NBA Playoffs 2012: 6 Observations and a Conclusion from Clippers-Spurs Game 1

The Los Angeles Clippers find themselves in a similar predicament as their co-tenants of Staples Center. Although they did not suffer a loss as bad, it looked painfully obvious that if they keep playing this way, they will be thoroughly out-matched in their Round 2 series vs. the Spurs.

However, the Clippers are young and inconsistent, and with inconsistency usually comes the other side of the coin, where they will flourish at times and potentially push the series to six or seven. 

Here are six observations and a conclusion for a series that I will be watching very closely. Expect tons of Spurs leads, but just as many epic Clipper comebacks.

Expect some more low-post veteran moxie by Timmy D, but the highlight reel dunks from Blake are coming. And expect Tony Parker to look like the best point man at times, but CP3 to have something to say about it more often than not. 

The Spurs Are the Deepest Remaining Team in the Playoffs

Far be it for me to finally agree with Skip Bayless. But as we all talk about the Big 3 (Duncan, Parker, Manu), there are some other vital, intriguing pieces that will be vital to the Spurs' title bid.

Kawhi Leonard is a rookie who shoots 40 percent on threes, and he has been compared to Bruce Bowen by Gregg Popovich. Anyone who watched the Spurs when they were winning championships knows how vital Bowen was. Danny Green is extremely athletic, defends well, and makes fearless drives to the rim.

Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw are fearless vets who have tons of playoff experience and do not back down from anyone. Finally, Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal provide valuable relief minutes for the relatively senior members of San Antonio's core.

Their rotation is so deep that Dejuan Blair, a fearless, tough-nosed rebounder, played 21.3 minutes during the regular season. He would absolutely be a top-6 guy on any other team still remaining in the playoffs. 

Blake Griffin Has a Chance to Dominate

In Game 1, Blake Griffin went 7-for-17 en route to 15 points and nine rebounds, which are pretty respectable numbers. But this is no longer the Memphis series, where Blake struggled when he had to bang with the big-bodied, physical front line of the Griz.

Before the series started, I would have said that Blake needs to step it up a notch because he would be guarded by a significantly older and creakier Tim Duncan.

I stand corrected, because Popovich often inexplicably placed Boris Diaw on him for long periods of time. New conclusion? Blake needs to demand the ball against this guy every time they get down the floor.

Oh, and I should mention that Diaw is a guy who often has been dogged for his weight problems, and is a power forward who has averaged just half a block per 30 minutes for his career.  

Tim Duncan's Still Got Enough Left

You watched Tim Duncan in the regular season, and he looked sluggish at times. His rim protection was nothing close to what it was back in 2003. But his performance throughout these playoffs suggest that the alleged descriptions of 'sluggish' should just mean 'veteran savvy.'

Like Kevin Garnett, TD has perfected the 17-foot jump shot for the dearth of pick-and-pop situations the quickness of Tony Parker creates. Like Kobe Bryant, Duncan has accounted for his declining athleticism by continuing to be one of the best low-post technicians since Kevin McHale and Hakeem Olajuwon. 

His array of hook and scoop shots verify his reputation as 'The Big Fundamental' and his low-post moxie still stymies younger, more athletic guys. Blake Griffin needs to watch closely, because you don't make your money on SportsCenter highlights forever.  

Clippers' 'Other' Guards Don't Back Down

The little guys back there for Coach Vinny D don't quit on anything and aren't scared of the moment. Really, it's the only thing so far that inspires hope in what looks like it will be a five- or six-game series at best for the Clippers. 

Eric Bledsoe was LA's best player, contributing a 23/5/4 while adding three steals and even a block. One more than DeAndre Jordan. 

Caron Butler and Nick Young combined for 28 points, on 50 percent shooting, including 6 from long distance and many crowd-silencers that slowed San Antonio's momentum in the all-important third quarter.

With Popovich's defensive game plan basically being, "Let's throw everything we can at Paul and show no respect for Griffin and Martin's pick n' pop game", the Clippers will need more production like this going forward from the other guys. 

So, wait, why did the Clips still have no chance in Game 1?

The Clippers' Bigs, on the Other Hand...

I already talked about Blake. But his performance does not begin to describe the anemic production we are seeing from the Clippers' big men.

DeAndre Jordan did not have an offensive rebound, nor did he record a block nor protect the rim well. Kenyon Martin looked woefully ineffective out there. And even Reggie Evans had a 3-to-2 ratio...of rebounds to turnovers. 

I mentioned that Eric Bledsoe had four rebounds in the previous slide. All four were on the offensive end. The Clippers had eight in TOTAL.

I can just hear Stephen A. Smith on First Take/ESPN radio..."A 6'1'', BACKUP POINT GAAAAADDDD HAD HALF YO' OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS! HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT!"

I repeat. A 6-1, back-up PG, had half their offensive rebounds.   

Manu's Biggest Competition...May Not Be in This Series

James Harden rightfully won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award. But we forget maybe the only reason the race wasn't closer was because the man he is often compared to, Manu Ginobili, didn't play all that many minutes in the regular season.

I find it odd that Manu played 25 minutes but averaged just 8.5 PPG in the first-round series vs Utah. He then comes out in Game 1, plays virtually identical minutes, scores 22 on nearly 50 percent shooting and just looks like a totally different player. 

Maybe the Spurs didn't really need his scoring against an inferior Utah team. But Manu looked different in Game 1; more aggressive in his shot creation and willingness to shoot.

Or maybe Manu's just ticked that everyone's anointing James Harden the NBA's new, resident "I'm too good to be on the bench" guy. Maybe he's a realist and knows that the Spurs' experience will ultimately trump the young Clips, and he's itching to go to war with his OKC counterpart in Round 3.  

Conclusion

The Clips lost by 16. The reality is, the game wasn't that close. San Antonio is not a team that typically blows its opponents out of the water by 25 or 30, but it could have easily been a game like that. 

Basketball analysts and former players will often say that the most important stretches of basketball are the third quarter, and to a lesser degree, the final bit of the second half. The Spurs are a veteran team that know this. Unsurprisingly, the game was even except for those periods.

That said, I still believe this will be a series that goes for a minimum of six games. The Spurs won't always shoot 53 percent from downtown, and Chris Paul will not be limited to six points every game.

If the Clippers want to have any shot of winning this series, the Clippers' big men must step up and play with the same fearlessness and efficiency their backcourt plays with. 

And if they happen to get in a game where it comes down to the last two minutes, they need either Blake, Bledsoe or Butler to be prepared to step up. The Spurs are too smart to let the Clippers run their preferred crunch-time offense of "Umm...give it to Chris and let him do things!"