SERIES THREAD: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS LA CLIPPERS

[bksballer89]

Not one person on ESPN picked GSW but 7 of them have the series going the distance while 6 of them have it going 6 games.....

 

[Hambombs]

Not one person on ESPN picked GSW but 7 of them have the series going the distance while 6 of them have it going 6 games.....

Everyone picked Denver last year.

 

[bksballer89]

Denver were built for the regular season unlike the Clippers

 

[Hambombs]

Denver were built for the regular season unlike the Clippers

We will see. Should be good

 

[BUD]

Clippers in 6.

 

[bksballer89]

And the trash talk continues

 

[bksballer89]

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers have yet to play against each other this postseason, but they've already commenced trading shots.


The cross talk continued on Friday, as Golden State coach Mark Jackson responded to a barb from Clippers guard J.J. Redick about Warriors guard Klay Thompson's defense.


"I didn't know that J.J. Redick was a player-coach," Jackson said. "Is he speaking on behalf of Doc Rivers?"
At practice Friday in Playa Vista, Calif., Redick discussed the Clippers' offensive strategy against the Warriors' perimeter defenders.


"If Klay guards Chris [Paul], Chris is going to be in about 4,200 pick-and-rolls a game," Redick said. "We want Klay to be in those pick-and-rolls. Klay and Andre [Iguodala] are great defenders, so as much as we can wear those guys down, that would be great."


"Chris Paul's a heck of a player, future Hall of Famer," Jackson said. "He's an all-time great. I'm not sitting there saying we have a Chris Paul stopper, so it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, he's going to create challenges. Not as many as if J.J. Redick was guarding him, but he's going to create some challenges for our defense and any defense."

 

[Clayton]

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers have yet to play against each other this postseason, but they've already commenced trading shots.


The cross talk continued on Friday, as Golden State coach Mark Jackson responded to a barb from Clippers guard J.J. Redick about Warriors guard Klay Thompson's defense.


"I didn't know that J.J. Redick was a player-coach," Jackson said. "Is he speaking on behalf of Doc Rivers?"
At practice Friday in Playa Vista, Calif., Redick discussed the Clippers' offensive strategy against the Warriors' perimeter defenders.


"If Klay guards Chris [Paul], Chris is going to be in about 4,200 pick-and-rolls a game," Redick said. "We want Klay to be in those pick-and-rolls. Klay and Andre [Iguodala] are great defenders, so as much as we can wear those guys down, that would be great."


"Chris Paul's a heck of a player, future Hall of Famer," Jackson said. "He's an all-time great. I'm not sitting there saying we have a Chris Paul stopper, so it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, he's going to create challenges. Not as many as if J.J. Redick was guarding him, but he's going to create some challenges for our defense and any defense."

Not sure Id say that is 'trading barbs'

Reddick gave a compliment by saying he wanted to wear down a great defender (Klay). Jackson said that Redick isn't that good of a defender.

 

[bksballer89]

Jackson comment was unnecessary because Redick didn't say anything wrong.....It's not like he took a shot at Klay or Iggy

 

[Clayton]

Jackson comment was unnecessary because Redick didn't say anything wrong.....It's not like he took a shot at Klay or Iggy

I agree but it does seem like something about of the Phil Jackson playbook to try and stir something up.

 

[Clayton]

Interesting ZACH LOWE breakdown (Grantland article)


Golden State Warriors (6) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (3)

1. Can the Dubs Actually Do This Without Andrew Bogut?

David Lee has battled Griffin well on the block, but he’s a sieve otherwise, and the absence of one more big man raises the specter of foul trouble and the Dubs’ ugly deep bench. The Clippers destroyed Golden State whenever Bogut hit the bench, gobbling up 30 percent of available offensive rebounds — a monster number.

Despite the absence of Bogut, the Warriors have the goods to make this competitive. Smaller lineups with Lee/Jermaine O’Neal at center and either Draymond Green or Harrison Barnes at power forward have been effective; the five such groups that have logged at least 50 minutes together are a combined plus-164 over 482 minutes, per NBA.com. The Warriors can spread the floor, and they hit 41 percent from deep against the Clips — a major victory against the league’s stingiest 3-point defense.

Stephen Curry on the pick-and-roll requires Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to get a bit out of their comfort zones, and Curry has taken advantage of tiny cracks to launch 3s, get into the lane, or find screeners rolling to the rim:

Green and Lee are skilled passers who can work the ball around to open shooters from the low post. Golden State scored a healthy 107 points per 100 possessions against the Clippers, and L.A. has struggled to bottle up above-average offenses all season. The Clips’ wing players are on the small side, though that’s less of a concern if J.J. Redick and Matt Barnes can play heavy minutes. But expect the Warriors to post Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and Barnes up against Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison — and to draw help.

The Dubs can also go small without fear against most of the Clippers’ bench lineups, and foul trouble to either Griffin or Jordan would be a game-changer in this regard.


The Warriors have a healthy system, and they coaxed Griffin into a ton of midrange jumpers

About 42 percent of Griffin’s shots against Golden State came via midrange, up from 34 overall. The Warriors will also play Chris Paul for midrange jumpers on the pick-and-roll, mostly using Thompson on him and hiding Curry on Barnes or Redick:


Griffin posted up more than usual against Golden State, per Synergy, and though he shot 47 percent on those plays, he didn’t single-handedly destroy the Warriors.

Again: The tools are here for Golden State. But those tools are just sharper with Bogut around — better post defense, more threatening challenges on those Paul drives, quicker passing decisions.

PREDICTION: Clippers in six

 

[Hambombs]

Yeah zach Lowe is a great writer. Prediction sounds about right. But I can see us winning too

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

I don't think this is a certainty at all.


The Warriors are in the heads of the Clippers.


And LA doesn't exactly have a lot of post-season grit to draw upon.


They wilted badly when tested in 2012 and 2013. Maybe Doc makes a difference...maybe not...


I am tempted to pick the Warriors.


But, regardless this WILL BE A LONG series and a major headache for the Clippers.

 

[bksballer89]

Fast start for the Clippers

 

[bksballer89]

Blake & Iggy both with 2 fouls

 

[piss-tons]

A lot of fouls called early on. Iguodala and Griffin already in foul trouble, hopefully the refs ease up a little

 

[Hambombs]

I'm not even watching the game c'mon warriors get your head out of your asses

 

[bksballer89]

What is your lame excuse for not watching it?

 

[The Derski]

haha Cp3 getting called for the foul

 

[Hambombs]

If I was Jackson I would hack a jordan