Sweaters N' Stuff: A loss is a loss.

sweaters-n-stuff:

Whether its by 29 points, or by 16 points, a loss is a loss.
Lakers are against Oklahoma City, who happens to also be currently ranked #1.
Clippers are against the Spurs who are #2. (in other words, not #1)
Cut Lakers some slack and STFU.
“At least we didn’t lose by 29 points..”
Well FU Clippers…

Actually, Spurs are the number one team.

So, yeah … 

Giving it their all

So, lately, I’ve been in a great mood. Things seem to be progressing. Most notably, the Clippers preparing to play the Spurs.

As a longtime Clippers fan, this is a very joyous moment for me. I never thought things would get this good, this fast. The team has earned this.

Now, a bunch of “experts” and “analysts” want to go and ruin my week with their “predictions”. “Spurs in 7”, “Spurs in 6”, “Spurs in 5”, that’s all they think. Most of these guys (all but one, actually) rooted for the Grizzles to win and were shockingly disappointed. And now, they further insult the team by saying “you may have beat the Grizzles, but there’s absolutely NO way you’re beating the Spurs.

Now, if you’re not Clippers fan, I have no problem understanding that you think the Spurs will win. We’ve been an average team who sometimes fall below or jump above depending on health. We’ve made a name for ourselves a bit too fast and have not yet completely matured where it seems like we have a shot at the championship.

But these analysts are different. They’re supposed to be able to read the game, not the Twitter posts. When they think Spurs, they think “experience”. And to the analysts/ex-players/experts, that’s all you need to win a championship. Jordan never once thought that. Neither did the Bad Boys of the Pistons. Not even the Magic and Larry when they went to win it. For them all, it was about having the will to play, even when the chips were down.

The Clippers have that. They were losing a game by 27 to the Grizzles (one of the best defenses in the game), yet they pushed for a win on the road. Analysts want to claim that Chris Paul carries the team, but they talk as if they don’t even watch the games. True, he has been the major push, but they’ve been winning as a team. If it’s not Blake’s post game, it’s Nick Young’s threes. If it’s not Kenyon’s defense, it’s Reggie’s rebound. Chris Paul just pushes things further as a closer. He doesn’t necessarily close ever game on his own and he’s probably only done that twice in the first round.

This is a team that has a high chemistry, nice assists, and open looks. Even the Spurs have been victims of it before. To just say that the Spurs will have an easy time locking them up is JUST LIKE saying the Grizzles would. WRONG.

The fact is, Chris Paul can move much faster than Tony Parker, even with injury, he’s still quite fast. Blake Griffin has always scored and rebounded more than Tim Duncan in the regular season and this is accounting for the fact that he’s on a team with Reggie Evans and DeAndre Jordan. Not to mention, he’s much more athletic than Tim Duncan and can move faster in the post. You’ve got the bench, who have put up points near the amount as the Spurs bench, whom gets MUCH MORE playing time than the Clippers bench.

The point I’m making is STOP COUNTING THEM OUT just because they’re the Clippers. Sure, we’ve got a worst coach, but if coaching was the only thing that decided the game, you wouldn’t push to get star players, would you?

And believe me, I’m not saying this as a Clippers fan. I’m saying this as an enthusiast of basketball. The Clippers have a chance to win it. It’s small, especially with injury, but it’s still a lot bigger than anyone’s giving credit for. 

As a fan, I’m saying they can do it. If they don’t, so be it. But until that point:

GO CLIPS GO!