Lights Out In Los Angeles- A Los Angeles Clippers TL

2009 NBA Draft
“With the First Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select...Steph Curry, Point Guard from Davidson University.”

At the time, the Clippers reached to pick Curry with the first overall pick surprised everyone. Many draft reports had not even as the best Guard in the draft, let alone player.

“Isn’t this a shock? The Clippers seem to have made a reach on Curry. Curry could be the best shooter in the draft, but he has many question marks surrounding him. He played at a small college, he’s a little short for NBA standards, and he isn’t that explosive to the basket. So we’ll see how that plays out for them and now the Memphis Grizzlies might luck out on getting Blake Griffin.”

“With the Second Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select...Blake Griffin, Power Forward from University of Oklahoma.”

“With the Fourth Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select...Hasheem Thabeet, Center from Tanzania.”

“With the Fifth Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select...Tyreke Evans, Shooting Guard from Memphis University.”

“With the Sixth Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select...Ricky Rubio, Point Guard from Spain.”

“With the Seventh Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select...DeMar DeRozan, Shooting Guard from USC.”

“With the Eighth Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select...Jonny Flynn, Point Guard from Syracuse University.”

“With the Ninth Overall Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select...Brandon Jennings, Point Guard from Italy.”

2009-2010 Los Angeles Clippers Roster
PG- Steph Curry
PG- Baron Davis
PG- Steve Blake
SG- Eric Gordon
SG- Kareem Rush
SF- Al Thorton
SF- Travis Outlaw
SF- Steve Novak
PF- Craig Smith
PF- Drew Gooden
PF- Marcus Cambry
C- DeAndre Jordan
C- Chris Kaman

Notes:
Yeah, so I’m back. Things happened in my life so I had to be away for a bit. In the meantime, Kawhi Leonard got me heavily back into the NBA with that insane run he did, so I decided as a return to do an NBA timeline. Just imagine today’s Curry in a market like Los Angeles, so as always expect the madness that follows.
 
It will be interesting what people think of this pick given that Steph took several years to develop. While he showed a ton of promise he wasn't exactly the rangeless sniper we're used to. I think a few people might start wondering if Steph went first mostly due to him being Dell's son rather than his own merit. It'd be cool to see Steph with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
 
2009-2010 NBA Season
“We were bad. I was bad. My first season in the NBA was a nightmare. I couldn’t stay healthy, the team was struggling, and fans and the media were quick to label me as a bust just like that.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


The first game of the season kicked off against crosstown rivals of the Los Angeles Lakers, where Curry looked bad. He finished with only 12 points, shooting 3-8 from behind the Three Point Arc.

To say the Clippers' fans weren’t happy with the performance would be an understatement.

“We drafted a guy who can’t shoot from the three, the only reason they reached for him and we’re going to be the running joke of Los Angeles for years to come.”
-Local Fan’s rant to KFWB AM.


The rest of October went just as bad as opening night. Losing all four games in the opening month, with Curry only able to post 18 points as his then career high and shooting 29% from behind the arc.

The first sign of brilliance of Steph Curry came the first game in November against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Posting 24 points and 7 assists, with 5-9 shooting from three, Curry gave the fans a sign of what was to come in the future. The month of November made the team look like things could be on the upswing. Going 8-6, to have a 8-10 record overall, Curry was slowly getting better as he was now averaging 14 PPG and shooting 39% from three. Then came December.

“Curry dribbling up the court, the Clippers up 42-34 on the Rockets late in the second Quarter here, Curry kicks it out to Gordon in the corner, pump fakes the defender, bounce pass back inside to Curry who gets the lay up and the foul on Battier, but Curry is down holding his ankle.”

“High Ankle Sprain. My first injury of my career, I just stepped on [Shane] Battier’s foot, and my foot twisted the wrong way.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Curry would miss the next three games, and the next three games would be losses for the Clippers. Curry would comeback for the team’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, but once again, he’d be injured.

“Kaman backing down Duncan in the post, kicks it out to Curry who fires away, and it’s a miss, but Curry is down, holding his leg again.”

“This time around, injured my calf. When I kicked my leg out, the defender, I don’t remember who, just closed out to quick and I landed awkwardly.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Curry’s second injury would cause him to miss the rest of the month, and the Clippers would struggle. Baron Davis would tear his ACL a few games after the San Antonio game, meaning the Clippers had to start Steve Blake at Point Guard. After that, Chris Kaman would go down with an injured back. The Clippers would only win one game in the entire month, against the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. The team’s record going into 2010 sitting at a 9-23, the worst record in the NBA at the time.

“I was ready, almost fueling to a point to comeback, and I was cleared by our team’s docs on New Years actually. So our first game in the new year against Portland, I wanted to prove something.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Curry would come off the bench, Head Coach Mike Dunleavy wanting to be careful with his return, and he’d only get 23 minutes. However, in those 23 minutes Curry would have his best game as a rookie.

“Curry from behind the arc, and that’ll go in.”

“Curry off the screen, shoots the three, and it goes in.”

“Curry lines up and shoots, and it’s good!”

“Curry in the corner, Gordon finds him on the drive, and that’s 4 for 4 for Curry!”


Curry would finishing with a season high 28 points, with a season high percentage from 3 of 6-8.

The rest of the month wouldn’t be as exciting as Curry’s second return. Losing four more games to drop them to 10-27, the team would fire Mike Dunleavy and name Kim Hughes as his intern replacement.

“I felt bad, of course I only played 37 games under him, but I liked Mike. But the NBA’s a business so they had to move on from him.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


The next three games with the new coach would be all wins, against the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, with Curry having two moments of getting a steal on Kobe Bryant and an unheard of block on Lebron James.

