Los Angeles Clippers: What To Expect Next Season
By Shane Young
After experiencing the devastation and embarrassment of their first-round loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Clippers had many questions to answer heading into the offseason.
The answers to all of them have been revealed. After a handful of significant moves and additions were made to the team in the last month, the discussions and predictions surrounding this team already begin to rise. Re-signing All-Star point guard Chris Paul and receiving veteran head coach Doc Rivers headline a summer that the Clippers will forever remember.
Darren Collison will join the Clippers to back up Chris Paul. (Photo Credit/Vernon Hadnot/D210 tv)
On July 10, the newest additions of guard J.J. Redick and forward Jared Dudley became official, as the two outstanding shooters were part of a three-team trade between Los Angeles, the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks. Losing crucial pieces of their roster in Caron Butler and Eric Bledsoe won’t put much of a burden on the team at all, as Dudley and Redick are much better outside shooters.
Making up for the loss of depth at the point guard position, the team also welcomed Darren Collison (formerly a Dallas Maverick) to Los Angeles. Collison has provided more individual production early in his career than Bledsoe, which leads many to believe this was a fantastic steal to back up Paul.
Will new coach Doc Rivers lead his new team to the Finals?(Flickr.com photo by Keith Allison)
To go along with the new faces, general manager Gary Sacks was also happy to re-introduce forward Matt Barnes and center Ryan Hollins, who both decided to re-sign with new contracts.
Reloading for 2013-14, the Clippers may have given the fans and experts many reasons to over-hype their future. Before anyone is ready to jump to the conclusion that this team is ready to win a title, lets look at the most realistic expectations for their upcoming season:
Chris Paul finally winning the MVP Award
Coming off a 56-win season (the most in franchise history), Los Angeles was indeed led by Paul, who averaged 16.9 points and 9.7 assists through 70 games. Much like Tony Parker, Paul was deep in the discussion for Most Valuable Player before being sidelined due to injury. LeBron James remained healthy and the Miami Heat’s incredible season allowed him to retain the honors. However, we may be in store for Paul’s greatest season of his career.
Chris Paul claims he’s even more determined to claim a championship. Photo Credit: Chrishmt0423 (Flickr.com)
Informing their superstar that he would receive the help of two new perimeter specialists (Redick and Dudley), as well as a coach with championship experience, the Clippers assured Paul that things would flow better this upcoming season. Spreading the offense and forcing teams to fear the new long-ball weapons is something that will relieve some of the pressure off of Paul. With some of the best leadership skills in the league, I look for him to have a much easier time on the offensive side of the floor this season.
While it’s widely expected that his assists are going to continue to rise with the added chemistry and new scoring talents in Los Angeles, Paul’s hunger for a championship will also bring out a 20-plus point per game season, something we haven’t seen since his days in New Orleans.
If this becomes another historic season for the Clippers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more MVP voting ballads favoring Paul over LeBron James.
The Frontcourt will Improve
Without a doubt, one of the monumental struggles the Clippers faced in their pursuit of a championship became their lack of a dominant frontcourt. People should not misunderstand, however, as Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are phenomenal athletes with bright futures. The evidence supporting their lack of throwback post talent appeared in the first round of the playoffs, as they were no match for the superior Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.
Next season should spark the transformation and blossoming of the Clippers’ young stars.
Athletic and driven, Blake Griffin must develop into the post presence Los Angeles needs. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
While it is quite possible that former coach Vinny Del Negro didn’t focus on the development of Griffin and Jordan, that will not be the case when Doc Rivers is in control. Rivers, as well as any accomplished coach, is aware that a team needs reliable paint production to be successful in the playoffs, not just flashy dunks. Having the opportunity to coach Kevin Garnett for six seasons, I look for Rivers to challenge Griffin and Jordan and ultimately help improve their fundamental post skills.
Earlier this week, Chris Paul addressed his team’s frontcourt in an interview with Stephen A. Smith. When asked if he could compete for a championship with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan as his front line, Paul said, “No question. We have to, that’s why we play the game.”
Many expert’s projections will have the Clippers reaching, or exceeding, their 56-win mark from last season. Deservedly so, as they will once again have high expectations.