Clippers reserve guard Terance Mann is adjusting to his new gig behind starting point guard Russell Westbrook, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Having replaced Reggie Jackson, Mann had been the team’s starter at the point until Westbrook joined the club.
“It’s all right,” Mann said of the change. “Kind of reminds me of the position I had (before). I think I’ve been here before earlier in the year. Same sort of role if I can recall. But it’s been going all right. Just figuring it out. New unit. New voices out there. Different looks. So just sifting it out, sifting through it.
“… You know, they just want me to go out there and bring energy,” Mann continued. “I think I can do a way better job defensively than I had been doing. But just bring energy on the offensive. Make shots and play defense. And I think that’s going to be my role on this team, from here on out.”
There’s more out of California:
- Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is counting on star wings Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to help the team hone its defense in the home stretch of the season, says Law Murray of The Athletic. “The last two days, we challenged our team to be better defensively, and I thought tonight with [George] setting the tone early, I just thought our defense tonight was really good,” Lue said. “I thought we really got into the ball. We were physical… I thought PG and Kawhi really set the tone early, and everyone else I thought was really good defensively.”
- Ahead of Wednesday’s Golden State/Memphis game, Warriors forward Draymond Green took to his podcast via The Volume and launched into a lengthy tirade against Grizzlies small forward Dillon Brooks, who had previously talked derisively about Green, writes Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “This idiot said, ‘I don’t know what Draymond does out there, I just don’t like Golden State,'” Green said said. “I, quite frankly, wouldn’t like a team that beats me all the time, either.”
- Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell is expected to return to action on Friday for the team’s game against the Raptors, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). McMenamin adds that Russell will immediately move ahead of Dennis Schröder, who had been starting while D-Lo was hurt.
Yikes. Draymond even acknowledging the comments is pretty cringey. Let it go dude…and ppl out here cranky over Ja…smdh
He is correct on one thing Memphis will never win a ring. Like I been saying all along if Nuggets are healthy they will be going up against the Bucks in the championship
I mean its his podcast so of course he’s going to talk about it at some point. But he is right, Brooks hasn’t done anything to really be talking as much as he talks. He’s a volume scorer that plays physical, in your jersey defense a la Pat Beverley that talks like he’s the best player on his team or has a track record of star level play. Like all of the Brooks stuff is great for getting the home crowd hyped and for trying to build the tough/scrappy culture the Grizzlies seem to want to build, but to those outside the Grizzlies organization it probably comes off as “all bark, no bite” considering Brooks’ role and that the Grizzlies are just another team since they haven’t proven to be a perennial championship team yet.
Calling Dillon Brooks a volume scorer is a stretch. Call a spade a spade, he’s a chucker. His shooting “efficiency” is almost identical to Josh Smith’s in Detroit. That’s just embarrassing, and it’s not like he plays elite defense either. He’s a good, aggressive defender but he’s nowhere near elite on that end. At least Pat Bev was a great defender at his peak, and can play effectively off the ball. Brooks is taking the fourth most shots on his team despite having awful efficiency.
The whole Ja situation is music to Draymonds ears…
After the punch he was seen as one of the NBAs biggest problem children…
Now he’s a fart in the clouds compared to the garbage that Ja and Kyrie have dragged the NBA through…
Still a fart though