It’s the dog days of the NBA summer…how can we prepare for the season? It’s a long time until LA Clippers basketball starts on October 3 in Honolulu.
As a native Southern Californian, I am all about the sun, the water, and the nearly perfect weather. Summer is my favorite time of year, except for one thing. There’s no Clippers basketball. Especially on the heels of the nail-biting, adrenaline-rushing off season, the dog days of August and September are painful for the basketball geek in me. I’m guessing I’m not alone in this; let’s be real, if you’re reading Clipperholics in mid-August you’re probably desperate for some basketball news too.
There are plenty of resources addressing how a player can use the summer to prepare for the start of the season. One great plan for players involves relaxation, reviewing the past season, weight training, drills of basketball skills, and the like. But sadly there is a dearth of guidance to help the fans ramp up in time for the season.
Just in the nick of time, here are ten helpful tips to make sure you are at the top of your game by October:
1. It’s all about representing for your team. Get those PG13, Kawhi, Harkless and McGruder jerseys. A little internet sleuthing will turn up discounts on legit jerseys. Real fans rock the swag year round.
2. Represent for the new guys, but don’t forget our core. Make sure your Shamet, Lou Will, P Bev and Trezz jerseys are in good shape. They deserve our love and we want them to feel our gratitude.
3. If you are an east coast fan, first off, thank you! But even with some changes in game times to make it a little less painful to watch on the east coast if you have to get up for work the next day, it’s still time to start getting used to staying up until 1 a.m. on some game nights. Work on your napping skills and experiment with caffeine. Real fans don’t tune out when it’s past their bedtime.
4. Study the 2019-2020 schedule. Half the fun is in the anticipation. Leading off with the Lakers at home on October 22 and the Warriors in the debut of their new arena on October 24 is beyond exciting. But lots of fun awaits after October. Back to backs in San Antonio and Oklahoma City in late December, weekend day games back to back at home against Memphis and the Knicks in January, and for the east coasters, road games against the Nets and Knicks two days apart in March are just some of the great match-ups to anticipate.
5. Practice your mediation skills, learn patience, see the big picture. We already know that the first 11 games of the season feature 8 likely playoff teams as opponents, and we may not have Paul George for those games. Learning to be chill in November will pay dividends in what should be a long playoff run. Each game matters, but the bigger picture matters more. Let’s prepare to be happy, healthy, focused fans.
6. Follow lots of NBA Twitter to pass the time. It’s crazy at times, but there is a lot of funny and insightful stuff out there to get you through the summer months. Don’t believe everything you read; remember the absolute 99% certain predictions on Twitter that Kawhi was going to the Lakers/ staying in Toronto? It’s all fun, enjoy the ride and take it with a grain of salt.
7. If you are able, donate to the L.A. Clippers foundation. Supporting positive environmental, educational and humanitarian goals is always a good way to stay connected to the team.
8. Get out to the playground courts to watch some big and little kids play ball. It’s pretty inspiring. If you’re local, check out some of the neighborhood courts that have been renovated by Steve Ballmer and the Clippers.
9. Hydrate. It’s just never a bad idea. Clipperholics site expert Ryan Snellings recommends Naturdays for the summer.
10. Follow Clipperholics Twitter at @ClipperholicsFS . A great group of people with cutting edge takes on everything NBA-related. And then some.
The much-anticipated 2019-2020 season tips off in less than 7 weeks! So much to do, so little time. Enjoy the summer, and be sure to check the daily news, analysis and opinion at Clipperholics.com to keep up to date on all things LA Clippers.