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with linebacker Melvin Ingram (two sacks last week) should aid a defense ranking 23rd in total defense (400.5) and 29th in defe

in Fragen 12.06.2019 04:40
von dasg234 • 2.926 Beiträge

LOS ANGELES -- It really is hard to find a narrative that LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers isnt willing to indulge in. The other night he even asked a group of journalism students from USC, who were observing his postgame news conference, for extra questions at the end of what had already been a lengthy session after a blowout 127-95 win against the Brooklyn Nets.But there is one subject he isnt touching right now.And its a topic the rest of the league most definitely is talking about with the Clippers off to a franchise-best 10-1 start.So you know theres all this talk of the Clippers being the best team in the NBA now ...Noooo. Mmm, mmm. Nooo. Nooo, Rivers said before the question was even asked.Part of Rivers caution is the youngness of the season. Eleven games is hardly a large enough sample size to start making judgments, let alone boast about anything.But mostly its because Rivers and his team have been stung by all manner of playoff scorpions in recent years.You get tired of losing, Rivers said. The whole second-round [playoff ceiling the franchise has yet to break through] ... I dont think our guys care about that, they just want to win. At some point guys just get tired of losing. I think our guys are at that point.There are all sorts of metrics that would make a compelling case for the Clippers as the best team in the NBA right now.According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Clippers have outscored their opponents by 183 points this season, the fourth-best margin through 11 games of a season in NBA history behind only the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls (plus-212), 1964-65 Boston Celtics (plus-194) and 1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks (plus-193).Theyre leading the NBA in defensive efficiency and have the most dominant five-man lineup in the league. (According to ESPN Stats & Information, starters Blake Griffin-Chris Paul-J.J. Redick-DeAndre Jordan-Luc Mbah a Moute are 98 points better together than any other five-man lineup in the league.) They also feature a vastly improved bench with the additions of Raymond Felton, Brandon Bass and Marreese Speights.Still, Rivers isnt going there.I dont care really, Rivers said, dismissing the best-team-in-the-league talk. We like us. As good as were playing, we can play a lot better.Griffin actually started his postgame interview on Monday by saying his team had a couple of defensive lapses and couldve played better during a first quarter in which it led the Nets 35-7 at one point.Challenged to explain where any lapses couldve been in a 35-7 game, Griffin laughed and sheepishly said, Yeah, a couple.In other words, this team really doesnt want to take any bows yet.Rivers said it reminds him a bit of the 2007-08 championship team he coached in Boston. That was the NBAs first super team, if youre into those sorts of labels, where Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined forces to win each of their first titles.Oh yeah, Rivers said. It was the exact same thing with Paul and KG and Ray. They were tired of losing and they were like, Well, we gotta do it together.But that team was all about Ubuntu, a philosophy and rallying cry used by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu as they fought against apartheid in South Africa that roughly translates as, I am because we are.This years Clippers team has no such higher calling. Pierce was in Boston when Rivers explained it and ingrained Ubuntu into the DNA of that team. Hes in Los Angeles now -- although he has yet to play this season -- and says its vastly different.Its a lot different, Pierce told ESPN.com. This team has a lot of built-up frustration. They have first-round losses, second-round losses.Ubuntu -- we dont have that. Its a totally different team. Different style, different team. This looks like built-up frustration over here.The biggest difference really is that the 2007-08 Celtics were about three future Hall of Famers coming together after a decade-plus of failing apart, with other teams. These Clippers have mostly been together for six years, sharing all these painful playoff losses.It all looked so promising in the first year of Lob City when the Clippers rallied to win a Game 7 on the road in Memphis in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. They were swept by San Antonio in the next round, but the season went down as a success for such a young team.They went backward in Year 2, losing to the Grizzlies in a bruising six-game first-round series. The Clippers won the first two games, lost the next three, then lost Griffin to a high-ankle sprain during walk-through practice. According to one insider, they were practicing traps to get the ball out of Zach Randolphs and Marc Gasols hands. Griffin spun, leaped, got bumped, landed on Lamar Odoms foot and let out the kind of scream that makes everyone in the gym cringe.The Clippers lost Game 6, fired coach Vinny Del Negro and turned to Rivers to get them over the hump. Instead, the Donald Sterling scandal landed like a stink bomb in the middle of a first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers somehow pulled out the series in seven games, marking the last time theyve been ahead of the Warriors. But they basically collapsed out of emotional exhaustion in the next round against Oklahoma City. Which seemed like the worst thing that would ever happen in their careers, until they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Houston Rockets the next season.Last season was just stupid. Griffin and Paul went down with season-ending injuries in the same game of a first-round playoff series against Portland, and Damian Lillard put them out with four straight wins.You sort of have to bunch all those memories together to deal with the emotional trauma they