Random Clipper Stuff

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Summer League: Game 1 Recap

 

Third-year guard Eric Bledsoe filled up the box score, but the Clippers could not overcome Minnesota's 8-point first quarter lead, losing 73-64, at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. They trailed by eight at the end of the first and failed to score more than 18 points in any quarter. Third-year guard Eric Bledsoe, who played a game-high 35:38, led the way for Los Angeles with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and five steals. Last week, Bledsoe said he wanted to "progress from the end of last season" when he proved to be one of the most dynamic players on the Clippers' postseason roster. Another factor in the 22-year-old's decision to play in Las Vegas was to atone for what he deemed "not a good experience" his trip through the five-game slate in 2010.

 

Former third overall selection Adam Morrison started and scored 11 points with five rebounds. A 6-foot-8 small forward with range, Morrison went 1-for-3 from behind the three-point arc and shot 5-for-13 from the field for the game. Center Hilton Armstrong, a 2006 lottery selection by the Hornets, had 11 points, a team-high nine rebounds (three offensive), and four blocks.

http://www.nba.com/clippers/clippers-fall-timberwolves-summer-league-debut

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Bledsoe is going to blow up this year. I still think he's the second best PG in that draft behind Wall.

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Bledsoe is going to blow up this year. I still think he's the second best PG in that draft behind Wall.

So do I. My favorite current Clipper for a reason!

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http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/images/ticketing/y2012/clipperscap300x200.jpg

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/ticketing/supergroup.jsp?group=clippers&partnerId=2P94EG551-F95

 

Cool!!

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SL Game 5 recap:

 

CLIPPERS FALL TO LAKERS IN SUMMER LEAGUE

7/19/12

 

For the second consecutive night, Adam Morrison made just about every shot he attempted and Eric Bledsoe was again showing the ability to wreck havoc on both ends of the floor.

 

But despite the duo’s efforts and solid performances from Terrico White and Antoine Wright, the Clippers’ Summer League team could not overcome an early 13-point deficit, and fell to the Lakers, 75-69, at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

 

Morrison matched Lakers swingman Christian Eyenga with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. The small forward, who turned 28 Thursday, is shooting 65.4% in the last two games for the Clippers (1-2).

http://www.nba.com/clippers/clippers-fall-lakers-summer-league

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INSIDER ARTICLE:

 

Key additions: Blake Griffin (extension), Lamar Odom (trade), Jamal Crawford (FA), Chauncey Billups (FA), Grant Hill (FA), Ryan Hollins (FA)

 

Key subtractions: Randy Foye, Mo Williams, Nick Young, Ryan Gomes, Neil Olshey (GM)

 

The Clippers had the biggest offseason moment in franchise history in December when they landed Chris Paul. This summer, they added to the momentum by signing Griffin to a $95 million extension.

 

With Paul and Griffin in place, the team made moves to shore up an already dangerous team. If Odom is engaged -- a pretty big if right now -- he could really help them. Hill also can be a veteran defensive presence at the 3 and is another solid summer pickup. Ditto for Crawford and Billups. Losing Williams and Young hurt, but those additions probably make it a wash.

 

Some will argue that the Clippers won't make it to the next level until Vinny Del Negro is listed in the "Key subtractions" line, though.

 

GRADE: B

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http://www.nba.com/clippers/video/2012/07/27/ClippersScheduleMBEP20120727mov-2170185/index.html

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http://rlv.zcache.com.br/isapi/designall.dll?rlvnet=1&realview=113161018374846754&design=13ca3450-d46e-4b98-a199-a74af4e2c8e2&style=value_tshirt&size=&color=white&pending=false&pdt=zazzle_shirt&max_dim=512

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16. Los Angeles Clippers | ESPN Future Power Rating: 592

 

PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT

413 (4th) 30 (28th) 45 (24th) 77 (5th) 27 (23rd)

 

We're a lot less bullish on the Clippers after a head-scratching summer that could give way to an uncertain future. While they accomplished the main objective -- a five-year extension for Blake Griffin -- Chris Paul is a free agent after the season and their only promising young player, center DeAndre Jordan, didn't make much progress last season. L.A.'s main summer pursuits were middling free agents, as it seemed more focused on short-term fixes than long-term excellence.

 

Also, there's the Donald Sterling factor. With former general manager Neil Olshey gone to Portland, the Clips haven't hired a replacement and instead are running the team by committee -- a group that includes head coach Vinny Del Negro and, more importantly, The Donald. That led us to drop the Clippers' management score by 51 points, the biggest drop of any team.

 

We also rated the Clippers 24th in the money category. While their cap position isn't bad -- they'll be at the cap if Paul leaves but still have money under the tax -- it's never clear what expenses the penny-pinching Sterling will approve.

