og15 wrote:MartinToVaught wrote:og15 wrote:I want everything and I want it now!
I want a serious franchise, and after 53 mostly unserious years, I don't think it's an unfair thing to ask.
The franchise had a fool as owner for 44 of those years, so what were we expecting? If we became Clippers fans with Sterling as an owner expecting a championship, wasn't the joke on us? I mean of course many of us might have been much younger and didn't understand, but as adults, we certainly can't be saying, "why hasn't this franchise won" and being beat down by it as if we're ignorant of what the franchise has been.
The group that has been around for 8 years and in the 9th has no culpability for the sins of the previous guy. Had nothing to do with them. Sucks for us as the fans, but life isn't fair either and our tears won't make it any more fair.
8 years is nothing in the life of an NBA team. The Clippers have had zero seasons under .500 in the Ballmer era.
The Clippers have had five 50+ win equivalent seasons in that span (5/8 seasons). The Clippers also took a chance on a known injury prone superstar, a chance everyone applauded, and he's had one healthy playoffs in 4 seasons, and the one healthy one, his co-star was mentally unhealthy.
Sorry, but we have had a fool as an owner the entire franchise history.
The prior owner didn't like to spend money especially if they weren't competing for a title.
The current owner spends money like it grows on trees
Let's break down the "success" of these two owners:
Prior owner - 7 Playoff teams, 4 1st round exists, 3 Semifinal exits
Ballmer
Pre- Kawhi/PG (core guys from the prior owner's time) - 4 playoff appearances, 1 Semifinal, 3 1st round exits
Kawhi/PG era - 3 playoff appearances, 1 WCF, 1 Semifinal, 1 1st round exit
So, as far as playoff success, the old guy did it with a team made up of mostly organically grown core players and he wasn't losing about as much as his payroll each year. The prior guy made money by getting paid from owners like Ballmer.
The prior owner went through coaches regularly and wouldn't have nepotism. Ballmer won't change out a coach until the current coach runs the team into the ground.
Ballmer's teams have had more regular season success. However, they have to have regular season success because they have given away picks and can't afford to end up in the lottery.
You know who has been under .500 since we were last under .500? Every NBA Champion since 2014-2015 and GS did it twice. Every NBA Champion since 2019-2020 has been under .500 during the Ballmer regime. That also includes all Conference Finals participants, other than us, during that time.
Could care less about a bunch of above .500 seasons that end in 1st and 2nd round exits.