Ball or Nuthin' » Grizzlies

Grizzlies Expose Knicks’ Weaknesses

T Lamont — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:15:50 +0000

Indeed, it’s quite early in this NBA campaign.

Yet, there are certain teams that are supposed to coast into the postseason, easily handling those unfortunate teams that don’t have the star power to match up.

The New York Knicks are considered to be members of that group.

Tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies – a Western conference semifinalist from a year ago – showed us why the Knicks are not quite there:

1. New York has limited back-to-the-basket offensive options. While Tyson Chandler, Josh Harrelson and Amar’e Stoudemire have varying degrees of talent, they have one thing in common: a lack of an offensive repertoire in the low post. Carmelo Anthony is the Knicks’ best scorer and best post player, but he’s not a natural creator and won’t always demand the double-team that role players need to get open looks at the tin.

2. Point guard, or should I say, Iman Shumpert. After two relatively ho-hum starts, the Georgia Tech product reverted to being an overanxious rookie in Memphis tonight. Shumpert scored 12 points, dished out 3 assists and collected 4 steals. The good ends there for him. He shot 5-20 from the floor, and his shot selection might have even made Kobe Bryant cringe (maybe). Shumpert is far from being considered a knock-down shooter, but he didn’t hesitate to shoot New York out of this game. Pull-up triples on the break, no rebounders under the boards, no problem. Shumpert kept his own team fighting for shots, with no rhythm on either end of the floor. The rook’s performance forced the Knicks to tell Mike Bibby to pull off his warm-ups and gave Baron Davis hope.

Against Memphis tonight, Iman Shumpert never met a shot he didn't like.

3. Carmelo Anthony was attacked by his opposing number. It’s not new news to hear that Anthony isn’t the most interested defender. But with Zach Randolph out of the lineup, it seemed to be easily assumed that Rudy Gay would get more than his usual share of opportunities. But Gay scored from the inside, outside, and just about everywhere in between. He made all of the right decisions, and ended up shooting 11-16, scoring 26 points.

4. New York got three-point happy. Sure, they were behind (by as many as 24 at one point), and treys cut into the deficit quickly. Made treys. The Knicks didn’t shoot bad from beyond the arc, but their attempt total (26) compared to the Grizzlies (12) told the story of the game. Memphis kept attacking, and New York kept settling.

The good news is that the Knicks have plenty of time to fix these ailments.

But unless their players change their tendencies, New York could be in for another flame out early in the postseason.

Lakers, Spurs Among Favorites to Lose Game 1′s

T Lamont — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:38:34 +0000

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Opening weekend of the NBA Playoffs just passed, and the games certainly lived up to their billing.

However, some teams were left scratching their heads and being thankful that the Association hasn’t adopted a March Madness style, one-and-done format. Among those startling losers were (in order of most surprising to least):

The Los Angeles Lakers

Now, of course, no one is worried that L.A. will lose this series. On the way to the championship last season, the Lakers dropped a pair of games in two different conference series (not to mention going the distance in the Finals). It definitely hasn’t been an uncommon occurrence to witness the Lakers needing to be humbled before getting their act together.

However, for them to drop Game 1 at home, is rather surprising – even by their complacent standards. It’s perhaps the most unpredictable of this weekend’s upsets – given the relatively unskilled nature of New Orleans frontcourt players.

CP3 was the latest point guard to put in work against the Lakers.

But what wasn’t surprising was witnessing the title favorites get dominated by an elite point guard. Chris Paul absolutely had his way in the Staples Center, owning Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and anyone in a gold jersey that he crossed paths with on Sunday. CP3 made his bigs look as if they belonged in the NBA, much like he has done throughout his NBA career. On the flip side, the Lakers’ inability to control top flight floor generals has been a well documented problem. It’s one that they will overcome against the Hornets, however, due to their lack of supporting depth and size. Nevertheless, a more complete opponent with a treacherous trigger man (think Oklahoma City) could spell serious trouble for Phil Jackson’s bunch.

Orlando Magic

The Atlanta Hawks were straight up-and-down embarrassed by the Magic in the conference semifinals last season. They lost four straight games by a total of 101 points. Dayum.

What have they done since that infamous butt-whoopin’?

