Clippers Depth Cliff Looming...

[cd021]

The Clippers are rolling with 17 straight wins and a 16-0 December. They now have .800 winning percentage and have the best record in the league.

But they are getting closer to having a full roster and Del Negro has some difficult desicions to make with playing time.
Bledsoe has logged minutes at 2 guard, playing with Paul but is usually the backup PG.

Eric Bledsoe

Matt Barnes

Grant Hill

Chauncey Billups

Caron Butler

Jamal Crawford

Willie Green (who has started the last 5 games, averaging 8 pts in 18 minutes)

Billups is likely going to start, Hill is probably going to play up 25 minutes in the post season.

Barnes and Crawford have played especially well but will likely see a big drop off in minutes

Defensively, they are currently 3rd and there is a risk that with older players entering the rotation their defense could slip a bit.


Despite that they've beaten us twice this season, but the seasons still young...

[freetiago]

Green will be benched
and turiaf will probably be removed from the rotation and have hill/barnes at PF for the bench with odom at C

paul/bledsoe
billups/crawford
butler/hill
griffin/barnes
jordan/odom

clipper would be better off trading one of those wings for a backup PF
most likely butler or hill if any team actually wants them

billups and hill have to accept playing around 18-20 mins a game max and theyll be fine
only problem is getting bledsoe more minutes

[JRHernandez88]

Sucks that we can't discuss this in the NBA forum. It's outta control in that forum, can't even talk basketball.

[cd021]

Green will be benched
and turiaf will probably be removed from the rotation and have hill/barnes at PF for the bench with odom at C

paul/bledsoe
billups/crawford
butler/hill
griffin/barnes
jordan/odom

clipper would be better off trading one of those wings for a backup PF
most likely butler or hill if any team actually wants them

billups and hill have to accept playing around 18-20 mins a game max and theyll be fine
only problem is getting bledsoe more minutes

That makes sense, Though Odom has been horrid this season, I'd play Turiaf instead but none of their bigs can really stretch the floor (except form Odom and occasional jumper from Turiaf.

[cd021]

Sucks that we can't discuss this in the NBA forum. It's outta control in that forum, can't even talk basketball.

What happens in that forum, stays in that forum.

[TampaDude]

Clippers = monkeyball = regular season champions

[Clipper Nation]

Willie Green won't get any minutes when Chauncey comes back, and I think Grant Hill will probably only be used sparingly...

[howbouthemspurs]

Clippers still suck

[Paranoid Pop]

Meh we must be pretty desesperate if we have to hope they self destruct...

[cd021]

Meh we must be pretty desesperate if we have to hope they self destruct...

Too bad that hasn't really worked with the Lakers...

[cd021]

Billups is done probably Hill also.

I actually think Billups will start and they will frontload his minutes, like we did with blair. Hill is a toss up but i still think he can contribute but he hasn't played two months in to the season ...

[Andthentherewas21]

Pretty sure too many good players is a good problem to have. Not sure that really hurts them.

[spursmartyr]

Green will be benched
and turiaf will probably be removed from the rotation and have hill/barnes at PF for the bench with odom at C

paul/bledsoe
billups/crawford
butler/hill
griffin/barnes
jordan/odom

clipper would be better off trading one of those wings for a backup PF
most likely butler or hill if any team actually wants them

billups and hill have to accept playing around 18-20 mins a game max and theyll be fine
only problem is getting bledsoe more minutes
That leaves them extremely thin and small up front. Would make the Spurs' big man rotation look well... big.

[racm]

That makes sense, Though Odom has been horrid this season, I'd play Turiaf instead but none of their bigs can really stretch the floor (except form Odom and occasional jumper from Turiaf.

Odom's been great on the boards and defensively though. I think they consider any points to be a nice bonus since Crawford, Barnes, and Bledsoe account for most of their bench scoring.

