The LA Clippers Need a Bounce Back Game Vs. Memphis
The LA Clippers didn’t get much rest after getting clobbered by the Memphis Grizzlies last night. They’re right back at it against the same team tonight, and they have to be looking for a different result.
Part of the regular season for a team with title aspirations is tinkering time. Figuring out what works and what doesn’t work, and learning how to make those adjustments has been an obvious goal of Ty Lue and the rest of the LA Clippers.
It’s not terribly often that an opportunity like this shows itself, and the Covid-impacted season is contributing. The LA Clippers got to see what didn’t work, and 22 hours later they get to play the exact same team.
The LA Clippers need to show they can bounce back against the Memphis Grizzlies.
It’s not like this is a make or break game in the standings. One additional loss at the end of February probably won’t end up making a huge difference in the postseason, especially since home court advantage will likely be minimized.
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But the concern here for fans of the LA Clippers isn’t the record. It’s being able to take a bad loss, find the positives and change the negatives. It’s a situation the Clips could very well find themselves facing in the playoffs. “Hey, you got clapped 48 hours ago. Can you figure out what happened and do better?”
None of the LA Clippers could really hit a shot. The team went 40% from the field, lost the rebounding battle by 7, committed 8 more turnovers than the Grizzlies, had 8 fewer assists and let Tyus Jones go 9-11 for 20 points off the bench.
Some of that, especially the shooting can be boiled down to “it’s a make or miss league, and the shots just weren’t falling.” And that’s true. But a team with Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac have to defend the paint and rebound better, and the turnovers have to be cut down.
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So sure, this is a game against the Memphis Grizzlies in February. It’s not exactly Game 7 of the Finals. But the LA Clippers need to show they’re ready to adjust and come back with intensity after a really poor game.