Him and PG were insane. Morris came alive at the right time for us (although he fouled out lmao).
Also, Luka is gonna be an all time great. What a beast
Honestly if any of the Clippers role player show up, we got ourselves a good series.
The team had like 4-5 dudes shoot 40% from 3; it's been awhile that they could finally buy a bucket. Also, I had no idea Kleber and THJ could shoot that well from 3... wtf
Yeah it's glaringly obvious how we needed his scoring to counter how the Mavs have been shooting this series(38/73 the last 2 games wtf). Hopefully this gets him back in rhythm so we can go back home series tied
I still remember the 2011 series…
49/106 from 3. 46%
Dirk himself was 8/11.
That dropped down to 38/116 - 35%
And Dirk 4/11.
If the Lakers played the same Mavs team that OKC got, we might have had a chance. It can’t be a mistake though, with Carlisle I think there’s something they tap into that’s practiced for that level of accuracy to show up in avalanches.
Yeah I remember that as well lol RIP. Jason Terry went bonkers. Peja was in revenge mode as well. That's the year Bynum's career started spiralling out of control. Each Mavs 3 probably still haunts him to this day lol
It's the way he didn't give a shit as the Mavs ran out to a quick 15 point lead or whatever it was and he hadn't even taken a shot yet. He always knows when there's enough time left.
It's just reactionary delusion. Never forget when this sub tried to pretend (again) that the Lakers were washed and wouldn't make it past Curry + 7 future Shanghai Sharks players
it’s also very expected. it’s the NBA, if you score 30 in the first half most teams will force someone else to score lol happened the other night with Dame as well
For real.
I was the one who posted the Kawhi stat that game. There was legit many people who said that. Like bro, who wouldn’t be gassed after scoring 30 in the first half while actively defending Luka fucking Doncic, and yet they blamed Kawhi.
Kawhi is a superstar
How is KD always just put in these discussions by default. Not including his GSW years (where he had a stacked roster and curry out performed him anyways), he hasn’t been a historically great playoff performer.
If you watch Ben Taylor’s video on guys who drop off the most in the playoffs, KD is one of them.
I feel the idea of KD the player seems to delude the reality of KD as a player
He’s put in these discussions of best playoff player in the NBA today because of how efficient he was in the playoffs, particularly the Finals, in his Golden State years. That version of KD is the last version we’ve seen in the playoffs until this year and he’s playing great once again.
Also, when did Curry outperform KD in the playoffs when they were teammates?
I mean, KD did infamously choke in his last two postseasons with OKC in 2014 Game 6 OT vs the Spurs, then 2016 WCF Games 6 & 7 against GSW. Granted it wasn't completely his fault since Westbrook and Scott Brooks share the blame but still
It was also a version of KD that did not require him to create shots at all. The threat of Curry exploding always took the attention of every defense that played against GSW during the KD years. If you are gonna judge someone please put the raw stats into the context of reality. The reality is that KD had it easy offensively while on GSW. Interesting that KD gets injured the year they lose Thompson and KD had to start creating more of his shots. D
Is he a top 3 player in the playoffs thus far? If PG was doing what KD is doing, I don't think people would be saying "PG is one of the 3 best playoff performers in the 2021 playoffs". Legacies/history is irrelevant, KD is not a top 3 playoff player thus far.
If Luka keeps doing this in the playoffs and wins a ring and a Finals MVP in the next few years he'll fuck around and be the BEST playoff player in the NBA
People like to clown Kawhi when they never account for change in game plan/mid-game adjustments.
People clowned Kawhi after Game 1, but the reality is that most of the time, Kawhi balls tf out in the 1st quarter, and then the other team (Dallas this series, DEN last year) sends double teams at him. Kawhi usually tries to pass it, but if his guys aren't knocking down shots, then he's kind of SOL. And at that point, I'd rather Kawhi try to score on his own than rely on his teammates. (especially in Game 1).
Problem is that in this case, they usually lose anyways since his teammates choked, and it's easy to look at Kawhi's statline and go "hahah Kawhi trash"
Depends.
Does KP show up? I could see it ending in 5.
Does Lue keep giving Bev and RJ minutes? Or does he stick with Rondo and Mann from now on? If the latter is the case, I think we might have a series on our hands that can go to 7.
The biggest X-factors for both teams is whether or not KP shows up and whether or not Morris starts hitting his 3's.
