After years of letting their young players languish on the end of their bench, the Los Angeles Clippers took a big step forward by starting their own D-League franchise.
The Los Angeles Clippers have struggled to develop their young players in the Doc Rivers era. As a perennial playoff team, the Clippers did not have any minutes available to devote to growing their less seasoned players.
From Reggie Bullock to C.J. Wilcox to Diamond Stone this year, recent draft picks have not been able to do much more than watch from the sidelines.
However, that issue is set to change in a big way next season:
D-League scuttle ... hearing that the Clippers are working toward naming their new 2017-18 team thusly: Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 9, 2017
While the new team’s name might not be particularly popular, this move represents a huge step forward for the Clippers as a franchise. They will be able to give their young players crucial playing time throughout the season.
Furthermore, these young players will get to play under coaches that can teach the Clippers’ system. Lastly, they will not have to ship their players to other D-League teams that are farther from Los Angeles.
This move will be a huge boon to the Clippers’ ability to develop players. The new franchise will benefit the team as soon as it opens play next year. However, the team will arguably be even more critical going forward than it will next season.
Current Outlook
The Los Angeles Clippers did manage to find a D-League home for Diamond Stone this season, where he was an impressive offensive force. However, Stone spent time with two separate D-League teams. Both of those teams were nowhere near as focused on Stone’s development as they were on the development of their own players.
More from LA Clippers
- NBA Trades: This wild Mavs, Clippers, and 76ers deal must happen ASAP
- Ranking the 10 championship-less NBA teams by closeness to title
- Can the Clippers realistically sign Chris Paul after shocking waive news?
- NBA Rumors: This playoff team is now the leader to land Westbrook
- NBA Rumors: Westbrook may have played his final game for the Clippers
Stone will be the biggest beneficiary of this new D-League (technically G-League by next season) team. He only got to play 23 minutes for the NBA squad this year, but will almost certainly start for the Agua Client Clippers of Ontario.
The new team will also benefit Brice Johnson as he enters his second year. Johnson played limited minutes in his rookie year due to injury. However, he should be fully healthy next season and would make an interesting frontcourt partner for Stone in Ontario, California, which is only 50 miles away from Los Angeles.
That being said, the current outlook for the new franchise is somewhat tempered by the lack of incoming talent in this year’s draft. The Clippers owe their first round pick to the Toronto Raptors and their second round pick to the Boston Celtics.
The new team will be vital to the development of their two second-year players. The Clippers will also benefit from an easier path to taking flyers on undrafted rookies or other potential project players. However, the lack of draft assets means that the new franchise will be less vital this year than it will be going forward.
Future Outlook
The Los Angeles Clippers might look like an entirely different team next season. They will probably lose J.J. Redick to free agency. They might also lose one or both of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin as well.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
With those factors in mind, the Agua Caliente Clippers will be vital to their NBA squad in the next five years. While the Clippers are bereft of draft picks in 2017, they have a first round selection in 2018. They also have a second round pick in 2019 and two second round picks as well as their first round pick in 2020.
The Clippers will also have more opportunities to bring in project players in the years to come. While they might not be able to get the best talent in the G-League next season, they will have many more chances to snag those players after year one.
The general public might not like the name of the Agua Caliente Clippers. However, all Clippers fans should be excited about the prospects of the new franchise. The playing time for younger players will be a huge boon to the team’s development staff. It will also incentivize the Clippers to sign some younger talent. Without a chance at playing time, it is difficult for a playoff team to take chances on young players.
Next: 5 reasons the Los Angeles Clipper shouldn't blow it up
Those same young players can now play major minutes in Ontario. That will be a boon in the years to come, regardless of any roster changes that might alter the course of the Los Angeles Clippers during the next few years.