The Los Angeles Clippers’ championship hopes could be over within two years with this group as the team needs to win now or face Memphis’ future.
With the NBA arguably more competitive than ever after an Eastern Conference resurgence with young teams like the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics turning potential into wins, it’s realistic to think that within two years this opportunity for the Los Angeles Clippers could be over.
Whilst the Clippers are nothing like the grit and grind style of the Memphis Grizzlies, they do have their own ‘style’ of lob-city, something that excited the local Los Angeles fans, possibly pushing their attention away from the city rivals in purple and gold. But this style has delivered failure in the playoffs the last four years, despite improved regular season success.
Similarly, the Grizzlies have maintained their identity with the core of slower paced offense, trying to keep all their pieces together for another run at a championship.
Shaun Powell of NBA.com suggested this week that it’s time for the Grizzlies to rebuild, but the championship situation for the Clippers doesn’t paint that much prettier of a picture despite what a seven-game win streak might suggest.
Last season with Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka injured, despite the late season heroics of Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder missed the playoffs. However, moves they made at the trade deadline to solidify their bench with D.J. Augustin, Kyle Singler and Enes Kanter made them a much deeper team than they were previously.
Now, one would no longer think the team would capitulate without one of their two leaders on the floor. It puts much less pressure on Ibaka to be a third-piece of a trio like the Miami Heat had in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and it has safely solidified third in the Western Conference for them behind San Antonio and Golden State. By having a year without the glamour of a post-season run, the Thunder actually managed to come back stronger.
Now, I’m not suggesting that the Clippers should tank by any means, but they need to do something before the deadline. With their core they certainly aren’t going to drop down to lottery consideration to rebuild via the draft but there is certainly more playing time available for second unit guys with Blake Griffin injured.
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Griffin leads the team in points per game (23.2) and is currently second in rebounding (8.7). However, the team is only 25th in the league in rebounding, with only Griffin and DeAndre Jordan posting above 3.8 boards a game, and third best on the team Josh Smith has been consigned to the bench. There is an opportunity for a guy to either fill in or come off of the bench to back up these two.
The Celtics are dangling David Lee in trade discussions, so why not someone like him, who proved in the playoffs last year that he could at least contribute? There would be much more playing time available for him with the Clippers, than with the surplus of frontcourt players the Celtics possess.
The team also needs a legitimate 3-and-D player, a rare commodity in the NBA, as DeMarre Carroll’s 4-year, $60 million contract in the off-season is testament to. Someone like P.J. Tucker of the Phoenix Suns would be ideal, particularly with Phoenix’s struggles, but there’s no getting away from the fact that the Clippers have very little to offer.
Next: Clippers Trade Talk: 5 trade targets to finally fix the bench
If L.A. are to win the championship, look out for a move to solidify the bench in the upcoming weeks.