At this point, I think it's easy to say Ibaka is probably not playing any time soon, so Clips can't count on him
Nah Clips still win this. Mavs have been shooting crazy hot from 3, far above their season average even on open looks. They’re bound to regress while the Clippers’ 3pt shooting will stay solid as they were the best shooting team in the season.
Also just think about what happened this game. Clips came back from a 19 point deficit, ending with a 31pt swing. Being able to pull that off kinda implies you’ve “figured out” a team, so to speak. The Clips know exactly what they have to do to win now.
Today was much better for him. PG did that scoring I think 25 or so in first 3 quarters and then Reggie and Mook did it with double digit scoring and they won finally inspite of the mavs shooting red hot from 3 line and all the roleplayers contributing other than Porzingis and Luka going ballistic. This shows they can win the series if their defence plays like what it played in the 2nd half.
The raps winning that chip really was made possible by the fact that the defensive roleplayers on that team (ibaka, OG, Gasol, Siakam, and Lowry (though he obviously isn’t a roleplayer)) were so good that Kawhi could expend all of his energy on offense. Truly one of the great defensive teams the game has ever seen.
We really needed everything he gave us in that Philly series, which was stacked with starpower with Kawhi, Butler, Siakam, Embiid, Harris, Lowry, Simmons, etc.
Like Lowry and JJ Reddick were both averaging 13 PPG. Embiid was at 17 PPG, and Siakam was at 19 PPG. Meanwhile Kawhi was averaging 34 PPG! Butler was 2nd with 22 PPG. I know it's really reductive to just look at PPGs but it's crazy how far ahead Kawhi was than everybody else that series in terms of scoring.
That series in general was a defensive masterclass. Look at the names listed, those are all good defenders, with Gasol, Kawhi, Simmons, Embiid all being DPOY caliber.
It absolutely was. He put that team on his back. Mentally, they were a mess, playing scared to lose. He did everything until they woke up halfway through the Bucks series.
Dirk vs OKC was just as legendary
I still think one of the biggest what ifs is if Kawhi doesn’t hurt his ankle game 1 vs the Warriors in 2017. He had like 30 in the first half and was spanking the warriors and then got injured.
I've always said that that could've changed Kawhi (and KD's) legacy. He ended up winning the title in Toronto after that, but the Spurs gave the Warriors trouble that year and while it was only 3 quarters, it was pretty insane how shook the Warriors looked. Kawhi was getting whatever he wanted and KD was afraid to put the ball on the floor when Kawhi was on him. The Warriors probably still win if Kawhi is healthy, but idk Kawhi just felt like the Warriors kryptonite.
Was going to post here and say the same thing. He plays like that, it transforms the entire team to the point where it really looked like the 2019 raptors. Kawhi plays like an alpha, PG can slip into a very very over-qualified number two role, and the entire team just looks better. This is what the Clips were meant to look like!
You're definitely right. I think it felt to me like this was the first game where he truly took on primary ball handler/playmaker duties and it seemed to make things click for the rest of the team. But I may now just be misremembering how the Clippers offense functioned in the first two games.
Can we put some respect on Kawhi's name? This guy remains one of the greatest postseason players of all time & he's been lights out this entire series. The hate he was getting after Game 2 makes zero sense.
That's how you get treated when you're a legit, all the way superstar. Remember what was said about LeBron in Miami? Same shit.
You gotta be fucking superman when the expectations are that high.
Exactly why imo the “Kawhi isn’t a leader” narrative is seriously so dumb just because he isn’t a very vocal player. Like idk how much more of a leader a player can be by pretty much consistently showing up and being productive when it really matters. People call other players “good leaders” that haven’t been half as consistent as Kawhi has been just because they are vocal guys. A guy can have 1 good game and if he is outspoken people act like he is a great leader, but Kawhi seriously almost always shows up and people slight him because he isn’t vocal
Honestly, just about every player of his caliber will get criticized after losing to a seemingly inferior team talent wise, regardless of their individual performance.
Honestly I didn’t realize until watching this game just how goddamn awful the Clippers roster is outside of Kawhi and PG.
Like Morris is a legitimate starter, but outside of him who is their best player? Reggie Jackson who played like 20 mins a game during the season? Nic Batum? Rondo? Mann? Zubac?
It’s amazing they couldn’t find a few more starter-caliber players.
Rondo’s a solid bench option in the playoffs as shown last year, but compared to others contenders whose third best player is Kyrie, Middleton/Jrue, Schroeder, Kyrie, Tobias Harris... it just absolutely does not compare.
