Everything But Poker

So this is what I’ve been missing all these years. Wednesday night, after a miserable, rainy day in Southern California, the Clippers faced an unconventional foe that struck terror in the hearts of seasoned fans and was sure to do nothing but exacerbate our mid-winter gloom. For years, the Clippers have existed as a team just good enough to occasionally challenge tough teams that operate primarily in a standard half-court set, but not nearly cohesive or smart enough to adapt to those squads that thrive on speed, athleticism and a certain degree of organized chaos. But last night, against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, the Clippers finally did what good teams do: React, adapt, prevail.

Vinny Del Negro’s starting lineup was like nothing I had ever seen in the Staples Center. Kirk Hinrich (6-3), Rose (6-3), Luol Deng (6-9), Taj Gibson (6-9) and Joakim Noah (6-11) took the floor against the Clippers’ standard-as-it-gets starting squad with each member fit nicely into the PG-SG-SF-PF-C lineup convention. Not only were Chicago’s players of unorthodox sizes, they were also five of the six fastest players on the floor (Eric Gordon being the only Clipper that could possibly compete in a footrace).

From the opening tip – which Noah won – the Bulls demanded the game be played at a frenetic pace. Deng scored on a 15-foot jumper after a flurry of quick passes 15 seconds into the game, then Rose deflected the Clippers’ inbound pass off Baron Davis’ foot out of bounds. Eight seconds later Rose hit a jump shot from the elbow and the Clippers were trailing, 4-0, before their first possession.

By the end of the first quarter, Chicago held a 26-19 lead and refused to let the game slow down. Rose, whose lethal combination of size and quickness cannot be understated, wasted no time getting the ball up court after defensive rebounds and made shots, forcing the moderately fleet-a-foot Clipper tandem of Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby to bust their asses back on D. It was a pace that Clipper fans have clamored for since Baron Davis came to town, but now that the team had its hand forced by a much quicker and athletic squad, it became readily apparent why the disorder of Seven-Seconds-or-Less only suits a couple teams: You need the right players to run it.

And while the Bulls have all the quicks and hops to pull off Mike D’Antoni’s famed brainchild, they lack the discipline, intelligence and finely tuned skills that make the manic process work. Rose can get into the lane – and most of the time all the way to the rim – whenever he wants, but once he passes it off, there is no guarantee that Deng, Noah, Tyrus Thomas or Jannero Pargo will continue the flow to the next teammate, who undoubtedly stands wide open on the other side of the floor. That, and without John Salmons, who missed last night’s game with flu-like symptoms, they have no three-point threat to spread the floor (Chicago was 2-11 last night).

Nevertheless, it appeared early that the pace of the game alone would be enough to throw the Clippers off their game. After all, fans know this team is not accustomed to adjusting playing styles on the fly. True, the Clips blew out the high-scoring Warriors at the beginning of the season and they beat the Lakers a couple weeks ago by forcing turnovers and getting fast-break points, but at no point were Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar initiating their offensive sets with more than 20 seconds left on the shot clock. That’s what Rose did, and Los Angeles responded with the exact same formula, only better.

Baron Davis and Sebastian Telfair ran the team with the control and confidence that Del Negro hopes Rose will gain as he gets older, albeit with a tad less explosiveness. With the vast compliment of talents surrounding the two point guards, from Eric Gordon and Rasual Butler on the perimeter to Kaman and Craig Smith in the paint, the Clippers proved that, in fact, they could adapt a new style to fit their opponent, and do it more effectively. Davis eventually took the game into his own hands, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter including a deliberate shot-fake three-pointer that drew a foul, which led to a 104-97 Clippers' victory.

On the day that it was reported that Blake Griffin had successful knee surgery that “couldn’t have gone better,” the team gave its home fans a reason to believe that, when they return from an eight-game road trip that begins tonight in Denver, they may actually be closer to the playoffs than they are now. It’s not easy being a Clipper fan, but nights like Wednesday make me appreciate the things that fans of the Purple and Gold take for granted: That good players with intelligent floor leaders and clearly defined roles can react, adapt and prevail.

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