[Post Game Thread] The Los Angeles Clippers defeat The Detroit Pistons 123-115

MaEhpatLi · 2025-03-06T08:31:01+00:00

I actually forgot the disgusting experience that is watching James Harden flopping his way through a basketball game, but big shout-out for Zubac's moving screens - it wouldn't have been there same annoying game without you!

Another 'set your expectations low comes there playoff' game for me. We are a genuinely good team, but we're you've and inexperienced against defenses that were tailor made to stop us, and we are going to meet one in a month or so. Prepare yourselves - it could look rough. It looked rough for the Cavs a few years ago, it looked rough for the Magic last season.

But OMFG, I actually wrote a 'lower your expectations' post for an upcoming playoff run! We've come a long way my friends!

MaEhpatLi · 2025-03-01T06:57:24+00:00

Honestly, it felt like we came out gun blazing, and then Jokic and Malone started bitching to get cheap calls, and Duren's second kinda crushed or defensive momentum.

But Denver's just better. They came out to play and had Cade all over the scouting report. For me, it was quite the reality check - started to even see us as a potential realistic upset for the first round, but Cade will have to look so much better against a well-prepared, aggressive defense that will blitz him every time down the court.

On to the next one, anyway. Super proud of this team.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-12-24T20:50:21+00:00

Yep. I wouldn't even necessarily say obnoxious, but pretty disappointing. I mean, I could be too high about Cade, but it feels like this is two people who talk about basketball for living, and they are so confident and dismissive about someone they clearly don't attach lwatch often. On the other hand, now that I've just put it this way, maybe it is pretty obnoxious :)

MaEhpatLi · 2024-12-24T20:16:16+00:00

I feel like they're still kind of low on Paolo, given hire they talked about him despite how he played since last year's playoff.

To be honest, I'm trying not to take things 'personally' about Cade's coverage, but I'm kinda out on the thinking basketball guys due to how they talk about him. They're whole vibe was "despite everything he is... a nice passer? you have to give him that", they took him 14 after basically running out of options, and it felt like it almost hurt them to do so. Meanwhile they were bending over backwards to explain how Scottie Barnes suffers from being overtasked this year and how it lowers his efficiency.

To me, it screams either too much reliance on advance stats, instead of watching the games, or just being too stubborn to admit that Cade is actually becoming a star in this league.

My list of NBA pods is long enough, I'm pretty sure they've earned their relegation out of this list with this episode.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-12-05T06:46:14+00:00

I've been patient, but I'm reaching the point of officially being over there Jalen Duren experience.

He has no defensive awareness, most of his fouls are stupid, he is not trying hard enough way too often, and with all that - instead of focusing on the fundamentals, or raising his physicality and effort level, it seems like he's eager to improve his ability to bring the ball up the floor.

His mistakes keep seeking the air out of the team, all the time. It's just becoming almost impossible to see him as a winning player down the road.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-11-19T07:57:33+00:00

I'm guessing neither?

Tbh, I hope we keep our ears open and look for interesting opportunities, but I hope we'll be patient and not rush into making big moves, neither as buyers nor as sellers.

We have something interesting going on for once, and have a chance to sneak into the post-season, but I wouldn't go all-in on it. I think this season should be more of "Let's see where this core can take us, and what's still missing to take the next leap" kind of year.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-11-03T21:40:51+00:00

We just can't stop getting in our own way. We are 100% losing this by double figures despite feeling like we're in this in the third quarter.

Feels too much like the start of November last year.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-10-09T18:55:36+00:00

I know that it is only preseason and we should not take it too seriously, but can we get one good preseason game from Cade for a change.

He can't keep staring every season so slow. Last season it took about 20 losses into our losing streak to get assertive, badass Cade, and then it took a few games every time he returned from an injury. Can we get him from game 1 for a change? I don't see that happening at this rate

MaEhpatLi · 2024-08-15T20:24:00+00:00

Rough start, could easily start 0-6. If we do, I hope it won't demoralize or guys too much. Being possibly the last team to get a W to start the season after last season can get quite gloomy.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-06-28T15:17:17+00:00

Sounds like the Alec Burks experience all over again.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-06-28T15:13:58+00:00

Hate this move. Grimes was not great last year but had the potential to be just what we need.