“It was a little surreal. As a kid, of course I loved watching my Dad, but I was a huge Kobe fan, and then in High School and College Lebron came around, so having those two moments against two of the best players to ever do it as a rookie nonetheless, it was really something.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


The team’s game against the Denver Nuggets on the 21st of January would see Curry twist his ankle on a defender’s foot yet again, marking the third time he’d be placed on the team’s IR list, and again he’d have to sit out the remainder of the month, the team sitting at 15-32.

Curry would sit out until the All-Star Weekend where he’d participate in the Rising Stars Challenge for his return where he’d finish with 11 points. However, the rest of the month wouldn’t be as exciting as the break was for Curry, as two games he’d finish with 0 points, and the team would be sitting with a 20-40 record.

March would be alot better for the team, going .500 in the month as Eric Gordon started to come alive as the team’s Shooting Guard, including a 39 point performance against Orlando on March 9th. With seven games left in the season, the team sat at 28-48.

April would continue to see the team struggle, as Curry continued to be on a downward spiral, as his struggles would see him finish his rookie year with 13.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 5.1 APG as they’d finish 29-53, far from the playoffs but in good position for the upcoming Draft Lottery.

2010 NBA Finals
Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics 4-3
Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant


“Seeing them win their fifth title since 2000 really put a dream into me. I wanted to see a banner in that stadium that read the Los Angeles Clippers.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Notes:
First season is a slow and rough start for the Clippers, to set up for the next draft class. The playoff standings and playoffs themselves will be included but this time is the same as OTL so obviously it won’t be written up. The next offseason is “The Decision” from Lebron James and stating right now, he won’t be going to Miami as I wanted to twist things up for the East/NBA Finals. Enjoy as always.
 
2010 NBA Offseason

“The Eighth Overall Pick will be going to...the Los Angeles Clippers.”
-ESPN’s NBA Draft Lottery Coverage

“The Memphis Grizzlies will be getting the first overall pick. After a season of injuries, including to rookie Blake Griffin, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gay, they can luck out by getting a Point Guard in John Wall to play along side with Griffin.”
-ESPN’s NBA Draft Lottery Coverage

The Clippers would get some luck by finishing into the top ten of the 2010 NBA Draft. The team would work out both Gordon Hayward from Butler University and Paul George from Fresno State.

While scouting, the team also had to replace Mike Dunleavy as Kim Hughes was just an intern coach for the team. The team would end up signing Mike Brown, after he was let go by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

2010 NBA Draft

“With the First Overall Pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select...John Wall, Point Guard from University of Kentucky.”

“With the Fourth Overall Pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select...DeMarcus Cousins, Center from University of Kentucky.”

“With the Eighth Overall Pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select...Gordon Hayward, Small Forward from Butler University.”

After the draft, the upcoming free agency period was one of the most anticipated in recent history. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were the top three names but it didn't exclude other superstars like Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudamrie and Joe Johnson.

On top of that, Carmelo Anthony would add into the drama, demanding a trade from the Denver Nuggets, stating that he wanted to move forward with his career in a new landscape.

The Clippers, as any other team, wanted their luck for the big names such as Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, but being the little brother to the Los Angeles Lakers, they had little to no chance with making a splash. Instead, they had to look for the smaller names.

“J.J Reddick and the Los Angeles Clippers agree to a 3 year deal.”

“Shaun Livingston and the Los Angeles Clippers agree to a 2 year deal.”

“I’m going to be taking my talents to the big apple, to play for the New York Knicks.”
-Lebron James from ESPN’s Special “The Decision.”

“Amare Stoudamire will join Lebron James in New York for four years.”

“Joe Johnson will take a massive paycut for Lebron James to complete the final piece for the New York Knicks, their new big Three making them instant title favorites.”


2010-2011 Los Angeles Clippers Roster
PG- Steph Curry
PG- Shaun Livingston
PG- Baron Davis
SG- J.J Reddick
SG- Eric Gordon
SF- Gordon Hayward
SF- Steve Novak
SF- Travis Outlaw
PF- Drew Gooden
PF- Marcus Cambry
C- DeAndre Jordan
C- Chris Kaman
C- Hamady N’Diaye

2010-2011 NBA Season

As if the previous season had repeat itself, the team was winless in the opening month of October. Losing all three games in blowout fashion, as the team shot a combined 29% from three, things didn't look good.

Losing to the Spurs to start off November continued the panic, but picking up the team’s first win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Eric Gordon and Steph Curry combining for 65 points (40 being from Gordon). However, three more losses came as the team sat at 1-7.

Then groundbreaking news happened.

“The Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets have agreed for a trade to send Carmelo Anthony to the Clippers. Eric Gordon, Baron Davis, Chris Caman, two first round picks and two second round picks will be going in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith and a future first.”
-SportsCenter

“We were in the airport at San Antonio after our loss to New Orleans when we heard the news. General Manager Neil [Oshley] was trying to make the deal happen all day, so he called us up when it was made official, and told the players leaving thanks.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights out In LA”


“They obviously shipped him off to Los Angeles to spite him. I mean they’re 1-7, and Eric Gordon who was playing as the best player on the roster won’t even be with him.”
-Stephen A. Smith from ESPN’s First Take.

“I won’t lie. I was kinda pissed when I heard it was the Clippers. In hindsight, it’s a funny thing to say, but at the time they were struggling, Steph wasn’t up to his potential and I felt like I’d be carrying a team just like I was doing in Denver.”
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out in LA”


New Look Los Angeles Clippers Roster
PG- Steph Curry
PG- Shaun Livingston
SG- JJ Reddick
SG- JR Smith
SF- Carmelo Anthony
SF- Gordon Hayward
SF- Steve Novak
SF- Travis Outlaw
PF- Drew Gooden
PF- Marcus Cambry
C- DeAndre Jordan
C- Hamady N’Diaye

Carmelo wouldn’t be available for the team’s game against the Spurs, but they’d squeak out a win after Tony Parker would miss the game winning jumper. Carmelo Anthony’s first game with the Clippers would be at home against the Detroit Pistons.

