Tomahawk Tuesday: Could the Los Angeles Clippers knock off the Golden State Warriors?

                                                      (Credit: Getty Images)

On Monday night, the Los Angeles Clippers pulled off the biggest comeback in NBA playoff history, defeating the Golden State Warriors 135-131 after trailing 94-63 with 7:30 to go in the 3rd quarter. While the Warriors didn't blow a 3-1 series lead like they did to the Cleveland Cavaliers, they did blow a 31 point lead, so the numbers 3 and 1 aren't exactly the most friendly to the Warriors. While a lot of people are going to make this about the Warriors and their second half collapse, I want to make this all about the Clippers and focus on their chances to actually win this series.

On the surface, the odds of the Clippers winning this series still seem low. We've seen teams get a shocking split on the road only to fail to deliver the goods at home. What makes upsets in the NBA playoffs so tough is you gotta beat the better team four out of seven times, which is no easy task. Especially when you're trying to knock off a team that is as talented as the Warriors. That all said, there are some reasons to think the Clippers might actually shock the basketball world and advance to the second round.

The first reason is the Warriors are going to have to soldier on without DeMarcus Cousins, who is out indefinitely with a torn left quadriceps. With Cousins out, the Warriors don't have much of a presence in the paint, giving Montrezl Harrell a golden opportunity to make his presence felt inside. Harrell finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds on Monday, showing why he's one of the best post players in the game. If the Warriors can't find a way to better protect the paint, Harrell could eat them for lunch all series long.

The second reason is the Clippers have Patrick Beverley. As Charles Barkley once said, in order to find success in the playoffs, you need to have a crazy guy and the Clippers have one in Beverley. He's a grade-A irritant and a fantastic defender cut out of the DeShawn Stevenson cloth. Beverley appears to be getting in the Warriors' head a bit and has a real opportunity to give Draymond Green a little taste of his own medicine.

The third reason is Lou Williams ain't scared. Williams scored 36 points and dished out 11 assists on Monday, doing a fantastic job of willing his team back to victory. He hit a lot of clutch shots down the stretch and played like a guy that lives for the big moments. When you got a guy like that on your squad, you always got a chance.

The fourth reason is the Clippers have Doc Rivers, who I feel is the most under-appreciated coach in the NBA. After his inability to win a ring with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, many wrote off Rivers as one that could only win with the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. In truth, he's a fantastic coach and is doing his best work since his days in Boston. These Clippers are playing like a team and everyone is buying into Rivers' system. When you have a coach like Rivers, you got a shot to shock the world.

While the Warriors should be favored to win this series, they should not feel like they're guaranteed to win it. The Clippers are brimming with confidence after their historic comeback and now head to Los Angeles for two straight games. As crazy as this is to say, the Warriors are in real danger just two games into these playoffs.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Doc Rivers did a really cool thing for Dirk Nowitzki

                                         (Credit: Robert Gauthier-Los Angeles Times) 

During the closing seconds of Monday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers called timeout, giving the fans in the Staples Center a chance to applaud Dirk Nowitzki, who is on his goodbye tour. Thanks to having a 121-112 cushion, Rivers was able to make this nice gesture and Nowitzki seemed to appreciate it as did the fans. While these guys are really competitive during the heat of battle, there's also a ton of mutual respect among all who have played and/or coached in the NBA. It's a very elite fraternity and moments like this remind you of that.

Thanks Doc and Clippers fans! I will always remember this https://t.co/kzVfbt5S4E

— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) February 26, 2019

If there's any guy who is deserving of such a moment, it's Dirk Nowitzki. He's a 14x NBA All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 5x All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-NBA Third Team, an NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP, and #7 on the NBA's all-time scoring list (#6 Wilt Chamberlain isn't far ahead). Nowitzki is one of the greatest players to ever step on an NBA floor and he's done it all in a very unassuming, non-flashy way. He played for the same team his entire career, never was one to demand trades, and did things the right way.

In some ways, seeing Nowitzki retire marks the end of an era. He was drafted in 1998 with the 9th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded to the Mavericks that same day. He's played against John Stockton, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, and many others who are either retired or soon to be retired. As a matter of fact, of that group, only Carter is still in the league. He comes from a different generation and so to watch him play is really special.

While he's part of a different generation, Nowitzki also was one of the first big men to really stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting prowess. Given how stretch bigs are much more common in today's game, Nowitzki in a way was ahead of his time. His fadeaway jumper was almost impossible to stop and when left open from 3-point range, he was death. He's unique in that he's sort of a bridge between an era where bigs played strictly in the post and the modern era where they have much more freedom to play out on the perimeter.

The NBA will be different with him gone, but his legacy will live on forever. When we think about the greatest players in NBA history, we tend to think of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and several others before we think about Dirk Nowitzki. But the truth is his name absolutely should be mentioned in the same breath as those guys. When you look at his body of work, it's clear that it measures up pretty well. I hope more people will realize this and give him the same due respect that Doc Rivers did.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: What does the future hold for the Los Angeles Clippers?

