Run it Back! NBA Week in Review, LA Clippers - Week #25+

[00:00:00] Editor at the PeachBasket.net and formerly the featured columnist covering the Clippers for Bleacher Report. This is the show where we recap the week it was for the L.A. Clippers and then highlight their marquee matchup for the week to come. We start like we always do by taking a look at where the team finished on the PeachBasket's objective.

[00:00:20] The Clippers finished the week at 2 and 3 in a week where some of the games didn't matter because they had the number 4 seed set. They beat the Cavaliers at home 120-118, then the Suns 105-92 on the road when those games mattered.

[00:00:50] They then dropped one to the Suns in Phoenix 124-108 in what will be remembered as the Bones Highland game. He led the Clippers who had already clinched the number 4 spot thanks to a Dallas Mavericks loss with 37 points.

[00:01:05] The team finished out the week with meaningless losses to the Jazz 1109 and the Rockets 116-105. That Rocky game, which was the final regular season game at Crypto Slash Staples, will go down in history as the game where Bobon generously missed a free throw to gift everyone free chicken sandwiches.

[00:01:32] There is no one quite like Bobon. The 2 and 3 record for the week wasn't great, but it didn't hurt the Clippers at all in the PeachBasket objective. Power rankings finished the season at number 4 in the Western Conference and number 5 overall in our rankings.

[00:01:47] Now let's take a look at the best to do it in key categories for the Clippers. The final week of the NBA season saw the Clippers once again without Kauai Leonard.

[00:01:58] I pause because it bothers me, it scares me. I'm sure we'll talk more about that, not in this show necessarily, but when we do a prep for the Mavericks because I think clearly Kauai is a key in moving past a very good Dallas Mavericks team.

[00:02:13] But without Kauai in his absence, Paul George let all the Clippers team scoring 24 points on average over his three games played.

[00:02:22] Bones Highland got some extended minutes in several of the games this week. He played three games and was the top sniper averaging 3.3 3.0 field goals made.

[00:02:31] And the overall top score in terms of total field goals made averaging 8.3.

[00:02:38] Evita Zubox was once again the top overall rebounder averaging 8.7 over his three games played. He was also the top offensive rebounder pulling down 2.7 offensive boards and the top defensive rebounder along with Russell Westbrook.

[00:02:53] They both averaged six defensive boards.

[00:02:55] For the first time since we've been tracking these stats, James Harden is not the top assist man for the Clippers.

[00:03:00] In the final week of the season, Russell Westbrook led the Clippers averaging 7 assists per game and it just really highlights the versatility of the LA Clippers.

[00:03:11] They've got two of the best facilitators to honestly ever play the game on the same team.

[00:03:18] Daniel Tice was the top room protector. He averaged 1.3 blocks over his three games played and Bones Highland was the top steals man.

[00:03:25] He took away two possessions from the opponent on average over his three games played.

[00:03:30] The game score went to Paul George at 18.4.

[00:03:34] Now the week ahead for the LA Clippers is a well earned week of rest.

[00:03:40] They host the Dallas Mavericks in LA starting on April 21st.

[00:03:45] Now we'd like to finish our show with a segment we call Full Court Press where we take a look at what the press is saying about the Los Angeles Clippers.

[00:03:54] Now with the Clippers regular season done, there's quite a few things we could have talked about.

[00:03:59] We could certainly discuss the first round matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

[00:04:02] A lot of people are writing about that.

[00:04:04] We could discuss how the Clippers waved Josh Primo and brought in Kai Jones.

[00:04:08] Some folks are writing about that.

[00:04:10] I don't want to dive deep into it but I do think Kai Jones was brought in because he is a big body and an extra six spouse should the Clippers match up against Nikola Jokic.

[00:04:22] They're going to need that.

[00:04:24] But instead of those worthy topics, I want to focus on an article entitled Clippers Say Goodbye to Downtown Los Angeles by Kelly Johnson for Fox Sports.

[00:04:35] We'll link that below.

[00:04:39] It's interesting, right?

[00:04:41] The Clippers started in Buffalo.

[00:04:43] They moved to San Diego.

[00:04:45] They ruffled some feathers when they moved to Los Angeles.

[00:04:47] Staple Center was the Lakers' home, the Kings' home.

[00:04:55] And when the Clippers decided to follow suit, they quickly became number three in the packing order in terms of scheduling.

[00:05:05] But also in terms of residency.

[00:05:10] If you've been to staple slash crypto to watch a Clippers game, you're immediately taken by the lack of Clippers memorabilia.

[00:05:24] You'll see Kings' jerseys and photos and Laker stuff everywhere.

[00:05:30] Now, Kings have won a Stanley Cup.

[00:05:32] Lakers have been the winningest franchise in NBA history.

[00:05:35] So you get it.

[00:05:38] But you could wander the halls at Staple's crypto for a while before you'll see anything related to the Clippers.

[00:05:46] Doc Rivers famously covered up Lakers' banners when he took over as the Clippers coach because he didn't want to look at them.

[00:05:54] This was a Clippers game.

[00:05:56] It's rough, man.

[00:05:57] It was like being a roommate when your roommates really didn't want you there.

[00:06:06] When the Clippers weren't good, the Lakers kind of endured the Clippers, calling them little brother while they regularly just beat them up in every game played.

[00:06:17] But when the Clippers got good and let's face it, they were the best team head to head in Los Angeles the last 10, 12 years.

[00:06:28] It became different and things were different between the fans.

[00:06:34] I think even so between the franchises.

[00:06:38] It was time and thankfully the Clippers who actually played the first game in Staple's before the Lakers.

[00:06:47] So in a way, they kind of can claim unique ownership of the center.

[00:06:53] But it was time for them to move on.

[00:06:55] And this article kind of pinpoints a little bit about the key moments for the Clippers in that stadium and looks ahead.

[00:07:07] After this season, the Lakers are dead long live the L.A. Inglewood Clippers.

[00:07:15] I think it's great for the team. I think it's great for the fans.

[00:07:19] I think it's phenomenal for the franchise.

[00:07:21] The only hope.

[00:07:23] Well, let's not call it a hope.

[00:07:25] The only thing I'm curious about is what team is going to be there next season.

[00:07:29] I think a lot of what the 2024-25 Clippers look like is dependent on how the 2023-2024 crypto slash Staple's Clippers do.

[00:07:42] Let's see. I'm very excited.

[00:07:45] Well, that's it man.

[00:07:47] We 25 and the regular season for the Los Angeles Clippers is over.

[00:07:54] It's in the books.

[00:07:56] I'm excited to see how the Clippers do this season in the playoffs.

[00:08:00] It's going to be, I was gonna say play in, but they're not in the playing, are they?

[00:08:04] It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out.

[00:08:06] And you know, I don't know, things got to go right.

[00:08:09] I think like every team that goes far in the playoffs, you got to be a little lucky.

[00:08:15] You got to be very healthy.

[00:08:17] Hoping for both of those things for the Clippers.

[00:08:20] Let's see how it plays out.

[00:08:22] Join us in two weeks after the playoffs have begun when we once again run it back.