“And starting at Small Forward, Carmelo Anthony!”

Loud, loud Cheers for the new player.

Anthony would make an instant impact as he’d put up 39 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double effort with the team’s third win of the year. The team would go on a six game win streak after getting Carmelo, as the team started to transition into focusing on the three point ball, averaging 22 shots a game, mostly Carmelo, Reddick, Smith and Curry taking the brunt of them. While Carmelo was averaging 32 PPG, a small scale MVP type play. The team would finish the month of November with a 10-7 record, an instant turn around from the 1-7 record they had before getting Carmelo Anthony.

“Our confidence was low, almost rock bottom low before the trade, then when he came in and started kicking ass, it was way, way up.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out in LA.”


December continued the pattern, it’d be the Carmelo Anthony show while everyone else did their part to help the team towards a win. Finishing the month with a 10-5 record, making the team sit at 20-13 going into the new year, which would see them sit as the Fifth Seed in the West.

“That was my first few years in the season. I’d be getting into the swing of things, getting good then I’d tweak my leg somehow.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out in LA”


Curry would have yet another high ankle sprain in the team’s game against the Denver Nuggets on January 5th, which would make him miss the next five games. JJ Reddick would then land awkwardly on his back to put him on the IR for seven games. With two starters being out of the starting lineup, the team would go just 1-6 with both men being out.The final five games of the month would see the team go 3-2, as DeAndre Jordan started to emerge as a great rebounder, posting a then career high 19 against Houston, to make the team finish the month with a 25-22 record, sitting as the Seventh seed in the West.

“If injuries didn't’ sum up the start of my career, inconsistency did.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”

February 6th against the Miami Heat, Curry would be just two rebounds shy of his first career triple double, finishing with 20 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Then the following game against the Orlando Magic, Curry would finish with just 8 points, 3 assists and 5 rebounds.

“After that game, something in me just snapped. I blew up at him. I got in his face yelling all sorts of things because that game we all sucked. I shot something like 4-14, but of course it was only his fault.” *Laughter*
-Carmelo Anthony From ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that. The locker room after the game he just kinda sat there, while everyone was quiet since we had gotten blown out. Then he just got up and yelled something like “Where the hell was the Miami Steph?” So I said something back like “Where the hell was MVP Carmelo?” And then we got into each other’s faces.”
-Steph Curry From ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Going into the All-Star Break the team would go into the break with a 32-24 record while Carmelo Anthony was the only player named to the All-Star Roster, but JJ Reddick was invited to the Three Point Contest where he’d finish with only 9 points and would be out in the first round. However, Carmelo would post 32 points and 9 rebounds in the game and would be named All-Star MVP.

“Winning that award put a fire in me, I was going to drag the corpse of every other player into the playoffs if I had to, I had something to prove.”
-Carmelo Anthony From ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


The team would win the final five games of the month, to go into March with a 37-24 record. The first four games of March would all be victories, extending the team’s win streak to 9 games in a row, a season high and the team would continue to move up the playoff standings at 41-24. However, another injury to Curry would see the team slip a bit to finish the final ten games of the month at a .500 record sitting at 46-30.

April saw the team go on the upward swing, as the bench started to come alive by averaging 40 PPG in the final 7 games, and the team would finish at 50-32, clinching the fifth seed where a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder awaited.

Season Awards
MVP: PG- Derrick Rose (Carmelo Anthony finished 3rd)
ROTY: PF- Blake Griffin
DPOY: C- Dwight Howard
SMOTY: C- Lamar Odom
MIP: PF- Kevin Love (Steph Curry finished 4th)

Eastern Conference Standings:
1. Chicago Bulls
2. New York Knicks
3. Boston Celtics
4. Miami Heat
5. Orlando Magic
6. Philadelphia 76ers
7. Atlanta Hawks
8. Indiana Pacers

Western Conference Standings:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Los Angeles Clippers
6. Portland Trailblazers
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Memphis Grizzlies

Notes:
Obviously, with the Knicks having no cap room to trade for Carmelo, and with the Lakers winning without him, he still goes to a big market by going to the Clippers. Playoffs will be separate posts when the team makes the postseason, as I’d be writing up both their series and the Finals. So enjoy as usual.
 
2010-2011 NBA Playoffs

2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Game One
The Oklahoma City Thunder wanted to make a statement. Their young core of Durant, Harden and Westbrook wanted to make a statement. The three would combine for 89 of the Thunder’s 110 points, with Durant dropping 39 on Carmelo Anthony’s head.

On the other end, the Los Angeles Clippers looked like deer in the headlights. Steph Curry’s first playoff game would see him finish with only 12 points, while rookie Gordon Hayward would only have 9 points as the team’s sixth man. Carmelo Anthony looked liked he was the only one who wanted to win, putting up 34 in a duel with Durant, but the team would be blown out 110-89 as the Thunder take the 1-0 series lead.

Game Two
Game Two would see the Clippers return the favor by blowing out the Thunder. Carmelo Anthony, one of the few players with previous playoff experience, would step up as a leader. Finishing with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, one assist shy of a triple double, he’d be the reason for the Clippers’ 105-85 win.

JJ Reddick would knock home five three pointers, while Steph Curry would get four steals on Russell Westbrook, who would finish the game with nine total turnovers.

The series is now tied 1-1 going back to Los Angeles where the Clippers now can be called the favorites stealing home court advantage.

