LA Clippers: 2019-2020 Season Outlook
September 13, 2019By: Darian Vaziri, Basketball Analyst
The LA Clippers have been one of the teams that have rocked the basketball landscape this summer. ESPN recently had them as title favorites. But before we talk about this upcoming Clipper team, we have to look at how they got here.
Key Additions: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Mo Harkless, Patrick Patterson, Patrick Beverley (Re-signed), Jamychal Green (re-signed), Ivica Zubac (re-signed), Lou Williams (re-signed)
Key Subtractions: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari
Draft: Mfiondu Kabengele, Terrence Mann, Amir Coffey
The LA Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984. Since then, they’ve become known as the most ridiculed franchise in NBA history. They are one of three teams to not make it to the conference finals, and of those three teams, (New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats) they have been in the NBA the longest. So what made the Clippers such a joke for so many years? First, it’s being overshadowed by the glamorous, showtime Lakers, that were larger than life, and changed basketball forever. The Clippers, who played at the Sports Arena, the home of the USC Trojans basketball team, were owned by Donald Sterling. Sterling didn’t really care about winning. Year after year, he would let players go in free agency and seem to not invest money into building a winning franchise.
Throughout their first 15 years in Los Angeles, the Clippers only made the playoffs twice, losing in the first round both times. However, a new stadium was being built in Downtown LA for the Lakers, Clippers, and mainly the LA Kings. This would not only bring the Clippers into a more relevant light, it would give them an opportunity to start a new chapter and acquire more fans. After making it to the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs in 2006 and losing in seven games to the Phoenix Suns, a second round “curse” began that has currently lasted for over a decade.
As a Clipper fan myself, I realized there was no chance they would be a legitimate franchise until Sterling was gone. However, fortune seemed to change in the off-season of 2011, when the clippers were fortunate enough to complete a trade for All-Star Point Guard Chris Paul to team up with their new number one pick Blake Griffin, who was coming off a Rookie of the Year season. The Clippers ended up making it to the playoffs three consecutive years, not being able to make it out of the second round. However, during their first round series against the 2014 Warriors, the greatest thing to ever happen to the Clippers occurred. A TMZ tape containing a conversation between Donald Sterling and his girlfriend at the time was leaked. Sterling scolded her for taking pictures and associating herself with black people, where he was found saying “ don’t bring those kinds of people to my games”.
League Commissioner Adam Silver took immediate action and blacklisted Donald Sterling for life, forcing him to sell the team. Then came Chief Microsoft Executive Officer and tycoon Steve Ballmer. He immediately showed an enthusiasm and passion for winning and success, the Clipper franchise had never seen. It was at this moment in time, where every Clipper fan realized the dark days were over. Using the amazing market of Los Angeles, Staples Center, and all that Southern California has to offer, the Clippers would now be considered a free agent destination. But the only way to prove that to players, is by winning.
In 2015, the Clippers played the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs had just come off smashing the big three of the Miami Heat in the previous NBA finals, and were favorite to win the series despite not having home court advantage. Somehow, the Clippers made all the right plays, showing an “it factor” that we had not seen from the team yet, and won game seven on a heroic game-winner by Chris Paul. It looked like that was the turning point for the Clippers, as they faced a much weaker Houston Rockets team in the second round. The Clippers led the series three games to one having destroyed the Rockets in multiple games. What followed was a complete capitulation, losing three games in a row, including a game six that they lead by 15 points in the fourth quarter at home. It was one of the most devastating days in Clipper history, and made everyone think, the Clippers really are cursed.
The lob city team never seem to rebound from that defeat, as the last two years of their run were plagued by injuries to both Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. People were starting to see the Clippers as back to normal, now that Chris and Blake were gone. But with a new owner like Ballmer, a coach like Doc Rivers, and the new President of Basketball Operations in Lawrence Frank, as well as the logo Jerry West, who has turned multiple teams into contenders and champions as an executive, the Clippers were set to rebound and build a contender yet again.
