay Scrubb finished with the same amount of points as the Jazz in the fourth. This game went from a snoozer to a slaughter in record time.

2.) Boston Balls Beautifully​

Speaking of Brandon Boston Jr., he finished with a game-high 22 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. He did have 3 turnovers. However, the positives were clearly there for the second-year forward. Boston’s 3 assists might not seem like a healthy amount, but he routinely made the right play with the ball in his hands and was a willing passer.

This was Boston’s first 20-point outing this year in Summer League, but it was his third game with at least 15 points, and he’s now averaging 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds through the first four games of Summer League. Considering the Clippers play tomorrow, there’s a decent chance that Boston might not suit up for that one and the team lets him take a nice little sabbatical to get ready for training camp.

3.) Xavier Moon’s Juice​

It’s really fun to watch Xavier Moon play basketball because he looks like a Tasmanian Devil got unleashed on a basketball court and was given all the freedom in the world to go ballistic. Moon finished with 9 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in his 30 minutes of action. But it’s more than the stat line — it’s the pace.

When Moon gets the ball, he’s a blur. He pushes tempo better than pretty much anyone else on the Clippers can, and that speed thrusts other players into prime scoring locations because of the attention and gravity he ends up generating by simply just looking to go as fast as he can up the floor. Moon finished last season on a two-way contract. Maybe he gets another one.

4.) No Preston, No Diabaté​

The biggest news, at least as far as the Clippers were concerned, came before the game. That’s when it was learned that Moussa Diabaté would have to miss his second straight contest due to a right ankle sprain that he suffered in the team’s second game of Summer League. Diabaté averaged 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and shot 70% from the floor in the games he played, looking very promising along the way. But the Frenchman would not be alone on the injury report.

As a result of entering the league’s health and safety protocols, Jason Preston also had to miss today’s game. Preston averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds through the first three contests of Summer League. The guard having to miss time is not ideal, especially as he’s coming off of missing the entirety of last season. Preston needed the reps, and it seems like his Las Vegas stint is a wrap.

5.) Only One Game Left To Go​

There’s now only one game left in the Las Vegas Summer League for the Clippers, and it comes on Saturday evening against the Miami Heat. As things stand, the Clippers will be without Diabaté and Preston, but they could also be without Boston if the team decides to give him the night off since four games in five days is pretty taxing at this point of the summer, or at any point really.

Tomorrow could be the last real chance that Jay Scrubb gets an opportunity to showcase that he’s deserving of a guaranteed deal, or even a two-way contract. Scrubb finished with 14 points on 5 of 11 shooting in Friday’s win, but has largely been frustrating as a decision maker and shot chucker. It’s also the last chance that Jarrell Brantley and Reggie Perry could have to make an imprint.

Five Tidbits​

• Clippers made 11 of 19 fourth quarter field goal attempts
• Cam Reynolds finished with 12 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals
• Utah turned the ball over 23 times, including 7 in the fourth
• Justin Bean had just 2 points but posted a +20 in 14 minutes
• Clippers had a 24-2 run in the fourth quarter

Next game: Saturday, July 16 vs Miami Heat (8:00 PM PT)

(Top photo courtesy of ESPN2)

 

[KFBF]

Justin Russo

2022 Summer League, Game 5: Five Takeaways

It’s been a Summer League of ebbs and flows for the Los Angeles Clippers. Saturday marked the team’s fourth game in five nights, and the crew was fresh off a victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night. Sadly, the Clippers were not able to end their trip in Las Vegas on a high note. Instead, they succumbed to the Miami Heat, 86-83.

1.) Going Cold In The Desert​

The first half was a pretty even affair, but the Clippers found their footing in the second half and even jetted out to an 18-point lead at one point in the third quarter. While Miami did crawl back into the game, Xavier Moon hit a pull-up jumper with 2:25 to go in the fourth that put the Clippers up by four. It seemed like the visit to Sin City was going to end with a win. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
The Clippers went cold over the next two minutes as the Heat rattled off a 9-0 run to take an 80-75 lead with 23.8 seconds to go. The Clippers tried like hell to reverse their fortune, but they ultimately crapped out. It’s never ideal to go cold from the field, but it’s made worse when you’re so close to finishing this trip out with a win and instead having to come away with nothing. Maybe next year.

2.) Scrubb’s Best Game​

It wasn’t all bad, though. Third-year swingman Jay Scrubb had what was likely his best game of the trip as he finished with a team-high tying 16 points. Scrubb also added 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block in his 26 minutes. He made 7 of 17 shots from the field. Scrubb looked active and aggressive, so that’s good to see. There are still a ton of warts with Scrubb’s game, if we’re being completely honest.
Way too often he’ll get out of control with the ball in his hands and forget that he’s part of a team, opting to charge into three defenders rather than pass to one of the many open shooters that are flanking him. The talent is there. The mindset is not. We’ll see what training camp holds. Scrubb finished Summer League averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.8 steals. He also averaged 2.6 turnovers and posted a 51.4 TS%.