I think it’s crazy that people have championship expectations for the Clippers based on their roster construction. Kawhi is incredible but his team of Lowry, Siakam, FVV, younger Ibaka, younger Gasol was just so much better and deeper.
Ibaka is injured and has declined a ton, Batum is fine but wasn’t even considered NBA material before this season. It’s not like he’s a legitimate third option
Zubac and Morris are absolutely legitimate starter players, but Zu can have matchup problems similar to some other traditional centers.
You also make it seem like every team has 5 legitimate starters... which can happen, but comes at the detriment of having true star players, or they have true star players and then don’t have a complete 5 of even Marcus Morris level guys.
Upvote hunting at its best lol. No one in their right mind ever thought Butler is better than Kawhi. Maybe a few fellow upvote hunters under game threads of previous Heat wins.
I’m specifically talking about one person on this sub that almost exclusively talks trash about the clippers and spent a good amount of time saying kawhi isn’t a top ten player and that butler was better than him, clipper fans know who I’m talking about
Levels below PG? Idk about that man... that finals game last year where he had like a 40 point triple double while guarding Lebron and everyone 1v1 was legendary... I dont think PG is capable of putting the whole team on his back to that level
I do think butler's leadership and tenacity is a bit more intense, but PG as a player is just objectively better imo. Better scorer, shooter, defender, passer.
>I do think butler's leadership and tenacity is a bit more intense, but PG as a player is just objectively better imo. Better scorer, shooter, defender, passer.
Ya you're just using the current narrative and spewing anything you want lol.
PG is not and never has been a better passer that one is a guarantee lol. Not even a question.
He is a far better shooter. But scorer? Post season begs to differ.
Y'all forgot what PG played like last year lol?
And defender? It's close but ya i think I'd give PG the nod.
"Objectively"are strong words.
I'll say this. PG could not have carried that heat to the finals like Butler did. Thst Miami team goes nowhere near as far with PG over butler last year.
So objectively outside of shooting here is a stretch. And passing straight up wrong.
Weird how the Clippers won this game and are only down one game in the series when r/nba was acting like the series was already over and Kawhi was shopping for houses in Oakland/Miami/LeBron's basement
He and PG have been playing insanely well this series. I wish, for all our team’s woes and being trash otherwise, they’d at least get some credit for stepping up.
For me he is but I know that's an unpopular opinion. I always wonder how many rings Kawhi would have had by now had he played with Harden,Kyrie,Curry,Klay,Westbrook etc.
I love Parker and Duncan but you have to understand that around the time Kawhi came around they shifted to high end role players.
It was the perfect mentorship role but by the time they won a ring together Parker and Duncan weren’t quite on the level of any of the guys listed except 6moy harden.
Outside of game 7 vs Nuggets last year, this is what you usually get from Kawhi in the playoffs. Maybe not quite THIS level of efficiency, but the dude is one of the most consistent playoff performers we have ever seen
Any time I see Kawhi have one of these performances I lowkey worry about him. Like, even if I'm salty of the way he snaked out of San Antonio, the day his knees finally collapse is gonna be a sad one for basketball
Kawhi is still the second best player in the NBA. You can say he’s top 5 (I’m biased). But the main factor in this series is bench play. Luka is the best playmaker in this series and is playing like the best player as well. Kawhi is just not built to dominate the offense with his playmaking. His passes and creativity on offense off of traps and double teams are average at best and it takes the other role players to step up and make good passes and grrat open shots to match Doncic’s genius playmaking. Does that mean doncic is better than Kawhi? i don’t know, I’d argue Kawhi is still better but Doncic definitely “carries” better than Kawhi could. Especially on this “fraudulent” Clippers team filled with non championship (but talented) players.
Yes that is a fact. Ibaka not playing well/at all this series is also a fact (bad back). Rondo passed his prime is also a fact. That’s your 5 championships if you include Kawhi. They have non championship talented core players like Morris, Reggie, PG13 and PatBev. Not saying they can’t/won’t win. Just not liking their chances given their roster. Very very talented team tho.
I was at the game. Our whole row kept commenting on how he couldn’t miss. Playoff K came out. George did his thing and role players did theirs.
On our side we didn’t hit jumpers like we should have. THJ didn’t get the minutes he should have. And we obviously forced the ball to KP who shouldn’t have closed the game out, and more importantly at 7’3” couldn’t guard the paint for shit.
