On February 9, Beijing time, the Los Angeles Clippers sent 3 messages, let's take a look.
George's downturn reason**
Yesterday, the Clippers, who ended a seven-game road streak in the East with a perfect 6-1 record, returned to the home court to face the Pelicans, and it was somewhat surprising that the Clippers were suppressed by the Pelicans throughout the game, and finally lost 106-117, ending the four-game winning streak and falling from first to fourth in the West. In this game, Clippers star Paul George was in a very sluggish state, shooting 3 of 15 from the field, missing all 8 three-point shots, and only scoring 7 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and 2 steals from 1 of 1 free throws. Especially in the first half, George shot 0 of 9, missed big open shots many times, and the more he didn't score, the more he had to shoot, falling into a vicious circle, which made the Clippers fall into a passive situation early. At the same time, George struggled quite a bit on the defensive end, with CJ, Ingram and others scoring easily on his head many times. Clearly, George needs to take responsibility for the Clippers' loss.
Today, according to a local ** report in Los Angeles, sources revealed that George was so sluggish yesterday for two reasons, in addition to the recent impact of a groin injury, it is also inseparable from his wife Daniela. It is understood that George did not bring Daniela with him when he was in the Clippers East, and when he returned to Los Angeles, the two quickly got together and even missed part of the team's practice. As the saying goes, "a long absence is better than a newlywed", fans and friends who have been married should understand. Although it is normal for men and women to love each other, this should not affect the performance on the field, and I hope George can adjust as soon as possible.
11+6 center forwards joined
At the moment, the trade deadline has officially ended, and according to Clippers reporter Law Murray, the team has only completed one operation, which is to buy the signing rights of Camagate from the Nuggets with some cash. Camagate, 22, was born in France and is 211m with an arm span of 228M, weighing 102kg, playing as a center on the court, he was selected by the Nuggets with the 16th pick in the second round in the 2022 draft, but he did not go to the NBA, but stayed in the Paris men's basketball team. He has played 30 Ligue 1 games for the team this season, averaging 27 appearances per game4 minutes to get 113 points 63 rebounds 16 blocks and 64 percent from the field3%。
Camagate is a player with obvious strengths and weaknesses, excellent talent and athleticism, efficient at eating and protecting the rim, and able to play fast like a defender; The disadvantages are that they are too jumpy, easy to eat and shake, and have poor strength, which may be difficult to adapt to the intensity of the NBA. For the Clippers, the significance of this operation is likely to be a low-cost scratch, but with Harden, a playmaker and pie feeder, as long as he is willing to work hard to believe that Camagate has a chance to cash in on his talent and potential.
Tucker will be enabled
Since November 30, Clippers veteran PJ Tucker has completely fallen out of the team rotation and been DNP, not getting a minute of playing time. Subsequently, the high-spirited Tucker was dissatisfied with his situation with the Clippers, and repeatedly applied to the team's management to trade him to a team that could give playing time, and the Clippers have been exploring the trade market. However, the trade deadline came, and the Clippers ultimately failed to complete the trade for Tucker. Today, Tucker updated his social ** and expressed his dissatisfaction with not being able to leave the team, he posted an all-black ** with the text: "All this TM is a joke." ”
Later in the evening, according to a Clippers reporter, the Clippers coaching staff, led by coach Tyronn Lue, decided to reactivate Tucker and are discussing how to use him in the rotation. Although Tucker's athletic form has declined seriously as he gets older, many injuries, and his tough style of play and never-say-die fighting attributes are indispensable assets for the Clippers. As Harden said after the game yesterday, Tucker is a player with the ability to lead and change the course of the game, especially in the playoffs. It is wise to put Tucker back in rotation to cultivate chemistry as soon as possible, and I hope that Tucker Sr. can collect his emotions and get back to form as soon as possible.