The 2018-19 season, started with low expectations, and a small chance of the gritty Clipper team making the playoffs, with no known All-Star. The deep, hard-working team, caused problems and lead by Tobias Harris, were on their way to possibly making the playoffs. Then, something unprecedented happened. In February of 2019, the Clippers traded their best player, Tobias Harris, to the Philadelphia 76ers, for Rookie Landry Shamet and a couple of picks. The belief, was that the Clippers, as much as they love Tobias Harris, wanted to use their two max lots in the summer, for bigger free agents, like Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. A huge risk in the middle of the season in which both of those players were set to make it to the NBA finals with their respective teams, a feat in which they accomplish later that year.
In the previous off-season, the Clippers fired analyst Bruce Bowen formerly of the San Antonio Spurs, for comments that he made about Kawhi Leonard and the way he forced his way out of San Antonio, something that we have never seen any star player do. Despite losing Harris, the Clippers somehow rallied, and lead by incredible performances by Lou Williams, the monster Montrezl Harrell, and Patrick Beverley, they snuck into the playoffs as the eighth seed finishing with 48 wins and 34 losses. Their first round match up was none other than the Golden State Warriors, and they shocked the world by taking them to a grueling six games, before they were ousted.
Now came the biggest summer in Clipper history. After showing everyone how good of a team they can be, all that was left was a superstar to take them where they have never been. With Kevin Durant quickly announcing that he would go to the Nets, it was all in for Southern California boy Kawhi Leonard.
The Lakers with recently acquired Anthony Davis, were also in talks to get Kawhi Leonard. This started an absolute frenzy all over social media, and throughout the NBA, wondering where Kawhi Leonard would go. The silent assassin who had just won his second championship and second finals MVP in Toronto, is rated by most as the best player in the NBA heading into the 2019-20 season. The Clippers, who had set themselves up so well at this point, were vulnerable to once again getting snubbed by their bigger brother, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, who after six years of not making the playoffs, somehow have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and a chance to get Kawhi Leonard. This caused panic amongst Clipper fans, fearing that all the hope of a potential turn around and championship signing, was going to be ruined by the Lakers yet again. They were going to be the new Warriors, and the Clippers were going to be the Clippers again and probably forever, until they could somehow get lucky enough for a star player to want to choose them over the 16 rings of the Lakers.
As fans, all we asked was that the Clipper organization knew that this was a turning point in the franchise, and that they would do everything in their power to make sure that the Clips got Kawhi and not the Lakers. And lone behold, on July 5, 2019, the news broke that Kawhi Leonard (out of nowhere), despite several reports suggesting the Clippers were out and it was only between Toronto and the Lakers, had successfully swayed Kawhi Leonard to join the Clippers. And the shock that followed minutes after, was what made Kawhi Leonard choose the Clippers. A trade where they acquired MVP candidate Paul George in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, as well as a multitude of future draft picks.
This off-season, was the turning point in the Clipper franchise. I know it’s premature, but this signified the end of the dark days for the Clippers. They were finally able, despite not ever making it out of the second round, to get arguably the best player in the NBA to choose them over the 16 rings of the Lakers. They were finally able, despite not ever making it out of the second round, to get arguably the best player in the NBA to choose them over the 16 rings of the Lakers and LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The clippers enter the season as favorites, with everyone seeing how good the team was last year, and now adding 2 superstars to the mix. They have arguably the deepest team in the league, with three time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Jamychal Green, and Mo Harkless. The Clippers have the best bench in the league.
