<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The collapsing Clips have some big decisions to make. Could one of them involve Kevin Durant? <a href="http://t.co/lcQ24ojbH1">http://t.co/lcQ24ojbH1</a> <a href="http://t.co/FlA3wH17et">pic.twitter.com/FlA3wH17et</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/600331282447339520">May 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
EDIT: I think you keep Griffin, he dominated that entire series. Jordan is good, but he's benefiting off of Paul and Griffin knowing how to play with him. I don't think he'll produce the same elsewhere. Paul is still a great player, but he's creeping up in his 30s (just turned 30?) and he was the least professional I've ever seen him at his press conference yesterday. He might be fed up. Paul will be making $21+ mil for the next 3 seasons. Depending on how you feel about his future, you either ride it out with him, or try to trade him to a contender and rebuild with Griffin manning the main stage. Free Agents on their team after this summer: Jordan (11mil) Big Baby (1.2mil) Hedo (1.4mil) Austin Rivers (2.4mil) Ekpeh Udoh (1 mil) Crawford (Team option 5.4mil) Hudson (111k) Probably bring back Jordan which should equate to a good chunk of everyone's salaries listed above. from there, I have no idea. Paul and Griffin will be there for a while, so those are pieces to play with. Paul, Griffin, Reddick, Hawes, Barnes, are all going to be there for atleast the next year. Those are your guys going into next season, nobody else. Paul, Reddick, X , Griffin, X. I don't think Barnes is a capable starter anymore. Jordan might test FA and bounce for Tejas. Two very big holes that need filling (No homo). Radar players: Jordan (Familiarity obviously) Kawhi (probably #1 priority) Butler Brook Lopez Hibbert Chandler (Paul played with him in NO) Middleton Tobias Harris Deng Kanter JR Smith Robin Lopez Lou Williams Danny Green Pierce Carrol etc. Decent Free Agents to be had for sure. Clips have an owner willing to spend. Future may not be bad for them if they can convince the league their not cursed....
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Report: Clippers interested in Lakers’ Wesley Johnson <a href="http://t.co/zxeppmhTzE">http://t.co/zxeppmhTzE</a></p>— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketballtalk/status/600347757547630592">May 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Let me ask what I believe to be a somewhat provocative question: If Thibodeau was coaching the Clippers instead of Doc, would the Clips be in the WCF right now? Assume everything is the same roster wise, only difference being the coaching staff. Also, where would the Bulls be after this swap? My own sense is that the Clips would definitely be in the WCF and that the Bulls would have been a low seed in the playoffs that loses in the first round.
^ I wasn't impressed with the way the Bulls came out during game 6. How do you lose by 20 pts in an elimination game at home? Inexcusable
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sources: DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul have had falling out throughout season, a fact that could push Jordan to another team in free agency.</p>— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportsreiter/status/600340364377985024">May 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Not sure if reputable
If DeAndre's leaving, I hope he goes to a team like the Lakers that has a ways to go until they compete, instead of the Mavs or Spurs. They'd have to move a few expirings, but the most interesting fit for me would be the Bucks. They're building a defensive juggernaut, and his length/athleticism would be the last piece there. Add the scoring of Jabari Parker, and you're looking at a solid team.
They better keep Austin Rivers if they know what's good. Dude did the Harden cookin'... that's superstar right there.
All season, multiple sources say, a growing schism emerged between Jordan and point guard Chris Paul, and it could contribute to Jordan's decision to stay or go as a free agent. Sources say Paul's well-known edginess and drive ground on Jordan's nerves for much of the year. Contributing to the problem was Paul's view that Jordan lacked the appropriate commitment to working on his free throws, including not working enough with the Clippers shooting coach on that issue, sources said. "Things aren't good there," a league source familiar with the inner workings of the Clippers organization said. Asked if the issues between the two were serious, the source said, "Oh yeah. (Jordan) might leave. He really might." It's certainly not a sure thing that Jordan leaves. But the Clippers do not enjoy the home-court advantage they should have in Jordan's free agency. Paul is apparently as talented at making his teammates better as he is surprisingly capable of getting on their nerves. Sources -- including two friends of Paul -- say he does wear on his teammates but only because he cares deeply about winning and carries himself as much as a coach as a point guard. The league source familiar with the Clippers organization says both players are great teammates -- only, often this season, not with each other. That's why, the source says, the Dallas Mavericks -- considered a major player in the Jordan sweepstakes -- could have as good a chance to land Jordan as the Clippers. http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/...s-clippers-free-agency-chris-paul-rift-051815
They need a SF badly, as well as an overall upgrade to their bench. For the SF, they need someone who has plenty of energy that doesn't need the ball. Someone like Wilson Chandler or Corey Brewer would be perfect for them. Their bench needs defense, not offense. What the hell are Austin Rivers, Spencer Hawes, Big Baby, and Jamal Crawford doing on the same 2nd unit? And for all that offensive focus they actually struggle to score efficiently. That's why they're one of the worst benches in the league. They need to bring in versatile defenders that can compliment their starters offensively, not dominate the ball. Role players like Shaun Livingston and Patrick Patterson would help. IMO, the Clippers are one of the most talented teams in the league. A core of Griffin/CP3/DJ is ridiculously good, it's the role players around them that need to step up. Anyone saying Paul needs to be traded is nuts. He's a beast and only 30, which is far from major decline in basketball terms. He probably won't fall off until the end of his contract so why try to rebuild/retool now? Their window is open for the new three or four years.
They don't have a choice but to sign DJ to a max deal. Lose him and they have 5.6M to sign a player with, if they don't pick up Jamal's options. He's not a bad player to be stuck with but it seems out of whack when you're paying 2 way players like CP3 and BG the same money as DJ who you have to sub out in big games because he can't hit FT's.
If they lose DJ to the Mavs for nothing you can stick a fork in the Clippers. Their defense will go to pieces. Most of the time, it's better for teams to "overpay" to retain their own free agents instead of letting them walk.
