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Los Angeles Clippers: Shake Up The Core?

By Josh Cornelissen

Nov 11, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and head coach Doc Rivers and center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Chris Paul (3) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and head coach Doc Rivers and center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Chris Paul (3) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Los Angeles Clippers fell to injuries and a determined Portland team in the playoffs. What sort of crazy turns will their offseason have in store?

Apr 29, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) talks to Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) after game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Trail Blazers won 106-103. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) talks to Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) after game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Trail Blazers won 106-103. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports /

For roughly 30 hours last week, the Los Angeles Clippers saw the road ahead clearing for that all-elusive goal, an NBA championship. Stephen Curry, Clippers’ kryptonite looming as a second-round foe, was out indefinitely with a knee injury.

The Clippers were up 2-1 on their current foe, needing two wins in four games, including two more on their home floor.

Then, past the wounded Warriors, a Spurs team would be expected to meet them in the conference finals that they defeated in last year’s playoffs. And no one in the East, even LeBron, scares the top teams in the West.

Chris Paul’s stigma of never getting past the second round, the Clippers’ inability to reach true success, the idea that if you’re not a top-three title contender you should tear it down. All of that and more would fall to the wayside with a Clippers title.

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Then Chris Paul’s finger hooked into Gerald Henderson’s jersey, Blake Griffin limped off the court and suddenly the Clippers were doppelgangers for the Memphis Grizzlies. Griffin reinjured his quad and was ruled out for the playoffs; Paul broke his hand and is out longer than that.

Portland didn’t have an easy time closing out the series. The remaining Clippers fought hard, including Austin Rivers gamely returning and, at times, taking over the game after taking an elbow to the face that split him open and covered his face in blood. DeAndre Jordan was everywhere on defense, trying to plug holes caused by the mediocre defenders replacing Paul and Griffin.

But Portland was the better team, with three of the four best players remaining (J.J. Redick was a shell of himself) and closed out the series in Game 6, winning 106-103 at home to advance. The Clippers were left to limp home, pondering an offseason that came altogether too soon.

Next: No More Roc Divers?

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