Los Angeles Clippers: 5 Overreactions To Avoid
2. “The Clippers Need To Blow It Up”
Yes, the Clippers fell disappointingly short of expectations in the playoffs once again. Yes, they became the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead. And yes, the roster was never built to win an NBA championship, despite the Herculean efforts of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
But why do the Clippers need to blow up their core, exactly?
Think about it. If not for the starters being gassed because they had no support, the Clippers finish that series off nine times out of 10. They had a 3-1 lead with Chris Paul missing the first two games of the series! That Rockets team was no pushover, as we learned in full detail in the last three games. Lob City blew it again, but why blow up a core that was so clearly unstoppable?
Everyone's talking about blowing up the Clippers. That starting lineup is REALLY good. What they need is a bench... AND A GENERAL MANAGER.
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) May 18, 2015
It was the bench that gave up the game-changing runs, not the starters.
Remember how the Clippers’ starting five had a definitive edge over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round? Remember how Blake Griffin was the best player in the postseason? Remember when Lob City had a 19-point lead with two minutes left in the third quarter of Game 6 and it was all but certain they’d be moving on?
It’s easy to forget once everything’s collapsed, but this team was RIGHT THERE.
Clippers had a 97.7% win probability with 2:17 left 3Q via @inpredict . And then \ pic.twitter.com/JdowI18z1K
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) May 15, 2015
The Clippers are closer to contending than you’d think, even with CP3 approaching 31. As long as he avoids injury, there’s no reason Paul can’t continue to be effective well into his 30s. Griffin is barely in his prime now and if the Clippers can keep Jordan this summer, they’ve got their Big Three. From there, it’s a matter of rounding out the roster.
There’s no quick fix with the Clippers hard-capped this summer, but as we’ve already covered, the NBA’s salary cap is set to jump through the roof soon. It’s tempting to jump to a hasty conclusion after such a disappointing playoff defeat, but the landscape of the Western Conference is changing.
Lob City needs to remain at the top of the food chain as the former dynasties around them begin to reshape and start over. Blowing it up now accomplishes nothing and would waste prime years in Griffin’s career.
Next: No. 1