[PÒÓCH]

The Clipps may make it to the NBA finals one day, when they do they'll freeze under the bright lights and added media attention. They're just not used to being a winning organization. They'll be just like OKC in the 2012 finals.

[DapDaGenius]

Clippers still suck

I support this message.

[spurspokesman]

Sucks that we can't discuss this in the NBA forum. It's outta control in that forum, can't even talk basketball.

lol. Savage beasts in there. I went there once and saw the madness.

[spurspokesman]

Clippers = monkeyball = regular season champions+1

[spurspokesman]

Clippers still suck I concur

[boutons_deux]

First week of 2013 will be huge test for Clips' streak



Tue, Jan 1


@
Denver (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/den/denver-nuggets)







Wed, Jan 2


@
Golden State (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors)







Fri, Jan 4


vs
Los Angeles (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers)







Sat, Jan 5


vs
Golden State (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors)

[thunderup]

First week of 2013 will be huge test for Clips' streak



Tue, Jan 1


@
Denver (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/den/denver-nuggets)







Wed, Jan 2


@
Golden State (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors)







Fri, Jan 4


vs
Los Angeles (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers)







Sat, Jan 5


vs
Golden State (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors)







They'll lose one of those game against Golden State.

[racm]

They'll beat the Lakers nevertheless. The Dubs actually beat them in Staples, tbh.

[DMC]

Whatever move they make, if they do it relatively soon, they will be fine. If they do an Orlando and switch out PGs in the midst of a strong run, they will meet the same fate. Right now though they're riding high and right now is really all that matters. Speculation never won shit.

[spurraider21]

don't sleep on the clippers. they're young and athletic but have plenty of veterans there.

[BackHome]

Yeah I think to have a chance against them we are going to need a much more athletic PF....

[cd021]

That leaves them extremely thin and small up front. Would make the Spurs' big man rotation look well... big.

Barnes is tough but can't handle Captain in a small-ball lineup. SJax is at least a couple of inches taller and more physical

[Strategic]

I look forward to seeing Griffin and Jordan shooting 2nd quarter free throws in the playoffs.

[TJastal]

Barnes is tough but can't handle Captain in a small-ball lineup. SJax is at least a couple of inches taller and more physical

LMAO.. exaggerate much?

[Kidd K]

Their streak is nice, but if you look at who they've played, it's actually not that impressive. Winning 17 straight is always good, but they seriously "shouldn't" have lost any more than 2 or 3 games over those 17.

Average record faced during winning streak: .394%. Under .400. Not very scary. Barely any b2bs either, and one of their two b2bs played was against the crappy Bobcats who were losing to everyone. Only played three teams over .500. One was just 1 game over, and the other two were just 2 games over. . .and the ones that were 2 over were eastern conference teams.

Cool and all, but if the Spurs had that schedule, I honestly wouldn't have assumed they'd do any worse than 15-2 or 14-3 even with the injuries they had last month. And that'd be a little bit of a push. I didn't think the Clippers would do much worse than 17-0 considering that was pretty much the weakest part of their schedule all season. Barely any b2bs and loaded with weak and average teams with at least 1 off day before 15 of the 17 games.

The only cliff coming for these guys is the inevitable dropoff in their record now that their schedule is going to finally toughen up for the first time in a month. They do look like a legit playoff threat right now, but just not as good as their record indicates.



Sucks that we can't discuss this in the NBA forum. It's outta control in that forum, can't even talk basketball.

Yep, awful section. Can't have a legit discussion about anything without rampant trolling by shitty posters that never contribute to any discussion.

[JRHernandez88]

Clippers lost to the nuggets last night.

[cd021]

LMAO.. exaggerate much?

not much of an exaggeration....someone learned a new word today... and has an odd sense of humor.:lmao

[cd021]

I look forward to seeing Griffin and Jordan shooting 2nd quarter free throws in the playoffs.

Griffins shooting motion is almost as bad as Biedrens that should scare the hell outta Clips fans