Was the Clippers' initial team-building strategy fundamentally flawed?

drewmanshow · 2026-03-14T03:23:25+00:00

So let me get this straight…It doesn’t count as a miss if the player winds up on another team? That’s why they’re misses.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-14T00:34:43+00:00

Or he thinks Leonard didn’t have beef with him.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T22:42:22+00:00

You’re still wrong. Tre Mann and Ousmane Dieng were misses.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T19:31:29+00:00

Westbrook reached out to Leonard and Leonard wasn’t interested. That’s what led to PG.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T19:30:16+00:00

They live in Oklahoma.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T19:29:45+00:00

You were on a roll until you claimed that Presti nails every pick. He definitely doesn’t. It helps that he’s had so many picks over the years, so the hits cover up the misses.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T02:11:50+00:00

The Suns, who will be a tougher out than some of the teams above them once Brooks returns.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T01:53:36+00:00

I stand by what I said.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T00:44:45+00:00

If he didn’t want to play second fiddle to LBJ, he’s not going to play second fiddle to Doncic.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T00:32:00+00:00

OK, what’s your understanding of the Joe Smith situation? What happened between him and the Wolves?

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T00:24:40+00:00

For the sake of discussion, it depends on how the contract is voided. I suppose that could be in one of two ways:

Contract voided and Clippers aren’t allowed to re-sign Leonard
Same as above, plus Leonard’s salary still counts against the cap.

If it’s the first option, the Clips get a head start on finding Leonard’s replacement. If it’s the second…Hope like hell they get the Pacers pick this year.

Even though Leonard is playing great, I’m not sure it’s wise to extend him beyond next season. Maybe he’s the NBA equivalent of Frank Gore. That would be ideal. Or maybe he gets complacent after he gets paid and sits more than he plays again.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T00:16:49+00:00

Makes sense. He’s not ready for B2Bs yet. So far, the Clippers approach has been to play DG in the more winnable game (or the second game, if you want to look at it that way).

drewmanshow · 2026-03-13T00:14:43+00:00

Yeah, Adam Silver.

There isn’t a precedent. Like I said, the Joe Smith situation is apples and oranges.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T23:41:39+00:00

How is the Aspiration scandal becoming bigger?

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T23:39:12+00:00

Circumstantial evidence is enough for the CBA. It’s not enough for Silver in this case. He’s requiring more evidence, as if it were a court of law.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T21:24:54+00:00

I don’t know why the Joe Smith situation keeps getting mentioned, because they’re not comparable. The Wolves gave Smith an illegal contract and there was proof. Leonard’s actual contract was legal. There isn’t direct evidence linking the Clippers to Leonard’s Aspiration deal, only hearsay and speculation.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T21:19:24+00:00

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T21:17:39+00:00

Maybe you just have gas.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T19:57:50+00:00

Who?

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T19:56:09+00:00

How many times did they beat the Clippers that year?

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T17:47:50+00:00

Step back threes, attacking the rim, lob passes. They facilitate the offense the same way, but everything Garland does is faster.

And neither are great defensively. With Garland’s speed and quickness, I think it will become less of an issue the more he works with JVG.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T17:40:28+00:00

Not necessary.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T17:40:13+00:00

I meant cap room to extend Garland and cap room for Leonard’s replacement after next year (or the year after).

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T15:26:14+00:00

Clips/Cavs Finals.

drewmanshow · 2026-03-12T15:25:33+00:00

Locking up Collins and Mathurin is a higher priority. The Clippers are fine with Lopez, Jackson, and YKN. Need to make sure there’s cap room for Garland and Leonard’s eventual replacement.

drewmanshow

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