The offseason may not be over for the LA Clippers, but the NBA Draft and the hottest part of free agency are long gone.
The Clippers weren’t the most active team in terms of making many acquisitions to their roster, and making changes.
That, however, was the best part of the Clippers’ offseason. There was no need to fix a roster that isn’t at all broken.
The biggest win of the LA Clippers’ offseason was that they kept the squad together.
The LA Clippers don’t need to go out and make changes to their team just to make changes.
They had a roster that made the Western Conference Finals and hung tough despite having the most injured team in basketball all year. They didn’t even have Kawhi Leonard for the Western Conference Finals, or the Semis after the series was tied at 2-2.
All this team needed was continuity, and they’re getting it. The number one thing moving forward for the Clippers is going to be all about gelling together.
All of Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris Sr., and Serge Ibaka missed significant time during the 2020-2021 season. Let’s also not forget Ivica Zubac’s injury in the Western Conference Finals. This team doesn’t need new additions, it simply needs more time to play together and improve the chemistry of the team.
We already know the heart that this team has. Imagine these guys getting more of a chance to figure out how to play with each other. We don’t need to go out and trade for a star just to say we did, and ruin our court spacing like the Lakers did. We don’t need to go out and overpay for a Lonzo Ball or a Kyle Lowry either, when we can simply bring Reggie Jackson back.
All the Clippers needed to do was draft well, which they did, and sign a free agent or two that fits with the team, which they also did with the Justise Winslow signing.
Bringing back our franchise player in Leonard, an impact starting wing and veteran leader in Nicolas Batum, a postseason menace in Jackson, and an automatic shot-swatter in Serge Ibaka is just what we needed to make sure that we will compete in this upcoming season.
This same team without Leonard and Ibaka won the West Semis in six and took the Suns to six games in the Western Conference Finals. Ibaka should be back soon, and we’ll likely see Leonard by playoff time. This team got better by keeping these hoopers intact.