 

Griffin, obviously, gives them a tremendous foundation, and Eric Bledsoe is a potentially important piece too; that's what keeps them in the middle of the pack in the rankings. But asset-wise, there isn't a whole let else surrounding Griffin if Paul leaves, and we're not sure this franchise has the acumen or the financial will to provide those pieces.

 

(Previous rank: 4)

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http://www.msg.com/videos/the-dan-patrick-show-chris-paul-817.html

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I guess the rehab is over:

 

http://cdn03.cdn.socialitelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/20/Blake-Griffin-Relaxes-Vacation-Girlfriend-Friends-Mexico-08202012-4-580x435.jpg

http://socialitelife.com/photos/blake-griffin-goes-skins-on-vacation/blake-griffin-relaxes-on-vacation-2

 

Blake Griffin was forced to miss the Olympics after he suffered torn cartilage in his left knee and had surgery, but at this time it's feeling good.

 

"I came back after surgery and started rehabbing and getting back into it. I've been shooting and lifting [weights] and all that for a while now," Griffin tells the Los Angeles Times. "So, I'm pretty much back at 100%, been back at 100% for a little bit. So I'm good."

 

Griffin has been working in the gym and he should be fully fit when training camp opens on Oct. 1.

 

"We're kind of taking our time with it and really making sure we meet every single area and making sure that my strength is 100% back to where it needs to be," said Griffin. "But it's been there for two or three weeks now. So, really, I'm just kind of working myself into condition and still getting my basketball work in and getting my lifts in."

 

-- Nick Borges

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/features/rumors/_/date/20120825#26776

Edited September 11, 2012 by Sħãlïq̵'

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Clippers' Griffin says knee is good to go

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/08/28/blake-griffin-is-ready.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

 

Gary Sacks has been promoted to the role of Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations.

http://on.nba.com/NOxRmV

Edited September 11, 2012 by Sħãlïq̵'

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The Los Angeles Clippers Will Best the Lakers This Year, Take It to the Bank

 

Regardless of your basketball allegiance, you have to feel bad for the Clippers.

 

This off-season was the busiest, and arguably the best, in franchise history for the other team in Los Angeles. They constructed one of the strongest second units in the NBA, re-signed the face of the franchise and even "stole" a player in Grant Hill that the Lakers wanted, right out from under their noses. To say this was a great off-season for the Clippers would be understating it. Yet, all anyone can talk about is the Lakers.

 

It's like that Pepsi commercial where the baby is doing calisthenics while his parents rave about the new soda while ignoring the twisting and turning infant. The Clippers are that baby. The Clippers have always been that baby. Sure, for decades they were the version of the baby that was just drooling and pooping and basically doing things that only a parent, or the die-hard Clipper fan, could appreciate. It's impossible to deny now however that this baby is doing things that would make Gabby Douglas proud! Yet, no one is paying attention.

 

All anyone is talking about in L.A. is about the new center the Lakers acquired. Or maybe the conversation will be about the new point guard. If not those two subjects then everyone will want to discuss Kareem getting a statue or Jamaal Wilkes and Shaq getting their numbers retired. Any one of those Lakers' stories overshadows anything coming out of Clipper Nation. Yet, the Clippers have the better bench.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1322244-los-angeles-clippers-will-best-the-lakers-this-year-take-it-to-the-bank

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GRANT HILL WINS 2012 HUMAN SPIRIT AWARD

Hill joins Chauncey Billups as the second Clippers player in a row to win the Mannie Jackson Basketball Human Spirit Award. Hill was honored during a presentation Sept. 6 as part of the lead up to Saturday’s Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies.

Clippers.com//grant-hill-wins-2012-human-spirit-award

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Chris Paul on the cover of GQ:

 

http://www.gq.com/images/sports/2012/10/chris-paul/chris-paul-628.jpg

 

http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201210/chris-paul-photos-gq-october-2012

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GERALD MADKINS HIRED AS DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

 

Miller, Besnati and Piombetti Round Out Revamped Basketball Operations Department

 

9/24/12

 

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that Gerald Madkins has been hired as the team’s Director of Basketball Operations.

 

Directly reporting to newly appointed Vice President of Basketball Operations Gary Sacks, Madkins will work closely with Sacks on all facets of the team’s basketball operations.

http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/gerald-madkins-hired-director-basketball-operations

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Good read:

 

Chris Paul said that Eric Bledsoe had been the best player on the court during informal off-season scrimmages. Bledsoe of course had a major impact in last year's playoffs after returning from knee surgery. Bledsoe will likely get plenty of opportunity to earn a major role in the rotation early in the season while Billups continues to heal and round into shape. On a team that now has a decidedly veteran air, particularly on the perimeter, Bledsoe may be a necessary injection of youth and athleticism in the backcourt.

