Comments on: Preview & Chat: The Los Angeles Clippers

By: Kurt

Kurt — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:21:22 +0000

We’ve started discussing this in the next thread, but Manu is out for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

By: Darius

Darius — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:17:32 +0000

Craig W.,
I respect what you’re saying. However, if we use your logic of not asking Andrew to score (while also understanding that his major role on this team is defense and rebounding) then doesn’t it make more sense to play him with the starters so he can concentrate on defending the paint while also limiting his offensive responsibilities? Also, if we really think that Andrew’s conditioning will be subpar upon his return, then doesn’t it also make sense to play him with the unit that plays a slower pace while also letting him start the game when he’s still warmed up from pregame? I’ve maintained that I have no clue as to what strategy Phil will use in allocating minutes in Andrew’s return, but I do think it makes a lot of sense to go back to the role that he was playing before he was injured. Plus I do feel if he’s healthy enough to play, there should not be this big distinction between being capable of starting or not.

By: wondahbap

wondahbap — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:22:12 +0000

Makes sense.

By: Craig W.

Craig W. — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:22:05 +0000

Phil did not say he would start Andrew. Besides, everyone here knows Phil loves to befuddle the media – it gives him a thrill. Phil was being hypothetical when talking about Bynum.

It really doesn’t make sense to start a ‘just back from injury’ young player to work with the starters against seasoned vets who have started and played all year long. That is asking for bad things to happen.

Also, regardless of how we might like to talk, Andrew will not be expected to score.

Trevor was not promoted to the starting unit based on his ability to score and will not go back to the second unit based on his inconsistent shooting. If Trevor defends well and can affect the game that way he will (and should) remain in the starting lineup. Sorry about Farmar, but he will have to adjust or find another club to work for.

By: wiseolgoat

wiseolgoat — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:56:59 +0000

Bynum will most likely be starting – Phil believes that it’s best to play him in while his knee is still warm and active after pregame warmups, instead of bringing him off the bench cold.

By: BCR

BCR — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:09:45 +0000

Well, playing Ariza with Farmar makes more sense because the two work much better on the break. If Odom goes back to the bench, then we have a better half-court option and don’t need Walton on the floor to do that. Odom also operates much better on the break than Walton for obvious reasons. This probably kills all of Mbenga’s non-garbage minutes and a good chunk of Powell’s minutes, but this is the time to shorten rotations for the playoffs.

By: wondahbap

wondahbap — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:38:07 +0000

Darius,

Those are good points, but I’m assuming Bynum won’t start when he gets back. Not right away anyway. But you are correct, Farmar and Ariza do play well together. The up tempo style of the 2nd Unit was great when it was LO, Ariza, and Farmar out there, with Sasha able to shoot open 3′s (not running jumpers from the left side of the floor, fading left). As a matter of fact, the ability to play a faster pace with the 2nd Unit was embraced. Unfortunately, the dynamic is completely different and Farmar still plays that way. Only it’s with Luke, Mbenga and Powell. That is why the 2ndUnit is giving up leads. They are playing at a pace that our personnel can’t play.

No matter who gets moved back to the bench, it will compliment Farmar. But how short will the leash be when Bynum comes back? Will Phil let the fast pace play of the 2nd Unit resume? Especially if Bynum is out there? Does he make it a point to get the offense moving through Andrew, thus slowing the tempo?

Ahhh! You know what? I’m just happy that he actually might come back. Who cares who plays where. It almost feels to good to be true.

By: Chris J

Chris J — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:58:15 +0000

Ariza’s role should be adjusted with Bynum’s return, whether Bynum starts of comes off the pine…

Ariza’s outside shooting has been anywhere from bad to unsteady of late, and from watching him play it’s easy to see that he’s aware of this. He’s passing up open looks, which suggests he’s got no confidence in his J right now.

Last season, we saw more Vujacic during the fourth quarter, and because he was shooting well, it gave the Lakers a valid threat should teams double Kobe or Pau in the post. Now those 4Q minutes are going to Trevor, and if he’s not looking to score, that lets the defense sag off and play five on four, huring the other Lakers in the process. We saw this again last night vs. the Clippers.

Right now, with a cold Vujacic and a cold Ariza, teams can clog the middle late in the game. They have no one to respect from outside, sans Kobe, and he’ll be guarded closely no matter where he is on the floor.

Someone has to fill the role of outside threat, and right now — my opnion — Vujacic has the better chance of heating up from distance, if only because he’s a better pure shooter (albeit one who happens to be off the mark of late).

How does that affect who starts? Here’s how: Putting Ariza back on the bench and Luke into the starting lineup would allow Ariza to play with the more-up tempo second unit we saw early in the season. Let Bynum or Pau rebound and outlet. Force some steals, get to running with Odom and Farmar, and hopefully Trevor sees the ball go in enough on short-range finishes that he begins to get his scorer’s mentality back. It’s the best recipe to “fix” Trevor’s issues of late.

Hopefully, The Machine will find some confidence from playing with the starters and thereby get his shot back, since Radmanovich isn’t an option anymore. (Big emphasis on ‘hope,’ since no one has a clue why Sasha’s been so up and down this season.)

The key to fixing the Lakers’ ails before the final five outcomes are revealed and the playoffs begin is finding someone to play with Kobe, Pau, Fish and Odom/Bynum down the stretch.

This has to be shooter who can play D, and on the roster right now the only potential candidates seem to be No. 3 and No. 18.

So let Walton start, Sasha finish, and Ariza run with the gazelles in the interim. It’s the closest way of replicating the success the bench saw early in the year.

By: k

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:52:14 +0000

furthermore the reason Luke went to the bench is because they needed more ball movement since Lamar became a starter. With Lamar presumably returning to the bench the opportunity also affords the chance for Luke and Trevor to switch places which would balance everything else out. Chemistry shouldn’t be an issue as it seems this team has it in spades no matter the combination on the floor, save the five-some of Sasha, Farmar, Powell, Mbenga, and Walton.

By: Darius

Darius — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:17:23 +0000

wondahbap,
I remember that discussion. And I agree that playing Luke with Bynum would probably benefit both players. And that’s one of the reasons why I wouldn’t mind seeing Ariza go back to the bench. Trevor only averages 6 more minutes as a starter than as a bench player and I think that Phil could easily adjust the rotations so Ariza comes in with Odom rather than coming in with Farmar. That way when Bynum goes to the bench, Luke does too and their minutes could more or less overlap (if that really is who we want Luke playing with).

Craig makes a good point in that Trevor may have played his last games as a reserve weeks ago, however I’ve always agreed with Kurt in that it’s really who finishes the games and Trevor has consistently been a closer for us. I would also reiterate the point I made earlier: I’d like for Farmar to get more minutes with Trevor as they have a tremendous chemistry. One stat (that is no way conclusive, but does illustrate my point), is that there were 21 games that Farmar played in (after his injury) before Ariza began starting. In those games, he scored double digits 6 times and scored 9 two other times. Since Ariza has become a starter, Farmar’s played in 14 games – scoring in double digits once and scoring 9 points once. Like I said, this isn’t the end all be all of stats, but it does verify something that I’ve noticed from watching the games – that Farmar plays so much better when Ariza is in the game with him as Trevor runs the floor with him and they play off each other really well.