Chris Paul ($24.4M) and Blake Griffin ($21.4M) have both decided to exercise the Early Termination Option on their contracts, which means that they will be unrestricted free agents come July 1st. For both Paul and Griffin, re-signing with the Clippers is the financially smart move to make. The Clippers can re-sign Paul for five years and approximately $200M while other teams can sign him for four years and $150M. As for Griffin, he can re-up with the Clippers for five years and approximately $180M while other teams can offer four years, $130M.

Still, even with the advantage of being able to offer more money, it's no guarantee Paul and Griffin stay with the Clippers. Both guys have made more than enough money and are at a point of their careers where winning a ring is the focus. Especially Paul, who has been in the NBA since 2005. In order for the Clippers to lock up Paul and Griffin for another five years, they'll have to do a good job selling them on their chances of winning championship in Clipperland. Otherwise, both guys might bolt for a change of scenery and better championship odds.

The advantage that both Paul and Griffin have is that they can literally go wherever they want. There has been talk of Chris Paul possibly joining the Spurs while Blake Griffin has been linked to the Celtics. Of course, these are all rumors at this point, but the fact remains that it is no slam dunk they re-sign. Something that should worry the Clippers.

There are four scenarios that can happen here. Each with its own pros and cons.

                                          (Credit: Keith Allison. Click here for source).     

Scenario #1-Both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin stay: It's entirely possible that both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin decide to re-sign and get back to work on winning a title for the Los Angeles Clippers. They've become the faces of Los Angeles and with a new owner in place, they can feel much more optimistic about the future. For the Clippers, this appears to be the best possible outcome. By keeping Paul and Griffin, they would remain competitive for the short term and continue to be the better team in Los Angeles. There's also the hope that with a few more moves, maybe they can finally get it right and add the pieces necessary to make a serious championship run.

Scenario #2-Chris Paul stays and Blake Griffin goes: There's also the possibility that the Clippers only hang on to one of their two major stars. If it's Paul who stays and Griffin who leaves, this wouldn't be terrible, but not all that great, either. Basically, it would keep the Clippers competitive for the short term, but not as competitive as they've been. They'd become a team that is a 6th or 7th seed in the Western Conference at best and possibly even an 8th seed. With Chris Paul getting older, the Clippers would already have to start thinking about ways to rebuild with Griffin no longer around as their centerpiece for the future.

Scenario #3-Blake Griffin stays and Chris Paul leaves: If the Clippers only hang on to one of these two guys, I think it's more likely that Griffin would be the one to stick around. Paul is in a more desperate situation considering his age, making the lure of going elsewhere stronger for him. With Paul gone, it would firmly become Griffin's team, which wouldn't be a bad thing. By being younger (Rookie class of 2010), Griffin is a better guy to build around for the future. He has five more years on him, creating more time for the Clippers to finally get it right and build a true title contender around him.

Scenario #4-Both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin leave: This is a nightmare scenario that the Clippers have to be prepared to address. The bottom line is that so far, the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin duo has not produced a championship. Doc Rivers hasn't gotten out of them what we all thought and at the end of the day, it just doesn't seem to be working. While they are making the playoffs every year as members of the Clippers, Paul and Griffin are guys who want to win championships and so far, they don't appear to be on track to do so in Los Angeles.

Now is the time for them to get out while they still can. Paul has four to five good years left in him while Griffin could remain an effective power forward for another 10 years. Both guys still have plenty of time to win rings elsewhere. As for what this would mean for the Clippers, this would be devastating. To lose your star duo right as you get new ownership would be nothing short of a major setback. DeAndre Jordan would suddenly be the man and they'd have to scramble to find some quality pieces in free agency to avoid a complete rebuilding season.

When looking at all four of these scenarios, it's clear that July 1st will be a big day for the Los Angeles Clippers. They have to be ready for whatever scenario presents itself and do all they can to not lose the positive momentum that they have been building during these past few years.

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Wednesday Windmill: Will new ownership produce a better product on the floor for the Clippers?

Earlier this month, Steve Ballmer officially became the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers which subsequently marked the dawning of a new era of Los Angeles Clippers basketball. While the arrival of Steve Ballmer and the departure of Donald Sterling is exciting for the Clippers, will this change actually produce a better product on the floor?

I don't mean to curb the enthusiasm of Clippers fans, but they need to understand why it is that they are excited before they go insane like Ballmer did at the most recent Clippers rally. If Clippers fans want to say they are excited purely on the grounds that they can finally cheer for their team in good conscience, then they have every reason to be excited. But if they are excited because they think a championship is just around the corner, they may be in for some disappointment. 

