Trans. May 21 5:45 ET (May 21 5:45 ET ) "Posterizing." Pretty amazing when done by one student to another in a high-school hallway:
A little bit less so when done by an NBA center to a young lady in sandals:
But still, generally speaking, pretty good. (Probably wouldn't have killed you to at least double-pump or something, though, DeAndre Jordan.)
With every season that ends, for the playoff teams at least, we felt it right to take a look ahead. TNT already has the rights to "Gone Fishin'," and because we're sure that someone, somewhere, still likes that Wyclef song, we're going with "Gone Till November." And, yes, we know the season starts in October. Today? The Los Angeles Clippers.
From the minute the deal sending Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers was announced, it became obvious that the long-suffering franchise was suddenly in the hands of someone special. Most importantly, it was in the hands of someone sullen, with significant sway. After the deal Clipper big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan could be seen celebrating following a Clipper practice, all the way back in December of 2011, in full view of teammates that would be likely packaged off to New Orleans in exchange for Paul’s gifts. CP3 mentor Chauncey Billups was quickly given a gig as the team’s resident sage. Coach Vinny Del Negro was quickly given the dubious eye.
Despite whispers about the potential years’ worth of Los Angeles vs. Los Angeles battles in the Western Conference finals, the Clippers have stumbled somewhat. A second round ouster in Paul’s first, chaotic year as point guard in 2012 was passable enough. A 2013 first round dismissal at the hands of a Memphis Grizzlies franchise (if not fully returned roster) that lost to the Clippers in a similar series 12 months before was galling enough. Chris Paul, team leader, appears ticked. Ticked, more than enough.
And Vinny Del Negro, Clippers coach, appears to be on his way out.
April 13 (SportsDirect) - Clippers 91, Grizzlies 87: DeAndre Jordan scored all 16 of his points in the first half and had a big block in the closing seconds as visiting Los Angeles regained control of its destiny for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers, who have won five in a row and have two games left, are now tied with Memphis with both teams sitting a half-game behind third-place Denver. Los Angeles owns the tiebreaker with the Grizzlies and would open a possible first-round matchup at home. ...
I know, DeAndre Jordan. Your Los Angeles Clippers go out and set a franchise record for wins — 52 and counting, after Wednesday's 111-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves — and win a division title for the first time in franchise history, and all we can talk about is A) how shaky it all seems and B) how the Los Angeles Lakers, who you just beat by 14 and swept 4-0 this season, are trying to fight their way to an eighth seed. I hear you — it's totally unfair.
My suggestion: Make an even deeper run in this year's playoffs than you did last year, which will show everyone that you're for real and without-a-doubt more relevant than your fellow Staples Center tenants. That should get the conversation appropriately directed toward you guys ... for about five seconds, before we go back to talking about Kobe, Dwight, D'Antoni and Pau.
Best caption wins earplugs, which have to be more effective than your fingers. Good luck.
In our last adventure : I mean, it worked out OK this time, but still, you should say no when Greg Stiemsma asks if you want to see his "gum trick."
Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has been one of the first free throw shooters in the NBA from the moment he entered the league in 2008. Over his career, Jordan has attempted 838 free throws and made only 357, or 42.6 percent. He's been under 40 percent in three seasons, including this one, and topped 50 percent only once, in 2011-12. It's enough to make you wonder exactly why he struggles so much, and if it's a problem that can be solved.
As usual, most observers have claimed that Jordan just needs to work harder on his free throws. But that's an argument he's tired of hearing. From Broderick Turner for the Los Angeles Times (via PBT ):
NBA DRAFT LOTTERY SIM
MADNESS!
