2014 Off-season Thread

[thanumba2clippersfan]

I figured this would be a good place to talk about all off-season topics for the Clippers. So post any thoughts, ideas, reactions to the past season. Plus any ideas on how we can improve the team for next year.

It was really a good season for us. We set a franchise record with 57 wins and were able to get to the 2nd round of the playoffs. However I was hoping that we could have at least gotten to the conference finals.

[Method28]

It was such a fun season. Really dissapointing ending as I can honestly say this was the first time I felt we had a legit title run in us.

I feel we need to only make some slight tweaks. I'd like seeing an upgrade to the sf position if possible. Tony Allen has been mentioned and that would be great.

I'd LOVE to get Nic Batum somehow lol I know that is not an option but a player with those skill sets would be ideal.

Other than that. .maybe just a backup big and I'd go at it again with the core we have.

Sent from Donald Sterling's plantation

[Neddy]

Offseason plans

#1 death to Sterlings
#2 death to Sterlings
#3 death to Sterlings
#4 defensive SF who can guard Durant or Lebron to their average or less
#5 death to Sterlings
#6 legitimate 3rd big who is a starter caliber
#7 death to Sterlings
#8 trade Dudley and Jamal and use that capspace to strengthen SF or a big
#9 death to Sterlings
#10 new ownership
#11 death to Sterlings.

well you get the idea.

[LACtdom]

When the Heat first got their big 3, they didn't win a chip showing that team chemistry is vital.
In saying that, I would like us to keep our core group of guys (minus the dead weight) and focus on improving from within instead of adding heaps of new talents.

Off-season priorities:
DJ FT's!!!!!
Blake's jump shooting
Solidify defensive schemes
Paul, DC & Barnes 3pt shooting

Sign/trade:
3&D SF
Defensive center

[Wammy Giveaway]

I won't call it an off-season post, but more like a bold prediction. Here's what may happen:

1. Clippers get a 3rd superstar - That superstar will most likely be Carmelo Anthony. Chris Paul needs an alternate scoring partner to take the load off of him, plus get those much needed superstar calls that the Clippers have been denied of this season. Blake Griffin will still get his (a few buzzer beating game winning baskets should deepen his scoring resume), but he should be playing the LeBron James role, orchestrating the offense and setting up his players for shots. DeAndre Jordan is an expiring contract this year, and given Doc's penchant for trading the farm to get his superstars like he did in 2007, this may be the year Doc pulls it off. But do the Clippers give up DJ to get Melo? That's the question.

2. Their backup big will be Kevin Garnett. - I predict Doc Rivers will be reunited with the player the Clippers should have gotten before the NBA intervened and imposed the gag order. Garnett missed Doc dearly; he needs to be with him again in order to reclaim his playing potential. Garnett will still be a Net this season, but he'll buy out his contract to join the Clippers. The Big 3 will be Paul+Melo+Griffin, but with KG on board, the Clippers will finally get out of the second round.

3. Some old Clippers are coming back. I am hearing from Chrisclipsla that Elton Brand might return to the Clippers if and only if Donald Sterling is officially ousted and a new owner is announced.

Those are my off-season predictions. I'll leave the rest of the roster to chance. Only Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick are locks.

[LACtdom]

I won't call it an off-season post, but more like a bold prediction. Here's what may happen:

1. Clippers get a 3rd superstar - That superstar will most likely be Carmelo Anthony. Chris Paul needs an alternate scoring partner to take the load off of him, plus get those much needed superstar calls that the Clippers have been denied of this season. Blake Griffin will still get his (a few buzzer beating game winning baskets should deepen his scoring resume), but he should be playing the LeBron James role, orchestrating the offense and setting up his players for shots. DeAndre Jordan is an expiring contract this year, and given Doc's penchant for trading the farm to get his superstars like he did in 2007, this may be the year Doc pulls it off. But do the Clippers give up DJ to get Melo? That's the question.

