Well it comes down to one game for the chance to advance to the next round. Sure Game 6 was disappointing, but it's the best of seven for a reason. I fully expect the Clips to come out fighting and leave everything out on the floor. Chris Paul is simply to competitive to let them give anything but maximum effort. We really haven't seen a complete game from the Clippers thus far, so why not bring it in Game 7.

The one game we shot well Game 2, we had way to many turnovers and gave up too many second chance points. I think we will see a good shooting game tomorrow. Foye and Mo are overdue and Young has been quiet since Game 1. If we can minimize turnovers, transition baskets, and second chance points, we will come out with a victory. Memphis struggles in the half court, especially with our defensive lineup on the court. If we can keep the transition and second chance points to under 40 we'll be in good shape.

Hang in there Clips Nation. Tomorrow will be fun.

I was able to buy some extra tickets for game 6 during the presale. I am willing to sell them for cost to Clips Nation members which Steve said was fine. They are PDF's and will be e-mailed. You can pay with Paypal.

I have 3 sets:

Premier 2 Row 12. 2 tickets $100 face value Plus Ticketmaster fees $21. Total =$221

Premier 12 Row 10 2 tickets $100 face value Plus Ticketmaster fees $21. Total =$221

Sec 307 Row 6 2 tickets $25 face value Plus Ticketmaster fees $16.50 Total = $66.50

Games 3 and 4 were crazy. If you have the means, I would try to be there.

Also be aware the game starts at 6:00 P.M.

Contact me at scowarn@mac.com

Watching and re-watching game one made one thing very apparent. The looks they were getting when pushing the pace were much better than those they were getting in the half court. It is however a double-edged sword. They also turned the ball over 3 out of four possessions at one point in the 4th quarter.

The Clippers played at a very slow pace throughout the regular season and were at the bottom of the league in this category as Chris Paul prefers to play at a more deliberate pace.

I think increasing the pace against Memphis would be advantageous. The Memphis starting bigs are fairly slow compared to DJ and Blake. Forcing them to run and get back on defense will also wear them out . Memphis plays a very good half court defense which made it tough for the Clippers to get good shots. Pushing the ball should result in good open looks for our shooters before the defense can get set.

Last year we did a standard bracket pool this year I'm going to mix it up. Last year it was just for bragging rights. This year in addition to brqagging rights, I will add a prize.

Simply pick one team in each seeding group. One #1 seed, one #2 seed, one #3 seed etc. all the way to 16.

The scoring will be as follows:

1st round is now play in games = no scoring

2nd Round = 2 points per victory

3rd Round = 4 points per victory

4th Round = 4 points per victory

5th Round = 5 points per victory

6th Round = 5 points per victory

7th Round = 7 points per victory

tie breaker #1 having winning team among your picks #2 total points scored in final game.

Winner will receive a free in office tooth whitening from me at my office in Pacific Palisades.

All picks must be in by 9:00 A.M PDT on Thursday March 15. One entry per person.

If anyone wants to offer other prizes, let me know.

I will go first:

#1 Kentucky

#2 Missouri

#3 Baylor

#4 Wisconson

#5 Wichita St

#6 Murray St

#7 St Marys

#8 Kansas St

#9 UConn

#10 West Virginia

#11 Texas

#12 Harvard

#13 Davidson

#14 Belmont

#15 Lehigh

#16 LIU Brooklyn

My name is Scott and I'm a lockoutaholic. 

I know the first step is to admit I have a problem, so it's come down to this. 

I have spent the last 4 months reading and listening to everything I can regarding the labor struggle between the NBA and the NBPA. All I want is to see my beloved Clips play again. 

I have read thousands of tweets from the likes of KBerg, Sheridan Hoops, Chris Broussard, Howard Beck, and countless others. I've had my hopes raised by anonymous sources only to be disappointed later. 

I have become somewhat of an expert on labor relations and can explain the difference between a disclaimer of interest and decertification. I know about antitrust  charges and treble damages, the workings of the NLRB and even which circuits are the best to file your suits.