Game Three
Simply put. A game for the ages.

Three overtime periods were needed to finally separate the two teams, where the Clippers would take the 2-1 series lead with a 145-139 win.

The final two minutes of the fourth quarter saw madness. First was a three by Kevin Durant, who finished with 44 points in 55 minutes of play time. Carmelo Anthony would answer with his own, then Reddick would intercept a pass attempt from James Harden to Kevin Durant, and he’d find Curry behind the arc for the three. Sophomore Steph Curry would have his best game of the series yet with 22 points, and zero turnovers. However, James Harden would be left open in the corner to tie the game with 55 seconds left. Then two misses by both teams meant the game was going into Overtime tied 118-118.

The first Overtime was nothing too exciting, trading baskets and getting stops for both teams meant the second extra period would be played at a 129-129 game.

In the second period Steph Curry would foul out after pulling on Westbrook from behind on a drive to the basket. The Thunder would use his leave to go on a 6-2 run, to lead by 7 with 1:04 left in the Second Overtime, it looked like the game was wrapped up.

Enter Carmelo Anthony.

Nailing a three, getting a block on Durant, then hitting another three meant within the span of 35 seconds he made the game a one point lead. However, another foul out for the Clippers happened when Reddick closed out Harden on a three pointer. With 40 seconds left, all he had to do was hit all three to put pressure onto the Clippers heavily.

Instead he only hit the first one. Trailing by two, with 40 seconds to go, it was obvious who the Clippers would be going to. The Thunder knew as well, as they’d double Carmelo and he’d kick the ball out to Livingston as Harden closed him out he gave an inside pass to rookie Gordon Hayward, who came in for Reddick, and he’d hit the tying layup. A stop on Durant on the other end meant the game was going to a third overtime period.

Sadly, the third extra period wasn’t as exciting as the rest of the game. The Clippers opened it up on a 8-0 run, after Harden and Westbrook would miss five shots between the two and Durant would be the third player to foul out trying to stop Carmelo from driving. A couple more baskets and garbage time free throws meant the Clippers won the game.

“I love that pick! I don’t even know what Paul George did all season, but Hayward out here hitting shots in the playoffs! GO CLIPPERS!”
-Viral Video of a Clippers fan videobombing a local reporter in excitement.


Game Four
As exciting as Game Three was, this game was a bore.

The Thunder go back home with a series tied at 2-2 with a blowout victory. 89-67, as every Clipper was ice cold from the field. The team shot a combined 43% from the field, got outrebounded 2-1 by the Thunder, and had a team high 29 turnovers, meant they blew a chance at an insurmountable 3-1 series lead.

Game Five
The Los Angeles Clippers met Serge Iblocka last night.

Ibaka finished with nine total blocks, including one on a driving Carmelo and then one on a screen on Curry in crunch time to preserve the Thunder’s 97-93 victory where they’ll be going into Game Six with a chance to close the series out and move on in the playoffs.

The Clippers have been the same story they have been all series. Someone needs to help Carmelo Anthony. He posted 33 points, including 5-9 three point shooting, but the next best scorer was J.R Smith with 21 coming off the bench. If the Clippers want to survive to meet the Thunder in a Game Seven someone needs to step up.

Game Six
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be moving onto the second round while the Los Angeles Clippers will be going home wondering what happened?

To paint a picture of what went wrong, let’s go back to 2:20 left in the 4th Quarter.

“Curry down the lane, the lay up missed, Cambry gets the rebound kicks it out to a backpedaling Anthony who nails a huge three! The Clippers are now up 88-78! As the Thunder call a timeout, only leaving them with one.”

Up by ten, with 2:20 left in the game, all signs were pointing to a final and decisive game in Oklahoma. But if you don’t know who Kevin Durant is, you do now.

After their timeout he’d hit a quick three pointer to make the deficit to seven, then a stop on Anthony and a fast break down would see the Clippers lead be cut to five and the Clippers would call a timeout of their own.

“In the huddle, we all knew in our head who we were giving the ball too. But Coach Brown wanted to try to catch the defense off guard by going to me or Reddick if I didn't have a good look. Carmelo looked pissed, he didn't say anything, but I could tell he hated that game plan. Honestly, I feel like that game is what started the downfall of our partnership with Mike Brown.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”

“Oh, f**k yeah I was furious. We were on the verge of blowing a double digit lead like that, and I was thinking at the time “this punk doesn’t want me to get the ball?” I mean, duh the defense knew I was going to get it, but sometimes players are good enough to beat what the defense is thinking.”

“Do you think you were good enough to do that?”

“Back then? God damn right.”
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


The inbound pass went to Curry, who tried driving but was met by Serge Ibaka, who still gave all the Clippers PTSD from his game five performance, so trying to kick it out to Reddick was instead met by Russell Westbrook picking the pass off and finding Durant on a fastbreak dunk.

Now it was a three point game, with Kevin Durant going on his own 7-0 run. A missed three pointer from Carmelo meant the Thunder had a chance to tie the game with roughly 1:03 left to go. Instead, Steph Curry made a mistake.

Russell Westbrook would get an open look as the Clippers’ defense wanted to double Durant, and Curry would foul Westbrook on the shot, which went in. One free throw later, and now the Thunder were up by 1 with a 11-0 run, which caused the Clippers to call their final timeout.

“I was the first to speak to Coach. I told him “I’m getting this f**king ball.” He looked at me and said something like “Well, let’s see the look they give us first.” And I shook my head and responded with “If you want me to stay here, I’m getting this shot.”
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


The inbounds would go to Carmelo, but he was quickly double teamed by Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka, he’d kick it out to Steph Curry, who had an open look but instead of taking it, he tried forcing it back to Carmelo who was trying to get open, and instead Ibaka would intercept the pass and giving it to Russell Westbrook for the upcoming free throws. The Thunder would hit a pair of free throws and the Thunder would close the series 4-2.

