PMOTT3 and Chuck Texas Early Off-Season Review: Los Angeles Clippers
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:35 pm
PMOTT3's Review:
Key Losses:
N/A
Other Losses:
Matt Barnes
Spencer Hawes
Hedo Turkoglu
Glen Davis
Dahntay Jones
Nothing of significant importance here although a case can be made for Barnes. Turkey Glue, Big Baby, and Jones may still end up re-signing at some point but those guys should just be end of the bench scrap at this point in their careers.
Draft:
N/A
Trades:
.Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes for Lance Stephenson
.630,000 cash for (#56)Brandon Dawson
If things break right the Stephenson trade can have its rewards. I still think he's a knucklehead who often makes boneheaded mistakes/decisions; just a talented one. With Paul, Griffin, and DJ as the vocal leaders in the locker room they should be able to keep him in check. Even if it all goes to hell he's essentially an expiring with that team option and they were able to clear Hawes salary off the books; not a bad trade at all.
Free Agency:
DeAndre Jordan
Paul Pierce
Austin Rivers
Josh Smith
Wesley Johnson
Cole Aldrich
Pablo Prigioni
I am actually amazed at the depth that Doc was able to create this off-season with them being capped out. This team is a lot deeper than last season.
Even though they broke the unwritten rule of backing off a teams player once they have signed elsewhere...(sigh)I do have to give them credit for re-signing DJ. He was a pivotal part of what they were able to do last season and would have been a tremendous loss had he stayed with the Mavs.
Being an ATL fan, i tend to hate on J-Smoove more than most but he had some excellent games in the post-season with Houston last year. If that's the Josh Smith the Clips are getting then i like it.
Stealing Paul Pierce away from Washington was brilliant. I thought he was the most clutch dude in the entire playoffs last season (and thats a factor the Clippers desperately need). His increase in age worries me but i suspect Doc will manage his minutes well through the regular season and then use him when it counts in the post-season.
Rivers, Johnson, Prigioni, and Aldrich gives them the bench pieces they need and all came on the cheap.
Current Depth Chart (rough sketch):
PG: CP3/Rivers/Prigioni
SG: Reddick/Crawford/Wilcox
SF: Stephenson/Pierce/Johnson/Hamilton
PF: Griffin/Smith/Dawson
C: DJ/Aldrich
I think Doc will go with a lot of small ball lineups this season. I think we'll see a lot of Blake at the 5 and Stephenson at the 3. Not sure on whether PP will start or not either.
Needs:
I'd like to see them add one more big. I dont see Dawson getting any burn this season except for garbage minutes. Smith and Aldrich are their only bigs outside of Griffin & DJ. And God forbid Doc tries to use Smith as a SF. Trading Crawford for that last big would make some sense and could very well still happen.
Additional Thoughts:
Chuck said that he thought the Kings had the biggest swing between best and worst case scenario; well for me its the Clippers. Worst case scenario...Pierce is too old to function (same with Prigioni), Stephenson proves that he really is a locker room cancer, Josh Smith returns to the ATL Josh Smith, and all of Doc's small ball lineups go to hell. OR Best case scenario...Stephenson looks like the Indy version again, Smith plays like he did for Houston, Pierce is still oozing with clutchness, the depth has huge payoffs, and small ball lineups work to perfection.
This off-season could turn into one big train wreck or it could finally lead the clippers to the promise land...a WCF appearance.
Win/Loss Prediction: 59-23
Off-Season Grade: A
Re-signed DJ, got a 2nd round prospect to look at and develop, cleared Hawes salary off the books, created depth while being capped out, brought in major bench pieces with PP & Smith, AND Doc actually didn't make one bad trade this off-season (yet).
Chuck Texas' Review:
Losses:
Matt Barnes
Glen Davis
Dahntay Jones
Spencer Hawes
Hedo Turkoglu
Epke Udoh
Barnes is the big one here. I think he is going to be missed. I kinda felt like he fit perfectly into that offensive-minded starting lineup and he added a toughness and edge that Jordan and Blake don't really bring. The rest of these guys are mostly irrelevant.
Trades:
Barnes/Hawes for Lance Stevenson
cash for Branden Dawson
Dawson deal is kinda whatever. I think he was a useful college player and worth taking a flier on. I'm not a fan of their other deal. Yes Lance could return to his 13-14 form and the Clippers will have really gotten a bargain, but I liked what Barnes brougth them and combined with Truth I love that SF rotation. And I still think Hawes could have been useful there despite his defensive issues.
Free Agency:
DeAndre Jordan
Truth
Josh Smith
Austin Rivers
Pablo Prigioni
Wes Johnson
Cole Aldrich
Obviously getting Jordan back was paramount. I don't want to get into the whole saga of that other than to say Blake Griffin was the MVP of that situation. Truth was another huge get and with Lance and Wes Johnson and Josh Smith he shouldn't have to be over-extended in the RS. But a great pickup for a playoff run. I think Rivers is a min player(at best) who got paid only because Doc is his dad. But the other signings are all nice pickups for a team with only min contracts to offer. Prigs is a very underrated get. He is a knock down shooter, a good defender even at his age, and he just knows what he's doing. Wes can shoot and Aldrich is a huge body to help against the size in the West. Smith is always a risk, but Paul, Blake, Truth, and Doc should be able to get him to play to what he does well. Hard to fault any of this but the Rivers deal and thats totally understandable.