evoke. Put it all in a run-on, stream-of-consciousness sentence and swallow it whole. Down it like a snake trying to eat a huge rat.The Houston series, Griffin said. Thats something that we still think about.Of all the Clippers playoff losses, thats still the worst because it was entirely in their hands. There wasnt a freak injury or twist of cruel fate. They just melted down.It happens, Griffin said. You saw it happen to Oklahoma City, you saw it happen to the Warriors in the Finals, the Indians if you want to go baseball. Thats part of it. As a team when you go through something like that, it can do one of two things: It can make you grow apart and resent each other, start pointing the finger. Or it can make you closer together. I think thats what thats done.Even last year, going through that season and that ending, I think its brought us closer together.Closer together, maybe. But still galaxies away from vindication. As good as theyve played this season, they still have many of the same weaknesses as before. They could use an upgrade at small forward to match up with the Kevin Durants and Kawhi Leonards of the world. Teams will still foul Jordan late in games to try to force Rivers to use a smaller lineup. And someone other than Paul needs to be able to make a clutch shot.But thats how thresholds always work. They are guarded until you finally overcome them. Cheap Air Jordan . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Cheap Air Jordan Free Shipping . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. http://www.cheapjordanschinawholesale.com/ . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Clearance Jordans China . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. Cheap Air Jordan 1 China Wholesale . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. Quarterback Andrew Luck is sore and beat up and the Indianapolis Colts are winless.There wont be any sympathy forthcoming from the San Diego Chargers.Luck and the Colts attempt to begin digging themselves out of a 0-2 hole when they host the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.Indianapolis is winless after two games for the third straight season. The Colts recovered to reach the AFC Championship Game two seasons ago but ended up 8-8 last year.You can control what you can control, Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano said. If a couple plays go a little bit different in each of those games, you are sitting at 2-0. But that is not the case. That has never been the case. It is what it is.Last seasons struggles were partially due to Luck missing nine games with various injuries. The 27-year-old is aching again and missed Wednesdays practice with soreness in his passing shoulder stemming from being sacked five times in last Sundays 34-20 loss to the Denver Broncos.Luck, who has thrown five touchdown passes this season, insisted hell be on the field when the Colts face the Chargers and said there is no cause for alarm.I dont think so, but I dont raise the alarms, Luck said. Thats you guys. I would not be concerned.Meanwhile, quarterback Philip Rivers of the Chargers (1-1) keeps losing key weapons from an offense averaging 32.5 points, second best in the NFL. Star receiver Keenan Allen was lost to a torn ACL in Week 1 and running back Danny Woodhead went down with the same type of season-ending knee injury last Sunday.Despite the attrition, Rivers has thrown five touchdown passes without an interception and has a stellar 120.3 quarterback rating. Rivers had four passing scores in last Sundays 38-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.Rivers has a 5-1 career record against the Colts, who have allowed a league-worst 73 points through the first two weeks.We have had some memorable, fun games against Indy, Rivers said. But I dont think any of those factor in this week.We know that we are going to face a team that has a lot of passion and pride and thats going to fight like crazy to get its first win.San Diego mmay choose to rely more on second-year running back Melvin Gordon against a Colts defense ranked 29th against the run (125.dddddddddddd.0 yards per game). Gordon rushed for 102 yards vs. the Jaguars for the first 100-yard game of his NFL career.Hes running with authority, Pagano said. Hes big, powerful and he looks like hes a one-cut guy who can make people miss. He gets in the secondary and he has the speed to go the distance.San Diegos defense is about to receive a boost due to the likely availability of first-round draft pick Joey Bosa. The No. 3 overall pick was a holdout until late August and then injured a hamstring and could make his NFL debut against the Colts.Ill let you guys know when we have an update on whether hes going to cut it loose or not, Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. But Ill keep saying hes day-to-day until we know he can truly go full-go.Adding Bosas pass-rushing abilities to team with linebacker Melvin Ingram (two sacks last week) should aid a defense ranking 23rd in total defense (400.5) and 29th in defending the pass (324.0). Cornerback Casey Hayward had two interceptions last week but the secondary has been a weak link.Indianapolis beleaguered defense hopes to have Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis (ankle) on the field for the first time this season.The Colts have been decimated with injuries in the secondary and the list of ailing players include cornerbacks Darius Butler (hamstring), Antonio Cromartie (ribs) and Patrick Robinson (concussion) plus safeties Clayton Geathers (foot) and T.J. Green (knee).Indianapolis also suffered a key offensive loss on Wednesday when it was announced receiver Donte Moncrief will miss four-to-six weeks with a fractured left shoulder blade.The Chargers have won four of the past five meetings, including a 19-9 victory in 2013 when they controlled the ball for 38:31 and held Luck and the Colts out of the end zone.San Diego defensive coordinator John Pagano is the younger brother of the Colts head coach. ' ' '

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