“Steph, what happened on that play?”

“What happened? I mean, it’s obivous I made a dumb play and cost us this season.”

“Do you think you tried to force that because it was Carmelo Anthony?”

“I forced it because I was panicking at the sudden run they were going on.”
-Steph Curry’s postgame conference.

Rest of the Playoffs
Chicago Bulls def. Indiana Pacers 4-1
Memphis Grizzlies def. San Antonio Spurs 4-2
New York Knicks def. Atlanta Hawks 4-0
Los Angeles Lakers def. Denver Nuggets 4-1
Boston Celtics def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
Dallas Mavericks def. Portland Trailblazers 4-2
Miami Heat def. Orlando Magic 4-2
Oklahoma City Thunder def. Los Angeles Clippers 4-2

Chicago Bulls def. Miami Heat 4-2
Oklahoma City Thunder def. Memphis Grizzlies 4-3
New York Knicks def. Boston Celtics 4-2
Dallas Mavericks def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-0

New York Knicks def. Chicago Bulls 4-2
Dallas Mavericks def. Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1

2011 NBA Finals New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks

New York Knicks
PG- Johnny Flynn
SG- Joe Johnson
SF- Lebron James
PF- Amare Stoudamrie
C- Timofey Mozgov

Dallas Mavericks
PG- Jason Kidd
SG- Jason Terry
SF- Shawn Marion
PF- Dirk Nowitizki
C- Tyson Chandler

Game One
If you thought that Knicks fans were obnoxious preseason when they signed Lebron James, and then when they had won the Eastern Conference Finals, prepare for tonight.

Lebron James came to play. His second NBA Finals appearance kicked off with a monstrous game. 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. This was the type of performance everyone expected from him coming into the series.

The Dallas Mavericks weren’t bad, however. The game was 99-90 in favor of the Knicks, but Lebron James was too much to handle. Dirk Nowitizki tried to match him, with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, but it wouldn’t be enough.

Game Two
Lebron James came to disappear.

As good as his game one performance was, game two was outright awful. Finishing with 7 points on only 2-8 shooting, the Dallas Mavericks took advantage of the Knicks’ best player disappearing by blowing the Knicks out 108-89 to tie the series up 1-1 going back to Dallas.

Dirk Nowitizki continued his incredible playoff run by finishing with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.

Game Three
Dirk Nowitizki is his name.

Not many people can say they hit a Game Winning shot in the NBA Finals. With 1.2 seconds left in the game, Dirk would get the ball back from Jason Terry and hit a 22 foot jumper to put the Mavericks up by 1 at 95-94. The Knicks inbound pass after their final timeout went as horrible as it could, as the ball was thrown to Johnny Flynn who was off by a mile from three. Center Timofey Mozgov would state that he needed to get the ball in and he was the only one open.

Lebron James continued to be on a downward spiral from his Game One performance. 14 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists saw many fans, media personal and whoever else criticize him.

“He’s shrinking and disappearing! If they don’t win Game Four, let alone this series, it will be solely on Lebron James’ head.”
-Skip Bayless on ESPN’s First Take.

Game Four
The Mavericks now have a 3-1 series lead, with a chance to close the series out at home in Game Five.

The New York Knicks “big three” would combine for only 45 points, with Lebron James only finishing 19 points. If you thought the media were harsh on him after Game Two and Game Three. Things didn't get better after this game.

The Mavericks won the game thanks to their three point shooting. A team effort of 19-37, with Dirk Nowitizki hitting five of them himself, as he finished with 30 points. He’s one game away from closing out this playoff run and probably winning Finals MVP.

Game Five
The Dallas Mavericks are world champions for the first time in franchise history!

The New York Knicks didn't go down without a fight, however. Especially Amare Stoudamrie. It was a showdown between the Power Forwards, as Stoudamrie would finish with series high 32 points and Dirk Nowitizki would finish with 28. However, Nowitizki would get the last laugh as he found Jason Terry in the corner for the Championship Dagger three pointer with 34 seconds to go to put the Mavericks up by seven.

Lebron James, once again, wasn’t Lebron James. Finishing with only 20 points on 6-17 shooting, New York Fans were extra harsh to him.

Dallas Mavericks def. New York Knicks 4-1
Finals MVP: Dirk Nowitizki

Notes:

I like this format for the playoffs, and early exit for the Clippers while Dirk still tops Lebron to get his first. Enjoy as always.
 
2011 NBA Offseason

Many question marks surrounded the Los Angeles Clippers after their first round exit. Would Carmelo Anthony stay when his contract expired? Did the Clippers reach way too hard on Steph Curry? Was Mike Brown the ideal replacement at Head Coach?

They had to keep their heads straight going into Free Agency, considering the Denver Nuggets owned their first round pick and second round pick in the upcoming draft, it wasn’t as good as the 2010 Class but there were still some good names on the market and some important pieces of the team would be free agents, including JR Smith and starting Center DeAndre Jordan.

“JR Smith stays in Los Angeles with a three year contract extension.”

“The Los Angeles Clippers match the Dallas Mavericks offer on DeAndre Jordan to keep him on the team.”

“Los Angeles Clippers had bench depth with Kurt Thomas signing.”

“Los Angeles Clippers boost Forward Position with signing of David West.”


“The New York Knicks sign Shane Battier to boost their bench.”

“Miami Heat acquire Glen Davis to add height to team.”


2011 NBA Draft

“With the Fifth Overall Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select...Kemba Walker, Point Guard from University of Connecticut.”

