Is this a do-or-die season for the Clippers' core?
Welcome to theScore's preview of the 2016-17 NBA season.
It's always a bridesmaid, never a bride for the Los Angeles Clippers. While they're a perennial favorite to reach the NBA Finals based on their talent alone, their core group, for an abundance of reasons, hasn't gotten the team past the second round.
Clippers' recent postseason history
| Season | Record | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 32-50 | N/A |
| 2011-12 | 40-26 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Spurs) 0-4 |
| 2012-13 | 56-26 | Lost First Round (Grizzlies) 2-4 |
| 2013-14 | 57-25 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Thunder) 2-4 |
| 2014-15 | 56-26 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Rockets) 3-4 |
| 2015-16 | 53-29 | Lost First Round (Trail Blazers) 2-4 |
Following their most recent exit, head coach Doc Rivers said the trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan would all be back for the upcoming 2016-17 campaign, citing injuries as one of the primary reasons for why they couldn't get past Portland.
"We're close, and we know that," Rivers said. "We have a priority of trying to just keep making our team better. Obviously because of the injuries - Blake's in particular - we literally don't know what we could have done. Even during the playoffs, he still wasn't 100 percent."
Rivers is being painfully optimistic in his assessment of their chances. The Western Conference is getting stronger and deeper by the year, while it feels like the Clippers have nowhere to go but down.
Excuses are just that: excuses. Not having Griffin (quad) and Paul (hand) for Games 5 and 6 were monumental blows, yes, but neither injury changes the fact that Los Angeles went home early once again. It was a squandered opportunity, and another year tacked on to a Big 3 that may not be around much longer.
Griffin and Paul will both make more than $20 million this season and have early-termination clauses written into their contracts, meaning they can leave the organization next summer without any compensation. The salary cap is set to jump once again, so even though they'd still make decent change in Los Angeles, there could be better offers on the table.
Add the unrestricted free agency of sharpshooter J.J. Redick, and you have the makings of what may well be the end of the Clippers as we know them should they drop the ball one more time.
Thankfully, management has surrounded the Griffin-Paul-Jordan trio with a heavy dose of talent over the offseason, bringing aboard Alan Anderson, Raymond Felton, and Brandon Bass on veteran's minimum deals, and signing Marreese Speights - a champion with the Golden State Warriors in 2015 - to a steal of a two-year, $2.9-million contract.
The Clippers' second unit ranked fifth in the NBA in points per game (37.8, according to HoopsStats.com), thanks in large part to the efforts of Jamal Crawford, who took home Sixth Man of the Year honors for a third time. The offense outside of Crawford - who was relatively inconsistent with his own shot - was hit or miss, so the aforementioned acquisitions should provide more of a balance, especially in the frontcourt with Bass and Speights.
Ultimately, the Clippers will ride or die with their starting lineup, which includes a motivated Griffin seeking redemption after putting himself on the shelf with both a hand injury and suspension. One of the reasons why his name arose in so many trade rumors was because the team went 31-16 without him. The 27-year-old forward is still one of the best playmaking bigs in the game, though, and a walking double-double to boot. Frankly, if the Clippers are going anywhere fast, it's with Griffin at the forefront.
Related: Griffin pens apology to fans for fight last season: 'I messed up'
Los Angeles was gifted Kevin Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder and joining the Golden State Warriors, essentially turning the West into a one-team race. The San Antonio Spurs don't have the aura of invincibility they once had, and teams like the Blazers and Utah Jazz may need another year or two before making the leap up the food chain. The Clippers have hung tough with Golden State in the past, and while the arrival of the four-time scoring champion makes them even more formidable, Rivers and his players wouldn't enter a series against them feeling like they don't have a chance.
That's the thing, though - this may be the Clippers' last chance at glory, and standing in their way is arguably the most imposing foursome ever assembled. Injuries are sure to arise, and the inconsistencies that have plagued the on-court product won't go away overnight.
No more excuses. No more waiting. No more "is this the year they finally get over the hump?" talk. One last chance, and then maybe it's time to pull the plug.