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[QUOTE=ImKobe;15022758]I don't think it's "unlikely". They were as good as Denver in the 2025 Playoffs but the ball didn't bounce in their favor at the end of games and they also match up well against OKC.
Agreed on the 2nd part of course. Kawhi's load is going to be managed until he retires, I seriously doubt he's ever playing 70+ games in the RS again.[/QUOTE]
Thunder won 68 games and the championship. Clippers can call it a good year if they make the second round. It isn't close.
[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15022767]Thunder won 68 games and the championship. Clippers can call it a good year if they make the second round. It isn't close.[/QUOTE]
How likely is it that holmgren makes it through the year? Hes had 2 signinicant injuries already. Jalen was playing hurt and coming off surgery. A lot can happen. Thunder certainly the favorite. Kawai being healthy most unlikely thing not the thunder losing. Tough to repeat as you should know
[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You;15022772]How likely is it that holmgren makes it through the year? Hes had 2 signinicant injuries already. Jalen was playing hurt and coming off surgery. A lot can happen. Thunder certainly the favorite. Kawai being healthy most unlikely thing not the thunder losing. Tough to repeat as you should know[/QUOTE]
Every team has injury concerns these days and the Thunder would have had the best record with or without Holmgren. With injuries being as frequent as they are the key to being a great team is depth and the Thunder have more of that than anyone. Only player they can't do without is SGA.
[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15022767]Thunder won 68 games and the championship. Clippers can call it a good year if they make the second round. It isn't close.[/QUOTE]
I'm saying just H2H in the Playoffs not what they can do in the RS. Match-ups wise they absolutely can beat the Thunder. If healthy it's a close series.
[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15022773]Every team has injury concerns these days and the Thunder would have had the best record with or without Holmgren. With injuries being as frequent as they are the key to being a great team is depth and the Thunder have more of that than anyone. Only player they can't do without is SGA.[/QUOTE]
They dont beat denver without holmgren
Does a move like this move the needle at all for the Clippers?
Clipper fans I know rejoicing thinking this puts them over the top. :lol
They've been delusional since lob city.
I totally understand play varies under certain coaching and teammates, but I'm not really seeing how Beal makes the Clippers more of a threat than, say, Denver or Houston...who both got better in the off-season.
[QUOTE=ImKobe;15022787]I'm saying just H2H in the Playoffs not what they can do in the RS. Match-ups wise they absolutely can beat the Thunder. If healthy it's a close series.[/QUOTE]Other than Leonard who on the Clippers is a great perimeter defender? Harden is a terrible defender and Beal isn't that good at it. So you start those three at pg/sg/sf and there is a lot to attack. Are they now going to ask a 34 year-old Leonard to lead the offense while defending Alexander all game? And then who is defending Jalen Williams? The match-ups don't look any better than the likely 15-win gap in record will.[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You]They dont beat denver without holmgren[/QUOTE]He is a good player but that's unknowable. So long as they have Hartenstein he is being more than competently replaced and they've shown that they're still a great team without him.
[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15022801]Other than Leonard who on the Clippers is a great perimeter defender? Harden is a terrible defender and Beal isn't that good at it. So you start those three at pg/sg/sf and there is a lot to attack. Are they now going to ask a 34 year-old Leonard to lead the offense while defending Alexander all game? And then who is defending Jalen Williams? The match-ups don't look any better than the likely 15-win gap in record will.[/QUOTE]
They had a great defense last season and that's with Kawhi missing over half the games. Beal isn't a worse defender than Norm Powell. I don't see how defense is going to be the issue. There are bigger question marks on the offensive end.
[QUOTE=ImKobe;15022804]They had a great defense last season and that's with Kawhi missing over half the games. Beal isn't a worse defender than Norm Powell. I don't see how defense is going to be the issue. There are bigger question marks on the offensive end.[/QUOTE]
You were talking about a head-to-head series before, no? Head-to-head, any Thunder opponent must be able to deal with SGA without letting other players like Jalen Williams run wild. If you start Beal Harden and Leonard on your perimeter then you only have one stopper and he just happens to be the #1 most concerning injury possibility in the league, a guy that you would much rather have save his special defensive efforts for end game situations. So defense is a problem.
[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15022801]Other than Leonard who on the Clippers is a great perimeter defender? Harden is a terrible defender and Beal isn't that good at it. So you start those three at pg/sg/sf and there is a lot to attack. Are they now going to ask a 34 year-old Leonard to lead the offense while defending Alexander all game? And then who is defending Jalen Williams? The match-ups don't look any better than the likely 15-win gap in record will.He is a good player but that's unknowable. So long as they have Hartenstein he is being more than competently replaced and they've shown that they're still a great team without him.[/QUOTE]
Kris dunn is an elite defender.
[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You;15022810]Kris dunn is an elite defender.[/QUOTE]I'll take your word for it because otherwise I'm not sure how he has stuck around NBA rosters but if the Clippers are viewing Leonard Harden and Beal as their best offensive players and starters I don't see how he gets enough time to make a major impact.
[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15022809]You were talking about a head-to-head series before, no? Head-to-head, any Thunder opponent must be able to deal with SGA without letting other players like Jalen Williams run wild. If you start Beal Harden and Leonard on your perimeter then you only have one stopper and he just happens to be the #1 most concerning injury possibility in the league, a guy that you would much rather have save his special defensive efforts for end game situations. So defense is a problem.[/QUOTE]
Kawhi, Dunn, DJJ.. Beal and Harden are serviceable as well. They did pretty damn well against the Nuggets, limiting both Jokic and Murray for most of that series. Even if Harden & Beal aren't great individually they should still play great team defense like they did last year. Defense is more about coaching and effort not man to man. OKC has some non-shooters out there and they struggled to make 3s for most of the POs. Harden gets beat on drives but they will bring help and they can leave guys like Dort & Caruso open for most of the game and do fine with it.
Offense is the bigger question because OKC's defense is that good. Clippers have the potential to be top 5 on both ends of the court in the RS but I'm not sure if that will carry over to a hypothetical Thunder series.
Harden is not "serviceable" and Beal was supposedly upset when the Suns asked him to play Holiday's role. Defense has much to do with coaching and effort but that effort better be stopping your man.
[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15022813]I'll take your word for it because otherwise I'm not sure how he has stuck around NBA rosters but if the Clippers are viewing Leonard Harden and Beal as their best offensive players and starters I don't see how he gets enough time to make a major impact.[/QUOTE]
He hasnt stuck around. Had to work his way back from the gleague because hes an old school pass first pg that had to transform his game. Pretty sure lue is a guy that will put in his elite defender in the playoffs if they need him rather beal or harden like it ir not