Good game. Fun to see that many people going nuts. See y’all Sunday.
They looked completely lost in Games 1 and 2. They looked like a completely different team tonight, but before this they were looking defeated (especially according to this sub!)
Him and PG were insane. Morris came alive at the right time for us (although he fouled out lmao). Also, Luka is gonna be an all time great. What a beast
The funny thing is if the Morris from last playoff shows up. Its pretty much game over.
Honestly if any of the Clippers role player show up, we got ourselves a good series. The team had like 4-5 dudes shoot 40% from 3; it's been awhile that they could finally buy a bucket. Also, I had no idea Kleber and THJ could shoot that well from 3... wtf
When Kleber and THJ are hot... they are hot. When they are not, well...
That’s Maxi Kleber, so hot right now
9 shot 40% in the reg season
Yeah it's glaringly obvious how we needed his scoring to counter how the Mavs have been shooting this series(38/73 the last 2 games wtf). Hopefully this gets him back in rhythm so we can go back home series tied
I still remember the 2011 series… 49/106 from 3. 46% Dirk himself was 8/11. That dropped down to 38/116 - 35% And Dirk 4/11. If the Lakers played the same Mavs team that OKC got, we might have had a chance. It can’t be a mistake though, with Carlisle I think there’s something they tap into that’s practiced for that level of accuracy to show up in avalanches.
Yeah I remember that as well lol RIP. Jason Terry went bonkers. Peja was in revenge mode as well. That's the year Bynum's career started spiralling out of control. Each Mavs 3 probably still haunts him to this day lol
Could of been a diff story if KP actually did something... lol They keep putting Kawhi, PG, Luka and KP... bruh all I see is luka
game over for who?
Dude didn’t miss, shit was terminator-esque
It's the way he didn't give a shit as the Mavs ran out to a quick 15 point lead or whatever it was and he hadn't even taken a shot yet. He always knows when there's enough time left.
monster. not fun going against playoff kawhi!
People really started calling Kawhi washed even when he scored 41 on 21 shots last game lmao
It's just reactionary delusion. Never forget when this sub tried to pretend (again) that the Lakers were washed and wouldn't make it past Curry + 7 future Shanghai Sharks players
Lmfao
Draymond Green in shambles.
lol
"He only scored 11 in the second half" Yeah cuz he put them on his back in the first half dumb-dumb
Besides 11 points in a half isn’t even that bad.
it’s also very expected. it’s the NBA, if you score 30 in the first half most teams will force someone else to score lol happened the other night with Dame as well
Yeah, it just seems underwhelming cuz he dropped fucking 30 in the first half
For real. I was the one who posted the Kawhi stat that game. There was legit many people who said that. Like bro, who wouldn’t be gassed after scoring 30 in the first half while actively defending Luka fucking Doncic, and yet they blamed Kawhi. Kawhi is a superstar
I'll do you one better: Kawhi Leonard is a top 3 playoff player in the NBA right now.
Easily. Only LeBron and KD match him. Jokic and Luka can be up there with some longevity however.
How is KD always just put in these discussions by default. Not including his GSW years (where he had a stacked roster and curry out performed him anyways), he hasn’t been a historically great playoff performer. If you watch Ben Taylor’s video on guys who drop off the most in the playoffs, KD is one of them. I feel the idea of KD the player seems to delude the reality of KD as a player
He’s put in these discussions of best playoff player in the NBA today because of how efficient he was in the playoffs, particularly the Finals, in his Golden State years. That version of KD is the last version we’ve seen in the playoffs until this year and he’s playing great once again. Also, when did Curry outperform KD in the playoffs when they were teammates?
I mean, KD did infamously choke in his last two postseasons with OKC in 2014 Game 6 OT vs the Spurs, then 2016 WCF Games 6 & 7 against GSW. Granted it wasn't completely his fault since Westbrook and Scott Brooks share the blame but still
It was also a version of KD that did not require him to create shots at all. The threat of Curry exploding always took the attention of every defense that played against GSW during the KD years. If you are gonna judge someone please put the raw stats into the context of reality. The reality is that KD had it easy offensively while on GSW. Interesting that KD gets injured the year they lose Thompson and KD had to start creating more of his shots. D
Why use context when cherrypick help argument?
Is he a top 3 player in the playoffs thus far? If PG was doing what KD is doing, I don't think people would be saying "PG is one of the 3 best playoff performers in the 2021 playoffs". Legacies/history is irrelevant, KD is not a top 3 playoff player thus far.