 

The depth of the team is an ongoing theme. When asked what he noticed after his first practice Lamar Odom did not hesitate: "Depth." The veteran nature of the new faces may help them integrate quickly. Odom, Hill, Crawford, Green, Turiaf and Barnes have all been around the league for awhile and have all played for multiple teams. Odds are there aren't any plays in VDN's playbook they haven't seen before, and Odom said he felt comfortable on the floor with the likes of Hill, Barnes and Turiaf from the get-go (of course he played with Turiaf and Barnes with the Lakers, so that helps as well).

http://www.clipsnation.com/2012/9/29/3430974/clippers-open-training-camp-first-impressions

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Clips Add BJ Coach To Staff

 

Looks like the Clippers continue to pull out all the stops in filling out the staff with new people. They become the first NBA team to hire a BJ coach and she is from UCLA. Not sure yet if this came from a Chris Paul demand or perhaps this was from Blake Griffin asking for staff diversity with BJ experience.

 

Natalie Nakase, the first female head coach in bj-league history, recently began working as a video production intern for the Los Angeles Clippers.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sk20121005n1.html

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Video: Clippers Sing Happy Birthday To Grant Hill

 

NBA vet, Grant Hill, celebrated his 40th birthday today, which makes him one day younger than the current oldest player in the NBA, Kurt Thomas. Watch his teammates sing him Happy Birthday after practice:

 

 

http://www.beyondthebuzzer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/421.png

Edited October 7, 2012 by Sħãlïq̵'

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Jamal Crawford Practiced Shooting for the First Time This Year

Stephen Jackson’s boast that he never trains in the offseason had people shaking their heads in disbelief. But, it turns out that he’s not alone. Jamal Crawford tells the LA Times that he only started working on this shot this summer: “After 12 NBA seasons and with a firm reputation as a pure shooter, Clippers guard Jamal Crawford tried something during the off-season he had never done before. He practiced shooting. It’s astonishing to think that Crawford, who is the NBA’s career leader with 34 four-point plays and ranks 21st all-time with 1,387 three-pointers, didn’t routinely spend his summers in stuffy gyms trying to perfect his shot. ‘I’ve never actually been drilled before. Seriously. I told Blake that, and he couldn’t believe it,’ Crawford said of teammate Blake Griffin. Crawford, 32, felt compelled to change his preparation after he signed a free-agent deal with the Clippers worth about $21 million over four years. Coming off a subpar season with the Portland Trail Blazers in which he hit 30.8% of his three-point attempts and shot a below-career-average 38.4% from the field, the NBA’s 2010 sixth man of the year saw an opportunity for good things here, and he wanted to be ready. For him, that meant doing shooting drills. ‘This summer was actually the first summer I worked on my game. I usually just play off of raw talent,’ he said Thursday after the Clippers’ practice. ‘But I just wanted to work on something and be in great shape coming into camp. I came here right after Labor Day, which is the earliest I’ve ever gone to any team in the summer, and all the guys were here, committed to getting better. Now it’s part of my lifestyle, working out and being here, shooting and getting shots up. It gives you more confidence that if you miss one or two, you know you’ve been working on it every single day and your teammates have confidence because they see it as well.’”

Source

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY6JP4cZRXc

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Noted motivational guru Lamar Odom to give Clippers teammates

books on setting goals before Lakers game

 

http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnbaexperts/Lamar-Odom-the-centerpiece-of-the-Clippers-huddle.-Getty-Images.jpg

 

Lamar Odom: Centerpiece of the Clippers' huddle. (Getty Images)

The NBA season's first Battle for Los Angeles takes place on Friday night, as the Los Angeles Clippers "visit" the Staples Center looking to move to 2-0 at the expense of a Los Angeles Lakers team that has dropped its opening two contests and would prefer it if y'all would just hush about it. With all the headlines generated by the Lakers' offseason acquisitions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, many observers' eyes have focused on what the perennial purple-and-gold big brother needs to do to get back on the right track, with relatively little attention paid to the Clips' strong season-opening win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

For their part, the Clippers — fresh off a second-round playoff run, having added offseason depth of their own and still boasting one of the league's top one-two punches in the All-NBA tandem of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin — seem pretty sick of answering questions about the Lakers. Griffin told USA Today's Sam Amick that the Clips are "not concerned about the Lakers and what they're doing," while center DeAndre Jordan told Dan Woike at the Orange County Register that the "annoying" deluge of Laker-oriented questions "gets boring after awhile." As one of the team's longest-tenured pros sees it, though, all the focus on matching up against the Lakers offers an opportunity to use the game as both a measuring stick for the Clips' own development and a learning experience on the journey toward a deeper postseason run this year.

Source

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The Clippers got into the spirit of election season with a little voting themselves…

 

http://i47.tinypic.com/2eq3z85.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/LAClippers

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_kNTk_IIGU