Los Angeles Clippers: Does Chris Paul’s Anger Towards Management Mean He’s Gone?
Chris Paul is as good as they come at the point guard spot and the Los Angeles Clippers will do the most they can to keep him. (Flickr.com photo by Nikk_LA)
Chris Paul once said he’s “99.5 percent sure he will be back with the Los Angeles Clippers next year.”
Well, I think it’s safe to say the recent actions of management have invited a bit more doubt into his mind and he will be listening to other offers a lot closer now.
In the NBA there are very few true superstars that can instantly transform a franchise. Just look at the huge cultural change Paul has brought in L.A. for instance, people are now bragging about sitting court-side at Clippers’ games.
So with that said, the obvious thing to do would seemingly be to bend over backwards to keep that superstar (who could easily walk away) happy, right?
Turns out the Clippers front office didn’t get that memo as they painted Paul the villain in the departure of coach Vinny Del Negro.
No, they did not directly say Chris Paul was to blame for the team parting ways with Del Negro. They just didn’t deny it and quell the speculation straight away after owner, Donald Sterling, essentially made him the scapegoat by telling the L.A. Times’ T.J Simers that: “This is a players’ league, and, unfortunately, if you want to win you have to make the players happy. Don’t you think that’s true?”
Reading between the lines I–and apparently many other people–assumed he meant his free-agent-to-be star player, thus Paul’s anger. And why wouldn’t he be upset? No one wants to be known as a “coach-killer,” least of all Paul, who clearly stated he wanted no part in the decision as he tries to protect his do-gooder image.
Dwight Howard comes to mind when you think of the term “coach-killer.” He went from a beloved, fun-loving man-child, to NBA enemy No. 1 when he allegedly asked management to fire Stan Van Gundy in the midst of his “will he stay or will he go saga” with the Orlando Magic.
Sure it’s healthy and perhaps expected for a superstar and coach to clash heads once in a while. That enables one to understand the other’s perspective. However, calling for another man’s head–that’s just plain wrong.
We haven’t seen such altercations between Paul and Del Negro, not in the public eye at least, so there doesn’t seem to be any friction between the two. In fact, Vinny had nothing but nice things to say about his former star, jokingly calling the offense the “Chris Paul system” and saying: “Chris is a pass-first point guard. Guys love playing with him. There were some limitations in the roster, but Chris is such a fantastic player and clutch player, he makes it work.”
Yes, Sterling was probably right and stating what many already thought, after all, Paul (as the star) didn’t exactly leap to Del Negro’s defense when asked for his input. Though in spite of everything, the fact of the matter is, you just don’t say that, least of all about a top-five NBA player who cares so much about protecting his good name and can easily walk if he so chooses.
Atlanta is now licking its chops at the prospect of landing CP3. After all, it’s the only other move that makes sense from a basketball standpoint with the possibility of playing alongside Dwight Howard, although D12 has said he isn’t exactly keen on the pressures of playing for his hometown team.
Then again, the best point guard on the planet can change that.
Ultimately, I think Chris Paul remains with the L.A. Clippers; it’s the move that makes the most sense. He already has a running mate in Blake Griffin, a great supporting cast ready for a championship run, and a beautiful city that absolutely adores him.
Now for the coaching vacancy. Byron Scott anyone?