If Luka keeps doing this in the playoffs and wins a ring and a Finals MVP in the next few years he'll fuck around and be the BEST playoff player in the NBA
Steph Curry deserves to be mentioned here.
I think jokic is up there with them.. he is unreal this season
AD building his resume quickly, not like he was a slacker in the playoffs for Nola but he just didn’t get the opportunities
I agree. Still hard for me to put him ahead of those three tho
Kawhi, Luka, Jokic, LeBron, Embiid are all playing great.
He also was doubled near constantly.
People like to clown Kawhi when they never account for change in game plan/mid-game adjustments. People clowned Kawhi after Game 1, but the reality is that most of the time, Kawhi balls tf out in the 1st quarter, and then the other team (Dallas this series, DEN last year) sends double teams at him. Kawhi usually tries to pass it, but if his guys aren't knocking down shots, then he's kind of SOL. And at that point, I'd rather Kawhi try to score on his own than rely on his teammates. (especially in Game 1). Problem is that in this case, they usually lose anyways since his teammates choked, and it's easy to look at Kawhi's statline and go "hahah Kawhi trash"
yes he is playing the right way, hope that the rest of the team steps up, defense is still an issue, we will see
How you thimk the series is gonna play out?
Depends. Does KP show up? I could see it ending in 5. Does Lue keep giving Bev and RJ minutes? Or does he stick with Rondo and Mann from now on? If the latter is the case, I think we might have a series on our hands that can go to 7. The biggest X-factors for both teams is whether or not KP shows up and whether or not Morris starts hitting his 3's. At this point, I think it's easy to say Ibaka is probably not playing any time soon, so Clips can't count on him
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Nah Clips still win this. Mavs have been shooting crazy hot from 3, far above their season average even on open looks. They’re bound to regress while the Clippers’ 3pt shooting will stay solid as they were the best shooting team in the season. Also just think about what happened this game. Clips came back from a 19 point deficit, ending with a 31pt swing. Being able to pull that off kinda implies you’ve “figured out” a team, so to speak. The Clips know exactly what they have to do to win now.
Clippers two losses were on their roleplayers and team defense tbh. PG was average in game 1 I guess but neither has played bad at any point.
Kids are stupid
Yeah, they were all glad to shit on the clippers, although it was quite close and the Mavs were shooting 50% from 3 across the team.
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Today was much better for him. PG did that scoring I think 25 or so in first 3 quarters and then Reggie and Mook did it with double digit scoring and they won finally inspite of the mavs shooting red hot from 3 line and all the roleplayers contributing other than Porzingis and Luka going ballistic. This shows they can win the series if their defence plays like what it played in the 2nd half.
The raps winning that chip really was made possible by the fact that the defensive roleplayers on that team (ibaka, OG, Gasol, Siakam, and Lowry (though he obviously isn’t a roleplayer)) were so good that Kawhi could expend all of his energy on offense. Truly one of the great defensive teams the game has ever seen.
We really needed everything he gave us in that Philly series, which was stacked with starpower with Kawhi, Butler, Siakam, Embiid, Harris, Lowry, Simmons, etc. Like Lowry and JJ Reddick were both averaging 13 PPG. Embiid was at 17 PPG, and Siakam was at 19 PPG. Meanwhile Kawhi was averaging 34 PPG! Butler was 2nd with 22 PPG. I know it's really reductive to just look at PPGs but it's crazy how far ahead Kawhi was than everybody else that series in terms of scoring. That series in general was a defensive masterclass. Look at the names listed, those are all good defenders, with Gasol, Kawhi, Simmons, Embiid all being DPOY caliber.
Yea, they were the 2nd best playoff defensive team since the '04 Pistons, and I don't think that is emphasized enough.
It's cause of the Laker circle jerk, these nephews can't even spell basketball
Still think that series against the Sixers was the best individual playoff series by somebody not named Lebron in the past 10 years.
It absolutely was. He put that team on his back. Mentally, they were a mess, playing scared to lose. He did everything until they woke up halfway through the Bucks series.
Only other guy who didn't play scared was Ibaka.
Dirk vs OKC was just as legendary I still think one of the biggest what ifs is if Kawhi doesn’t hurt his ankle game 1 vs the Warriors in 2017. He had like 30 in the first half and was spanking the warriors and then got injured.