Depth Chart(rough)*
Jordan/Aldrich
Griffin/Smith/Dawson
Truth/Wes Johnson/Jordan Hamilton
Redick/Stevenson/Wilcox
Paul/Prigioni/Rivers
*Jamal is intentionally left out because I think he is gone. Otherwise he is the primary backup 2 and Lance probably moves ahead of Wes at the 3.
Needs:
Find a trade for Jamal Crawford. He clearly is unhappy there and with his declining play, I'd look to move him for another big. Work all the new bodies into the rotation and figure out lineups that work. Keep Chris Paul healthy.
Additional Thoughts:
The Clippers have 2 of the 6 or 7 best players on the planet. Doc had by far his best off-season as a GM. Lot of pressure on this team to make it to at least the WCF for a lot of reasons. Will be interesting to watch some of the internal issues: Did Paul say what he had to say to convince Jordan to stay but will continue to treat him as he did before? And will Jordan be able to handle that? Will all the min guys resent the coach's son making money they aren't and contributing far less? Will Lance be a huge distraction? If Crawford is still there, will he? Good Josh Smith or Bad Josh Smith? No questions about the talent. Lots of questions about the chemistry.
Win/loss Prediction: 59-23
They won 56 games last year missing Blake for 15. Hard to imagine Paul plays 82 games again, but with guys like Prigs, Lance, Truth, and Smith I feel like they are better covered if he misses some games. With the added depth if everything comes together I could see them winning over 60 games. Went a little under that because I think with so many new players it might take them a little while to get up to top speed.
Off-Season Grade: A+
I didn't like 2 moves: overpaying Austin Rivers--not because I care about Ballmer spending more money, but I do worry with so many min contract guys that there is potential resentment because Doc clearly overpaid his own kid. And I'm not sold on the Lance deal.
But, those are relatively minor, nit-picky things. Retaining Jordan whom they almost lost was terrific. Truth was terrific. Smith and Prigs were really really good. Wes and Aldrich were solid. Clippers were among the 4 or 5 best teams last year and they are clearly better this year. Problem is GSW didn't get worse, OKC got a lot better, SAS got a lot better, Houston got better, Memphis got better. But 2 legit MVP candidates, 3 other quality starters, vastly improved depth. Only Lance and Rivers could be called bad contracts and neither of those are that bad. What's not to love here?
Key Losses:
N/A
Other Losses:
Matt Barnes
Spencer Hawes
Hedo Turkoglu
Glen Davis
Dahntay Jones
Nothing of significant importance here although a case can be made for Barnes. Turkey Glue, Big Baby, and Jones may still end up re-signing at some point but those guys should just be end of the bench scrap at this point in their careers.
Draft:
N/A
Trades:
.Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes for Lance Stephenson
.630,000 cash for (#56)Brandon Dawson
If things break right the Stephenson trade can have its rewards. I still think he's a knucklehead who often makes boneheaded mistakes/decisions; just a talented one. With Paul, Griffin, and DJ as the vocal leaders in the locker room they should be able to keep him in check. Even if it all goes to hell he's essentially an expiring with that team option and they were able to clear Hawes salary off the books; not a bad trade at all.
Free Agency:
DeAndre Jordan
Paul Pierce
Austin Rivers
Josh Smith
Wesley Johnson
Cole Aldrich
Pablo Prigioni
I am actually amazed at the depth that Doc was able to create this off-season with them being capped out. This team is a lot deeper than last season.
Even though they broke the unwritten rule of backing off a teams player once they have signed elsewhere...(sigh)I do have to give them credit for re-signing DJ. He was a pivotal part of what they were able to do last season and would have been a tremendous loss had he stayed with the Mavs.
Being an ATL fan, i tend to hate on J-Smoove more than most but he had some excellent games in the post-season with Houston last year. If that's the Josh Smith the Clips are getting then i like it.
Stealing Paul Pierce away from Washington was brilliant. I thought he was the most clutch dude in the entire playoffs last season (and thats a factor the Clippers desperately need). His increase in age worries me but i suspect Doc will manage his minutes well through the regular season and then use him when it counts in the post-season.
Rivers, Johnson, Prigioni, and Aldrich gives them the bench pieces they need and all came on the cheap.
Current Depth Chart (rough sketch):
PG: CP3/Rivers/Prigioni
SG: Reddick/Crawford/Wilcox
SF: Stephenson/Pierce/Johnson/Hamilton
PF: Griffin/Smith/Dawson
C: DJ/Aldrich
I think Doc will go with a lot of small ball lineups this season. I think we'll see a lot of Blake at the 5 and Stephenson at the 3. Not sure on whether PP will start or not either.
Needs:
I'd like to see them add one more big. I dont see Dawson getting any burn this season except for garbage minutes. Smith and Aldrich are their only bigs outside of Griffin & DJ. And God forbid Doc tries to use Smith as a SF. Trading Crawford for that last big would make some sense and could very well still happen.
Additional Thoughts:
Chuck said that he thought the Kings had the biggest swing between best and worst case scenario; well for me its the Clippers. Worst case scenario...Pierce is too old to function (same with Prigioni), Stephenson proves that he really is a locker room cancer, Josh Smith returns to the ATL Josh Smith, and all of Doc's small ball lineups go to hell. OR Best case scenario...Stephenson looks like the Indy version again, Smith plays like he did for Houston, Pierce is still oozing with clutchness, the depth has huge payoffs, and small ball lineups work to perfection.
This off-season could turn into one big train wreck or it could finally lead the clippers to the promise land...a WCF appearance.
Win/Loss Prediction: 59-23
Off-Season Grade: A
Re-signed DJ, got a 2nd round prospect to look at and develop, cleared Hawes salary off the books, created depth while being capped out, brought in major bench pieces with PP & Smith, AND Doc actually didn't make one bad trade this off-season (yet).

Chuck Texas' Review:
Losses:
Matt Barnes
Glen Davis
Dahntay Jones
Spencer Hawes
Hedo Turkoglu
Epke Udoh
Barnes is the big one here. I think he is going to be missed. I kinda felt like he fit perfectly into that offensive-minded starting lineup and he added a toughness and edge that Jordan and Blake don't really bring. The rest of these guys are mostly irrelevant.
Trades:
Barnes/Hawes for Lance Stevenson
cash for Branden Dawson
Dawson deal is kinda whatever. I think he was a useful college player and worth taking a flier on. I'm not a fan of their other deal. Yes Lance could return to his 13-14 form and the Clippers will have really gotten a bargain, but I liked what Barnes brougth them and combined with Truth I love that SF rotation. And I still think Hawes could have been useful there despite his defensive issues.
Free Agency:
DeAndre Jordan
Truth
Josh Smith
Austin Rivers
Pablo Prigioni
Wes Johnson
Cole Aldrich
Obviously getting Jordan back was paramount. I don't want to get into the whole saga of that other than to say Blake Griffin was the MVP of that situation. Truth was another huge get and with Lance and Wes Johnson and Josh Smith he shouldn't have to be over-extended in the RS. But a great pickup for a playoff run. I think Rivers is a min player(at best) who got paid only because Doc is his dad. But the other signings are all nice pickups for a team with only min contracts to offer. Prigs is a very underrated get. He is a knock down shooter, a good defender even at his age, and he just knows what he's doing. Wes can shoot and Aldrich is a huge body to help against the size in the West. Smith is always a risk, but Paul, Blake, Truth, and Doc should be able to get him to play to what he does well. Hard to fault any of this but the Rivers deal and thats totally understandable.
Depth Chart(rough)*
Jordan/Aldrich
Griffin/Smith/Dawson
Truth/Wes Johnson/Jordan Hamilton
Redick/Stevenson/Wilcox
Paul/Prigioni/Rivers
*Jamal is intentionally left out because I think he is gone. Otherwise he is the primary backup 2 and Lance probably moves ahead of Wes at the 3.
Needs:
Find a trade for Jamal Crawford. He clearly is unhappy there and with his declining play, I'd look to move him for another big. Work all the new bodies into the rotation and figure out lineups that work. Keep Chris Paul healthy.
Additional Thoughts:
The Clippers have 2 of the 6 or 7 best players on the planet. Doc had by far his best off-season as a GM. Lot of pressure on this team to make it to at least the WCF for a lot of reasons. Will be interesting to watch some of the internal issues: Did Paul say what he had to say to convince Jordan to stay but will continue to treat him as he did before? And will Jordan be able to handle that? Will all the min guys resent the coach's son making money they aren't and contributing far less? Will Lance be a huge distraction? If Crawford is still there, will he? Good Josh Smith or Bad Josh Smith? No questions about the talent. Lots of questions about the chemistry.
Win/loss Prediction: 59-23
They won 56 games last year missing Blake for 15. Hard to imagine Paul plays 82 games again, but with guys like Prigs, Lance, Truth, and Smith I feel like they are better covered if he misses some games. With the added depth if everything comes together I could see them winning over 60 games. Went a little under that because I think with so many new players it might take them a little while to get up to top speed.
Off-Season Grade: A+
I didn't like 2 moves: overpaying Austin Rivers--not because I care about Ballmer spending more money, but I do worry with so many min contract guys that there is potential resentment because Doc clearly overpaid his own kid. And I'm not sold on the Lance deal.
But, those are relatively minor, nit-picky things. Retaining Jordan whom they almost lost was terrific. Truth was terrific. Smith and Prigs were really really good. Wes and Aldrich were solid. Clippers were among the 4 or 5 best teams last year and they are clearly better this year. Problem is GSW didn't get worse, OKC got a lot better, SAS got a lot better, Houston got better, Memphis got better. But 2 legit MVP candidates, 3 other quality starters, vastly improved depth. Only Lance and Rivers could be called bad contracts and neither of those are that bad. What's not to love here?