I don't begrudge Kawhi believing that the best place for he and his family to be in was LA, and if he thought that joining the Lakers would essentially not be a challenge because we'd be such prohibitive favorites that way and he wanted the challenge, OK, I can accept that logic. (Though I do begrudge him for stringing us along, but that's another story.) However, he wasn't willing to actually see beyond the trees. He demanded the move for PG, or he wasn't coming. They gave up a strong young piece in SGA and all of those draft picks. Now, if he was smart, he would have seen that PG is a space cadet who had come off two straight playoff clunkers (now make it three) and wasn't worth such a massive treasure trove of assets. If Kawhi had any commitment to the Clippers, he could have signed the longest deal possible and allowed them to use their treasure trove of assets to actually make a trade for the right star. Who knows who would have become available.
Yes, in theory Kawhi and PG are both great two-way wings, but did their games complement each other well? Ehh, not really, and then the vaunted Clipper front office constructed a team where they didn't have a single talented ballhandler/creator on the floor who wasn't a complete liability on defense. Kawhi's mistake was only agreeing to sign there if they gave up their future for a player who simply wasn't good enough. And now there's a very real chance that their window will close after next season, with the draft picks gone. You'd think the Clippers would have intense motivation for next season. But Kawhi's body isn't capable of going all-out and he needs to be load-managed, and what makes people think PG will stop being a space cadet who buckles under the pressure?
This is precisely what i was saying in the off-season again and again. I NEVER understood how any so called expert basketball analysts can come to the conclusion that 2 dudes that play the EXACT SAME POSITION and similar games would mesh better than a transcendent passer and transcendent PnR guy. Coming to that conclusion is gd inexcusable. It was pretty jarring to see how it was almost unanimous among the talking heads that the Clippers would be a well oiled machine and the Lakers were going to have massive teething issues. So, so stupid. _________________ KOBE
I don't begrudge Kawhi believing that the best place for he and his family to be in was LA, and if he thought that joining the Lakers would essentially not be a challenge because we'd be such prohibitive favorites that way and he wanted the challenge, OK, I can accept that logic. (Though I do begrudge him for stringing us along, but that's another story.) However, he wasn't willing to actually see beyond the trees. He demanded the move for PG, or he wasn't coming. They gave up a strong young piece in SGA and all of those draft picks. Now, if he was smart, he would have seen that PG is a space cadet who had come off two straight playoff clunkers (now make it three) and wasn't worth such a massive treasure trove of assets. If Kawhi had any commitment to the Clippers, he could have signed the longest deal possible and allowed them to use their treasure trove of assets to actually make a trade for the right star. Who knows who would have become available.
Yes, in theory Kawhi and PG are both great two-way wings, but did their games complement each other well? Ehh, not really, and then the vaunted Clipper front office constructed a team where they didn't have a single talented ballhandler/creator on the floor who wasn't a complete liability on defense. Kawhi's mistake was only agreeing to sign there if they gave up their future for a player who simply wasn't good enough. And now there's a very real chance that their window will close after next season, with the draft picks gone. You'd think the Clippers would have intense motivation for next season. But Kawhi's body isn't capable of going all-out and he needs to be load-managed, and what makes people think PG will stop being a space cadet who buckles under the pressure?
This is precisely what i was saying in the off-season again and again. I NEVER understood how any so called expert basketball analysts can come to the conclusion that 2 dudes that play the EXACT SAME POSITION and similar games would mesh better than a transcendent passer and transcendent PnR guy. Coming to that conclusion is gd inexcusable. It was pretty jarring to see how it was almost unanimous among the talking heads that the Clippers would be a well oiled machine and the Lakers were going to have massive teething issues. So, so stupid.
Jordan and Pippen is viewed as the greatest duo of all time. Although comparing George to Pippen is laughable and Leonard to Jordan is like .....just stop. Although we all know the best duo is really Kobe-Shaq as their primes meshed.
I don't begrudge Kawhi believing that the best place for he and his family to be in was LA, and if he thought that joining the Lakers would essentially not be a challenge because we'd be such prohibitive favorites that way and he wanted the challenge, OK, I can accept that logic. (Though I do begrudge him for stringing us along, but that's another story.) However, he wasn't willing to actually see beyond the trees. He demanded the move for PG, or he wasn't coming. They gave up a strong young piece in SGA and all of those draft picks. Now, if he was smart, he would have seen that PG is a space cadet who had come off two straight playoff clunkers (now make it three) and wasn't worth such a massive treasure trove of assets. If Kawhi had any commitment to the Clippers, he could have signed the longest deal possible and allowed them to use their treasure trove of assets to actually make a trade for the right star. Who knows who would have become available.