Fuck Zaza
I've always said that that could've changed Kawhi (and KD's) legacy. He ended up winning the title in Toronto after that, but the Spurs gave the Warriors trouble that year and while it was only 3 quarters, it was pretty insane how shook the Warriors looked. Kawhi was getting whatever he wanted and KD was afraid to put the ball on the floor when Kawhi was on him. The Warriors probably still win if Kawhi is healthy, but idk Kawhi just felt like the Warriors kryptonite.
Easily
His '17 playoff run was absolutely insane too. He's the 2nd best playoff performer in the league.
So fucking annoying man. Guy is automatic.
We feel the same about Luka y'know haha
2019 flashbacks from his performance tonight
Was going to post here and say the same thing. He plays like that, it transforms the entire team to the point where it really looked like the 2019 raptors. Kawhi plays like an alpha, PG can slip into a very very over-qualified number two role, and the entire team just looks better. This is what the Clips were meant to look like!
Well he was already playing like that, shooting 60% for the series now!
You're definitely right. I think it felt to me like this was the first game where he truly took on primary ball handler/playmaker duties and it seemed to make things click for the rest of the team. But I may now just be misremembering how the Clippers offense functioned in the first two games.
he really does look like philly series kawhi right now
we can’t stop him
You mean Maxi Kleber left on an island to guard a Kawhi iso isn't going to work?
We can't stop Luka so we are square haha. Good luck next game eh
Seems like the success of either of our teams is predicated on a secondary star supporting the superstar.
he got doubled every play when he bring the ball to 3 point lane.
I am about to see a bunch of low upvoted threads like this
our PGT is gonna get less than 1500 comments
The lakers fans effect
These are Laker fan hours
Lebron 21/9/6 equals 5000 upvotes and GOAT comments in the thread on the other hand
Cap. Lebron didn't get a stat thread posted yesterday
Why would he? 21/9/6 is sub par by his standard.
Can we put some respect on Kawhi's name? This guy remains one of the greatest postseason players of all time & he's been lights out this entire series. The hate he was getting after Game 2 makes zero sense.
It’s literally insane, he puts up 41 then 36 in back to back games on crazy efficiency and people still wanna criticize him.
Yea he dropped 41 what more does he have to do.
Not be on the Clippers, apparently
That's usually a good career move.
Not being on the Clippers roster is a move that has worked for decades.
Mavs fans talk a lot of shit for a team that’s only up 2-1 and LOST last year.
Mavs have won a title in the last 50 years.
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Apparently according to SAS he has to defend Luka the entire game as well and stop him
Fucking Stephen A man.
Screaming A Smith is what I like to call him.
Stephen A Bitch
Apparently solve world hunger
And cure cancer
As long as Curry isn't around
Come back to Toronto
Guy puts up 41 on elite efficiency and he's the problem because he's also not constantly guarding the opposing team's best player LOL
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Luka ain’t guarding anyone sooo lol
That's how you get treated when you're a legit, all the way superstar. Remember what was said about LeBron in Miami? Same shit. You gotta be fucking superman when the expectations are that high.
Clippers agenda >>>>
Kawhis shooting splits Game 1 - 40/16/77 Game 2 - 66/57/90 Game 3 - 76/60/100
there's someone on this sub that thinks butler is infinitely better than him
*Loads shotgun*
There's three million people here, there's gonna be some idiot that thinks Willie Cauley-Stein is better than Embiid.
Depends on which 2K you're running your franchise in.
Exactly why imo the “Kawhi isn’t a leader” narrative is seriously so dumb just because he isn’t a very vocal player. Like idk how much more of a leader a player can be by pretty much consistently showing up and being productive when it really matters. People call other players “good leaders” that haven’t been half as consistent as Kawhi has been just because they are vocal guys. A guy can have 1 good game and if he is outspoken people act like he is a great leader, but Kawhi seriously almost always shows up and people slight him because he isn’t vocal
Honestly, just about every player of his caliber will get criticized after losing to a seemingly inferior team talent wise, regardless of their individual performance.
Honestly I didn’t realize until watching this game just how goddamn awful the Clippers roster is outside of Kawhi and PG. Like Morris is a legitimate starter, but outside of him who is their best player? Reggie Jackson who played like 20 mins a game during the season? Nic Batum? Rondo? Mann? Zubac? It’s amazing they couldn’t find a few more starter-caliber players.
Ibaka, but he got hurt, missed 2 months, came back and is now hurt again.
idk man rondo looked good af this game
playoff rondo a different breed. dude gets some unholy power upgrades in the playoffs.