Let Woodson walk, and hire a cheap inexperienced head coach in Larry Drew. They traded Mike Bibby for Kirk Hinrich. And that’s basically it.

So, how can we explain the confidence with which they dispatched the Magic in Game 1?

They single-covered Dwight Howard. Orlando has always been as its best when it runs its offense through the 2010-11 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He towers over the defense, and can make kick-out passes to knock-down three-point shooters out on the perimeter. That’s precisley how the Magic smoked the Hawks a year ago.

But what if a team single-covers Superman, forcing him to be Orlando’s offense? Well, the outcome is a 46-point, 19-rebound effort for the NBA’s most dominant interior force – and a loss for his team. Jameer Nelson was a good sidekick, contributing 27 points of his own. But no one else on the team scored more than six points. Contrast that to Atlanta, which had a pair of twenty-point scorers and a total of five players in double figures, and it’s easy to see that Drew should stick to this defensive philosophy for as long as he has bodies that can absorb the contact that Howard will deliver. And if Howard continues to shoot like he did in the series opener, that will serve as icing on the cake for the Hawks.

San Antonio Spurs

Watching the Grizzlies battle the Clippers on the last day of the regular season should have incensed Gregg Popovich.

With or without Ginobili, the Spurs will have a tough series with the Grizzlies.

In perhaps the most clear-cut display of throwing a game in the history of the league, Memphis allowed itself to get manhandled by Blake Griffin and company. Trailing by 20+ points for three and a half quarters, the Grizzlies put on a faux-run to close the game and make it appear as if they were giving effort. I’d seriously doubt if anyone bought it, though.

That loss locked them into the eighth slot and secured a first-round date with the Spurs – a team with which they split the regular season series at two games apiece.

The other alternative? Win the game, get the seventh seed and square off against L.A. Ahem.

But when the Spurs got taken down by the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, pundits were quick to point out the fact that the Spurs did not play Manu Ginobili.

So what? The Grizzlies didn’t play Rudy Gay. O.K., yes, Gay is out for the remainder of this campaign, but the point is that Memphis was unable to trot out its best lineup at the Alamodome, too. The truth about San Antonio’s loss should dishearten its fans. The Spurs withstood what the Grizzlies were giving them right down to the end. They made the run to seize control of the contest, which everyone knew they would. They established a manageable four-point advantage late in the fourth quarter. And yet, Memphis still found a way to win Game 1.

It’s the kind of thing that happens to teams that play against the Spurs, but not to the Spurs themselves. Mike Conley proved his worth (although his contract remains to be out of this world), Shane Battier illustrated his status as a professional, and the new twin towers (Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol) totally overmatched an aging Tim Duncan and whoever else played alongside him. The Spurs have lots of fight in them, but they are fighting against a team that knows they can win this series.

And as G.I. Joe would say, “…knowing is half the battle…”

NBA Western Conference Playoff Analysis

T Lamont — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:56:09 +0000

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We’ve already taken a tour through the Eastern Conference, and its potential showdowns.

Now, it’s time to do the same with the west side. And admittedly, this will be a much easier process.

As the NBA prepares to embark upon another postseason, there’s a good chance that Laker haters will be disappointed yet again. That’s because – just like the previous three seasons – the Western Conference crown is basically the Lakers’ to lose. Here’s why:

Continuity – With the exception of Ron Artest swapping places with Trevor Ariza, the meaningful pieces within the Lakers’ lineup have remained unchanged. Their time together has undoubtedly produced a certain level of comfort with each other which other teams lack.

Experience – Bryant, Gasol, Bynum, Odom and Fisher provide the Lakers with a boatload of big game experience. Their ability to execute under the pressures of the postseason has already been tested.

Healthy – Los Angeles is coasting into the playoffs, with a relatively clean bill of health. The champs are about as close to full strength as an organization could hope to be at this point in the year.

Momentum – L.A. has won seven straight, and 16 of their last 17. In a nutshell, they are playing great ball at the best possible time.

While the Lakers have the inside track on their fourth consecutive Western Conference title, Phil Jackson will have to make sure that they recall the ABC’s of their team’s success:

“A” is for Artest – After being an enigma for the vast majority of the campaign, Ron-Ron has played inspired hoops on both sides of the floor of late. Jackson will have the unenviable challenge of keeping Artest interested and focused throughout their run.

