Well, Lob City got off to a good start, but it sure didn’t look pretty, especially the first half of the game.
What we learned was the Clippers have some work to do before they become a playoff contender. The lack of a training camp was plenty evident the first half of the game.
In the first half, the Clippers shot only 33 percent from the field, and only had 20 rebounds to the Warriors 30. There was a lack of cohesion within the offense, and it looked more like a pre-season game than the season opener.
In the first half, the Clippers were all-in on their “Lob City” mindset. For most of their offensive possessions they would quickly drive to the basket where, about half of the time, they were trying for a dunk or ally-oop. And they would come away with no points and their bad rebounding didn’t help.
But in the second half, the Clips would come down the floor, let Chris Paul take the point and set up a scoring drive. Then, on defense, DeAndre Jordan, and his eight blocked shots and 30 defensive rebounds, held off the Warriors offense for the win.
The other fun note was when the Warriors were struggling on offense in the third quarter; they would foul Jordan when the Clippers had the ball, and they would make him go to the line instead of trying to defend the ball.
The plan worked for the Warriors, and Jordan shot 4-for-12 from the line.
Blake Griffin had 22 points and nine rebounds. Paul had 20 points. Both played for over 34 minutes.
The Clippers take on the San Antonio Spurs at 5:30 on Dec. 28 in San Antonio.