3.) Boston’s Toughest Game​

It’s OK for a young guy to have a stinker every now and then, but Brandon Boston Jr.’s Saturday night near the Las Vegas Strip was the equivalent of going broke and having to walk 500 miles home. Boston finished with just 7 points on 2 of 11 shooting, and it wasn’t as if he contributed in many other areas as he tallied just a single rebound, assist and steal. It was an extremely rough way to end what started out as a promising Summer League experience.
Some leeway should probably be given to the youngsters since, after all, this was their fourth game in five days. That’s draining, even without travel. Boston does have the tools to be a contributor down the road, so you can forgive some hiccups. Boston finished Summer League with averages of 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists while having a 46.6 TS%. The jumper was not at all there. Slashing was, though.

4.) Moon, Perry Showcase Skills​

The energetic Xavier Moon did his best in the late stages of this game to give the Clippers a chance. He smashed home a dunk and drilled a 3-pointer to bring them within a single possession with under a minute to go. It wasn’t enough. Moon finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 26 minutes. It was his best game of the Summer League.
Big man Reggie Perry got the start as rookie Moussa Diabaté was sidelined again with an ankle issue. Perry finished with 16 points on only 7 shots and grabbed 6 rebounds for good measure. Did have 7 fouls, though. Perry averaged 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds on a 59.9 TS% in Las Vegas. Made half of his 12 3-point attempts, as well.

5.) Leaving Las Vegas​

Now that the Las Vegas Summer League is over for the Clippers, it’s time to go over some things. First off, Jay Scrubb led them in points (14.8) while Moussa Diabaté led them in rebounds (7.5). Sure, Diabaté only played two games but it still counts. Jason Preston led them in assists (5.3). Truth be told, Diabaté and Preston were pretty impressive out there and that’s a major positive for the organization to take from this.
Outside of Scrubb not wanting to pass the ball as much as he should have, Summer League pretty much went the way the team would have hoped. Sure, you’d like to win a title, but as long as guys come out of it healthy then that’s all that matters. Diabaté did get banged up and Preston did enter health and safety protocols, but both will be fine by the time training camp gets underway.

Five Tidbits​

• Cam Reynolds had 11 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds
• Heat made 23 of their 24 free throw attempts
• Jarrell Brantley finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds
• Clippers shot just 31.8% in the fourth quarter
• Jay Scrubb scored 8 of his 16 points in the third quarter

(Top photo courtesy of NBATV)

 

[KFBF]

Kawhi looked good. Norm looked bad. Wall was ok.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

 

[pete clemenza]

I was never sold on Powell. He's a chucker that plays outside of the offense and is only out to get his. Now he's saying he wants to be an all star this year Coffey needs his minutes if you ask me. If they can stay relatively healthy Kawhi & PG are going to tear it up this season. Diabate is looking like a diet JJJ(grizzlies) already and is way better than Moses Brown. His motor is insane plus he can switch off and guard positions 1-5 easily. Lots of good players on this team. I have no clue on how Lue will get minutes to the majority of them. Let's Go! Glad the season is finally here

 

[Diondon]

#Kawhibyke

 

[KFBF]

I was never sold on Powell. He's a chucker that plays outside of the offense and is only out to get his. Now he's saying he wants to be an all star this year Coffey needs his minutes if you ask me. If they can stay relatively healthy Kawhi & PG are going to tear it up this season. Diabate is looking like a diet JJJ(grizzlies) already and is way better than Moses Brown. His motor is insane plus he can switch off and guard positions 1-5 easily. Lots of good players on this team. I have no clue on how Lue will get minutes to the majority of them. Let's Go! Glad the season is finally here

Disagree. I’m biased as Norm is from San Diego. I think Coffey should get Luke’s minutes. Norm does more as a ball handler and defensively than Luke does. Luke’s an incredible shooter but damn near everyone on the team can shoot.

I’d be fine with Coffey getting some of Terrance’s minutes as well, he’s had his shot but he’s still too hesitant out there.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Disagree. I’m biased as Norm is from San Diego. I think Coffey should get Luke’s minutes. Norm does more as a ball handler and defensively than Luke does. Luke’s an incredible shooter but damn near everyone on the team can shoot.

I’d be fine with Coffey getting some of Terrance’s minutes as well, he’s had his shot but he’s still too hesitant out there.

Luke is the shot of all shots out there tho

 

[KFBF]

Luke is the shot of all shots out there tho

Yeah but that’s all he can do. Norms probably 60% the shooter but has ball handling nda defense. That ball handling is going to lead some frustrating turnovers. Won’t be as bad as Reggie but he’s a little gassed on himself.

It’s crazy we got a lot shyt for the Luke deal and the extension. But I’d much rather have Luke on the deal he’s on than the Joe Harris, Duncan Robinson, or the Buddy Hield deals. I can’t recall the Seth curry deal off the top of my head.

I think the front office could win the award for best one every year. But folks have already burned out on that. Nothing matters at this point besides a title and anything else is a failure.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

I think the front office could win the award for best one every year. But folks have already burned out on that. Nothing matters at this point besides a title and anything else is a failure.

Say less...the time is now. Ballmer spent like he's buying another planet on this team. They have everything you would need in this modern NBA except size in the paint. These mothafukkas should be overwhelming teams quite honestly.

Also Luke can put it on the floor too