“B” is for Bench Play – The Western Conference favorites are just that despite some very spotty bench play. Lamar Odom, who would be a starter on any other club, is obviously an ace off the bench. Shannon Brown, who began the season on a tear (including 17 double-figure scoring games prior to Christmas), has fallen on hard times of late. The 6’4″ guard, who scored above his season average six times in February, has only done so twice in March. The rest of the Lakers’ reserves have been space fillers. Players like Steve Blake and Matt Barnes have to do more than start trouble (as they did recently against Dallas).

“C” is for Counteract – While the Lakers sometimes settle for slowing things down, they must take full advantage of opportunities to push the ball. L.A. plays best when its offense is free-flowing, and the ball is moving quickly. The champs must avoid complacency because Kobe Bryant’s instincts to try and single-handedly win games will kick in. And they’ll become vulnerable.

Although Phil Jackson’s crew hold the clear edge, there are other teams in the Western Conference. Let’s take a look at the remaining playoff teams in the conference from most threatening to least (from L.A.’s perspective):

Ibaka (pictured) and Perkins provide the Thunder with great interior defense and rebounding.

Oklahoma City Thunder- This may be a bit surprising, but, yes, they do edge out the San Antonio Spurs. Why? Besides experience, the Thunder have all of the key components of a future title contender. They have a top notch scorer and MVP candidate in ‘the Durantula’. They have a game-breaking point guard who creates mismatches on a nightly basis in Russell Westbrook. They have bench support in James Harden (12.0 ppg), Daequan Cook (three-point specialist) and Eric Maynor (capable, skilled backup point guard).

But perhaps most importantly, Oklahoma City has the big bodies that can physically match up with the Lakers. Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka and Nazr Mohammed formed a serviceable trio in the Thunder frontcourt, but the addition of Kendrick Perkins really gives them quality depth.

So, Scott Brooks’ team is only some quality experience away from catching the Lake Show.

San Antonio Spurs- Rightfully, the Spurs have moved past the ‘Tim Duncan era’, and into the ‘Tony Parker-George Hill-Manu Ginobili era’. San Antonio has upped its tempo, and has reaped the benefits of making the adjustment. What remains questionable is exactly how this will translate into postseason basketball. Duncan has traditionally been the playoff workhorse, and how Gregg Popovich elects to use him this time around will be quite interesting.

The Spurs got manhandled by the Lakers in their latest Sunday ABC showdown (March 6), by a score that actually belittled the degree to which Los Angeles dominated the contest. They’ll tussle on April 12 in L.A. in a matchup that both teams will either use as a statement, or render meaningless and rest their big minute players. Regardless, the Spurs chances of dethroning the Lakers revolve around their ability to control the game’s tempo. And as we saw with Phoenix in last year’s conference finals, that’s a game plan that will only work for so long.

Dallas Mavericks- The Mavericks and Lakers engaged in a heated battle last Thursday night. Dallas was nip and tuck with Los Angeles in the Staples center for more than two and a half quarters of the game. In the third quarter, the contest took a turn and became more physical. On a drive to the bucket, Steve Blake was fouled by Jason Terry. In an act of frustration, Blake was effortlessly shoved to the ground by the Mavs second leading scorer. Blake returned to his feet, and got nose to nose with Terry – and the fireworks began to spark. Matt Barnes, who seems to be useless otherwise, came to life and found a way to get tossed from the game.

From that point forward, the Lakers ran away with the game. They got physical and Dallas had no answer. It was almost as if the Mavs were punked. In fact, that’s exactly what it was. When Chris Webber calls a team ”soft”…well, they’re pretty much soft.

Everyone knows that the Mavs aren’t a serious contender for the Western title. The Lakers know it. The Mavs know it. You know it. I know it. And C-Webb knows it.

By virtue of their combined experience, size and/or talent, the remaining playoff teams in the West just can’t compete. Here’s the rest of the participants:

Denver Nuggets – While the Thunder might be the team that matches up best with the champs, their seeding (probably in the fourth spot) will subject them to a tough first-round battle. In what could be the most playoff series that we’ve seen in some time, the Thunder and Nuggets are more than likely going to square off in an opening round Western Conference series.