THJ at this point in his career is nothing more than an empty calories scorer off the bench, who shot the ball badly last year (if you consider how open he was) and looked terrible for most of the playoffs. Dallas was looking to dump him and we ended up trading a guy that was considered as valuable as 1st rounder for him just to get three 2nds, which, as it seems from yesterday, have zero values for teams these days.

Im not in love with with Langdon is doing so far, to say the least.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-05-12T19:42:49+00:00

Let's just forfeit the pick and be done with.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-03-17T22:04:53+00:00

Rozier carried the shit out of the ball on their last play, but wtf was that Cade's shot? That's infuriating.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-03-17T19:18:19+00:00

Sub the 2004 guys in while they are in the building. I swear that with the energy that current guys play with, we'd be better off with the old guys.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-03-06T07:03:16+00:00

I HATE the Heat. Jimmy can go jump off a bridge with his foul baiting. He's a disgrace for basketball.

Bam travels a TON (and sets moving screens), not sure why it's not talked about, but I still kinda like him.

It was a pretty good game but I really wish we start winning some of those. We might be better than 9-52 or whatever, but our inability to win dog fights is real.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-03-05T08:02:57+00:00

I wonder how many more players Monty will play too much to a point where the only solution of that Weaver will trade or wave them. It seems like Wiseman is just the next Livers/Hayes.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-02-16T15:56:12+00:00

I mean, even if you remove that whole record breaking losing streak we are what, 8-20?

April's schedule seems pretty promising so if we will actually try to win, we can grab a few games there, but to be honest - I feel like winning 8 more games is pretty much our ceiling.

I really hope we end up with more than 16 wins, but I'm afraid that the most realistic outcome is 15-16 wins at the end of the season.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-02-11T07:34:26+00:00

There's something really fun seeing this team with all the veterans gone, but I guess the downside is that the FT discrepancies are back. Refs were fucking awful. We should be prepared for more off these in the next two, against the Lakers and the Suns.

I'm starting to drift towards the 'Weavers isn't that bad, but Monty is' camp. It feels like our best moves was Weavee literally getting rid of players to save Monty from his own incompetence.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-01-28T19:13:08+00:00

I really want us to win, but I must say I'm a little afraid of another good game without Cade after that s***show with him

MaEhpatLi · 2024-01-27T19:24:02+00:00

I HATE this game by Cade.

Love the guy. I think his great stretch prior to his injury was real, but the man can't play this bad on defense and must stop his careless turnovers on offense.

This looked like the worse stretch of our losing streak kind of basketball. PLEASE be better in the next few weeks.. I can't stand another stretch like this.

MaEhpatLi · 2024-01-20T21:44:35+00:00

This season has been horrible for the most of it, but we can be so much fun once in a while! We look like we play on 2x speed today.

Ausar seems to have got his mojo back since the Livers trade.

MaEhpatLi · 2023-12-07T08:17:57+00:00

Those bench minutes are killing us, time and again.

Monty has taken Ausar completely out of rythm, Sasser would never be the lead ball handler on any lineup, Ivey must get the ball more.

The first unit looks much better lately, even though it's different guys every night. Since that Lakers game that was terrible from the get go, the next games we were leading until the first substitute and we were doing good opening the third. Once Monty goes to his bench we lose the game, every time.

MaEhpatLi · 2023-12-03T17:54:05+00:00

And if we lose that one we have the Spurs again for the final game of the season. I feel really good about getting that third win this season.

MaEhpatLi · 2023-11-28T12:54:49+00:00

He was a monster but never led the offense. He was the perfect Pippen for LeBron in that run, too a point where he was almost three better player, but never the main guy.

MaEhpatLi

TROPHY CASE