While the other Los Angeles team is faltering, the LA Clippers are slowly becoming the destination team in the NBA.
What a time it is in the NBA….and we’re not even talking about the exciting playoff action going on every night. For the LA Clippers, who are no longer in the playoff mix following a historic first-round elimination by the Golden State Warriors, the focus is decidedly forward. And that focus is getting brighter by the moment.
The LA Clippers know they are a destination team. Top tier market, elite coaching in Doc Rivers and his team, solid veterans (Beverly, Gallinari, Williams, Temple and Green, to name a few), stellar young players (Harrell, SGA, Shamet, Robinson, Zubac), Jerry West providing incomparable advising, an energized and dedicated fan base, and an ownership that is committed to making the LA Clippers a destination in the eyes of the rest of the NBA. Plus, if that weren’t enough, there’s the perfect weather AND cap space to land two elite free agents this summer.
Breaking news just serves to confirm that the LA Clippers are no longer the “other” Los Angeles team. Following the firing of head coach Luke Walton, and amid speculation that Lakers star LeBron James was building his preferred coaching staff behind the scenes, presumptive Walton replacement Tyronn Lue has now moved on from the Lakers, who are back to the drawing board in the search for a new head coach, in stark contrast to the Clippers who have inked Doc Rivers for a multi-year deal, guaranteeing he will lead the team into the bright future.
Ty Lue and his representatives have informed the Lakers that he is moving on from trying to be hired as the Lakers' new coach, sources. Lue and his reps thanked the Lakers.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) May 8, 2019
And now, the plot thickens again, as rumors circulate that LeBron himself may be headed for the exits. Reporting is that insiders are encouraging Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to trade King James, signaling an effort to cut losses on the Lakers/LeBron experiment that clearly did not work out as planned.
These new events, the latest in a string of disappointments for the struggling Lakers franchise, just shine the light even brighter on the LA Clippers. The NBA players, coaches and fans are learning what the LA Clippers loyalists have always known—the LA Clippers are the future of basketball in Southern California. When the Clippers turned the first round of the playoffs into a record-setting battle, Sports Illustrated went on record as saying that the LA Clippers are an enticing destination for the top free agents this summer. This take is not out on a limb.
For players and fans looking for innovation, excitement and a path to an NBA championship, it’s time to look at the LA Clippers as the destination of choice.