                                              (credit: newyorker.com) 

I don't deny that having Steve Ballmer as their new owner is a good thing for the Clippers organization. I think it's a great thing for the organization, but not because I think it will result in the Clippers winning more basketball games. If you look at the team that they have on the floor right now, it isn't clear how much better they can really get. 

They have a top flight coach in Doc Rivers, the best point guard in the NBA in Chris Paul, and one of the top five best power forwards in the game in Blake Griffin. Not only that, but they have quality players around those two guys with DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Hawes, J.J. Redick, and Jamal Crawford. 

The Clippers right now are as good as they ever have been, and ironically, the building of this strong team was under the stewardship of Donald Sterling and not Steve Ballmer. Of course, with all the losing that the Sterling era went through, it stands to reason that Clippers fans can expect to see a more consistently competitive product on the floor, but that doesn't mean the product will be any better than what it presently is. 

If you look at this Clippers team, there really is not way to improve the team other than having Blake Griffin and Chris Paul get better as a duo. Ultimately, that will come down to those two players working on their game and perhaps some of the instruction they get from Doc Rivers. Steve Ballmer has zero control over how much better Chris Paul and Blake Griffin get and he also can't do much to better the roster since I really think the roster they have is as good as it can possibly be. 

At the end of the day, I don't see Steve Ballmer producing a better product on the floor for the Clippers. They may get better and eventually win a championship, but it won't be because Steve Ballmer arrived. His arrival energizes the fan base and gives people in Los Angeles better reason to cheer for the Clippers, which in and of itself makes his arrival a great thing for the Clippers. However,  I think it is important we clarify that and not make the mistake of thinking that the Clippers are suddenly going to win a championship because they got new ownership. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Are The Brooklyn Nets Contenders Out East?

                                                 image from dukaspr.com

The Brooklyn Nets pulled off one of the biggest trades of the off-season which netted in them getting Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Kevin Garnett from the Boston Celtics. The Nets starting five now has Deron Williams at point guard, Joe Johnson at shooting guard, Paul Pierce at small forward, Kevin Garnett at power forward, and Brook Lopez at center. Jason Terry will come off the bench.  Gerald Wallace, who started for the team last season at small forward was traded to the Celtics as part of the deal (note: to see complete details of the trade, click here).

The Nets certainly seem to have a team that can do some serious damage in the Eastern Conference. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA despite having a down season last year and we all know that Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez are both one of the better players at their positions. But obviously, the Nets realized that they were lacking something last season that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry can bring to the table. The focus of my article is to identify what the Nets think that something is, and whether or not Pierce, Garnett, and Terry can do enough to get the Nets over the hump. 

Last season, the Nets appeared to be one of the better teams in the NBA, and everybody figured that they would easily beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs due to all the injuries on the Bulls. However, things didn't exactly go according to plan, and before they knew it, the Nets found themselves eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of a Chicago Bulls team that was plagued with injury. 

While everybody was praising the Chicago Bulls for playing with so much heart and soul, the Brooklyn Nets at the same time found themselves to be the subject of much deserved ridicule and utter embarrassment. This was a team that was supposed to contend for a title and there they were instead eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of a sickly team hit with a plague similar to the Bubonic plague that swept across Europe in the middle ages. The Nets were rightfully being called soft as a result.

What the addition of Garnett, Pierce, and Terry does for the Nets is potentially fix their softness by adding gritty veteran toughness. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry all have championship rings, and all three are guys who wouldn't back down to a rabid hyena if it was snarling in their face. Kevin Garnett is the toughest of them all and it shows on the court. Brook Lopez may be a good offensive center, but he protects the rim worse than my 16 year old golden retriever protects my house. A burglar with a flame thrower could walk into my house and my dog wouldn't utter a peep. Likewise, Brook Lopez couldn't protect the rim if his life depended on it.  Bulls point guard Nate Robinson had no fear flying at the rim with reckless abandon against the Nets in the playoffs, and he is a little squirt standing at 5'9. Kevin Garnett will take care of the rim protecting problem, and players of all sizes will think twice about going inside with Garnett prowling the paint. 

As for Paul Pierce and Jason Terry, their scoring will certainly be of assistance to the Nets, but it's more their intangible veteran presence that will help this team. They will help give their teammates confidence in crunch time and help them stay mentally strong in tough situations. They will have a strong presence in the locker room and command respect. They won't let their teammates deflect their problems on others, and will instead teach them to own their own mistakes. This is an effect similar to what Doc Rivers will bring to the Clippers as head coach. 

While these three guys may serve as guides similar to Virgil in Dante's Inferno, they won't be able to completely mold their teammates into winners. Deron Williams still has to be the leader of this team if they want to win a championship, and whether or not he can be a great leader is yet to be seen. In addition, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez will have to toughen up as well and learn to buckle down in crunch time. If the Nets rely too much on Garnett, Pierce, and Terry to carry the load, they will fail miserably. But if they open themselves up to improvement under their wise council, then they just might have what it takes to dethrone the Heat. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord