2024 Playoffs - 1st Round: Los Angeles Clippers - Dallas Mavericks

[BoredAssistant]

Mavs in 7. Luka will make folks regret not giving him the mvp.

[Mavs2021]

For once we got the primetime slot on Sunday.

[Jym]

anyone have the Luka stats for early games?
I seem to remember him going even harder than usual in the first half of those games

[TurkishMFFL]

anyone have the Luka stats for early games?
I seem to remember him going even harder than usual in the first half of those games

I think I remember him saying he likes the early games because they are heavily watched in Europe.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

For me, it all comes down to how well either team shoots the ball the whole series, not one or two games. And what team gets timely stops when needed. Also how will the Mavs new additions perform under the bright lights as Gafford or Washington have very limited if any playoff experience.

[SleepingHero]

[Halfnir]

Euro-friendly schedule, nice

MAVS in 6.

[youzigizag]

Dont see how Luka wouldnt be able to get this squad past LAC. Seems like the Mavs would have to mysteriously/conveniently go super cold.

We already know Leonard will not miss a midrange shot against us. But Luka has Center play, good defenders, better all around players and a clutch scorer as his Robin.

Since the World is a Gas Lighting operation...I assume Luka does his thing and once again we have cold shooting that causes a close series. I still dont see how this could be a close series with the upgraded Centers and defenders plus Luka. But thats the catch in all of this...we know Luka is God-like...but us losing with good players allows the systems bots to dog pile on Luka and claim he is overrated. Its the Romo/Dak situation all over again. Just creating scenarios to try and infuriate.

[DallasMaverick]

Mavs in 5.

Sometimes you just shoot badly.

[youzigizag]

Mavs in 5.

Sometimes you just shoot badly.

We should be able to score in the paint fairly easily these days, eliminating the "just went cold" excuse.

[fifteenth]

Dont see how Luka wouldnt be able to get this squad past LAC.  Seems like the Mavs would have to mysteriously/conveniently go super cold.

We already know Leonard will not miss a midrange shot against us.  But Luka has Center play, good defenders, better all around players and a clutch scorer as his Robin. 

Since the World is a Gas Lighting operation...I assume Luka does his thing and once again we have cold shooting that causes a close series.  I still dont see how this could be a close series with the upgraded Centers and defenders plus Luka.  But thats the catch in all of this...we know Luka is God-like...but us losing with good players allows the systems bots to dog pile on Luka and claim he is overrated.  Its the Romo/Dak situation all over again.  Just creating scenarios to try and infuriate.

Kyrie has some interesting cosmology theories you might like. Oh, and I should get you connected to this guy I recently met at a rally. His name is Q.

[bodhisattva]

The hype. Cant wait for Sunday.
I dont know which way it will go tho.
Every cell of my body is screaming Mavs in 6, but its Kawhi. I am a little bit scared too.

[SleepingHero]

@GrantAfseth
Kyrie Irving on not being on Team USA: "I would have loved to, but I wish my brothers well, and I just didn't fit into this team. ... I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USAB. At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship..."

[fifteenth]

@GrantAfseth
Kyrie Irving on not being on Team USA: "I would have loved to, but I wish my brothers well, and I just didn't fit into this team. ... I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USAB. At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship..."

I was so, so, so, so wrong about Ky!!!!!! And I'm so, so, so, so, so, so glad that I was wrong about Ky!!!!!!!!!

[SleepingHero]

@LawMurrayTheNU
L Frank says that Kawhi Leonard’s swelling has to get down to an acceptable level before he can play

“Structurally everything is very sound… if he can’t play Game 1, we feel very good about our group”

@ LawMurrayTheNU
Lawrence Frank says that Kawhi Leonard has not taken contact in practice. Only mental preparation

@MavsMuse
The Clippers have “cautious optimism” that Kawhi Leonard will play Game 1 vs Dallas, per @ShamsCharania


@joeylinn_
Lawrence Frank said there’s no gamesmanship at play from Clippers right now with Kawhi Leonard’s status.

They truly do not know yet if he’ll be ready when the playoffs begin.




Lots of mixed signals. No way imo Kawhi isn't ready to go game 1.

