Online Pretty News: Portland Trail Blazers

Thursday, April 28, 2016

3-on-3: Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers (Game 5)

Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers | Game 1 | Full Game Highlights | April 17, 2016 | NBA

Los Angeles Clippers (2) vs Portland Trail Blazers(2)StaplesCenter7:00 p.m. PSTApril 27, 2016Fox Prime Ticket/ NBA TV

PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

1. On a scale of Clippers low points where does Game 4 rank?Aaron Williams(@aaronsmarter): Nah, Roscoe. You cant just post a question like this without a *Trigger Warning*for the long-time Clippers fans, fam. That rabbit hole is a PTSD minefield for thoseof us who started in the PG* era (*Pre-Griffin). Kandi-man All those seasons of injuredKaveman Livingston *shudders*. I refuse to go any further back, or I may enter a fuguestate. This isnt the worst, but This team always finds a way to hurt me.

Ben Mesirow (@SemNeb): This is pretty bad, and thats saying something as we all know, the Clippers have hit a lot of low points. Shaun Livingstons knee injury was deeply horrifying, Elton Brands midnight flight was a gut punch, everything related to Donald Sterling was gross and offensive, and theres so much more. But the difference on Monday night was simple the Clippers, more than any other time in franchise history, had hope. Not anymore.

Roscoe Whalan(@RoscoeWhalan): It was just so quick. Thats what makes this worse than Houston last year, which was a disaster that happened in slow motion and we saw it coming. But injuries to not just one but two stars in the same game is cruel. For those injuries to come justhours after the door had been cracked open by Currys injury just compounded things further. In an afternoon,the Clippers went from a punchers chance to a real oneto an afterthought again. It was the like the opposite emotions to the DeAndre Dallas Daylastsummer.

2. Multiple choice time. Whats your overarching feeling right now:a. The Clippers are forever doomed;b. Even if the Clippers bounce back and win this series, whats the point?c.Was that the last game well see with CP3, Blake & DJ all on the court together as Clippers?d.Al-Farouq Aminu should get the max.Williams:C., because we live in the the hyper-accelerated, social media era of overreaction.I think part of the nostalgia for the 80s derives from being able to claim your team and yourplayers for longer than 4 years at a time. Also, Doc Rivers wasnt anybodys GM, and the worldwas kind of a better place for it. I can absolutely see good-time Glenn pulling the trigger on a dealfor Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen (yknow, complete the set) or Kevin Garnett that will decimatethe remainder of the Clippers draft picks for the duration of his tenure. Oy.

Mesirow: Oh boy. All of the above, but also none of the above since Monday night Ive mostly been doing my best to avoid toppling off the ledge and into the pit of nihilism and despair of options A and B. So instead Im locked onto the horizon like Im trying to avoid getting seasick, thinking about C, the future, and what the Clippers should do this offseason. I havent figured it out just yet.

Whalan: B & C. B because the nihilist in me cant help but think itd be a waste to win and then enter Round 2 against the defending champs sans youre 1A& 1Bstars. The ensuing bloodbath would be similar to the 2012 Second Round against the Spurs when the Clippers got swept. So whats the point? And then, that leads me to thinking a lot about C. Is it time to break up the band? Five straight years of Playoff disappointments, a number of sizable cracks in the glass ceiling and some great highlights but not even a Western Conference Finals appearance to show for it. Maybe the Clippers rose to power at the wrong time with Golden State? Sigh.

3. Predict the Clippers starting 5 for tomorrow night.Williams:Rivers-Redick-Mbah a Moute-Pierce-Jordan. Its gonna be a bloodbath. Or, at least in this quadrantof L.A. sports fandom, an average Wednesday.

Mesirow: Rivers Redick Mbah a Moute Green Jordan. Its not glamorous, and its not beautiful, there isnt much play-making and there really isnt a lot of shooting. Oh, did you think I was going to come up with a silver lining? Because I was just going to leave it there. Well O.K., how about this: thats not a terrible defensive group, and going small with Green or the Prince at the four wont kill them against the Aminu-Plumlee frontcourt.

Whalan:Rivers Redick Turkoglu, uh, Al Thornton and DeAndre Jordan? Its not pretty. But guys, weve got the Sixth Man of the Year coming off the bench and if Paul Pierce takes a drink of that Truth syrup, maybe just maybe

Roscoe Whalan

Roscoe Whalans a journalist and Aussie ex-pat living in Washington D.C, who was once told by DeAndre Jordan to speak English. He still believes Yaroslav Korolev may be the answer at small forward.