You may have heard that the Spurs have a game against the Clippers tonight. What you may not know is that it's really only against half the Clippers players that have any business in an NBA starting lineup. Oh, how it must suck to have Donald Sterling's karma luck. This is what's happened to the Clips since we played them last week:
- Eric Gordon hurt his shoulder last weekend against the Jazz, and is not expected to play tonight.
- Chris Kaman sprained his ankle last night against New Orleans, and is expected to miss at least two weeks.
That said, we'll see if this year's Spurs team can shake the plague that affected them last season. Last season, it seemed as though every time they faced a team with key players injured(see: Roy, Brandon; Bryant, Kobe), the Spurs would lose those games. It would be really nice to end that curse, and just go ahead and blow out a depleted Clippers team. Why do I still think it won't happen that way?
I also received this little tidbit in my inbox yesterday from PtR's very own freshtunarightofftheboat:
You're probably aware that Baron Davis is in Coach Del Negro's doghouse, effectively benched for being out of shape. So it looks like they're going with a teenaged former UK shooting guard (Eric Bledsoe) to start at PG. Shades of TP's first year, no? :)
What you may not know (though it was reported on RealGM two days earlier than the BDL story) is that the Clippers are checking around to see who might be interested in the remainder of Baron's contact. At nearly $42 million for another 3 years, probably no one sane. Well, maybe they'll be able to work out something with the Timberwolves. They're not giving Love as much PT as fans seem to want for him, so maybe Kahn will deal him to the Clippers. After all, he probably wants another PG on his roster, lol.
I'm thinking that Baron probably gets some more time tonight, but the coach's doghouse is an ugly place for a player to be.
 Los Angeles Clippers @ San Antonio Spurs Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio When: 11/10/2010, 8:30PM Spurs Time Watch: ESPN, FSSW
By the Numbers
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Lineups
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Lineups
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Matchup Analysis
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Winner |
Starters
PG: Tony's been playing very good ball this year, and he's going up against a rook who really didn't impress that much in college. Parker FTW.
SG: Gordon has been on another planet this year. Thankfully, he's out and Rasual Butler is a pretty "meh" player. Manu's won us a couple of games with his clutchness already, so he gets the nod. Not that he needs anyone's approval, mind you.
SF: RJ finally had a bad shooting night against Charlotte on Monday. But, he still found ways to contribute, thanks to his 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Tonight, it's time to get pea-nutty again. But please, Richard, don't let Gomes get wide-open shots. OK?
PF: The Beast would probably like to forget his season so far. He played much better on Monday night, even his shooting still suffered. If he can get back to where he was last year, and in preseason this year, DeJuan will be just fine. Also, Griffin is a monster.
C: Timmy vs. KamanJordan? I don't care how many jumpers athletic plays Kaman Jordan makes, I'll still take Timmy every time. Every. Time.
Bench
Tiago got some pretty good numbers in limited minutes the other night. It'd be nice for him to get extended minutes tonight(i.e. in a blowout). Also, Gary Neal is apparently a pretty good shooter. And if George can ever regain his form from last year, we'll have one of the best bench units in the NBA, easily. On the other side, the guy that tried to take George out 9 days ago.
Coaching
When one of these guys coached the other one as a player, and the other one is 1-6, this is a pretty easy decision.
Intangibles
There is only one Manu. Also, it's a SEGABABA for the Clips.
Mojo
They're the Clippers.
Prediction
We blew them out almost every time we've faced them for the last few seasons. A return to that would be most excellent. Somehow, I don't feel like it'll be a blowout until late in the 4th, however.
Other Reading
Spurs
48 Minutes of Hell - You know them, you love them. So do we. Still one of the best NBA blogs out there.
Project Spurs - PS is a hive of activity these days. New authors, new features, and they're actually getting a lot of comments this year, too. Check it out.
Clippers
ClipsNation(SB Nation) - Despite all the things you'd have to endure to be a Clippers fan, their fan base includes some of the best NBA blogging in the business. Steve is definitely a credit to Clippers fans everywhere, and approaches his reporting with a good mind for the game and brutal honesty.
ClipperBlog - Kevin Arnovitz mans the helm at one of the better blogs on the TrueHoop Network. This year, they seem to have a lot of new contributors, but they haven't lost their touch. There's definitely some good reading over there.
Following Along
TV
We're on national TV! Woohoo! That would be ESPN.
Radio
WOAI 1200AM; Audio League Pass[streaming]
Online
This game will be aired online via ESPN3.
As always, NBA league pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area.
Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. You can also shoot an email to poundingtherockmail@yahoo.com(IMPORTANT: Please include your PtR username in the email for reference) for further assistance.