Yes, in theory Kawhi and PG are both great two-way wings, but did their games complement each other well? Ehh, not really, and then the vaunted Clipper front office constructed a team where they didn't have a single talented ballhandler/creator on the floor who wasn't a complete liability on defense. Kawhi's mistake was only agreeing to sign there if they gave up their future for a player who simply wasn't good enough. And now there's a very real chance that their window will close after next season, with the draft picks gone. You'd think the Clippers would have intense motivation for next season. But Kawhi's body isn't capable of going all-out and he needs to be load-managed, and what makes people think PG will stop being a space cadet who buckles under the pressure?
This is precisely what i was saying in the off-season again and again. I NEVER understood how any so called expert basketball analysts can come to the conclusion that 2 dudes that play the EXACT SAME POSITION and similar games would mesh better than a transcendent passer and transcendent PnR guy. Coming to that conclusion is gd inexcusable. It was pretty jarring to see how it was almost unanimous among the talking heads that the Clippers would be a well oiled machine and the Lakers were going to have massive teething issues. So, so stupid.
Jordan and Pippen is viewed as the greatest duo of all time. Although comparing George to Pippen is laughable and Leonard to Jordan is like .....just stop. Although we all know the best duo is really Kobe-Shaq as their primes meshed.
True MJ and Pip were similar in build and both savages on defense but on offense they were nothing alike. Pip wasn't a voracious scorer but he was an elite facilitator for MJ. He filled in all the gaps to allow MJ to do MJ things. Can't say the same for Kawhi/George. _________________ KOBE
I still like Pat Bev, although his value is much less in my head now compared to last yr playoff. We all need that dawg, a Draymond, a Rick Fox or Artest. That’s why Bradley who does it quietly is missed... at least we still has Rondo
I still like Pat Bev, although his value is much less in my head now compared to last yr playoff. We all need that dawg, a Draymond, a Rick Fox or Artest. That’s why Bradley who does it quietly is missed... at least we still has Rondo
I think Kyle Kuzma can at least follow the Rick Fox route as he grows older. That jack of all trades expert at none guy whose calling card can be smart positional physical defense for a title team. I wont compare Kuzma's defense to Artest's or Draymond's. Artest and Draymond are just special game changers on defense
Nick Wright: Doc blew a 3-1 lead in the Bush administration, the Obama administration, and the Trump administration. Doesn't matter who's in office, doesn't matter what year it is. If you need a 3-1 lead blown, you know who to call.
Man media asked all year that who is 2nd ball handler for Lakers and who is 3rd scorer for Lakers?
Maybe Lakers lack those roles but Clippers lack 1st ball handler and 2nd scorer.
PG can only have the role of Bosh and Love, he isn't a Pippen.
Btw i am now sure that if we had Bynum and Ariza back in 2008 finals Doc would blew that 3-1 too.
The most successful 2 superstar combinations were almost always a superstar big and a superstar wing player. Jordan + Pippen was an anomaly because Pip was like point forward type. That's why they survived even with mediocre PG's like Kerr, Paxton and BJ Armstrong.
Neither KL nor PG has above average playmaking skills. So there was nobody to steady the ship when the Nuggets went on a run.And Doc as usual was horrible with his in game adjustments or lack thereof. _________________ “Properly read, the bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.”
― Isaac Asimov
Man media asked all year that who is 2nd ball handler for Lakers and who is 3rd scorer for Lakers?
Maybe Lakers lack those roles but Clippers lack 1st ball handler and 2nd scorer.
PG can only have the role of Bosh and Love, he isn't a Pippen.
Btw i am now sure that if we had Bynum and Ariza back in 2008 finals Doc would blew that 3-1 too.
It was clear as day for the ones that couldn't comprehend the hype. It's unreal how the world turned into Walking Dead zombies about the Clippers. Guh...otherwordly deep....guh. Lou who? Foh. There should be press passes revoked left and right. Clown analysts and fans pumping up a clown ass team.
To see the Paper Clips and the Harden Rockets go down in smoke is some sort of karmic retribution. There's not a place in the basketball universe for that garbage. _________________ KOBE
Last edited by jonnybravo on Thu Sep 17, 2020 1:10 am; edited 1 time in total
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum