Once Upon A Time: Chris Paul a Maverick?

by Damian Jackson on May 10, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The Los Angeles Clippers won 56 games and their first Pacific Division title in the regular season.

Postseason play produced only two wins before losing four straight and elimination to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Not quite the conclusion the little brother in Los Angeles expected. More importantly, Chris Paul becomes are free agent July 1st and the early ousting may affect his decision to stay or leave.

Here are some quotes from his exit interview (VIDEO: Complete Version) on Saturday May 4th:

A long, great season hits a brick wall:

“I have nothing to do, this is unreal, like I had no idea this season would be over…we only played two weeks longer than everybody else who didn’t make the playoffs. It sucks.”

You recruited players last summer, will they (LA Clippers) now be recruiting you?

“I don’t know…we’ll see, we’ll see. I don’t know how this whole thing’s gonna go or play out. I’m gonna pray about it.”

Asked to compare the 17-win streak in December and the playoffs:

“December and May, they don’t go together…at all.”

What does ‘built for the playoffs’ mean to you:

“Built for the playoffs means you have to have a little bit of everything. You have to have shooting, defense…all that different stuff.”

Whether it’s difficult or not to watch the rest of the playoffs:

“Yeah. No question…and I watch ESPN, SportsCenter all day…everyday, but not now.”

On liking LA, West Coast guy now? Part of the equation for you, family?

“Did I like it, yeah I liked. I loved it out here – Of course, if everybody hated it…you know what I mean? My family is very easy going, what’s not to like. It’s far away from home, but fortunately I’ve been blessed to be in a situation where my parents, my wife’s parents and my family we always got people in town.”

Paul talks about taking his time to decide on his future in what will be his first true all-out free agency frenzy. A Clippers return on a 5-year max contract worth $107 million appears the probable route.

However, since CP3 isn’t ready to make an official announcement nor should he prior to the July 1st free agent floodgates, we can take some time to at least consider other options for the NBA’s best point guard – with focus on our Dallas Mavericks.

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Once upon a time Chris Paul was ready to be a Dallas Maverick. Reported early in the 2012-2013 season by CBSSports’ Matt Moore which originally derived from Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Marc Spears’ article titled ‘What stopped Dwight Howard and Chris Paul from playing together as Dallas Mavericks?‘.

Inside you’ll understand that this idea spanned over a couple years and would have involved the cooperation from BOTH Paul and then Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Howard’s indecisiveness deflated the opportunity to join forces at that point.

If I take anything away from their failed execution to partner up, it’s the fact that Paul was ready to work for Mark Cuban and the Mavs organization just last summer. Events didn’t materialize then, but now Paul (and Howard) are on the brink of becoming unrestricted FA a year later.

Dallas or any team with cap space could only offer Paul a 4-year max contract worth about $80 million. On the surface that’s a glaring disadvantage, but in reality with some mathematical breakdown of all known money/tax details involved the numbers aren’t far off.

This with the thought process that Paul or Howard would both try for one last max deal which involves them opting out of a fifth year with their respective Los Angeles squad. At that point Paul will be 32 years-old and Howard 31.

For more in-depth coverage on this check out the material from Mike Fisher and David Lord at DallasBasketball.com or this article (Dollar Differences) by Tim MacMahon on ESPN Dallas.

A section in Moore’s report on CBSSports from November 2012 intrigues as it relates to the current situation:

 - Dallas continues to be the “almost but not quite” destination for superstars, and it leaves them both in the running for Paul and Howard in 2013 should their stints with their respective teams go catastrophically wrong, and still huge underdogs despite being really the only other team on the board.

Catastrophically wrong? Both Paul and Howard were ejected in their final games of the season. Howard used ‘nightmare’ to describe his lone year as a Laker, while CP3 was clearly not satisfied playing only six more games than non-playoff teams.

In other words, neither concluded their seasons with a fairy tale ending.

Dallas may not have the most attractive roster to alone lure Paul away from his highlight reel big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Mavs have veterans in Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Vince Carter, but the Clippers have some too in Caron Butler, Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups.

The Mavs do have positives in their favor.

Mark Cuban – Owner with unmatched passion for his team, savvy and involved.

Donnie Nelson – GM that’s advantageous, bold and beyond diligent in his work to always make the Mavs better.

Rick Carlisle – An upper-echelon coach in the league today. Respect. Relentless to get the most of his players.

Dirk Nowitzki – He’s going to be 35, we know, but let’s get that out of the way. Dirk’s work ethic combined with his unique style of play should grant him three or four more solid years in his legendary career, a couple still at an elite level. Dirk isn’t Blake, but more importantly Blake isn’t Dirk. 41 is an accomplished player, future first ballot Hall of Famer and NBA champion – a winner.

It’s not fair to say Paul has the best shot at winning a title with Dirk and the Mavs, because a player of CP3′s caliber could go to most teams and morph them into title contenders.

The point here is more about visualizing his short-list options IF he surprised people and decided to move on from the Clippers. On that list you probably have Dallas, Atlanta and Houston.

Each has its reasons to attract Paul. I already went over Dallas, but what about the Hawks and Rockets?

With the Houston Rockets, you envision CP3 merging into an already rich environment of untapped youth potential and a superstar in the making – James Harden. Chandler Parsons elevated his game this season which would provide Paul with two sweet treats on the wing. Houston has always wanted Dwight Howard and may be able to entertain the idea of Paul and Howard finally joining forces as Rockets.

Atlanta owns plenty cap space to sign both Paul and Howard, similar to the Rockets. They have their own star free agent in Josh Smith who isn’t sure about his future either. The Hawks would LOVE to sign Chris Paul, the point guard they passed on in 2005, drafting Marvin Williams instead. Paul running the show with Al Horford, a re-signed Josh Smith and other solid free agents has appeal.

It all comes back to the Mavs and playing alongside Dirk though. Chris knows something when it comes to German father-to-be…

He is a problem, Chris. Now imagine Paul and Dirk working pick and roll/pop. Dirk and Terry had formed themselves into quite the impressive two-man game, but it would not compare to the deadly duo of 3 and 41.

One thing you see in Chris Paul – he’s hungry. Paul wants to win more than anything and at 28 the time in now. It’s safe to say that realistically looking at the options available to him, Paul cannot join a better superstar than Dirk in this moment.

James Harden exploded this season and is on the verge of superstar status, but Dirk is still the better option and fit. Dwight Howard and Paul would be fun to watch and it could happen, in what city though? Not LA. After those two, no one is close to Dirk’s level.

All in all, we must continue to wait this process out until the new season officially begins on the first of July. We already know Mark, Donnie and staff are in the battle room devising multiple plans and scenarios, prepping for what they would like to be the best summer in Mavericks history (2011 was pretty good, Champs!).

It starts with Chris Paul.

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Feel free to comment with your thoughts and questions!

Follow and contact me on Twitter @thedfactor and @TheMavsFanatic

 

 

 

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Mavericks Inch Closer To Razors & Final Playoff Spot

by Ryan Wilson on March 27, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

“It’s not the cards your dealt, but it’s how you play the game”

 

Amen. The Dallas Mavericks are proving this theory true. Down a game and a half back from the Los Angeles Lakers and the final spot in the playoffs, the Mavericks showed that the team chemistry is really coming together, and that they won’t go down without a fight.

In the Mavericks’ 109-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Mavericks now find themselves one game back and one win away from shaving those beards.

“We’re fighters,” Mayo said. “We’re going to keep coming. We’re going to keep coming until I guess they say the fat lady sings. We’re going to keep coming, keep trying to get better, keep trying to win ballgames and give ourselves a shot.”

You got that right. The Mavericks have confidence, and anyone can tell you that when that happens they are always going to think they have a chance. It’s the way this franchise operates.

“Our work is not done. … The motivation is clear. This has been a winning franchise for a long time.” – Rick Carlisle

 

The Mavs had their backs against the walls multiple times last night, and just kept coming back for more. Tied up at 95 a piece with 25 seconds remaining, Chris Paul drove on Marion and got the shot off the glass to go, all but assuring the Mavericks another devastating loss in yet another crucial game.

That was the Mavericks before. Not now. With 5 seconds left on the clock, Mayo tip toed his way on the baseline and got the lay in to fall, eventually pushing this game to overtime. In the extra period, it was vintage Dirk Nowitzki. He went 2-3 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line, as the Mavericks went on to prevail 109-102.

Some things that stood out to me in this one was the Mavericks scoring inside. The Mavs outscored the Clippers 48-32 in the paint. I ask you all to read that one more time. The Mavs, who aren’t known for their inside presence, seemed to get to the rim time and time again.

Dirk Nowitzki finally started shooting the ball. Look, I’m all for getting everyone else involved, but he has to get some touches. Nowitzki shot 21 times, missing only 9 of them, en route to 33 points on the night. Analysts continue to stay that Dirk is on his decline, but his stats are misleading. A night like last night goes to show the contrary to what the analysts are spitting out. This is Dirk’s team, and he is still capable of putting them on his backs some more.

The road to the final playoff spot is still very bumpy. The Mavericks will need to keep the momentum going along with the new found team chemistry in order to have a shot. Rick said this is a winning franchise first and foremost. Tuesday night, the Mavericks took one more step towards proving it.

What’s On Tap:

@ Pacers (3/27) - The Mavs will be looking for some revenge in this one. Not only are the razors within their grasp, but the Mavs got stomped in Indiana earlier this year, 103-83.

 

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Mavs Game Night: Chris Paul and Clippers in Dallas

by Damian Jackson on March 26, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The Dallas Mavericks are playing there way right back into the playoff picture and receiving help along the way.

With the recent win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night and a Golden State Warriors victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night, the Mavs position themselves to grab the 8th and final playoff spot.

A difficult road lies ahead and it starts tonight with the Los Angeles Clippers who currently own the 3rd seed, but are in a battle to maintain it with both the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies in hot pursuit.

Already winning the first two meetings in Los Angeles, the Clippers have claimed the season series regardless of tonight’s outcome with the Mavs. In the previous game the Clippers won 99-93, led by Chris Paul’s 19 points and 16 assists. Mavs guard Darren Collison scored 22 points with 6 assists.

In March the Clippers are 6-4 after winning the last two. Meanwhile the Mavericks have put together a 9-4 month thus far and look to improve on that number tonight.

Much of the Mavs success of late must be attributed to 37-year-old Mike James. Since James became a starter 11 games ago, Dallas is 8-3. In that stretch James’ averages are 27 minutes, 10.4 points and 4.8 assists.

“(Mike) brings attitude and fearlessness … He’s just very seasoned,” said Vince Carter. “I think he’s done a great job of taking on this role. He brings it in practice. He pushes in practice. He’s really helped our guards. He’s really helped (Darren Collison) with just his focus and approach. They talk a lot and they go at it in practices which is good.”

That fearlessness will come in handy against the NBA’s best point guard tonight. CP3 owns his own fearless attitude and competitive edge so this should be an awesome butting of the heads.

This game will feature two of the top four scoring benches in the league as well as two men very deserving of the Sixth Man of the Year award. Dallas leads the NBA with 41.5 points from its reserves and the Clips get an even 40 from their own.

Jamal Crawford, second only to the New York Knicks’ J.R. Smith in reserve scoring, leads the Clippers bench with 16.8 points including 26 games with 20 points or more. On the Mavericks side, Vince Carter makes his case pacing the best bench with 13.2 points.

Tonight’s game will be for all to see in the national spotlight. And as it’s been well chronicled this season, the Mavericks haven’t come through against the best teams in the West. A win tonight would be massive, yet only get Dallas to 2-13 against the top five seeds within the conference.

With 12 games left, every one is as important as the next. In a perfect world the Mavs finish the regular season on a 14-game winning streak. That’s not the focus though, it’s all about taking one at a time.

The Mavs have shown they can play with the better teams, now it’s time to execute down the stretch of close games and finish with wins.

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Playoff Picture Update:

MAVERICKS - 10th seed in West; 1.5 GB of the Los Angeles Lakers for final playoff spot.

CLIPPERS - 3rd seed in West; 3.5 GB of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2nd seed. In virtual tie with Denver Nuggets (4th) and 1 game ahead of 5th seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

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Clippers at Mavs tip at 8:30 p.m. CT and airs on TNT.

Let’s Go Mavs!

Sources: TheTwoManGame; Associated Press (Mike James photo)

 

 

 

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Mavs Game Night: Dallas Looks To Stop Lob City

by Ryan Wilson on January 9, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

While Kaley Cuoco hosts the People’s Choice Awards in the Nokia Theatre, the Dallas Mavericks will be around the block in STAPLES Center prepping themselves for a clash with the NBA’s best Los Angeles Clippers.

That’s right, the Clippers.

It’s been a change of pace in the city of angels. While the Los Angeles Lakers are just 15-19 amidst struggles and injuries, the Clippers played a perfect 16-0 month of December. That stretch made for all but one win of their league/season-high 17-game streak of victories.

This will be the second meeting between the Mavs and Clippers, the first also in Los Angeles. Ironically that game was broadcasted on ESPN as will this one and the Clippers made easy work of Dallas 112-90.

A huge part of the Clippers success is attributed to their quality depth. They may get even deeper tonight as veteran forward Grant Hill practiced today and could make his Clippers debut. But it has been the strong play from reserves Jamal Crawford (16.5 pts) Matt Barnes (11 pts & 5 rpg) and Eric Bledsoe (19.79 PER) that have aided the starters in becoming the league’s best squad.

In a far darker place are the Mavericks. At 13-22, they watch their playoff hopes squander further and further away with each loss. This team hungers for victory. In a span of losing 12 of 14 games, the Mavs have found each and every way to NOT win a basketball game.

Though the two teams are separated by 14 games in the conference standings, Dallas has reason to believe they can contend in this one. Since Dirk Nowitzki returned, Dallas has played two title contenders in Oklahoma City and Miami very closely. In the end the Mavericks did drop both games, each an overtime defeat.

So if it’s tight down the stretch, the Mavs need to do something they’ve struggled with all season – close out in regulation.

Chris Paul has been an MVP candidate throughout the whole season. The Clippers chances at ultimate success start and finish with the former Demon Deacon.

“We’ve been pretty good at home,” Chris Paul said.

An understatement from CP3 as his squad has an impressive 17-3 record as the home team in STAPLES. Dallas comes into this one with a 5-15 road record which would favor the Clippers winning No. 18, but the Mavs won’t fold before they battle.

Defense has been a cause of concern all season for the Mavericks. Mavs’ top defender Shawn Marion has been openly, yet rightfully frustrated as a result.

“It seems like we can’t guard nobody. Until we’re able to contain guys and make them do something they’re uncomfortable doing, we’re going to have problems. When you can’t guard nobody, you can’t win.” – Shawn Marion

NOTES:

• 37 year-old Mike James will be in uniform tonight for Dallas. Mavs signed the veteran guard to a 10-day contract.
• Dallas is 2-7 in the first game of back-to-backs this season. Mavs face the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night.
• Mavs F/C Brandan Wright is probable to return tonight after missing the previous four games (quad strain).

Game action tips at 9:30 p.m. CT and airs on ESPN/PRIME. Let’s Go Mavs!

Sources: ESPN

 

 

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The Wrap Up: Mavs Clipped By Lob City

by Ryan Wilson on December 6, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

On a night when Dirk Nowitzki traveled with the team for the first time this season, the Dallas Mavericks showed everyone just how much they miss him. The Mavericks loss was a sharp contrast from their last game in LA, when they shocked everyone on opening night with an eight point victory over the Lakers. Wednesday night, the Mavericks looked like a completely different team, and I’m not referring to the acquisition of Derek Fisher, either.

The Mavericks never lead, and except for a run in the third quarter, never really threatened to take the lead. It was hard to expect anything different going into Wednesday night, as the Mavs had lost three straight before a victory over the lowly Pistons on Saturday night, and the now 12-6 Clippers who lead their division, had won three straight. The Clippers are trying to establish themselves as a legit contender in the West, while the Mavs are trying not to fall too far behind in the standings. Jamal Crawford led all scorers off the bench with 20 points, and added 4 assists. Vince Carter led the Mavericks with 16 points. Vinsanity has been doing his part in making up for Dirks absence lately, now averaging 14 points the last 5 games.

The only other bright spot for the Mavs was the 38 year old Derek Fisher, who’s 15 point performance was much better than the 2 points he scored in his first game with Dallas on Saturday night. The five-time champion shot 3-5 from long range and played better defense than any other point guard has for Dallas this season. Obviously it will take some time for Fisher to get acclimated with his new teammates and to get back into shape, but the 18 year veteran appears to be a nice fit, not only to run the offense but also teaching the younger guys a thing or two.

“I’m just looking forward to be as helpful as possible with this team,” Fisher said. “There’s a lot of young guys, but we do have some potential.”

In Fishers first game, his backcourt mate O.J Mayo thrived scoring 27 points, Wednesday night Mayo only scored 11 points on 4 of 12 shooting and went 0 of 4 on threes. Mayo is not getting near as many open looks as the season has progressed, as teams have learned he maybe the Mavs only legitimate option on offense right now. Jae Crowder continued to struggle, scoring only 2 points in 18 minutes and still looks very much like a rookie on defense, causing many Mavs fans to wonder why he’s still in the starting lineup.

Once again, the Mavericks got out-rebounded, and just got crushed down low overall, getting outscored 62-30 in the paint. However, that wasn’t what caused them to struggle. What caused them to struggle? A disgusting 22 turnovers to a team that loves to run the floor and excite the crowd with big time dunks and lobs. 5 of those turnovers were committed by Darren Collison, who only played 18 minutes off the bench. Collison has struggled after getting off to a great start for Dallas, causing speculation on how injured his finger really is. Blake Griffin had 19 points including a few typical electrifying dunks, and 13 rebounds. Caron Butler, the former Maverick, also had an electrifying dunk mixed in his 16 points. Honestly, a lot of players for the Clippers had electrifying dunks.

It got to the point in the last couple minutes after back-to-back fast break alley-oops, it appeared Mark Cuban was trying to go to sleep slouched down in his chair behind the Mavs bench. A look that he most likely shared with Mavs fans everywhere.

“I don’t think it was rubbing it in,” Carter said. “It wasn’t anything that was done maliciously. The plays were there for them.”

Sure Mayo had a bad shooting night, and yes there were a lot of shots that went in and out for Dallas, but the Mavs still got outplayed, in every aspect of the game, by a team that, quite simply, is just better. That’s something Mavs fans aren’t used to hearing.

Dallas slipped to 8-10 on the season, and if the season ended today, the Dallas Mavericks would be left out of the playoffs. Also something Mavs fans aren’t used to hearing. But, the season doesn’t end today, in fact we’re only a quarter into the season and the face of the franchise has yet to suite up. The feeling with most Mavs fans is if they can just hang around the .500 area and not fall apart without Dirk, this is a team that could surprise some people come playoff time.

In the meantime, Dallas has to get some production out of the power forward position, cut back on the turnovers, and play better team defense. The Mavs stop in Phoenix on Thursday night for back-to-back games on national television.

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Mavs Game Night: Mavs(8-9) @ Clippers(11-6)

by Ryan Wilson on December 5, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The favorable start to our season schedule ended after the home win against the Detroit Pistons Saturday night. Without Dirk Nowitzki in the lineup through the first 17 games, the vastly new-look Dallas Mavericks are 8-9.

Tonight opens a challenging stretch for the Mavs who will play nine of the next 12 games away from the American Airlines Center. The Los Angeles Clippers will play host tonight to get the current three-game roadie underway.

The Mavs and Clippers have a few familiar faces on each side. Caron Butler is in his second season with the Clips after joining last year following the championship run in Dallas. Then there’s Lamar Odom who will likely go down as the worst Maverick player ever. Not statistically alone, but his overall time spent with the organization was a complete disaster.

Both parties have moved on after Odom was dealt to the Clippers this summer in a small three-team trade that had Dallas receive a traded player exception and the Utah Jazz acquired Clippers combo guard Mo Williams.

Former Clippers Chris Kaman and Elton Brand now play for the Mavericks and in the absence of Dirk, both are starting for the 2010-2011 champs. Kaman had some of his best years in a Clippers uniform, the only team he had played for before a trade sent him to the New Orleans Hornets last year where he was one and done. Brand spent seven seasons with the Clippers organization himself before leaving for Philadelphia.

Everyone involved with the Mavs received positive news recently when we heard Dirk would travel with the team on the trip. It got even better when a picture surfaced with Dirk working out taking set jumpshots. He’s not ready to resume full basketball activities yet, but this is more than a welcome sight for a team that desperately needs its superstar player back.

The Clippers had some good news of their own when Chauncey Billups made his triumphant return to the court after sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury in February. He’s played three contests and started each one. Billups will be eased back into the mix as he’s currently averaging 7.3 points in 19.7 MPG.

Chris Paul hasn’t skipped a beat in his own second year as the Clippers point man. His 9.3 APG ties him for the second best in the league to go along with 16.2 PPG, third best on the Clippers. Not long ago Paul and the Clips were marred by a four-game losing streak, but have since won three straight and enter tonight 11-6.

This game will be a barometer to inform us where the Mavericks truly stand among the contenders and pretenders. I do think right now the Mavs aren’t close to actual contention, but it’s always helpful to analyze against more stout competition, especially on the road.

Once again the offensive burden lies heavily on the shoulders of O.J. Mayo. Until the Big German returns, Mayo will continue to be the vocal point all every team’s defensive schemes. Mayo has been dealing with two sore ankles which resulted in a rough three games before he bounced back with a 27-point perfomance against the Pistons.

The Mavs could use a strong balanced team effort tonight. Taking care of the ball remains to be an important factor in wins and losses. Rebounds. Ball movement. Attacking. These are several keys to this game and our guys will likely need to win most of them to leave LA with a victory.

This will be Derek Fisher’s second game for the Mavs and already making a trip back to STAPLES Center where he played so many years, five ending with a championship ring.

Game action will tip after 9:30 p.m. CT as the second game on ESPN. Let’s go Mavs!

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Del Negro To Return For Another Season

by Ryan Wilson on May 30, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Vinny Del Negro will be back as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers after guiding them to the highest winning percentage in franchise history during the lockout-shortened season.

The team said Tuesday it has exercised its option on him to return for a third season. Del Negro led the Clippers to a 40-26 record, a winning percentage of 60.6 and the second round of the playoffs, where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers did not disclose terms of the deal, but a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne that Del Negro will make “slightly more than $2 million” next season.

“We think we have the most talented roster in franchise history and Vinny turned that into the best record in franchise history,” general manager Neil Olshey said by phone. “Clearly, there was never a question that Vinny was going to come back.”

Del Negro has a 72-76 record in two seasons with the team.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to continue the plan we set in place,” he said by phone from his offseason home in Phoenix. “I give the players a lot of credit for playing hard and believing in what we were trying to do. I appreciate their effort and my staff’s effort.”

Del Negro said there was no discussion about extending his deal beyond the one-year option.

“That was not on the radar right now,” he said. “It’s where I want to be. We’ll get to that stuff, but there’s a lot more pressing issues for me.”

Those include next month’s draft and the upcoming free-agency period, along with making decisions on current players with one-year contracts. All-Star Blake Griffin can sign a five-year extension worth up to $95 million this summer.

Olshey said no one particular result made him decide that Del Negro should return.

“Vinny does all the right things. There’s no greater compliment as a coach than to see how hard his players are playing at the end of the year and that wasn’t always the case in this organization,” he said. “Even though we lost Games 3 and 4 at home against the Spurs, those players played hard.”

While Del Negro is locked up for next season, Olshey’s future with the team has yet to be confirmed. He is not under contract for next season and the Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly interested in him for their vacant GM job.

“I don’t have any comment on my situation,” he said. “We have a chronological order of things that need to take place to make sure we’re playing at this time next year.”

Olshey became GM after Mike Dunleavy left in 2010, and he has overseen a major revamping of the roster, including trading for All-Star guard Chris Paul and drafting Griffin and guard Eric Bledsoe.

Del Negro came under pressure in March after the Clippers lost consecutive road games at Indiana, Oklahoma City and New Orleans, but they responded by winning 13 of their next 15 games on the way to making the playoffs for the first time in six years.

“We stuck together, we made it work and we got on a little bit of a roll,” he said. “Those are never easy times because no one enjoys losing.”

Even as speculation swirled that Del Negro’s immediate future was in jeopardy, Olshey said, “He knew every step of the way that he was our coach.”

In a sign of the team’s changing fortunes, Olshey noted that not long ago a Clippers losing streak wouldn’t have been newsworthy.

“Suddenly we slipped from fourth in the West to fifth in the West and the sky was falling,” he said. “We talked about it constantly. Vinny’s confidence never wavered. He was never put in a situation where he was being second-guessed internally.”

