Nearly every summer, the LA Clippers’ front office has either added new pieces or subtracted some to create a new outlook through the start of another regular season during the Kawhi Leonard era. Yet, no matter what transactions Lawrence Frank makes, the Clippers have always been in the same position as they are today: championship contenders if healthy.
In the earlier years of Leonard’s time in LA, there was much more optimism that the Clippers could stay healthy as a group just for one season. A minimum of 70 regular-season games together would make 16 playoff wins feel easy, especially at a high seed.
Unfortunately, the Clippers have never gotten that out of their players, making it extremely tough now, more than ever, to stay hopeful and believe that this late into Leonard’s time in LA will be the season it all happens.
Lawrence Frank must take a step into reality if the LA Clippers do not end this season with a ring
Though Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Chris Paul, and Bradley Beal are older, they now enter the same facility each morning focused on one goal. That is 31 different All-Star selections and a multitude of honors, like assist champions, scoring champions, and more.
Moreover, these four, and the rest of the LA Clippers, are off to a rocky 3-3 start. Yet, the front office is upbeat and confident that, in the middle of the season, they will be a top-four seed with a lead in wins over several of their Western Conference competitors.
However, if age is really their biggest issue, making it hard to win easy games, or if injuries plague this season and the Clippers do not win it all, then Lawrence Frank must accept the most brutal reality check he has ever had to face.
Frank went to work and was dedicated to his craft by studying the ins and outs of the Clippers’ roster. He even made weakness-based acquisitions, for example, going from one season without a backup center to Brook Lopez, yet if it was not enough to win now, it will never be.
Thus, Frank’s next goal should be to set up an easy walkway for the Clippers to be the best in the future. They are soon going to have a ridiculous amount of cap space, and this is all the freedom needed to ultimately win for years on end.