Doc Rivers said afterward Johnson seems more comfortable with the second unit, but it’s something he still wants to evaluate … However, veteran Paul Pierce worked with the starters as a small forward during Monday’s practice.
Advertisement
“Doc never wanted me”, Barnes said. The comment drew ire from the defending champs, and the Clippers head coach clarified his words afterwards, although you should probably still circle the first Clippers-Warriors game this season on the calendar.
It’s an interesting little story line that could give us a better glimpse on how much more valuable three-pointers and shots at the rim are than Aldridge’s mid-range bread and butter (even if Portland often used Aldridge in the mid-range as a lever for creating better shots for others). For the past few seasons this team has seemingly been on the verge of capturing their own Larry O’Brien Trophy, and there were many that thought the 2014-15 season could signal that moment taking place.
One thing’s certain, these guys are amped up about what could be a history-making season for the franchise, which has never been past the conference semifinals.
In the first quarter against the Clippers, Lillard was bringing the ball up the floor to get the offense going.
“Yeah, most likely, but I’m not sure”, Rivers said Monday. People like rooting for overachievers, or the lovable underdog. At that point, the game was up for grabs, and the Clippers took firm grasp, outscoring the Trail Blazers by 24 points in the second half. These are the Clippers, and they’re well ahead of schedule in causing the angst of opponents both on the off the court.
While the Clippers continued to perpetuate the stereotypes about them, how we think about them is still subject to change. But if they do make a run to the Finals, the conversations can change.
Advertisement
If hatred would be fuel for a basketball team, the Los Angeles Clippers would be blazing hot. “I hear all my players talk about things said to them, and I don’t get why you would read that”. After another year of falling short, the Clippers will have to go through all of it again, and position themselves for what they hope is a deeper playoff run. “They can’t get in a rhythm of “OK, they’re going to do this, we can counter with this.’ I think if you keep teams guessing when you’re on defense – ‘we’ll show, we’ll blitz, we’ll drop back” – it just kind of keeps indecision on their part”.
