Hoops Habit
Fansided

Los Angeles Clippers: 2016-17 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

November 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) speaks with guard Chris Paul (3) during a stoppage in play against Toronto Raptors during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
November 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) speaks with guard Chris Paul (3) during a stoppage in play against Toronto Raptors during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 7
Next
Los Angeles Clippers
Apr 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick (4) looks towards the bench for direction against the Portland Trail Blazers in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /

Best-Case Scenario

Blake Griffin makes up for lost time with an MVP-caliber season, winning the award in a wide open year. Chris Paul shows no sign of decline at age 31, and neither does the sharpshooting J.J. Redick. DeAndre Jordan submits another monster defensive season, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors.

More from Hoops Habit

Doc Rivers is able to recreate some of that magic from his ubuntu Boston Celtics teams, and the Clippers steamroll their way to 59 wins and the second seed in the West. They beat the Spurs in a hard-fought second round matchup, overcoming those semifinal demons with the help of Paul Pierce, who has one last vintage playoff performance left in the tank.

In the conference finals, they face an injured Golden State Warriors team whose chemistry never clicked the way it should have. Lob City’s continuity and improved bench give them the edge and they pull off the unlikely upset.

In the Finals they face LeBron James’ Cavs, who are also dealing with injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. This string of injury luck gives the Clippers the edge again, and they manage to win their first NBA title behind heroic performances from Griffin and CP3. Winning a championship is more than enough to convince the Clippers’ impending free agents to remain in Los Angeles.

Worst-Case Scenario

Blake Griffin and/or CP3 are injured again, putting an early damper on the Clippers’ season. Lob City still breezes its way to around 50 wins, but falls to fourth or fifth in the Western playoff picture as Chris Paul finally begins to show signs of decline.

The Clippers’ bench pieces fail to fit together and Doc Rivers has problems finding a workable rotation when his starters need a breather. Griffin and CP3 grow frustrated with the whole process, and another first or second round upset sends them over the deep end.

Clinging to their current core, the front office fails/is unable to trade their star players on expiring deals, losing one or both of them in free agency for nothing. The once promising Lob City era ends in zero championships, and the Clippers are left trying to pick up the pieces with a dearth of future draft picks to use for rebuilding.

Next: Predictions

Home/LA Clippers