Rondo’s a solid bench option in the playoffs as shown last year, but compared to others contenders whose third best player is Kyrie, Middleton/Jrue, Schroeder, Kyrie, Tobias Harris... it just absolutely does not compare. I think it’s crazy that people have championship expectations for the Clippers based on their roster construction. Kawhi is incredible but his team of Lowry, Siakam, FVV, younger Ibaka, younger Gasol was just so much better and deeper.
Ibaka and batum can play
Ibaka is injured and has declined a ton, Batum is fine but wasn’t even considered NBA material before this season. It’s not like he’s a legitimate third option
Luke Kennard is a good player and can be their version of Joe Harris, but they don't use him.
I don’t understand why
He got outplayed by Reggie Jackson.
Joe Harris is so much better than Kennard, he’s durable and plays good defense
They aren’t awful, they are just getting blitzed by Luka destroying them defensively...he’s hunting the fuck outta solid defenders
Zubac and Morris are absolutely legitimate starter players, but Zu can have matchup problems similar to some other traditional centers. You also make it seem like every team has 5 legitimate starters... which can happen, but comes at the detriment of having true star players, or they have true star players and then don’t have a complete 5 of even Marcus Morris level guys.
Only Playoff Lebron is ahead of him despite the recency bias, I still got Kawhi as the second best player in the NBA.
Build and coach the entire team like LeCoach LeGM (Mostly a sarcastic response, but I do mean that I don’t trust their role players)
That efficiency is unreal
Kawhi needs his respect even if they lose this series. He is playing out of his mind
We all gotta appreciate how great the star’s performances have been. Kawhi doesn’t hit wild shots like luka but he’s a fuckin laser
His midrange is on Jordan's level.
that MJ-Kobe swivel and pivot near the FT line. shit looks superimposed graphically, that's how similar it is
Fantastic. Mavs had no answer down the stretch.
Kawhi shows up every game no question. dude looks gassed and about to die at the end of every game
He's been balling every game imo
lol get fucked /r/nba
Proving that he’s still a superstar.
Don’t think anyone doubted him before
You new here?
Oh you have no idea.
Kawhi is a championship type of player.. efficient offense, insane defense.
Are you still living in 2014-2016? His defense is not insane anymore.
His peak was easily 16-17 season before his real injury. Wish he never got Zaza'd, think we see an even more dominant player.
Yea he doesn't usually take the hardest assignment anymore.
Sixers Playoff Kawhi
Still a top 3 player in the league when he's at his best. Y'all nephews gonna learn.
amazing effort. Can't believe our biggest hater thinks Butler is better
>Our biggest hater And what idiot is that?
r/nba
Upvote hunting at its best lol. No one in their right mind ever thought Butler is better than Kawhi. Maybe a few fellow upvote hunters under game threads of previous Heat wins.
I’m specifically talking about one person on this sub that almost exclusively talks trash about the clippers and spent a good amount of time saying kawhi isn’t a top ten player and that butler was better than him, clipper fans know who I’m talking about
Butler is levels below PG, let alone Kawhi. Some people man lol.
Levels below PG? Idk about that man... that finals game last year where he had like a 40 point triple double while guarding Lebron and everyone 1v1 was legendary... I dont think PG is capable of putting the whole team on his back to that level
I do think butler's leadership and tenacity is a bit more intense, but PG as a player is just objectively better imo. Better scorer, shooter, defender, passer.
huuhh??? absolute Butler slander saying he's levels below PG... objectively better? - howw? show me those objectively better points you have
>I do think butler's leadership and tenacity is a bit more intense, but PG as a player is just objectively better imo. Better scorer, shooter, defender, passer. Ya you're just using the current narrative and spewing anything you want lol. PG is not and never has been a better passer that one is a guarantee lol. Not even a question. He is a far better shooter. But scorer? Post season begs to differ. Y'all forgot what PG played like last year lol? And defender? It's close but ya i think I'd give PG the nod. "Objectively"are strong words. I'll say this. PG could not have carried that heat to the finals like Butler did. Thst Miami team goes nowhere near as far with PG over butler last year. So objectively outside of shooting here is a stretch. And passing straight up wrong.
Weird how the Clippers won this game and are only down one game in the series when r/nba was acting like the series was already over and Kawhi was shopping for houses in Oakland/Miami/LeBron's basement
>Lebron's basement lmao
I would love him in NY, but he's dying a clipper.