2. Their backup big will be Kevin Garnett. - I predict Doc Rivers will be reunited with the player the Clippers should have gotten before the NBA intervened and imposed the gag order. Garnett missed Doc dearly; he needs to be with him again in order to reclaim his playing potential. Garnett will still be a Net this season, but he'll buy out his contract to join the Clippers. The Big 3 will be Paul+Melo+Griffin, but with KG on board, the Clippers will finally get out of the second round.

3. Some old Clippers are coming back. I am hearing from Chrisclipsla that Elton Brand might return to the Clippers if and only if Donald Sterling is officially ousted and a new owner is announced.

Those are my off-season predictions. I'll leave the rest of the roster to chance. Only Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick are locks.

We are the number 1 offensive team, why would we give up our defensive anchor for more offense? I like the idea of a star but I don't think we want to give up DJ.

[Method28]

What I despised was our inability in game 6 to recognize open lanes and take them. We were settling for jumpers waaaay too often. We needed to be aggressive and attack. We failed to do so. Anthony would be an amazing post game and he is aggressive.

He can also hit his outside shots which would stay in rhythm with our offense. We'd have two of the best mid range players in the league (Paul). With that being said....giving up Jordan and bringing in Anthony might make us the worst defensive team in the league. We'd also be slower and smaller.

Plus I love DJ. We've seen him grow and with Doc I believe he improves more. I'd rather add Brand and a 3D with size and call it a day. We have a good team on our hands. Let's let them gel.

Sent from Donald Sterling's plantation

[Forte IV]

Wammy just makes me laugh at his ridiculous thoughts. But regardless, I think we need a 3rd big who can jump and grab rebounds. Big Baby had a max vert of 12 inches. And DJ needs to get to atleast 60% FT shooting this offseason

[LACtdom]

I'm unsure on Big Baby. I loved that we had a big who could play the pick n pop. In theory he can set the best screens. He is the type of player that sucks at rebounding and can only rebound when he really really wants to like in some games against OKC. At this stage I would like to keep him for next year but play him as a PF not a C.

[og15]

When the Heat first got their big 3, they didn't win a chip showing that team chemistry is vital.
In saying that, I would like us to keep our core group of guys (minus the dead weight) and focus on improving from within instead of adding heaps of new talents.

Off-season priorities:
DJ FT's!!!!!
Blake's jump shooting
Solidify defensive schemes
Paul, DC & Barnes 3pt shooting

Sign/trade:
3&D SF
Defensive center

I know Paul started off slow with his 3PT shot, but he ended the season at 36.8% 3PT and shot 45.7% on 70 3PA in the playoffs, I don't know what more we can expect from his 3PT shooting to be honest.

Other parts, I agree.

Need to solidify the wing positions as well as the backup big men. It would also be good to find a solution that does not make us have to rely on Crawford's production in the post-season, because he's just too on/off and he's very one dimensional in terms of what he produces (primarily scoring and not much else).

[og15]

I won't call it an off-season post, but more like a bold prediction. Here's what may happen:

1. Clippers get a 3rd superstar - That superstar will most likely be Carmelo Anthony. Chris Paul needs an alternate scoring partner to take the load off of him, plus get those much needed superstar calls that the Clippers have been denied of this season. Blake Griffin will still get his (a few buzzer beating game winning baskets should deepen his scoring resume), but he should be playing the LeBron James role, orchestrating the offense and setting up his players for shots. DeAndre Jordan is an expiring contract this year, and given Doc's penchant for trading the farm to get his superstars like he did in 2007, this may be the year Doc pulls it off. But do the Clippers give up DJ to get Melo? That's the question.

2. Their backup big will be Kevin Garnett. - I predict Doc Rivers will be reunited with the player the Clippers should have gotten before the NBA intervened and imposed the gag order. Garnett missed Doc dearly; he needs to be with him again in order to reclaim his playing potential. Garnett will still be a Net this season, but he'll buy out his contract to join the Clippers. The Big 3 will be Paul+Melo+Griffin, but with KG on board, the Clippers will finally get out of the second round.

3. Some old Clippers are coming back. I am hearing from Chrisclipsla that Elton Brand might return to the Clippers if and only if Donald Sterling is officially ousted and a new owner is announced.

