The Los Angeles Clippers have had a very successful season. They were strong competitors in the West all the way through the 2018-19 campaign. Even after trading Tobias Harris, they remained a lock for the postseason. Many wrote the Clippers off before the season even started. However, their successful season shouldn’t have been a surprise.
In the offseason, after the Clippers were only a handful of wins away from the playoffs in the West, all the talk around the association was about how bad the Clippers were going to be this season. They salvaged a deal in a Chris Paul sign-and-trade, then traded franchise star Blake Griffin to the Pistons before letting DeAndre Jordan walk in the summer. In 12 short months, the Clippers disbanded the “Lob City Big 3” that had been the cornerstone of the most successful period in the history of the franchise.
Then the draft came along. The Clippers, now with Jerry West pulling the strings in the front office, passed on injured Missouri star Michael Porter Jr., not once, but twice. Having chosen the late draft-board climber Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the lesser-known Boston College SG Jerome Robinson, faith in the Clippers was at a 10-year low. However, the write-off brigade rang the sirens a little too early on LA’s red, white, and blue.
Broken and beaten
The Clippers were in disarray in the 2017-18 season. They had an injured Blake Griffin, who they traded halfway through the season. Lou Williams was their only other guaranteed bucket-getter. They had Tobias Harris for the second half of the season, but he also missed games. All in all, six players featured in 70 or more games for the Clippers, with DeAndre Jordan being the only guaranteed starter in the group. The likes of Danilo Gallinari, Avery Bradley, Pat Beverley, and Boban Marjanovic played 20 games or less. The inconsistency of their roster was a killer, but they were still very close to making the playoffs.
This season, the Clippers still had inconsistency in their squad. Due to trades, players such as Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and Avery Bradley were shown the door while the likes of Landry Shamet, Ivica Zubac, Garrett Temple, and JaMychal Green arrived around the trade deadline. However, more valuable players played for the bulk of the season. Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Pat Beverley, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all played 70+ games. Danilo Gallinari was heavily featured as was Tobias Harris before the trade. The reliability of the roster had a huge impact on their team’s success.
Performances
In 2017-18, the Clippers didn’t really have a “go-to” guy. Jordan was solid when grabbing boards but was otherwise irrelevant. Griffin had a decent season before he left, and Tobias Harris wasn’t there for long enough to make his mark. Only Lou Williams was guaranteed to make an impact throughout the campaign.
This time around, Danilo Gallinari has been “Mr. Consistent” for the Clippers, with both Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell offering firepower off the bench. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grew into his shoes, and the additions of Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet both had a big impact on the team in the final quarter of the regular season.
2017-18 Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams has been on fire for the Clippers this season. Averaging 20 PPG off the bench, “LouWill” scored 30+ eight times this season. He’s the bookmakers favorite to hold onto that award for another year, and there’s a good reason. He’s been the best player on one of the most fun teams in the league. His game, based off of former teammate Allen Iverson, is amazing to watch, and he’s come up clutch with winning buckets.
Beyond the box score, Pat Beverley and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were able to put the clamps on their opponents. Scenes of Beverley getting involved with the likes of Lonzo Ball, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook were as ever-present this season as James Harden 30-point games. The best part for the Clippers is that they have more to look forward to.
A bright future
Although Lou Williams, Pat Beverley, and Danilo Gallinari are 30 or over, most of the mainstays in the side are 25 and younger. Shai, Trezz, Zubac, Shamet, and Robinson all have their best years ahead of them. The Clippers may have no first round picks this year, but they have two firsts in 2020 and 2021, including the unprotected Miami pick in 2021. This pick is coveted around the league for three reasons.
- 1) Pat Riley has proven himself to be a terrible GM in the post-LeBron years.
- 2) This is one of the few unprotected picks left in the league for trades. 3)
- 2021 is expected to be the year of the double draft.
While their roster is solid right now, their cap situation makes for pretty viewing. The Clippers have the flexibility to hold onto all of their assets for another two seasons and pursue a max-contract level talent this summer. While the majority of the speculation has involved Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant is also a player that may well come to Los Angeles this offseason. They may even chase Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, or DeMarcus Cousins. What is for certain is that the Clippers have money to play with, and it’s highly likely that one All-NBA caliber talent will arrive this summer.
What do you think? Are the Clippers going to build on this season’s success? Can they win their series against the Warriors? Make sure to check out my social media, and let me know!
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