Clipped Once Again

There is no denying that the Los Angeles Clippers are one of the better teams in the NBA during this era. Each of the last six NBA seasons have seen the Clippers make the NBA Playoffs, and in the postseason they’ve been able to secure series wins over the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs who have won two of the last three NBA Titles. However the Clippers were unable to keep the momentum going after those series wins over the Warriors and Spurs as they have never advanced to the conference finals in their franchise history. Last season the Clippers won 53 games, but by the time that the playoffs rolled around, they had lost the services of point guard Chris Paul and Blake Griffin which made them easy pickings for the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. This season the Clippers went 51-31 in the regular season, and there was some optimism for them heading into the playoffs. But like any Hollywood production, that optimism for the Clippers has now faded to black.

The Clippers would drop their playoff opener at home to the Utah Jazz who were playing without the services of center Rudy Goubert. The Clippers would bounce back to win Games 2 and 3 as they appeared ready to take control of the series. However things changed during Game 3 when Griffin suffered what initially appeared to be an insignificant toe injury. But that was not the case as that toe injury will put Griffin on the sidelines for the remainder of the postseason, and with that any legitimate chances of Los Angeles winning the NBA Championship are now out of the window.

This serves as another blow to a Clippers team that continues to be good, but not great which has prevented them from winning an NBA Championship. The Clippers have the sizzle of having a billionaire owner in Steve Ballmer, a head coach in Doc Rivers who led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Championship in 2008, an All-Star point guard in Paul, and Griffin who along with center DeAndre Jordan helped to form “Lob City”. However dunks won’t win in the playoffs as the Clippers always seem to fall short when the chips are pushed to the middle of the table. And with the Clippers chances of winning a title here in 2017 diced, it’s time for them to look ahead to next season as far as what they’ll need to get over that hump.

Aside from staying healthy, the Clippers need a proven go-to-guy in the clutch as neither Paul, Griffin, or Jordan are that guy. And as the Clippers will need to improve for next season, the time could be right for Ballmer and Rivers to pick up the phone and make a call to the 212 area code.

On the other side of the United States, the New York Knicks continue to be a calamity of errors as their owner James Dolan, team president Phil Jackson, head coach Jeff Hornacek, and star player in small forward Carmelo Anthony are not on the same page. The Knicks just wrapped up their fourth consecutive losing season which was highlighted by Jackson attempting the old “bait and switch” in order to get Anthony to leave, along with Dolan having his security team throw team legend Charles Oakley out of Madison Square Garden as if he were Jazz on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And with Anthony and Jackson not on the same page, along with the fact he is now going through a separation from his wife La La, the time is now for him to get out of the Big Apple as the Clippers could be an attractive destination for him.

In 14 NBA seasons Anthony has averaged 24.8 points per game and he’ll be remembered as one of the best scorers of this era. But the fact that Anthony has been unable to win an NBA Championship is something that still lingers over him.

The Clippers attempted to acquire Anthony this past season as along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were the only team that he was willing to waive his no-trade clause for. But the deal fell through as the Clippers needed at least one more team to come into the fold in order for the deal to work. However now as the Clippers and Knicks don’t have to worry themselves with the shackles of the trade deadline, the time is now for them to hammer this out.

Jackson doesn’t want Anthony and the 10-time All-Star isn’t too fond of the public criticism that has been directed towards him by the Knicks team president, and if these two continue to work together it is only going to make New York’s so called rebuild that much longer to come to fruition.

But if Anthony were to go the Clippers, he would finally be a part of an organization that wants him. There would still be pressure on Anthony as he’d be in Los Angeles, but he would playing alongside his good friend in Paul, while he’d be in one of the best front courts in the NBA. Anthony wouldn’t have to worry about carrying the team as the Clippers do possess balance as the only thing that they’ve been missing is a proven scorer who can consistently create his own shot.

Getting to the playoffs for six consecutive years is cool for the Clippers as it is something that has never been done in their franchise history. But with an owner like Ballmer who put down $2 billion to purchase the Clippers in 2014, and a head coach in Rivers who knows what it takes to win a championship, it’s time for Los Angeles to stop relying on their core of Griffin, Paul and Jordan to get it done. Making the playoffs is one thing, but for the Clippers to be remembered and respected, it is high time for them to take that next step.

Source: Basketball-reference.com