Rowan Kavner
LOS ANGELES – The Clippers don’t want to dismiss tonight’s dress rehearsal for the regular season.
Tonight’s matchup against the Blazers marks the Clippers eighth and final preseason game. Rather than look past it to the games that will actually count, Chris Paul and the Clippers hope to use it as a jumping off point.
Paul referred to the game as a dress rehearsal. It’s a matchup he takes seriously against a Blazers team the Clippers will see again at STAPLES Center Nov. 8 in the regular season.
While the Clippers have had to get accustomed to a variety of lineups with typical starters getting rest days the last few games, Paul believes all hands will be on deck tonight.
“I think right now we’re just looking forward to this game and getting ready to get out there,” Paul said.
Even if Wednesday’s win against the Suns and tonight’s game against the Blazers won’t go toward the Clippers’ ultimate record, the Clippers do have the opportunity to get a two-game winning streak heading into the regular season. That would mark the first such streak of the preseason for the Clippers.
Paul’s coming off a performance with 34 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in a back-and-forth matchup against the Suns. Paul said he thought the Clippers played better in that game Wednesday, but he added that the team was one lucky shot away from losing.
Guard J.J. Redick said the Clippers needed to get that close-game feel back. Redick said there’s something to be gained from pulling out a win like that, even if it is in the preseason.
“We’ve had two of those in the preseason,” Redick said. “The other one was Utah. Then we’ve had some games where there’s just a lot of frustration and didn’t play particularly well. We’re just like any other team this time of year. We’re trying to build something, and any game like the other night is good for us.”
Other Notes
- Head coach Doc Rivers won’t have to worry about fatigue if he plays his starters deep into tonight’s game. The Clippers won’t start the regular season until Oct. 30.
- As much as the nucleus of the Clippers’ roster is the same this year, Paul said the players are still getting to know their new assistance coaches, and those coaches are still in the process of figuring out the players. He said the experience of Lawrence Frank, Mike Woodson and Sam Cassell helps with the trust factor.
- Paul led many of the categories in this year’s annual general manager poll. When told he was voted the top active player to make the best head coach one day, he said he appreciated the recognition, but made clear that’s not in his future plans.
- Redick said he enters this final preseason game feeling great physically, and his goal is to play in all 82 regular season games this year. He said last season was frustrating, with injuries limiting him to 35 games.
- Redick was also asked his thoughts on the latest report that Steve Nash will have to miss this season. The Clippers’ guard said he feels bad for Nash, calling him “one of probably the top five greatest point guards of all time” and “an obvious Hall of Famer.”
“I know how much he wants to play, that’s for sure,” Redick said. “He made that very clear to me, and I’m sure he’s made that clear to all the people around him, how much he loves playing. That’s where I feel for him. He’s a guy that just loves to play. To not be able to do it is sad.”
RELATED CONTENT