What Clippers fans will probably say in defense is that Blake Griffin has missed 16 games this season, but even with that, they probably don't win any more than 57 games, the same number they won last season. Part of the problem is that Chris Paul is stagnating. He's playing great basketball, averaging 18.8 points, 10.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, but he isn't going to be any better than what he is. He's turning 30 in May, which means he likely has 4-5 good seasons left in him before he officially enters the "bonus round". But over those next 4-5 seasons, he isn't going to be any more productive than what he already is.
In addition, Blake Griffin isn't improving enough to make the Clippers championship contenders. Don't get me wrong, he's improving his game, but he hasn't yet become a guy who the Clippers can rely on to lead them to a championship. As for DeAndre Jordan, while his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities are outstanding, he's still averaging just a shade over 11 points per game and still unable to make a shot outside of eight feet.
Plus, Jamal Crawford, who averages 16 points per game, is already 35 years old and possibly done for the season with a calf injury. There's no telling how much basketball he has left in him, but at the moment, he appears to rapidly be heading for retirement.
What's alarming about all of this is that these are the four guys who the Clippers are depending on to win them a championship, and so far it doesn't look like this quartet can get the job done. They can get the Clippers to the playoffs and possibly out of the first round, but that's about it. They don't have what it takes to contend with the likes of the Warriors, Grizzlies, Rockets, and even Trail Blazers, all teams which keep getting better every season.
The real conundrum for the Clippers is that they obviously don't want to blow up the whole team since what they have is still very competitive. However, if winning a championship is the goal, they have to look at moving at least a couple of these four guys in hopes of striking it rich. The two guys who make the most sense to move are Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford. Both guys are getting up there in age and both guys are still in a position to help a contending team out.
The Clippers might be best off trading those guys for assets, missing the playoffs for a year or two, and adding some quality young players in the draft. If the Clippers are content with being a playoff team that doesn't threaten to win the NBA championship, then they should stick with what they have. But if they want to really make a run at a championship with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan as their front court, then they really have to entertain the idea of letting Paul and Crawford go via trade.
Moving Jamal Crawford shouldn't be too hard since he has only one year left on his contract for about $5.7M, but moving Chris Paul could be a serious challenge given that he has three-years left on his contract with each year paying him more money ($21.5M, $22.8M, and $24.3M). The only teams that would be willing to pay Chris Paul that kind of money are teams that are either one player away from winning a championship or the Los Angeles Lakers, whose front office would be willing to sniff cocaine in a dark alley for four straight hours to get another superstar.
The Lakers actually might be a perfect team to trade Paul to. They would be willing to pay Chris Paul the money and also be willing to give up a boat load of assets to get him. The Lakers are stuck in this delusional fantasy land where winning has to happen instantly and there can be no "rebuilding" of any kind. Landing Chris Paul would fit right into their fantasy plans of winning an NBA championship in less than three years, something that wouldn't happen if the other 29 teams in the league spotted them 15 points every night.
But back to my point, the Clippers have to consider moving Chris Paul if it's at all possible. He's stagnating and certainly won't be worth $24.3M in three seasons. The problem, is that it's going to be harder to move him with each passing season. But perhaps they could get something good for him before the 2016 trade deadline and start building towards winning an NBA championship as opposed to another first round exit in the playoffs.
Things aren't bad for the Clippers except for the fact that things aren't getting any better, and that in and of itself is bad. The Clippers almost seem to be a team that had a good idea for a championship recipe, but it just didn't deliver. It appears as though it's time they go in a different direction, but at the moment it isn't entirely clear what their next move should be.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord
No comments:
Post a Comment