It’s become a well-versed topic these days that George Karl’s crew is better without Carmelo Anthony. It’s an assessment that is easily proven from a quantitative perspective – the Nuggets are 14-4 in their last 18 games. Of those four losses, only one came against a potential non-playoff opponent (L.A. Clippers). The Nuggets held their own in their last three games – beating L.A. and Dallas, while losing to OKC. But they seem to be a team that is much more relaxed since dealing a player who everyone thinks is one of the top five in the league. All I have to say is that if you get rid of a top five player, you should in no way be a better team. But somehow, the Nuggets are.

New Orleans Hornets – Like a penny with a hole in it? That’s about how hopeless the Hornets are in this year’s postseason. David West is gone. Sure, Carl Landry can fill most of the productivity void left by West. Chris Paul runs things for the Hornets, but his lack of size brings about the need for another scorer who can always get off his shots. Landry cannot give New Orleans clutch offensive play, and he does not have the ability to carry his team for long stretches.

Oh, and the Hornets are playing either the Lakers or the Mavs to open the postseason. These are both too tough for a team missing a top scorer.

Portland Trailblazers – Nate McMillan better not have his team cruise to the finish line of the regular season. His Blazers are well equipped to make some playoff noise, particularly if they fight to the finish and get the #6 position in the conference. That would probably mean a date with Dallas, a much preferred opponent than Los Angeles. Unlike New Orleans, Portland would have a real chance at taking down the Mavericks and advancing to the semifinals. In fact, I think that the Blazers could really be the favorites in that series.

Batum is part of a lengthy frontcourt that can match up with any team.

Portland has an experienced backcourt with Andre Miller and the ‘mature-beyond-his-years’ Wesley Matthews. They also have great frontcourt length in Marcus Camby, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. The bench has been boosted with the likes of a deteriorated Brandon Roy, the versatile Rudy Fernandez, and a trade-deadline steal in Gerald Wallace. Beware Dallas – you may experience yet another first-round flame out.

Memphis Grizzlies- Finally! The talented team clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time in years, thanks to Zach Randolph. Did I really just say that? Not long ago, Randolph was labeled as borderline thug, and as a clear disruptive force to any team that he played on. But Z-Bo has proven to be the glue that has helped Memphis overcome many potential pitfalls:

a huge injury to starter and All-Star talent Rudy Gay
roster juggling – including the pick-up of Shane Battier, moving of O.J. Mayo to the bench and increased minutes for Tony Allen
a team loaded with lesser experienced players

Given what he’s done for the Grizzlies this season, Randolph should be worried. Not making the All-Star team this time around might mean that he’ll be hard pressed to ever make it. He gives Memphis a degree of toughness that will be required against San Antonio (in their anticipated first-round series). Of course, the Spurs will get the job done. Having a workhorse like Allen and the experience of Battier is nice, but not having a creative, athletic talent – and big shot maker (listen to the crowd after the swish) - on the wing will be a killer. But hey – Memphis took a leap forward this season, and they should be able to build on it.

Random NBA Thoughts…

T Lamont — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:34:21 +0000

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LeBron Still Unable to Solve Boston’s Defense

New year, new team, same result. Such is the story for the reigning MVP LeBron James when he takes on the Boston Celtics. Although LBJ remained able to put up the best statistical line of this past Sunday’s afternoon tilt with 22-7-7 (some may argue that Rondo’s 11-10-10 was better), he is continuing to struggle against the Celtics in a way that starkly opposes his effectiveness against the rest of the league.

In contrast to other teams that allow a defender to play squared-up with LeBron prior to bringing help, the Celtics defend James in a manner that will push him towards another Boston defender. Instead of aggressively making a move, this seems to play into James’ psyche. He hesitates instead, taking time off of the clock and not gaining an offensive advantage for the Heat. When Boston plays him perfectly, LBJ is forced into taking a bail-out jumper or some other type of tough field goal attempt.