The team last season was missing one bonified star. To get arguably the best player in the league in Leonard, who just proved he can lead a team to a championship as the star man, is a game changer for the franchise. That means this season, against every team besides the Lakers for all the Lebron believers out there, Leonard will be the best player on the court. That alongside George who was top three in MVP voting, gives them a more then capable 1-2 punch to make history. However, the Clippers have more than just a 1-2 punch. Lou Williams was a straight-up All-Star in the second half of the season after Tobias Harris was traded. The man was top five in the NBA in fourth quarter points all season long and he literally would will the Clippers to victories. He hit clutch shot after clutch shot including two game winners (vs the bucks and the nets). If Kyle Lowry qualifies as an all star, I believe the way Lou Williams played in the second half of last season, leading a team in an incredible Western Conference to the playoffs as the best player, makes him an All-Star. Along with that, the Clippers have the Monster. A player that would have won Sixth Man of the Year almost any other year, Montrezl Harrell. Despite the fact that he averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 rebounds off the bench, his impact goes far beyond stats. His energy and fight is absolutely ridiculous, and he scores seemingly every time he gets the ball in the paint. He never fails to go up strong and dunk on players heads, and has his patented running hook in the lane. He puts his body on the line consistently, and partnering up with Lou Williams, they are one of the best pick and roll duos in the league. He also elevated his game in the playoffs averaging 18.3 PPG on 73% from the field against the best team ever in the Warriors!
The starting lineup for the Clippers will surely consist of Patrick Beverley, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Ivica Zubac. As a Clipper fan, I’m hoping to see Sophomore Landry Shamet starting, to spread the floor. Many teams run small ball and have stretch 4’s which Kawhi and PG are more than capable of defending. If Kawhi doesn’t want to defend 4’s, then they are likely to start Jamychal Green or Mo Harkless over Shamet, which will also be great.
At the end of the day, the Clippers won’t have problems creating shots. They also won’t have problems defending at all. However after having players like Luc Mbah A Moute and Avery Bradley, who relish that side of the game, I’m curious to see how good of defenders Kawhi Leonard and Paul George actually are compared to those guys. I don’t mean that in the wrong way, but I don’t think there’s any true stat that shows how good of a real defender you are. Not blocks and steals, staying in front of your man and not getting scored on is real defense. The only way to really see that, is to watch the basketball itself. In 2017, the Clippers had Deandre Jordan and Chris Paul make the All Defensive First-Team. As someone who watched the games, I’ll be the first to tell you how ridiculous that is. Their best defender was Luc Mbah A Moute by a landslide, but there is no statistic that shows how lockdown he was. Chris and DJ had the steals and blocks and therefore made it. I’m just curious to see how good they really are, especially because their offensive exploits minimize their defensive work rates, to conserve energy.
At the end of the day the only problem that scares me about the Clippers is Paul George. Now I know George is a top 10 player in the league, but the last two postseasons with Oklahoma City, he has under-performed. Against Utah in 2018, he was shockingly poor. This past season, he was inconsistent in the playoffs with a hurt shoulder. However, that isn’t an excuse. The best part about the Clippers last year was that everyone knew their role and nobody stepped on one another’s toes. This is KAWHI LEONARD’S TEAM. It’s not 1A and 1B, it’s 1 and 2. Kawhi is the one that was the free-agent the Clippers had been waiting for. He’s the one that wanted to come to the Clippers and led to the Paul George trade happening, and he is the one that ultimately is going to change the franchise forever.
Paul George’s game often looks even smoother than Leonard. He has a better handle and deep deep range. But Kawhi just has that confidence, efficiency, killer mentality, and has perfected his game. He has those similarities to Kobe and Jordan in the sense that he just gets in his spots, and gets what he wants. When the game comes down to the wire, I want the ball in Kawhi’s hands. Furthermore, if Lou Williams is feeling it and torching stretches of the game like he was last season, Paul and Kawhi need to let him do his thing. The Clips have so many weapons. As long as they don’t get stagnant and play iso ball with the 3 incredible individual scorers they have, they should get great shots every time down. But with scorers that can get whatever they want on almost anyone like Lou, PG, and Kawhi, that could be a problem. If Paul George accepts that he is the second best player on a championship team and Kawhi will lead the way, the LA Clippers are on their way to their first ever title,