Olshey said he and team president Andy Roeser were in agreement on bringing Del Negro back when they went to owner Donald Sterling.

“Mr. Sterling wants a consensus on all decisions. We went to him and said we think this is what is best for the organization and he agreed,” Olshey said, describing Sterling as “an owner who is willing to spend unlimited resources to bring a championship to this organization.”

Del Negro coached two seasons in Chicago, compiling an 82-82 record and leading the team to consecutive playoff appearances before being fired in May 2010. He played 12 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2002.

Information from ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne was used in this report.

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Spurs Continue To Roll, Bounce Clipps

by Ryan Wilson on May 21, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The San Antonio Spurs mowed down another opponent, using their guile under pressure to close out another perfect playoff series.

Tim Duncan scored 21 points, Tony Parker added 17 and the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-99 on Sunday night to win their second-round matchup 4-0 and advance to the Western Conference finals.

“They played great, they made it tough on us,” Parker said. “The last 2 minutes we got the stops we needed. Everybody did something.”

The Spurs extended their winning streak to 18 games and their playoff record to 8-0, tying the third-best postseason streak in franchise history.

“Until we go all the way, I can’t compare this team,” said Parker, who has won three NBA titles with the Spurs. “We’re just trying to stay focused.”

Danny Green and Gary Neal added 14 points each, and Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter had 11 each.

“We needed a game like that. It arrived at the perfect time,” Parker said. “We battled. We executed our plays, made big baskets.”

San Antonio could find out as soon as Monday night who it will play next. Oklahoma City leads the Lakers 3-1 in their series, with Game 5 on Monday.

“We haven’t done anything yet. We’ve won two rounds,” Duncan said. “We haven’t done anything so you can’t qualify or classify our team as anything other than that we’ve gotten this far.”

The Spurs trailed much of the fourth until tying the game twice in the final 3:32 before their 30-something trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili took over most of the scoring.

“Their experience showed with their execution,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “Tim looks great and the rest of the guys are feeding off that.”

Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin added 21 points, and Eric Bledsoe had 17 for the Clippers, who blew a six-point lead in the fourth quarter when Paul faltered in the final two minutes, usually a time when the All-Star guard is at his best.

“We had our opportunities and we couldn’t convert,” Del Negro said. “We made our mistakes at some key moments and that was the difference.”

Both nursing injuries, Griffin and Paul combined to score 21 of the Clippers’ 28 points in the third quarter when they took their first lead of the game. In the fourth, Bledsoe came up big, scoring 11 in a row, to extend the lead to 90-85 with 5:38 remaining.

After Reggie Evans missed two free throws, Green hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 92.

Duncan’s hook put the Spurs in front 96-94 before Paul tossed up a one-handed shot that rose to the top of the backboard before dropping straight in as he crashed into a baseline photographer. He made the free throw to put the Clippers ahead by one.

Parker scored consecutive baskets and the Spurs regained the lead, 100-97, with 1:47 left.

Paul’s two free throws drew the Clippers within one. After a timeout, Paul drove the basket and lost the ball. He fouled Green, who made the first and missed the second to keep the Spurs ahead for good.

“I messed up, bad decisions,” Paul said, holding his 2-year-old son on his lap. “I should have shot it and I missed the shot, all on me.”

Paul then missed another shot, and Mo Williams fouled Parker, who missed the first and made the second with a second left.

“To let my team down in that situation is probably the toughest part of the season,” Paul said. “We scrapped, we played hard. At the end of the day, playing hard isn’t always enough. You got to execute. On that last play, at least we could have gotten a shot off and I turned the ball over.”

DeAndre Jordan added 10 points. Paul had best performance of the series after sub-par efforts in the first two games. He’d been playing with a strained right hip, while Griffin has a sprained right knee, an injured left hip and got stitches for a cut lip in the first half.

Neither team led by more than five points in the third period. Duncan had 10 points for the Spurs. Bledsoe’s putback slam dunk gave the Clippers 75-74 lead going into the fourth.

The Spurs stretched their lead to 12 points with Duncan sitting out the opening 7 minutes of the second quarter.

The Clippers closed on a 14-6 run to trail 51-47 at halftime. Paul got it started with a 19-foot jumper and ended it with a 3-pointer. Early in the spurt, Griffin ran into Ginobili’s shoulder, fell and one of his top teeth went through his lip. He left the court with 2:20 remaining to get two stitches on the inside and outside of his lip.

Los Angeles began the game on a 9-4 run before San Antonio scored 14 unanswered points, reminiscent of its 24-0 third-quarter spurt Saturday that led to the Spurs’ eventual 10-point victory in Game 3.

 

Game notes

Duncan, Parker and Ginobili played in their 130th postseason game together, the most played as an active trio in the league. … Duncan finished with nine rebounds, just short of notching his 135th career playoff double-double. … The Clippers have lost all seven of their playoff series after losing Game 1. … The Spurs had a 40-36 edge on the boards, while the Clippers outscored them in the paint, 56-50.

 

 

 

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Clippers Put Grizzlies Down For The Count

by Ryan Wilson on May 14, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The Los Angeles Clippers refused to let a third chance to knock the Memphis Grizzlies out of the playoffs slip away.