[Winter]

Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff Writer
Apr 18, 2024, 07:39 PM ET

LOS ANGELES -- LA Clippers All-Star Kawhi Leonard still has inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, and his status is questionable for Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Lawrence Frank, LA Clippers president of basketball operations, said Leonard has yet to go through contact before Thursday's practice. Frank said Leonard's right knee, which has undergone surgeries to repair a torn ACL and meniscus, is structurally "solid and intact" but that the Clippers franchise star is experiencing "some very, very stubborn inflammation."

"He's doing everything," Frank said of Leonard treating his knee. "Our medical staff is doing everything to get the inflammation down so he can play. Progress has been made, but more progress needs -- the inflammation needs to continue to reduce so he can do functional basketball movements."

Frank added, "There is no gamesmanship here and we're very sensitive of the fact that questions are going to be asked and want to be as transparent as possible. It's OK to say what the truth is. It's unpredictable. We're hoping it's trending in the right direction. It's a very accurate statement. When it gets to a point where he's able to play, then that's when he'll be back on the court."

Frank said there's still a couple of days before Sunday's Game 1 to get Leonard ready for the start of the postseason. Leonard, though, has not played in a game since March 31 and missed the last eight games of the regular season.

"So in terms of based on where we're heading, is it possible he could play?" Frank said Thursday. "Sure, it's possible. It's Thursday. With each day we'll know more and more."

[youzigizag]

Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff Writer
Apr 18, 2024, 07:39 PM ET

LOS ANGELES -- LA Clippers All-Star Kawhi Leonard still has inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, and his status is questionable for Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Lawrence Frank, LA Clippers president of basketball operations, said Leonard has yet to go through contact before Thursday's practice. Frank said Leonard's right knee, which has undergone surgeries to repair a torn ACL and meniscus, is structurally "solid and intact" but that the Clippers franchise star is experiencing "some very, very stubborn inflammation."

"He's doing everything," Frank said of Leonard treating his knee. "Our medical staff is doing everything to get the inflammation down so he can play. Progress has been made, but more progress needs -- the inflammation needs to continue to reduce so he can do functional basketball movements."

Frank added, "There is no gamesmanship here and we're very sensitive of the fact that questions are going to be asked and want to be as transparent as possible. It's OK to say what the truth is. It's unpredictable. We're hoping it's trending in the right direction. It's a very accurate statement. When it gets to a point where he's able to play, then that's when he'll be back on the court."

Frank said there's still a couple of days before Sunday's Game 1 to get Leonard ready for the start of the postseason. Leonard, though, has not played in a game since March 31 and missed the last eight games of the regular season.

"So in terms of based on where we're heading, is it possible he could play?" Frank said Thursday. "Sure, it's possible. It's Thursday. With each day we'll know more and more."

Its not even entertaining

[RGP1981]

From the 1st minute, I think Luka and Kyrie need to go straight at Kawhi, 1 on 1, over and over again, to make his knee work super hard on defense.

There shall be no rest for the wicked knees in the playoffs.

[The Jom]

And they’re gonna go small ball against us? Kawhi’s knee and I don’t think so.

[SleepingHero]

And they’re gonna go small ball against us? Kawhi’s knee and I don’t think so.

Listened to the Locked On Mavs podcast where Nick brought on the Locked on Clippers guy.

Still haven't finished both parts but the Locked on Clippers guy stressed that the reason why the Clippers worked so well was Zubac. He was the anchor of their defense and they don't really have the capability to play small ball anymore due to losing basically every long forward they've had the last 3 years. 

He kept emphasizing that Zubac has become a master defender and prefers to play in a drop position. His positioning allowed Harden to get back into any PnR and gave PG and Kawhi the needed rest on the defensive end. Other than that Clippers switched literally every PnR. Only Zubac stayed low in a drop formation.

My one thought listening to that is now that Luka can hit 3s at a reliable rate, how can you play a drop on him? Statistically he was the 2nd best 3pt shooter by volume in the league this year. Kyrie shot 41% on 3s too. 

The Clips guy said if Zubac can't be played that may as well be the series because he said the defense fell apart with Theis or Plumlee out there.