Chris Paul aside, I don't know how any NBA pundits could realistically think the Clippers would be any good in their preseason rankings. People still had faith that Kawhi would somehow return to form despite being 34 years old and then they thought aging up the roster with guys like Beal, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul would actually make a difference.
Honestly this makes me feel worse about losing to them the second game of the season.
It's Randy Smith, who played for them in the 1970s when the team was called the Buffalo Braves, and one inaugural season in 1978-79 when they first moved to San Diego.
Chris Paul aside, I don't know how any NBA pundits could realistically think the Clippers would be any good in their preseason rankings. People still had faith that Kawhi would somehow return to form despite being 34 years old and then they thought aging up the roster with guys like Beal, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul would actually make a difference.
They were pretty good last year, especially to close the season. The Norm Powell loss seems to be a bigger deal than most expected. John Collins hasn’t made up for it and clearly Beal and CP3 didn’t. They went from a top 5 defense to a bottom 5 defense somehow.
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2025 3:51 am
by The Bobster
Chris Paul was the biggest reason the Suns went from a sub-.500 team in 2019-20 to the NBA Finals in 2020-21. When he left they managed to maintain it for a year then the franchise took a nosedive last year.
Certainly he has tried to hold on too long and in retrospect he should have retired last offseason. When you're losing his blunt brand of criticism is not going to be as tolerated/accepted as it is when a team wins. But it's also hard to argue that the teams he joined didn't get better when they acquired him. We had a front row seat for that here.
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2025 10:16 am
by Mori Chu
Hmmmmm....
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2025 10:21 am
by ShelC
I call major bullshit. Watch how he "fell", looked completely fake.
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2025 11:10 am
by TOO
Can't spell calf strain without LA, I smell a conspiracy.
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2025 8:10 pm
by Superbone
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2025 8:15 pm
by BKinSJC
LeBron's 19 year streak of games scoring double figures that almost ended against the Suns the other night ...
Ended tonight in Toronto. Unfortunately, it happened in a Lakers win.
LeBron's 19 year streak of games scoring double figures that almost ended against the Suns the other night ...
Ended tonight in Toronto. Unfortunately, it happened in a Lakers win.
It was only a matter of time after Dillon broke him.
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2025 4:44 am
by pickle
I know this is my homerism talking and I’m sure the real answer is injuries but I’d like to think that we helped contribute to Cleveland’s woes this year by hiring Ott off their bench.
Re: Around the NBA: Week 7 (12/1 - 12/7)
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2025 5:44 am
by ShelC
There's a brain drain theory usually associated with the NFL where coordinators leave for head coaching jobs and their former team drops off because of it. Could be the case in Cleveland but yea, Garland and Allen have been missed a bunch of games too. I've never been super impressed with Cleveland tho so this could be the year it starts to come apart for them. Mobley never turned into the dominant frontcourt player they envisioned and their role players aren't scaring anyone.
Also noticed that as hot as the Bulls started the season, they've cooled off a lot and are pretty much back to what they've always been.
There's a brain drain theory usually associated with the NFL where coordinators leave for head coaching jobs and their former team drops off because of it. Could be the case in Cleveland but yea, Garland and Allen have been missed a bunch of games too. I've never been super impressed with Cleveland tho so this could be the year it starts to come apart for them. Mobley never turned into the dominant frontcourt player they envisioned and their role players aren't scaring anyone.
Also noticed that as hot as the Bulls started the season, they've cooled off a lot and are pretty much back to what they've always been.
Reminds me a little of when Willie Green left us to become Pelicans' head coach.
