Clippers president Lawrence Frank: Just because it’s happened the last few years doesn’t mean it will again.

[Jabroni Lames]

Yeah, because the odds of professional athletes getting more healthy improves as they age.

Clippers have been a shady franchise doing a lot of sketchy player contract stuff under the table for years. Kawhi's uncle was reportedly requesting airplanes, real estate and other non-CBA permissable perks, during his UFA recruitment. Clippers were investigated for tampering, and the NBA changed the rules, but never revealed the results of the investigation.

This feels like karma for Kawhi & the Clippers.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Yeah, because the odds of professional athletes getting more healthy improves as they age.

Clippers have been a shady franchise doing a lot of sketchy player contract stuff under the table for years. Kawhi's uncle was reportedly requesting airplanes, real estate and other non-CBA permissable perks, during his UFA recruitment. Clippers were investigated for tampering, and the NBA changed the rules, but never revealed the results of the investigation.

This feels like karma for Kawhi & the Clippers.

Agreed that it feels like a bit of a comeuppance. Raptors fans should feel vindicated a bit. Maybe now they will do the right thing and nuke this team, and never commit this nonsense again. They let the players dictate who they sign and extend etc. I’m hoping these young teams keep humiliating them, and we get a balanced league with all the old “big 3” type teams falling apart.

[ryguy613]

They shot over 50% from three in the two games they won, they were not competitive at all, they just got lucky twice.

They lost by double digits the last two games including getting blown out in the elimination game. How is that competitive?

Really bad takes.

Kyrie played way way above his head. Only won game 2 by 3 points.

And again, missing a player widely considered to be a top 5, top 10 player.

Conveniently leaving out the fact that Luka was clearly hobbled, and had (easily) his worst playoff series against the Clippers.

[ShootersShoot]

They shot over 50% from three in the two games they won, they were not competitive at all, they just got lucky twice.

They lost by double digits the last two games including getting blown out in the elimination game. How is that competitive?

Really bad takes.

Kyrie played way way above his head. Only won game 2 by 3 points.

And again, missing a player widely considered to be a top 5, top 10 player.

Conveniently leaving out the fact that Luka was clearly hobbled, and had (easily) his worst playoff series against the Clippers.

Of course if Kawhi is 100% the clips have a solid chance against anybody. But the very clear point of this thread is that he is literally never 100% and can't finish the playoffs in one piece. Who cares how competitive the team is with him when they literally won't have him?

[ryguy613]

you could have said the same thing about Dallas. they eventually got over the hump with dirk/jet/Carlisle

huh? Dirk didnt have degenerative knee problems that kept him out of the playoffs year after year after year. Dirk was 32 years old in 2011, and never sniffed the finals again. Every single star on the Clippers is older than that... some of them are CONSIDERABLY older than that lol. this is not like the Dirk Mavs at all.

[Papi_swav]

Had no idea Lawrence Frank was the Clippers president, I remember when he just became the Nets head coach back in Jersey. Wow he came a long way

[ChipotleWest]

They have enough to beat Dallas. Not having Kawhi is not an excuse.

Harden must have thought the Clippers won with a sweep because he didn't show up after Game 4.

[Effigy]

I don't see that as naive idiocy at all.

They were competitive with Dallas and were missing Kawhi.

They are always missing Kawhi in the playoffs. They can't count on him. That's not going to change.

[ropjhk]

the actual definition of insanity.

I hate when people say this. There are people in this world who literally do not know that the Einstein definition of insanity is not the actual definition of insanity.

[Harry Garris]

There’s no way this is what he actually believes. Just media speak.

[SK21209]

I thought the Kawhi injury thing went overboard for a while. The guy tore his ACL in 2021 because Ingles rammed into him at the end of the game, that was just a freak thing to my knowledge. But the knee sprain last year and the knee soreness this year seem like the result of his body just failing him, though. Sure, there is a scenario where he's able to manage and make it through a playoff run next year. But that gets less likely every year.

[Harry Garris]

the actual definition of insanity.

I hate when people say this. There are people in this world who literally do not know that the Einstein definition of insanity is not the actual definition of insanity.

And even Einstein is being misinterpreted here (if it was even Einstein who said it). He didn’t mean trying the same thing multiple times means you’re insane, it’s about compulsive behavior.

[srhcan]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Huge contrast in Pat Riley going ham on his team vs naive idiocy like this.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

[Celts17Pride]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

In other words, Clippers are stuck and there are no moves to make.

[DOT]

[Spicy P]

What choice do they have? They’ve already committed to him by giving him an extension. They might as well go for it again since they won’t get anything of value in a Kawhi trade and have no young players or picks to look forward to.

[xb3at band1tx]

I don't see that as naive idiocy at all.

They were competitive with Dallas and were missing Kawhi.

2021 was their best chance having had a major hot streak in terms of shooting and stars aligning for them and Kawhi was still out of games giving them no real shot at winning the title despite the miraculous wcf run.

They are now older, way worse on defense, and Kawhi is still nowhere to be found in the playoffs. I don't believe Dallas is not some world beater either, they didn't exactly lose to Boston, Denver, or Minny and tbh the games they lost were not really that close, especially the final 2.

[sol537]

came for this

[chrismikayla]

Their best player has a degenerative knee problem and little interest in playing in pain. There's a chance Kawhi makes it through an entire playoffs mostly intact, but I'd rate his chances even lower than Embiid's.

I think you almost have to wish for an injury who's recovery time coincides with like the WCF, but then how can the Clippers make it to the WCF without him?

Every game Kawhi has played in the last two years has been in pretty clear pain, he just sometimes cannot move at all.

Kawhi is extremely tough, his knees are just gone.

Did the Spurs and Raptors miss this?


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[theforumblue]

unlike riley, frank pretty much gotta say whatever the basketball-noob ballmer happens to think.