esqtvd wrote:defense, defense, defense
Sixers shot 53%/49% with only 8 TOs
Captain Ballmer wrote:If we did blow up this team last summer, our squad would consist journeymans or prospects that hasn't worked out like Payne, Oubre, Bamba, Batum, KJ Martin etc. And that would be more enjoyable and exciting than whatever this team put out there.
Sofia wrote:How long til we get some picks back in our control?
Yes, the Clippers overpaid to build this team when they gave up the world for George. That's a sunk cost. What gave the Clippers a relatively bright future before this trade was how close they were to regaining control over their future drafts. They owe out picks to Oklahoma City through 2026, but none afterward. In a world in which Phoenix controls none of its picks for the rest of the decade, that's not half bad. Leonard and George are on expiring contracts. If the Clippers hadn't made this trade, they could have subtly pulled the plug on this roster if they'd so chosen, taken their lumps for two years and then been right back in the fray with their full complement of first-round picks and the Los Angeles market at their disposal.
That option is gone now. This is their team. For better or worse, the Clippers are now married to a 32-year-old Leonard, a 33-year-old George and a 34-year-old Harden until the wheels fall off. All three will almost certainly sign contracts next offseason that wind up aging poorly. Their rebuilding window has been pushed back even further now that the 76ers control two of their four picks between 2027 and 2030. There is no escape hatch here. The Clippers have to win a championship to justify this trade. The odds of actually doing so are relatively low. The odds of a very grim period beginning a few years from now are exceedingly high.
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