“With the Fifteenth Overall Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select...Kawhi Leonard, Small Forward from San Diego State.”

“With the Eighteenth Overall Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select...Tobias Harris, Small Forward from University of Tennessee.”

“With the Twenty-Ninth Overall Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select...Jimmy Butler, Shooting Guard from Marquette.”

2011-2012 Los Angeles Clippers Roster
PG- Steph Curry
PG- Shaun Livingston
SG- JJ Reddick
SG- JR Smith
SF- Carmelo Anthony
SF- Gordon Hayward
SF- Steve Novak
PF- David West
PF- Drew Gooden
PF- Marcus Cambry
C- DeAndre Jordan
C- Hamady N’Diaye
C- Kurt Thomas

Another NBA lockout would occur, and the negotiations kept the season away until both sides finally agreed on a compromise and the season would start on Christmas Day. However, before the season started more ground breaking news happened.

“The New Orleans Hornets are sending Guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers in a part of a three team trade. Pau Gasol will now be playing in Houston while the New Orleans Hornets get Kevin Martin, Louis Scola, Lamar Odom and Goran Dragic. Reports are coming out that many owners around the league urged David Stern to veto the trade, but he decided against it, stating that the league will not be stepping between team transactions.”
-SportsCenter Transcript

“I was laughing my ass off. I mean Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant in the same backcourt? They had given up a bit of depth but come on, give me a break.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”

“Again, I can say this now. I was really considering joining the two of them when my contract had expired.”
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


2011-2012 NBA Season
The Clippers were one of the few teams who actually opened the season on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers would win 103-89 behind Carmelo Anthony’s 34 points. The rest of the shortened month were wins for Los Angeles over two powerhouses in San Antonio and Chicago.

However, Portland would hand the team their first loss of the season, were cameras picked up Carmelo Anthony and Head Coach Mike Brown arguing on the bench during a timeout, and Anthony would be sat for the entire fourth quarter.

“We just couldn’t get along. He had his ways to coach, I had my ways to play, it contradicted with one another and every passing day I started to hate him.”
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


“The argument had nothing to do with it, I just wanted to rest Carmelo for the rest of the game, even if it was on the line.”
-Mike Brown’s Post-Game conference

“If that’s what coach says, that’s what happened.”
-Carmelo Anthony’s Post-Game conference.

Two bounce back wins would happen against the Rockets and Bucks, where Steph Curry would be hot from three point range, hitting six threes against Houston and then five against Milwakuee.

“That season I finally was able to stay off the IR, so I was able to stay in the grove of things and I think it happened my progression alot.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


It wouldn’t just be Curry who was enjoying themselves from three, JJ Reddick and JR Smith would fill in for each other at the Shooting Guard position, and both would be hitting shots behind the arc, through January 11th the team would be sitting with a 7-1 record, while shooting a then league high 55% from three.

“The talk of Lebron James being the best player, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, they’re all valid but I think it’s time we add in Carmelo Anthony into the conversation, look at what he did with a bottomfeeder team in just a season and a half."
-Skip Bayless from ESPN’s First Take.

The first showdown in the so called “Battle of Los Angeles” with the new look Lakers saw the Lakers trounce the Clippers 112-87, where Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant would combine for 88 points.

“They kicked our asses. I think it was smart to say that I fully expected them to win the chip that year.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


The Clippers would get two bounce back wins against the Nets and Jazz, but then the defending Champs Dallas Mavericks would win off a Dirk Nowitizki Game Winning Jumper, then the Timberwolves would bully the Clippers in the paint thanks to DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Love both finishing with double digit rebounds. The Raptors would continue the losing streak and another Battle of Los Angeles would happen where the Lakers would again win 103-90 thanks to Bryant and Paul. The team would finish up the month by bouncing back with three more wins, thanks to the three point shooting of Curry, Reddick, Smith and Carmelo.

Three more wins kicked off February where Carmelo would put up 34,39 and 44, where he was immediately put back into MVP talks.

“Hell yeah he deserves it, look at where able to do thanks to his playing.”
-Steph Curry on Carmelo Anthony’s MVP talks.

“That interview actually made me look at Steph differently. I mean duh, we were teammates so we were friends or what have you, but his campaign for me to be MVP made us closer, which made our chemistry even better."
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


"Curry lobs it up for Anthony, who slams it down with authority!"

"Anthony down the lane, midair pass to Curry in the corner, bang!"

"Bounce pass that hits Anthony perfectly from Curry, and he slams it home!"

Orlando would break the Clippers’ six game win streak, thanks to Dwight Howard finishing with 22 points, 16 rebounds and 8 blocks. Cleveland would beat them as well, where Rookie Kyrie Irving would put up 30 points, but the team would come back with three straight wins thanks to Steph Curry averaging 21.3 PPG in that span.

“Like I said earlier, that season really helped my career. I only had I think one ankle injury that entire year, so I was able to keep my play up. Maybe it was the shortened season that helped. *Laughter*
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Another rookie, in the form of Kemba Walker, would light the Clippers’ defense for 31 points. Portland and San Antonio would blow the Clippers out both scores reading 102-88, then the final two games before the All-Star break would be wins thanks to Steph Curry’s 28 and 25 points.

The All-Star weekend would see Carmelo Anthony would be the only one invited to the All-Star game, but Steph Curry would be named to the Taco Bell Skills challenge, while JR Smith was invited to the Three Point Shot Contest. Both would lose in the first round, and Carmelo would only finish with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.

The team would start March with a five game winning streak, three being twenty point blowouts, where the team’s three point shooting was the main reason. Posting a 59% in the five games, it looked as if the team would be the best shooters in the league.