Kenyon Martin scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with an 82-72 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 7 on Sunday.

 

“That’s why it’s seven games,” Martin said. “If you don’t do it before, you get another chance. So they did what they had to do, they came and stole home court back on our floor. … We had a chance to close it out. We knew we let it go, an opportunity get away.”

The Clippers blew an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter Friday night. So Martin huddled the Clippers together at the start of the fourth quarter Sunday, and the veteran led the bench in outscoring the Grizzlies 25-16.Chris Paul had the only bucket by a starter in the final 12 minutes, and the Clippers’ bench outscored the Memphis reserves 41-11 overall.

“Our bench was our MVP,” Clippers guard Randy Foye said. “They realized what they had to do. We had a lot of guys hurt, so we just continued to grind.”

Now, the Clippers have their third postseason series win in 41 years and their second since relocating to Los Angeles. They last beat Denver in 2006. The Clippers also avoided becoming the ninth NBA team to blow a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series in moving on to play the top-seeded Spurs starting Tuesday night in San Antonio.

“I want the guys to enjoy this, and then we’ll regroup tomorrow and focus in on that,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “But obviously another big challenge for us.”

Paul scored 19 points despite playing with a strained right hip flexor. Nick Young had nine of his 13 off the bench in the fourth as the Clippers finished off the series with their biggest margin of victory. Paul was so confident of victory he bought plane tickets for his wife and son to San Antonio on Saturday.

“I felt like we should have won earlier,” Paul said. “But it doesn’t matter. As long as you win, I think it is a step in the right direction for our franchise.

Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each had 19 for Memphis, which lost a Game 7 at Oklahoma City a year ago in the second round of the playoffs.Zach Randolph had a game-high 12 rebounds.

“Unfortunately, no one on the bench stepped up and helped us,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said.

The Clippers, who trailed 56-55 after three quarters, took control by opening the fourth with an 11-2 run started by a jumper by Martin. He tipped in a shot for a 66-58 lead with 8:41 left. Mo Williams matched the Clippers’ biggest lead to that point at 10 with a 3-pointer pushing it to 71-61 with 7:04 left in a 16-5 spurt to open the quarter.

“They hit shots in a hurry,” Gay said of the Clippers. “They made plays off our turnovers, and they just converted, something we weren’t doing at that time.”

Los Angeles finished off the win by hitting 9 of 10 free throws in the final 3:26. The Clippers also managed to outrebound the Grizzlies 46-44 for only the second time this series.

Memphis got away from the inside-out approach that won the last two games. The Grizzlies outscored the Clippers 36-24, but Randolph said they took far too many jumpers instead of feeding the ball to Gasol and himself.

“You have to take your hats off to them because they played good,” Randolph said of the Clippers. “Chris had a good game, and their bench played terrific.”

The home-court advantage that didn’t help the Grizzlies when they blew a 27-point lead in Game 1 didn’t help again Sunday as they went cold from the floor. Gasol’s one-handed dunk with 3:09 left was Memphis’ last field goal down the stretch as the Grizzlies hit only 4 of 18 in the fourth quarter and finished the game missing all 13 3-pointers.

This series has been physical and grinding from the opening tip, and neither team backed down in a winner-take-all game.

The Clippers and Grizzlies scrapped and fought for every ball with each possession feeling like a knockdown, drag-out fight. Memphis should have had an advantage against the hobbled Clippers tipping off when they usually eat breakfast on the West Coast. Blake Griffinscored only eight points and looked tentative most of the game with a sprained left knee.

Del Negro said Griffin’s knee tightened up on him as the game went on, and Griffin played only 1:39 of the fourth quarter. Not that it mattered the way the Clippers’ bench came through.

The Grizzlies even brought out wrestler Jerry Lawler to help stoke up the sold-out crowd, but both teams showed the fatigue of a quick turnaround from Game 6 on Friday night in Los Angeles. The Clippers missed nine of their first 10 shots, while the Grizzlies missed seven of nine.

“It was Game 7 pressure and jitters,” Hollins said. “We wanted to do well. We just wanted to let it rip. You walk up here and have two strikes on you in the ninth inning and you have to let it rip. And we didn’t.”

The Clippers shook off the exhaustion thanks to their bench.

The Grizzlies managed to pull within 39-38 at halftime even though they kept struggling to find the basket. Mike Conley missed his first seven shots with his drought stretching to the free throw line where he missed his first attempt. Conley didn’t hit his first bucket until a jumper in the early seconds of the third quarter. Conley finished with seven points on 2 of 13 shooting.

Game notes
Del Negro now is 1-1 in Game 7s, losing his first in the 2009 first-round while coaching Chicago against Boston. Hollins now is 0-2 in Game 7s. … Griffin finished playing 28 minutes and was 3 of 11 from the floor. He had four rebounds. … The Grizzlies shot 32.5 percent (25 of 77) from the floor, their worst percentage of the series.

 

 

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Grizzlies Hold Off Clipps To Stay Alive

by Ryan Wilson on May 10, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The Memphis Grizzlies believe they finally played their grinding, bruising style of basketball in the playoffs.

Just in time, too.

Marc Gasol scored 23 points and Zach Randolph added 19 as the Grizzlies avoided elimination by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 92-80 on Wednesday night, forcing a Game 6 in the Western Conference first-round series.

“We’ve had our backs against the wall. We still have them,” said Gasol, who had his best game in this series. “We haven’t done anything yet, and we want to take it back to L.A. and give them another big battle.”

With Gasol and Randolph scoring early, the Grizzlies looked like the team that knocked off top-seeded San Antonio last spring and took Oklahoma City to seven games in the conference semifinals as they pulled within 3-2 in this series.

Game 6 is Friday night in Los Angeles. If the Grizzlies can win, Game 7 would be Sunday in Memphis. Not that the Clippers plan on returning to Tennessee.

“Our Game 7′s Friday,” Clippers guard Mo Williams said.

The Grizzlies sound equally confident, feeling they should have won Games 1 and 3.

“There’s no point leaving home if we don’t know our way back,” Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo said. ” We can’t look at Sunday because we have to make sure we get back home after Friday night.”

Rudy Gay added 14 points for Memphis.

Williams had 20 points for the Clippers while Chris Paul scored 19 and Blake Griffin had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Paul and Griffin both missed time in the fourth quarter with injuries.

The Clippers said Paul strained his right hip flexor, while the guard also jammed a finger. Griffin sprained his left knee.

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said both players were being further evaluated after the game.

Paul almost single-handedly gave the Clippers a chance to close out this series in Game 5 by scoring eight of his 27 points in overtime of Game 4 and leading L.A. to the win.

This time, the four-time All-Star guard had just five points by halftime and scored nothing in the fourth quarter. He was grimacing early in the fourth quarter and was on the bench with the injured right groin. An injured groin kept him out of the Clippers’ regular-season finale, a loss to New York that cost Los Angeles the No. 4 seed.

The Clippers came in needing a win to clinch their first series since 2006 and advance to a second-round series against top-seeded San Antonio. But even though Paul has plenty of postseason experience, this was the first close-out game for the likes of Griffin, Randy Foye and DeAndre Jordan.

Los Angeles last led at 17-16 before a fast-break layup by Tony Allen that was set up by a long pass from Gasol put Memphis ahead to stay at 18-17 with 5:40 left in the first quarter.

“We’ve got to do a better job keeping our composure a little bit,” Del Negro said.

The Clippers closed the third quarter with a 14-2 run and got within six twice to conjure up memories of Memphis blowing a 27-point lead in Game 1. Foye pulled the Clippers within 85-79 on a layup with 55.7 seconds left.

“You could hear the crowd getting quieter and quieter,” Foye said.

With CP3 on the bench, that was as close as the Clippers would get.

“We made enough plays and got enough stops tonight that kept us ahead,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. “In the past, they kept making shots, and we haven’t been able to stop them. So even though our offense wasn’t perfect, we got enough stops.”

Hollins didn’t give his Grizzlies any credit for slowing down Paul.

“I thought he did a good job of containing himself when he got hurt and went to the bench,” Hollins said.

In the arena nicknamed the Grindhouse in honor of the Grizzlies’ blue-collar style, Memphis pounded the ball into the paint and banged on the Clippers all game. The Grizzlies outscored Los Angeles 48-26 in the paint and had a 42-35 edge in rebounds.

Jordan said the Clippers knew the Grizzlies would force the ball inside to Gasol and Randolph early.

“They got a lot of easy post touches at the beginning of the game,” Jordan said. “Throughout, a lot of their shots were contested, but once you get a groove and get comfortable, the shots become comfortable.”

Griffin twice limped to the bench, once late in the first quarter with what appeared to be a ripped shoe. Then he went down under the basket late in the third after his legs tangled with Gasol’s, and Griffin kept rubbing and holding his left knee. He walked gingerly to the bench but returned. It was the same knee that cost him his first season in the NBA.

Del Negro said both Paul and Griffin said they could go back in the game, so they did until Paul started hobbling a bit at the end.

Gasol scored 12 points in the first quarter. Randolph, who looked nothing like the double-double machine of last season’s playoffs, hit his first six shots in scoring 15 points while grabbing five rebounds as Memphis led 36-22 at the end of the first quarter.

The Grizzlies led 57-42 at halftime and led by as many as 24 before the Clippers tried to make it interesting again.

This physical series went to a new level in the second quarter when Eric Bledsoe of the Clippers ran over to defend Quincy Pondexter and bumped him to the court. Bledsoe then heaved the ball up into the air, drawing a technical foul. That was the first of five for the Clippers, with four coming in the third quarter as Paul, Williams and Del Negro let their frustration boil over.

Game notes
The Clippers have been called for 12 technicals in this series and the Grizzlies seven. … Los Angeles’ Caron Butler, playing with a broken left hand, had seven points in the first quarter. He finished with eight after missing his last five shots. … Agent Jimmy Sexton and Dontari Poe, the first-round draft pick by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, sat courtside next to the Clippers’ bench. Titans safety Robert Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner were in the stands.

 

 

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