Those are my off-season predictions. I'll leave the rest of the roster to chance. Only Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick are locks.

This team doesn't need a third superstar really, what it needs is just upgrades at SF and at the backup big man position. Also offense isn't really the primary need, defense is still needed first.

Trades

Jared Dudley - He was good for this team in theory, but it failed miserably in practice. With better health and maybe getting into the shape he was in previous seasons, he can still help a team, but the Clippers will need to move on. He makes ~$4M, so he isn't anything crazy contract wise. If just to clear space, he can be moved for a second round pick to someone who wants him, or he could be a piece in a sign and trade for another SF, again to a team that would want him.

Jamal Crawford - (on the fence). This won't be a popular suggestion, and I like Jamal myself, but he is just too unreliable as a scorer and way too inconsistent in bringing solid production in any other areas. Jamal has been benched in game 6 two seasons in a row by his coaches. In the most critical moments, the coach has not trusted Jamal enough, and that says something at the least. If a player can be acquired to play a similar role, then Jamal can either be moved for that player, or moved to clear space to accommodate that player.

Free Agents to watch and why:

Point Guards
Shaun Livingston - If Collison does not pick up his option, Livingston is a great option. He has good length and can defend, and he's an excellent post option. One of the great things about a guy like him is that he'd be able to legitimately guard SG's if paired with Paul, and he can also abuse smaller guards in the post with his excellent turn around jumper if the SG is switched on to Paul on defense.

Shooting Guards
Thabo Sefolosha - His shooting took a dive this season in comparison to his previous two seasons, but he is still a 3/D wing. Now, OKC is most likely going to re-sign him back, but if the Clippers did some shuffling, that is, getting Pierce, moving Crawford, Sefolosha could come off the bench as a 3/D wing, and you can shuffle the lineups around to keep a creator on the court at all times. The other option is to start Thabo and bring Redick off the bench as a 6th man, but Doc seems intent on having Redick help facilitate his starting lineup offense.

Small Fowards
Paul Pierce - Jamal is not the most reliable player out there, and Pierce is a guy who can come in as the teams 6th man (or starting SF) and can give the ability to score and create, but will be a lot more selective in his shots and more reliable in giving all-round production on a nightly basis.

Trevor Ariza - In the recent years, his 3PT shot has been great, and he's always been a player who can defend. Ariza fits the bill of the defensive and 3PT shooting wing that would help this team, and him and CP are no strangers to playing together. The issue here is going to be his price tag, and I don't think he will be affordable for the Clippers.

Marvin Williams - You'd think he was older, but the guy is only like 27 or 28 still. He can hit the three, he has good size and athletic ability, and he can defend fairly well.

Al-Farouq Aminu - Aminu still can't shoot, but what he can do is defend and rebound and he can be used as a small ball PF. He might just be what the doctor ordered in terms of a versatile, long and athletic SF/PF for defensive purposes. Doesn't seem like he would be an expensive option to add.

Shawn Marion - Marion is probably going back to Dallas, but he is still a player who can defend, but at 35, he's not someone to give more than a very small contract to. Still, if the position is solidified with another player, he could be an extra guy to add just for depth and defense. If you can't get a guy like Aminu, he is a backup option to explore.

Big men
Jordan Hill - Money matters, Hill is very likely to be too expensive for the Clippers, again, especially since the SF position is also going to be calling for MLE money, but he certainly should be on the radar.

Emeka Okafor - Emeka obviously would be nice to have as a backup C to defend and rebound, and missing a whole season will bring down his price tag, but he's only 30, and it isn't like he would have just forgotten how to play basketball. While it would be nice, I can't see him being in the Clippers price range, especially with other positions to fill.

Kris Humphries - I know most are thinking what? Why? People say him and Blake look alike, and they kind of do, and they also kind of play alike. Humphries is kind of like a poor man's Blake. If the team decides to move away from Davis as a backup PF, Humphries is a guy that could be acquired at a decent price to fill that spot. A signing of him would only be at a good price tag though, if it gets too much, forget it.

Boris Diaw - It is very likely that the Spurs retain him, but Diaw is a versatile big man that plays both ends and does basically everything on the court. He would be a great addition to this team.

Jason Smith - If we still want to at least have a big on the team that is a consistent shooter, the Blake tackler is actually a good option as he has good size and can play C without being mis-matched size wise, though his length is not so great. Career 44% from 16-<3PT and has shot 46.7% or greater from that range each of the last three seasons with an average of 47.9% FG and 52% of his total attempts have come from that range over the last 3 seasons. Decently athleic and can block shots a little also. Probably won't be too expensive and can play both PF and C.

[LACtdom]

Jamal needs to go. The spurs prove that it's all about the system instead of streaky shooters.

My big question is, will Paul Pierce be good enough to be our starting SF? Or would he be okay with coming off the bench?

We need a SF who can knock down 3's, it's ridiculous the number of looks Barnes got this year! Also if JJ gets injured who will be our sharpshooter? I like the idea of playing the two man game with CP and blake and surrounding them with shooters who aren't a liability on D.

I think we will have a better off-season this time round. Really our only successful signings were JJ and Collison.

[mttwlsn16]

-Upgrade the starting SF-bring barnes off the bench
-An athletic big not named Ryan Hollins who can rebound and block shots without fouling out in 7 minutes
-play JJ more late in games
-another backup big who can pick and pop (assuming baby leaves), Mullens and Jamison were a waste
-play Reggie some more
-trade Dudley for a game worn DTS rubber
-force DTS to sell
-DTS die
-win the ship

[Quake Griffin]

I want to move up from our draft slot, 28th, and draft Kyle Anderson. I think this kid is going to be a really good utility player. He's long, he's going to defend, handle the ball, rebound, hit shots and I think he'll handle the pressure well.

I can live with developing him and Reggie as our young and athletic wing shooters.

I like Melo....i know a lot of people hate him because he's an iso player. I think he's good enough to adapt to a system....i just want him to come into camp 10 pounds lighter. If we sign melo, i want to trade Jamal. No bitching imo. I'd rather have Melo iso'ing than Jamal.



if not Melo....I'd like us to sign trevor Ariza.
we'll figure out the back up bigs later....but we have to get better on the wings.

[og15]

We don't have the money for Melo, Quake. If we sign Melo, we'd have to guy our team or he'd have to take a substantial pay cut, and he isn't going to do that, so just get that thought out so you don't disappoint yourself, lol.

[Roscoe Sheed]

Of course, all of these plans are moot unless the NBA actually starts taking action to oust Sterling. I wonder why it taking so long to get this process started. Perhaps the owners aren't as supportive as was reported initially?

If that happens, I would support signing Pierce an KG if they are bought out. KG off the bench would be a nice addition and I think Pierce would help as a starting 3 with Barnes splitting minutes with him. However, I also think they need to address the lack of athleticism at the 2/3 position.

[Quake Griffin]

We don't have the money for Melo, Quake. If we sign Melo, we'd have to guy our team or he'd have to take a substantial pay cut, and he isn't going to do that, so just get that thought out so you don't disappoint yourself, lol.

i thought he was on record saying he'd take a pay cut this year because he just wants to win.

[Neddy]

We don't have the money for Melo, Quake. If we sign Melo, we'd have to guy our team or he'd have to take a substantial pay cut, and he isn't going to do that, so just get that thought out so you don't disappoint yourself, lol.

i thought he was on record saying he'd take a pay cut this year because he just wants to win.

Melo says many things, and so does his wife who plans to stay in NYC. again, so she says.

[og15]

We don't have the money for Melo, Quake. If we sign Melo, we'd have to guy our team or he'd have to take a substantial pay cut, and he isn't going to do that, so just get that thought out so you don't disappoint yourself, lol.

i thought he was on record saying he'd take a pay cut this year because he just wants to win.

Even if he was being real, we're talking about the "instead of $20 million I'll make $16 million" kind of paycut, not the kind of paycut that can make him a Clipper.

[mttwlsn16]

Mark Jackson broadcasting the heat pacer game that was quick