This year in the NBA Bubble, the vaunted Clippers with the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were stunned by the younger Nuggets team and lost in a 7 game series in the 2nd round.
For a team with championship aspirations, that was a disappointing performance. There are a lot of factors to blame, but one thing remains clear: they need to improve somehow. Here are 7 steps the Clippers could take to improve, and thus go further in the playoffs.
Promote Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Lue is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. He has also previously been a championship level coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to reports, in the championship year, he developed a good rapport with LeBron James.
Perhaps if he were promoted to Head Coach, he would bring valuable experience to the position. In Cleveland, his teams were star centric and the other players on the team knew how to play in their limited roles. Tyronn Lue is good with stars and could perhaps unlock the true potential of the Clippers roster.
Sign And Trade Montrezl Harrell
Montrezl Harell is about to be a free agent. Instead of letting him go for free, they could potentially negotiate a sign and trade with him and another team. In this scenario, they would sign and trade Harrell to the OKC Thunder for Chris Paul, a deal could be centered around Harrell, Ivica Zubac, and Patrick Beverley.
In this case, Montrezl Harrell would be signing a deal of around $15,000,000 a year. OKC gets a young big man and the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. If this scenario comes to pass, then OKC would trade Steven Adams to a contending team for assets.
Get Different Veterans
While the vets that the Clippers signed for the 2020 season are good, they have similar tendencies on offense, in that most of them prioritize scoring. Marcus Morris, Lou Williams, and Montrezl Harrell are all capable scorers. However, on a championship team, they can’t be the ones scoring when Kawhi Leonard is the superstar.
The 2019-2020 Clippers team looked disjointed on the offensive end at times, and perhaps players that know their roles are more important. Vets who know their role must be able to limit themselves on offense for the team and sacrifice for the greater good. Some ideas could be trading for 3 and D players like Robert Covington, or sign a stretch big men like Marc Gasol.
Find A Switchable Big Man
Montrezl Harrell is someone who is leaving, which leaves the Clippers with openings in the frontcourt rotation. A veteran presence that could be brought in would be Serge Ibaka. He is more mobile than Ivica Zubac yet has more size than Montrezl Harrell. He plays his role well, spaces the floor and brings some championship expertise from the 2019 Toronto Raptors team. A very good option, if one is looking to build a contender. He knows how to play his offensive role well, fits into defensive systems and can switch onto slower guards.
Serge Ibaka would be a great big man signing if the LA Clippers end up having the cap space to afford his demanded salary, as he is a free agent. Another option could be Paul Millsap who is great at defending and shooting, and whose contract ends at the end of 2020. Millsap is older, so if one should be signed it’s Ibaka.
Define Everyone’s Roles
Sometimes on offense, there must be a hierarchy of roles. The superstars carry the scoring load, and others must buy-in and sacrifice. During the regular season, the Clippers looked good on paper. A championship-winning coach. A superstar and an All-NBA player. Two contenders for the 6MOTY award. They could have even won it all. However, there was no hierarchy.
Former NBA player and All-Star Gilbert Arenas called it months ahead: “The Clippers don’t know their roles”. When Kawhi Leonard won with the Raptors, the team surrounding him knew their role and what they needed to do. With the Clippers that isn’t necessarily so clear and thus they collapsed down the stretch. The Clippers need to reform their system and establish a hierarchy on offense.
Trade For A Playmaker
The Clippers collapsed in part due to the fact that no one was facilitating the offense and making sure that it ran smoothly. Their system was based less on ball movement, and more on star shotmaking. Having a playmaker could allow for the offense to flow smoother. While Patrick Beverley is a great player, he lacks the vision and playmaking that a traditional PG would have.
An option could be Derrick Rose of the Pistons. While Rose isn’t known for his playmaking, in a system where his scoring would be reduced and his role defined, he could absolutely create for himself and others. He is enough of a scoring threat to be left unchecked but has the ability to playmaking for his teammates. Derrick Rose could be high risk due to his injury history, but certainly a high reward as well with his ability to score and pass.
A secondary option as mentioned earlier would be CP3. While he is a better player than Derrick Rose, he is older with a hefty contract. If the Clippers want to go all in the Chris Paul is perfect. A winning PG, he can still provide value to a contending team with his ability to defend, shoot, and pass at a high level. Other options include Ricky Rubio and Lonzo Ball, but they are definite downgrades over Rose and Paul.
Start Lou Williams
Lou Williams is an extremely talented basketball player. He has an amazing offensive skillset and can break down most players 1v1. If the Clippers can’t get their playmaker who can create his own shot, then I propose inserting Williams into the starting line up. He averaged 5.6 APG this year, leading the Clippers.
Williams could provide a veteran presence and adapt to a new role, one that doesn’t require him on the bench making shots. In his new role, he would still be a 3rd option on the Clippers albeit with more of a focus on creating for his teammates. Williams has historically been a SG but could definitely transition to PG as he ages, similar to Ron Harper on the championship Bulls.
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