"Lob City" Clippers Won't Live Up to Lofty Expectations
Last year’s most talked-about team, the Miami Heat, was met with much scrutiny and hate. This year’s team, however, has been met with excitement and new fans nationwide.
That team, believe it or not, is the Los Angeles Clippers. Once Chris Paul came to town, the Clippers instantly became better. In Paul they get an All-Star and arguably the best point guard in the NBA.
Many experts claimed the Clippers would win the Western Conference. One of those experts even went as far to say that they would make the NBA Finals. The overreaction by these so-called experts and fans alike is unbelievable.
The Clippers are undoubtedly better, but they are not what many people expect them to be. It’s their first year playing together, so they lack experience. That’s the least of their issues, though.
First of all, their bench is unreliable and lacks depth up front. It consists of the likes of Randy Foye, Mo Williams, Ryan Gomes, Brian Cook, Trey Thompkins and Reggie Evans. Does anyone legitimately believe these players can produce and be effective come playoff time?
Mo Williams might be the exception. Williams averaged 15.2 points last season as a Clipper and is the only player currently coming off the bench that’s averaging double digits in points this season.
A team needs role players to come in and contribute come playoff time. Think back to last year’s NBA Finals: You will remember Jason Terry coming off the bench and making clutch shots for the Dallas Mavericks, but you won’t remember anyone doing that for the Heat. For instance, Terry came off the bench and scored 27 points in the decisive game six of the finals. Dallas’s bench outscored the Heat’s bench in all but two games.
Star players matter. Paul will produce. Blake Griffin will produce. But role players make the difference in the playoffs, especially deep in the playoffs.
The questions with the Clippers this year are whether they can play championship-caliber defense and whether they have the bench to make a deep playoff run. A simple ‘no’ is the answer to both of these questions.
Trading for Paul was, without question, a step in the right direction for an organization that has always been in the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers. Having Paul there means their other star, Griffin, will stay and the Clippers will be a desired destination for free agents. The future is bright but it’s a work in progress.
The Lakers are still the better team in Los Angeles. However, Kobe Bryant is in the latter part of his career, which means the Lakers are going to have to start rebuilding soon.
It’s the perfect opportunity for the Clippers to rise as a contender in the Western Conference and take control of the Pacific Division, which has been in the Lakers' control for most of the past decade. "Lob City" will be exciting and fun to watch, much like Mike D’Antoni’s "seven seconds or less" Suns teams, but exciting and fun does not translate into winning championships.
As alluded to above, the Clippers do not have the necessary defense to contend. They are currently ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency. The top five teams in defensive efficiency this season—the Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers—have a combined record of 44-16.
One could argue against this and say that the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team with the best record in the Western Conference to this point, is ranked 24th and still winning games, but their porous defense will hurt them eventually. It’s not a secret that defense leads to wins. And all sports fans know the saying of ‘defense wins championships.’
Aside from bench play and defense, another glaring issue for the Clippers is their coaching situation. Vinny Del Negro has never coached a team to a record better than .500. The Clippers, if they maintain their starters healthy, will win more than half of their games, but their poor coaching situation will hurt them in the playoffs. You need good players, but you also need a good coach.
Look at the coaches of recent championship winning teams. These coaches include Rick Carlisle, Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich. Vinny Del Negro cannot be put in the same category as any of them.
Paul, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are nice pieces and a solid core group. Unfortunately, to be able to contend for a championship, that’s not enough. Many people thought that Paul alone would make the Clippers instant contenders. Those people did not look at the bigger picture, at the bigger issues. There’s more to basketball than just star players.
Star play. Bench. Coaching. Defense. All of this comes together for only one team every year. Last year it came together for the Mavericks.
It’s not going to come together for the Clippers.
Not this year.
Not any time soon.