When asked about it, Bron-Bron brought up the manner in which he used to struggle in contests with Detroit. And he admitted that, right now, the Celtics give him that same degree of difficulty. But just like in 2007 – when he needed Daniel “Boobie” Gibson to step up to help him eliminate the Pistons – LeBron’s going to need the consistency of Miami’s outside shooters (Mike Miller, Eddie House and James Jones) if he is planning on getting over the hump against Boston.

And we all know that the road to the NBA Finals will go through Boston.

Dwight Howard’s Surprising Domination of L.A.’s Interior

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol…you just got punk’d.

Against more of Los Angeles’ opponents, Bynum and Gasol are bullies on the interior. They dominate the boards, score at will, and clog up the lanes to deter opponents from attempting easy baskets. But on Sunday, they took turns getting manhandled by Dwight Howard (31 points – on 13-16 shooting – and 13 rebounds). Howard was so dominant that only one other Magic player scored in double figures (Jason Richardson, with 12). Granted, every Orlando player who saw some floor time scored at least 4 points, however, Howard was the sole consistent offense for the team.

In the Lakers' last three games (all losses), Bryant has shot 24-62 (38.7%) and averaged 18 points per game.

Boston (surprise!) has illustrated the perfect blueprint on how to defend the Magic. If a team has a player with the capability to, at the very least, control Howard one-on-one, then the other Magic players are rendered ineffective because they are primarily adept at catching and shooting. The Celtics have been able to stifle Orlando’s fluidity with this strategy, and it seems that the Lakers may have attempted to do the same. But the Lakers only scored 75 points, and no team is going to win many games with that point total.

But the bigger issue for L.A. has been focus and motivation. The Lakers have dropped games to some suspect teams of late (see Charlotte, Cleveland), and the All-Star break couldn’t be coming at a better time for Phil Jackson. I’m sensing that Lakers’ management is grappling with whether they should make a move before the trade deadline or not. It seems that the team has finally become impenetrable to Jackson’s motivational tactics (i.e. media criticisms and sharp, almost comical, soundbites), and some alternative method is going to be required for the champs to truly regain their focus.

Griffin is Great, But the Clippers Need E.G.

Although, Blake Griffin had a year to sit back and soak in the NBA before taking the court, no one expected him to take the league by storm like he has. B.G. is averaging monster numbers (22.7 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 3.5 apg), and the Clippers are reaping the benefits of having a bonafide force down on the blocks. Griffin’s game is definitely going to require more refinement, but he’s showing all of the signs of being a player who wants to continue to improve.

As for the Clips, they’ve struggled of late – mainly due to the absence of guard Eric Gordon. The former Indiana star is putting up over 24 a game, and is sorely missed late in games when a big shot or play is needed. In his absence, the Clippers have gone 3-9, including a recent 24-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. This was an unfortunate setback for an improving team. Prior to Gordon’s injury, Los Angeles has posted wins in 12 of its last 17 contests.

What Happened to the Bucks?

After such a surprising season that saw them come within a game of advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Bucks were viewed as a team with great promise. And considering they lost Andrew Bogut to that horrific arm injury late last season, there’s good reason to believe that a fully-healthy Milwaukee team would have upended Atlanta in the postseason.

But in 2010-11, the Bucks have welcomed some new faces – and it hasn’t been for the better. The names are recognizable – Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette, Earl Boykins, Keyon Dooling and Chris Douglas-Roberts – but this group lacks the cohesion among themselves that Scott Skiles was able to develop with last year’s roster.

However, in addition to the team’s dedication to synergy, it was the backcourt that primarily energized Milwaukee’s efforts. This season, second-year point guard Brandon Jennings has missed a significant amount of time after needing surgery on his foot. And perhaps the largest mystery has been the play of John Salmons. Salmons, always a skilled, versatile player, practically elevated the Bucks into a dangerous unit when he joined the team for its final 30 games. This season, his points per game average (19.9 to 13.2) and field goal percentage (46.7% to 38.4%) have suffered tremendous drops, and he’s barely resembled the triple-threat that he was last season.

The Playoffs Need Stephen Jackson

In case you forgot, he makes love to pressure. Last weekend, Jackson nailed a tough – and I mean, very tough – game-winning fadeaway jumper to propel the Bobcats past the Hawks. Any win is a good one for the ‘Cats. If you Google the phrase “playing to their level of competition,” you’re almost certain to have some resulting links that reference the Bobcats. In their last six games, they’ve beaten Boston, L.A. (Lakers) and Atlanta, while they’ve suffered losses at the hands of New Jersey and Indiana.