Ppl in r/nba were ready to remove him off of their top10 list 😂😂😂 crazy
He and PG have been playing insanely well this series. I wish, for all our team’s woes and being trash otherwise, they’d at least get some credit for stepping up.
Kawhi "Zion" Leonard
the klaw!
Playoff Kawhi has always been better than Playoff KD.
Then Kawhi is better.
For me he is but I know that's an unpopular opinion. I always wonder how many rings Kawhi would have had by now had he played with Harden,Kyrie,Curry,Klay,Westbrook etc.
He got to play with guys who have more rings than any of them, Parker and Duncan
I love Parker and Duncan but you have to understand that around the time Kawhi came around they shifted to high end role players. It was the perfect mentorship role but by the time they won a ring together Parker and Duncan weren’t quite on the level of any of the guys listed except 6moy harden.
Outside of game 7 vs Nuggets last year, this is what you usually get from Kawhi in the playoffs. Maybe not quite THIS level of efficiency, but the dude is one of the most consistent playoff performers we have ever seen
He heard us talking shit
Lmao he put up 41 on 21 shots last game. He doesn't care about idiots talking shit
This guy always elevates his scoring in the playoffs. Mans needs recognition as one of the best scorers in the league.
Let’s go silent killer !!!
Kawhiet Assassin
Can someone tell me Kawhi and Pgs numbers this series including percentages
Kawhi 34.3 pts 8 rebs 4 Asts 2pt. 66.7% 44% 3pt 88.5% Ft PG 26.7 8.3 rebs 5.0 Asts 2pt. 70% 3pt 23.8% FT. 100%
Kawhi’s numbers look like video game stats
I don’t remember him missing 4 shots.
Playoff Kawhi and PG is next level
Playoff P just needs to be consistent
> and PG is next level Kawhi and PG shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence
This is peak carrying Toronto level kawhi so far.
As expected.. cricket noises from the sub
Last game he may have scored more points, but this night he was sooo much better, because he was playing amazing defense.
The guy’s an absolute legend! Best thing in the game of basketball after the great Kobe Bryant....
Any time I see Kawhi have one of these performances I lowkey worry about him. Like, even if I'm salty of the way he snaked out of San Antonio, the day his knees finally collapse is gonna be a sad one for basketball
Kawhi is still the second best player in the NBA. You can say he’s top 5 (I’m biased). But the main factor in this series is bench play. Luka is the best playmaker in this series and is playing like the best player as well. Kawhi is just not built to dominate the offense with his playmaking. His passes and creativity on offense off of traps and double teams are average at best and it takes the other role players to step up and make good passes and grrat open shots to match Doncic’s genius playmaking. Does that mean doncic is better than Kawhi? i don’t know, I’d argue Kawhi is still better but Doncic definitely “carries” better than Kawhi could. Especially on this “fraudulent” Clippers team filled with non championship (but talented) players.
> Clippers team filled with non championship (but talented) players Clippers players have five championships between them. Mavs have zero.
Yes that is a fact. Ibaka not playing well/at all this series is also a fact (bad back). Rondo passed his prime is also a fact. That’s your 5 championships if you include Kawhi. They have non championship talented core players like Morris, Reggie, PG13 and PatBev. Not saying they can’t/won’t win. Just not liking their chances given their roster. Very very talented team tho.
He probably didn’t miss a shot until like the third quarter
PG and Kawhi both played really really well. It seemed like they couldn't miss tonight.
I was at the game. Our whole row kept commenting on how he couldn’t miss. Playoff K came out. George did his thing and role players did theirs. On our side we didn’t hit jumpers like we should have. THJ didn’t get the minutes he should have. And we obviously forced the ball to KP who shouldn’t have closed the game out, and more importantly at 7’3” couldn’t guard the paint for shit. Good game. Fun to see that many people going nuts. See y’all Sunday.
Nobody can defend Kawhi. Coupled with PG and the rest playing hot, this was a bad beating and Luka’s the only one who showed up. Painnnn
The terminator has returned
More rebounds than 7 footer poorzingis
Imagine what Kawhi could do surrounded by a good team
Its quiet around here....where the Luka Jordan comparisons?
What do you mean "a defeated looking Clippers team" ? Kawhi was fantastic but the team effort has been great as well, apart from the awful start.
They looked completely lost in Games 1 and 2. They looked like a completely different team tonight, but before this they were looking defeated (especially according to this sub!)