Being the sixth seed in the Western Conference is a feat, especially with such stiff competition. With the Clippers coming off of last season on such a high, this season has not gone as planned.
It was assumed that chemistry in the locker room, production from the bench and the right coach in place was the formula for the Clippers to be one of the top-tier contenders in the league. With half the season behind them, the Clippers are still trying to figure things out.
Two holes in elevating the Clippers to that elite status are depth and filling the three position. For head coach Doc Rivers, those are two of the main priorities as the Feb. 19th trade deadline draws near. After finalizing one trade sending Jared Cunningham to the Philadelphia 76ers, question marks form as to why the Clippers did not include Tony Wroten in the deal.
Reports by the Orange County Register indicate, the Clippers did inquire about Wroten.
Interest in Wroten remains, but nothing seems imminent on that front.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 7, 2015
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard is currently the 76ers leading scorer. He is also the youngest in the NBA to lead his team in scoring at 21 years old, averaging 17.4 points per game. With the 76ers being one of the worse teams in the league,there are question marks as to whether Wroten’s performance this season is somewhat heightened by the fact that the 76ers are just that bad.
Issues arise on the Clippers end when it comes to financial flexibility being that the team is already more than $3 million over the tax line. Wroten’s contract is worth $1.2 million this season and $2.1 million next season. With the salary dump from the Jared Cunningham deal, the Clippers have the ability to finesse adding one minimum-salary contract.
The other issue the Clippers run into is who they would trade — Los Angeles does not have assets to leverage with in enticing a team into a deal. The one that comes to many team’s minds is sixth man Jamal Crawford and despite many teams attempt to include Crawford in trade talks, the Clippers have expressed they have no intentions of trading him.
Rumors have also been swirling about grabbing Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green as the Clippers attempt to fulfill the small forward position. Rivers coached Green for two-and-a-half seasons in Boston.
The Clippers moves this offseason were supposed to bulk up the roster and aid with some of the gaps the team was experiencing. Thus far this season, the Clippers bench has proven to be quite the disappointment.
The Clippers signed Spencer Hawes this past summer for the full mid-level exception over four years valued at $23 million. Coming off a 13.2 points and 8.1 rebound season with the 76ers and Cavaliers, the Clippers expected he would live up to expectations. The loudest statement the big man has made this season has not come from his production on the court, but instead his fashion choices as Hawes’ Christmas game suit has attracted much more attention that his stats. He is averaging 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Runner up for disappointment from the bench has to be awarded to Chris Paul‘s backup, Jordan Farmar. Farmar, who replaced Darren Collison this season, is averaging 4.6 points after putting up 10.1 points on average for the Lakers last season.
With the Feb. 19 trade deadline looming, it remains to be seen whether Rivers can add pieces to strengthen the Clippers bench under such financial limitations.