Stephen Jackson's passion for the game would make the playoffs more intriguing.

But regardless of Charlotte’s inability to avoid their annual flirtation with the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, one thing is clear – Stephen Jackson’s ferocity and edginess would make the postseason much more interesting.

For that reason alone, I’m personally pulling the Michael Jordan to continue to practice with his team. Maybe his competitive spirit can rub off, and empower Paul Silas’ group to do enough to capture that #8 spot – and give us all a shot of Captain Jack in the playoffs.

Will Memphis Ever Get Over the Hump?

Just when it appears that the Grizzlies are on their way, their momentum gets broken.

After going 8-2 in their last 10 games, Memphis finds themselves at 31-26. Now that record is only good enough for fourth place in the Southwest Division, but Lionel Hollins’ team is currently tied with the disjointed Utah Jazz for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. And they actually have the potential to increase their standing, as they only reside one loss behind New Orleans and Denver, and two losses behind Portland.

So, while things were looking up, they came to a screeching halt last night when it was announced that Rudy Gay (19.8 ppg, 1.69 spg) will miss at least 4 weeks with a left shoulder injury. They get this news right after having O.J.Mayo return to the lineup following a 10-game suspension for the consumption of a supposed nutritional drink he purchased at a gas station (at least Rashard Lewis can understand, right?). With Zach Randolph anchoring their interior scoring, Memphis should be able to find a way to overcome the loss of Gay. Tony Allen played well in Mayo’s absence, and can be counted on to play hard and fill in the gaps.

Even if the Grizz advance to this year’s postseason, the likelihood of them moving past the first round is slim to none. However, if the nucleus of this team can stay together for another year, they have the extremely legit potential of turning the corner (as did the Atlanta Hawks in 2008-2009).

33-7 Fourth Quarter Puts Clippers Over Grizzlies

T Lamont — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:04:12 +0000

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The Los Angeles Clippers have won 8 of their 18 games this season, but none have been as impressive as today’s 98-88 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Clips entered the 4th quarter trailing Memphis by 16 points, but Al Thornton and Eric Gordon each scored 10 points in the final 12 minutes to lead Los Angeles to a 33-point quarter. L.A. exhibited a suffocating defense as well, limiting the Grizzlies to 7 points.

This battle of teams labeled as long-term underachievers was punctuated by organizations that haven’t been noted for their precise execution down the stretches of ball games. And with the Grizzlies in firm position to secure their seventh win of the season, the Clippers’ display of aggression on both sides of the ball had to encourage coach Mike Dunleavy.

”I’m very proud of the guys. Our guys stayed with it and never gave up. All of a sudden, we came together and Eric Gordon got into that attack mode. We did the things we needed to do.”

Gordon's dynamic offensive ability is just what the Clips need.

Speaking of Gordon, he’s the main cog in a L.A. youth moment that has shown glimpses of potential. A one-year stud at Indiana, Gordon has shown that he has unlimited range and creative penetration ability. Al Thornton gives the Clips a player with both athleticism and versatility wrapped in one package. Center Chris Kaman (now a veteran at 27 years old) came into the game averaging 20 points per game. Deandre Jordan and Sebastian Telfair provide consistent energy off of the bench at key positions.

It’s games like this that indicate that Memphis remains a team in trouble. While they have dynamic talents like Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo on their roster, they have yet to begin stepping in the right direction. After the nightmarish Allen Iverson debacle, they’ve moved on to sign veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley. Even though Tinsley is much more of a conventional point guard than Iverson, his stubbornness has hurt his former teams and we’ll have to see if the Grizzlies become adversely affected.

The L.A. Clippers were led in the game by Eric Gordon’s 29 points. Here’s Marcus Camby on Gordon’s potential:

”Eric’s a phenomenal player. I think he has the potential to be a special player like the LeBrons, the Kobes and the Carmelos. You’ll be mentioning Eric Gordon ‘s name for a long time.”

And that would be a first for the Clippers. A lottery pick that actually pans out.