Los Angeles Clippers Proving Core Must Be Kept Regardless of Playoff Outcome

In the grand scheme of things, the Los Angeles Clippers can't panic if things don't go their way this time—not after a Game 5 loss that could have gone either way.

"It was anybody's game," San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told the Associated Press' Greg Beacham (h/t ESPN.com) after the game. "It's just two really competitive groups. A missed shot here, a missed shot there, really."

If Los Angeles goes on to lose the series, it won't be because the Spurs were more talented or even that they were the hungrier franchise. It will only prove that San Antonio—as Manu Ginobili put it to Beacham after the contest—"got a little lucky."

These Clippers, as currently constituted, could probably win a title if everything went exceptionally well for them—hot streak from J.J. Redick, some consistency from Jamal Crawford, the expected monster games from Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. It could happen.

And its likelihood of happening grows in the event this team sticks together. Barring a major trade, most of the team's core is under contract for at least another season. The notable exception is center and former second-round pick DeAndre Jordan, a 26-year-old unrestricted free agent who will command another sizable contract one way or another.

General manager Dave Wohl and president/head coach Doc Rivers will face similar decisions in the offseason ahead, but the status quo rotation shouldn't undergo any radical adjustments. 

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That doesn't mean a few minor additions aren't also in order.

Game 5 was only the latest reminder that—outside of sixth-man Jamal Crawford—the Clippers don't have much of a bench. Of that bench, Glen Davis and Austin Rivers are also set to become unrestricted free agents in July. Spencer Hawes—who's played sparingly in the first round—remains under contract with the club until 2018.

The Clippers could use an additional swingman behind Matt Barnes, and they may need another point guard whether Rivers returns or not. To whatever extent the organization shakes things up this summer, it should involve the addition of depth.

Another premature postseason exit may prompt some to demand more. By now, there was an expectation that the Steve Ballmer era would yield championship-caliber dividends—or at least something close to it. This impressive combination of size, athleticism, savvy and star power was supposed to count for something.

And it almost certainly will—either this time or next.

	Min	Pts	FG%	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk
Chris Paul	34.8	19.1	.485	4.6	10.2	1.9	0.18
Blake Griffin	35.2	21.9	.502	7.6	5.3	0.94	0.52
DeAndre Jordan	34.4	11.5	.710	15.0	0.7	0.99	2.23

The window of title opportunity remains wide open for L.A. At 29, Paul is the eldest of the club's big names. Given his penchant for smart, patient play, he should age well, too. So forget any crazy ideas about cashing out on CP3 before he begins some kind of decline. The 10th-year veteran played all 82 games this season, a career first.

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He's doing just fine.

Meanwhile, Griffin's improvement has been remarkable. His inside and mid-range games are virtually unguardable, and he's suddenly become the club's second-most productive passer with 5.3 assists per contest this season. One could conclude fairly confidently that he isn't going anywhere.

Then there's the DJ question, the most pressing of all. 

ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon cited "multiple sources" this week who believe Jordan may be interested in joining the Dallas Mavericks.

Why Jordan would leave a successful franchise at its peak is unclear. But the mere risk that he could go elsewhere should cause L.A.'s front office real concern. The beastly center led the league in rebounding (15 per contest) and field-goal percentage (71 percent) this season and further established himself as a premier interior defender. 

Jordan's bird rights will also factor into L.A.'s thinking. Because he has them, the organization can go beyond the salary cap in order to re-sign him. It wouldn't be able to do so for a potential replacement like Marc Gasol, who would be very difficult—if not impossible—to acquire in Jordan's absence.

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Keeping this core intact is about more than retaining top-shelf talent. It's also important to build and maintain some measure of chemistry. The corporate knowledge that's made San Antonio so successful over the years should yield dividends for the Clippers, too. 

This already looked like a title-ready squad in Game 4's 114-105 win in San Antonio. At its best, Los Angeles and its league-leading offensive efficiency is arguably as good as any team this side of the Golden State Warriors—which is saying something amid a conference so thoroughly stacked with stiff competition.

"It's more than just shooting the ball," Paul told the AP's Raul Dominguez (h/t ESPN.com) after the game. "Our defense was better and our offensive execution [was better]. I think I got more shots because of the tempo of the game that we played at. We played downhill, we set screens; we're tough when we play like that."

That kind of connectivity doesn't happen overnight. It's been forged in this locker room and on the practice floor since Paul and Griffin joined forces in 2011. And preserving it for the foreseeable future should be priority No. 1 for this organization.

That goes for the other guys too: Redick, Crawford and Barnes. They all have indispensable roles as shooters and secondary playmakers. A little extra defense would be nice, but sometimes that's the price of assembling such a high-powered offense. 

Fan patience is understandably short, but this is no time to respond to public pressure. The Clippers are on the verge of having something special.

They may even already have it.

There are certainly scenarios in which the Clippers brass determines that a bold change is in order. That might mean trading away some of that firepower (Redick or Crawford) for more of a two-way player. It might mean trying to pool assets for another young difference-maker.

There are also scenarios in which change is forced. If Jordan is indeed intrigued by the Mavericks, LA would be better off signing and trading him—perhaps for Tyson Chandler and throw-ins—than letting him walk for nothing in return.

But absent these kinds of scenarios, the status quo is preferable. Win or lose against these Spurs, Los Angeles has proven it can hang with the best as its currently constituted. Now is no time to mess that up.