“I had multiple phone calls during the season. Well, I should say my agent did, but since I got to LA so many people wanted me in shows, movies, commercials, and what have you but I always said no. But it was one of my friends Joe who had just started his electrician service, so I did him a favor.”
-Carmelo Anthony in ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Taken from Local LA Commercial
-cutting into the middle of the commercial-

Joe: You don’t want no lights in your house, and you’re probably worried about the danger of messing with electricity flows yourself, so why not call a professional? I mean, just take it from my friend Carmelo.

*Camera pans to show him enter the frame*

Carmelo: That’s right, Joe. I only trust one man with my power, and that’s this guy right here. After all, you don’t want it to be Lights Out in your house.

“Jr and I actually got a laugh out of it, Carmelo couldn’t act back then, so we started calling him the Lights Out kid, which is ironic because with our hot streak behind the arc, the media started using that as our montra later on."
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Three more wins to extend the streak to nine games, which put them in neck to neck race with fellow Los Angeles team for the division, but then came the game against Atlanta.

“Curry on the fastbreak, down the lane for the easy layup, but he goes down holding his leg.”

“That summed up my legs. I was all by myself, just hitting an easy generic lay up and I still manage to twist my ankle.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


His absence would cause the team to lose four games in the four games he’d miss, dropping them slightly behind the Lakers for the lead. Curry would come back for the Indiana game, but the team would continue to lose, putting them on a seven game losing streak now far from the division lead. The final five games saw the team go 4-1 thanks to Carmelo Anthony’s play, averaging 32 PPG in the five.

The final month of the season saw the team go 8-6, where Coach Mike Brown would start to rest his stars and starters waiting for the playoffs, where a matchup with the fellow new look Memphis Grizzlies awaited.

“It was my first award of my career, even if it basically says, ‘hey you sucked last year’ but I was really humble to accept it.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Season Awards
MVP: SF- Lebron James (Carmelo Anthony finished 3rd)
ROTY: PG- Kyrie Irving
DPOY: C- Tyson Chandler
SMOTY: SG- James Harden (JR Smith finished 5th)
MIP: PG- Steph Curry

Eastern Conference Standings:
1. Chicago Bulls
2. New York Knicks
3. Miami Heat
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Boston Celtics
7. Orlando Magic
8. Philadelphia 76ers

Western Conference Standings:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Utah Jazz
8. Minnesota Timberwolves

Notes:
Decided to keep the CP3 trade as it'll play out for things down the line, and again to add some variation to the NBA in this TL. Enjoy as always.
 
2012 NBA Playoffs

2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. Memphis Grizzlies


Game One
The Los Angeles Clippers started their playoff run in the best way possible with a 124-87 victory over the Grizzlies.

Carmelo Anthony would put up 39 points and Steph Curry would put up 27 to go along with him, while JR Smith, JJ Reddick, David West and Gordon Hayward would all finish with double digit points as well.

Head Coach Mike Brown says it was a real team effort and that’s how teams win in the postseason.

Game Two
The Clippers now take a 2-0 series lead going back to Memphis where it was thanks to JJ Reddick’s dagger with 23 seconds remaining to put the team up by eight.

John Wall tried his best to win the game for his team, putting up 43 points in his best game of his career, regular season or postseason. But the overall effort once again made by the Clippers saw the Clippers win 98-94.

The Grizzlies need something to change as they are in a deep hole going back home.

Game Three
The Grizzlies managed to make this series interesting, with their own blowout victory. In large part due to Blake Griffin.

He posted 29 points and 17 rebounds, bullying David West and DeAndre Jordan in the paint to lead his team to the 104-84 victory. Carmelo Anthony was off, shooting 2-9 from the three point line.

Game Four
Now we have a series. Tied 2-2 going back to the Staples Center.

John Wall was able to breeze past Steph Curry to hit a layup to put them up by ten with 44 seconds to go. JJ Reddick would hit a three pointer to make it single digits again, but Blake Griffin in the post ended the comeback dream.

“Coach wanted to go to the paint for Game five and we all thought that was idiotic. Again, he had his ways to coach but it just didn't gel with how all of us played.”
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


Game Five
The Clippers are now on the brink of another first round exit, thanks to the Grizzlies 105-79 point victory. The Clippers, who many argue are the best three point team in the league, only attempted 20 on the entire game. Head Coach Mike Brown said that they tried to catch the Grizzlies off guard, but it just didn't work.

Game Six
That’s more like it.

A game seven in the Staples Center will happen thanks to JR Smith, of all people.

Posting 33 points, on seven three pointers, he would be the leading scorer for both teams.

Carmelo Anthony would do his usual, putting up 27 points and Steph Curry would finish with 21.

Game Seven
This is what everyone wants out of a game seven of the NBA Playoffs.

Tied 94-94 with 1:20 to go, Carmelo Anthony would hit a layup. Then John Wall would hit one in return.

JJ Reddick would miss a three, but David West would be there for the putback, exactly why the team would sign him. However, Blake Griffin would return the favor with his work in the post.

Now a 98-98 game with 50 second to go, the Clippers wanted to go for a three to put pressure on the Grizzlies. Carmelo would be double teamed, so Curry would be left open and he’d hit the shot.

Wall would miss the next shot, and free throws from JJ Reddick would add onto their lead and give them the series win, where a date with the San Antonio Spurs would wait in the second round.

“We had every belief we could beat them, why wouldn’t we?”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


2012 Western Conference Semifinals vs. San Antonio Spurs

Game One
The Clippers steal game one, and home court advantage thanks to a late steal on Tony Parker. A rare bad pass from the legendary Point Guard, saw Carmelo Anthony pick it off and be fouled to hit free throws to ice the game.

