Clippers vs. Warriors: Mark Jackson drops a heater on J.J. Redick for no apparent reason
Man, these teams really do not like each other.
Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
J.J. Redick had the temerity to talk about the Clippers' offensive strategy against the Warriors on Friday. From ESPN L.A.:
“If Klay [Thompson] guards Chris [Paul], Chris is going to be in about 4,200 pick-and-rolls a game,” Redick said. “We want Klay to be in those pick-and-rolls. Klay and Andre [Iguodala] are great defenders, so as much as we can wear those guys down, that would be great.”
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So basically, if the Warriors stick Thompson on CP3 -- as they did repeatedly during the regular season -- the Clips plan to pick-and-roll him to death. As they do most defenders. The Clips are addicted to the pick-and-roll. Put a slower, bigger defender on CP3 (the best pick-and-roll point guard in the league) and they’ll do it even more.
That’s really no big deal. It’s not even clear Redick is suggesting Thompson is a bad defender -- in fact he calls him a “great defender,” a nice little white lie -- but just indicating what the Clippers will likely show him. I wouldn’t say that Redick took a shot at Thompson at all.
But Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who has crepe-thin skin, responded.
"Chris Paul's a heck of a player, future Hall of Famer," Jackson said. "He's an all-time great. I'm not sitting there saying we have a Chris Paul stopper, so it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, he's going to create challenges. Not as many as if J.J. Redick was guarding him, but he's going to create some challenges for our defense and any defense."
Emphasis mine. Dang, man. That’s a shot. Jackson betrays the pressure he’s feeling heading into this series. It would appear he’s going to be canned if Golden State doesn’t advance, and the Clippers are favorites here. The heat is on, and Jackson tried to send a bolt of it right at Redick. It landed.
Please let this series go seven fierce games.
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