It now seems we are at a crucial point of the "negotiations". Either the players take the "deal" foisted upon them by the league, or attempt a difficult legal maneuver through decertification. 

Continue reading this post »

I was thinking after tonight's loss, how does being a Clipper fan affect your psychological well-being. I remember Ralph saying how us fans fans get too up on a win and too down on a loss. I think he has the proper perspective from following the team for so many years.

I know that I feel much better when the team is playing well and winning. However when they are losing, the negative feelings sometimes linger and I look forward to the next game to get the bad taste out of my mouth.

As fans, we have no control over the outcomes of the games, yet we sometimes sweat out each game as if our lives depended on it. We curse out players we don't feel are performing up to our standards, we second guess the coach, blame the trainers, the refs, etc. etc. 

I sometimes go directly to Clips Nation after a tough loss as some kind of support group to deal with the disappointment.

There I can assign blame to the guilty parties, wonder why Kaman is out 40 something games with a bone bruise, figure out who we should trade for, and dissect VDN's in game strategies. 

I know we have had many posts in the past as to why we are Clipper fans, but I love being fan of this team as painful as it may be sometimes and will look forward to the rest of this season as well as the next. (whenever it may be)

I've been reading a great basketball book called "The Art of a Beautiful Game" by Chris Ballard.

For all you basketball junkies here at Clips Nation it is a must read. The author is a writer for Sports Illustrated and provides great insights to the game.

I've read Bill Simmons book and am also reading the Free Darko guys new book, but I find this one the best of the bunch.

This isn't a history of the NBA book , rather it's goes more into the intricacies of the game.

Chapter titles include:

Killer Instinct: Why Kobe Bryant wants to beat you at everything

The Rebound: Dwight Howard and the science of extra Possessions

The Dunk: Why we all wish we could fly

Free Throws: Standing in the lonliest place in the world

Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

I have no interest financial or otherwise in the book. I just think you guys would enjoy the read.

Despite the poor start to the season, the 8th spot is still up for grabs. Granted December 1st is extremely early to talk about playoffs, but many of us have assumed that with our poor record, we should basically concede this season and focus on development. 

Last year it took 50 wins for the eight seed. This year 40-42 might get it done. Portland and Phoenix are looking shaky and a surge by the Clippers could get them in contention. Help is on the way with Baron and Kaman due back which will greatly improve our depth. Both players have acknowledged that they would be fine with complimentary roles allowing the G-Men to continue to shine.

To get to 42 wins, the team would have to go 39-25 the rest of the way. No doubt a difficult task, but not impossible. 

After another frustrating loss last night, my wife asked if I was ready to give up on the Clippers. "Never " was my response.
I primarily watch basketball to be entertained and I have found the 2010-2011 Clippers to be a very entertaining team. In recent past losing seasons, a lot of ther games were pretty boring with many uninteresting players.

Despite the 1-11 record, most of the games have been competitive and we have got to witness the development of the young guys. Of course along with that development and exciting play you are going to have mistakes. It's unavoidable yet still frustrating to us fans who want to see wins.

Before I had Clippers season tickets, I had Laker tickets from 1999-2004. As you know they won 3 straight Championships and went to a fourth final so it was a pretty good run. While the playoffs were great to go to, the regular season was a different story. The games became so routine and winning came so easy that as a fan you could hardly appreciate it.

As a Clipper fan, it's a different story. We appreciate each win no matter who it is against. We have eternal hope that our fortunes will change and we will have been there from the beginning. We will have witnessed the building and development of a Championship level team(if they don't screw it up...I know a big if) from the ground up. All those years of ridicule for the team and the fans will go away. It will have all been worth it.

Looking at the remaining schedule, I still think the team can win 25 games or more if they really get it together and start to click. If you live in the L.A. area, it's still a great opportunity to get out to the games as tickets are pretty reasonable and are easy to come by. Check out Goldstar, Travelzoo, and the ticket exchange for some great deals.

So I for one am going to enjoy this season and appreciate the entertainment. Hopefully one day we will look back on the 2010-2011 season as the turning point for the franchise.