The Clippers did have trouble with guarding Tim Duncan in the paint. He’d put up 24 points and 12 rebounds, they’ll need someone to step up on defense if they want the wins to continue.

Game Two
The Spurs tie the series up with an easy 109-89 victory.

Tim Duncan would continue his game from game one, where he’d control the pain and boards with a performance of 27 points and 9 rebounds, including 4 blocks.

Game Three
A late miss from Carmelo Anthony means the Spurs now have a 2-1 lead in the series by escaping with a 99-94 victory.

Tony Parker would make up for his game one mistake by hitting a dagger jumper over Steph Curry to put them up by five with 23 seconds left.

Game Four
3-1 lead for the Spurs now, as another blowout comes at the hands of the Clippers’ poor three point shooting. 15-41 from the arc meant the Clippers buried their own grave in their 110-80 loss.

Game Five
The San Antonio Spurs will be going to the Western Conference Finals while the Clippers will again go home wondering what happened?

Up by five with a minute to go, it looked like they’d live another day.

However, a rare mistake by JJ Reddick would see him foul Manu Ginobili on a three point attempt, which also went in. He’d hit the free throw and just like that, it was only a one point game.

A miss from Carmelo Anthony, then a putback from DeAndre Jordan would roll off the rim and Tim Duncan would snatch up the rebound and call their final timeout.

An inbounds pass to Parker saw him again hit a jumper, this time over Curry and JR Smith, and from there the Spurs would hold onto their lead to send the Clippers home.

“It was just like the Thunder the year before, we somehow blew a major lead in the dying seconds to lose and go home.”
-Steph Curry from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”


“I had more confidence in the guys than I did from the year before. I mean we had won a playoff series and gotten one game from the Spurs, so I felt alot better in the team.”
-Carmelo Anthony from ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Lights Out In LA.”

Rest of the playoffs
Chicago Bulls def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1 (Rose avoids ACL Injury)
San Antonio Spurs def. Minnesota Timberwolves 4-0
New York Knicks def. Orlando Magic 4-0
Los Angeles Lakers def. Utah Jazz 4-0
Miami Heat def. Boston Celtics 4-3
Oklahoma City Thunder def. 4-0
Indiana Pacers def. Atlanta Hawks 4-2
Los Angeles Clippers def. Memphis Grizzlies 4-3

Chicago Bulls def. Indiana Pacers 4-2
San Antonio Spurs def. Los Angeles Clippers 4-1
New York Knicks def. Miami Heat 4-2
Oklahoma City Thunder def. Los Angeles Lakers 4-2

New York Knicks def. Chicago Bulls 4-3
Oklahoma City Thunder def. San Antonio Spurs 4-2

2012 NBA Finals New York Knicks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

New York Knicks
PG- Norris Cole
SG- Joe Johnson
SF- Lebron James
PF- Amare Stoudamrie
C- Tyson Chandler

Oklahoma City Thunder
PG- Russell Westbrook
SG- Thabo Sefolosha
SF- Kevin Durant
PF- Serge Ibaka
C- Kendrick Perkins

Game One
The Knicks take a 1-0 series lead, thanks in part to Lebron James’ dagger over Kevin Durant in the final 20 seconds to put them up by five.

Lebron James seemed like a man on a mission to redeem himself from last year’s embarrassing Finals performance.

32 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, an NBA Final game to remember.

However, he did just this last year against the Dallas Mavericks, so Lebron and Knick fans will need to wait and see.

Game Two
The Thunder tie the series up, going back to Oklahoma for the next three games, just as they had to do.

Lebron James and Kevin Durant had themselves a duel, both finishing with 30 points each but it was James Harden who would have the last laugh for the Thunder by hitting a layup over Defensive Player of the Year in Tyson Chandler to allow the Thunder to sneak away with a 102-99 victory.

Game Three
The New York Knicks disappearing act gives the Thunder a 2-1 series lead.

Lebron James tried his best finishing with 33 points, but the only problem was the second highest scorer on his team would be Amare Stoudamarie with 16 points. Joe Johnson would finish with only 9.

The Thunder on the other end played as great as they could, shooting a team effort of 55% from the field to get the easy 109-80 victory.

Game Four
The series will now be a best of three as the Knicks tie it 2-2 thanks to Joe Johnson redeeming himself from his awful Game Three performance.

Finishing with 29 points, 18 coming from the three point line, the Knicks cruised to an easy 119-99 victory. Lebron James would finish with 23 points, while Amare Stoudamarie finished with 21.

Tyson Chandler also did his part, getting 11 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Game Five
Lebron James is now one game away from winning his first championship in his career, and the Knicks for the first time in this century.

Lebron also had his NBA Finals moment.

With about 2:22 left, the Knicks were up by 11 when Lebron’s leg cramped up and he had to be taken out of the game. With his absence, the Thunder, more specifically Kevin Durant, was able to make the Knicks’ lead one point with 0:58 left.

Lebron would come back in the game, limping with his leg still not being 100%, and he’d knock down a three over Durant to put them back up by four. A miss by Russell Westbrook and two free throws by Joe Johnson would seal the deal for the Knicks.

Game Six
The New York Knicks are NBA Champions, and Lebron James gets that elusive ring for the first time in his career.

Lebron James put it perfectly himself with his now famous “It’s about damn time” answer in post-game interviews.

The Thunder laid a massive egg in the second half to allow the Knicks to run away with a 129-100 victory, due to the third quarter performance by the Knicks. Outscoring the Thunder 42-19 in that period alone, Lebron would get 14 of his 35 points in that period as well.

New York Knicks def. Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2
Finals MVP: Lebron James


Notes:
Clippers fall to the mighty Spurs, while it’s about damn time still happens for Lebron, still over the Thunder. Enjoy as always.
 
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