2) Get another big who can play defense
Here’s an important task going forward. One of the on-court issues the LA Clippers faced was that, when Ivica Zubac went off the floor, opponents had a much easier time getting to the rim and scoring. The Clips need to stem that bleeding next season; they can’t have the bench unit just hemorrhaging points.
With Montrezl Harrell’s future as a Clipper uncertain at this time, the Clips should be looking at potential replacements anyway.
Not to mention, look at the other non-Laker, non-Clipper contenders in the West next season. You’ve got the Rockets, the Nuggets, the Mavericks and the Warriors. All of those teams have either a big (or bigs) that are offensive powerhouses, elite pick and roll threats that can force switches, centers who can bomb it from outside, or some combination of the three.
If they want to come out on top, the Clippers need another big they can throw at these teams. We’ve looked at some options in free agency in the past, and we’ve also looked at the possibility of trading for Myles Turner.
My preference here is Nerlens Noel. He’s a defensive present down low and can alter shots with the best of them. On top of that, he’s got the athleticism to play defense on the perimeter; now of course, he’s not gonna be locking down Stephen Curry or James Harden, but no big is.
But being able to throw Noel up as a reserve big will help a lot if the bench unit still includes guys like Lou Williams or Reggie Jackson. Having a defensive anchor out there in those minutes, and having somebody that we could throw against the Kristaps Porzingis‘ of the world would be a big improvement next season.