The events of the last twelve months in Los Angeles Clipper headquarters must have been brutally exhausting. In the past year, the Clippers have:
- Been featured on Pablo Torre Finds Out at least ten times for the Aspiration saga
- Due to that, they have been under NBA investigation for circumventing the salary cap
- Traded away two mainstays of their team over the last couple years, James Harden and Ivica Zubac
- Hosted NBA All-Star Weekend
- Lucked into the fifth overall pick in the NBA Draft, used on Illinois guard Keaton Wagler
- Traded away Kawhi Leonard
- Docked five first round draft picks, Ballmer suspended for a year due to cap circumvention investigation
Suffice to say, there is a LOT that has happened in Inglewood recently, and I’m sure getting everything behind them from the previous era of Clippers basketball is best for everyone involved.
Unlike most situations where you have a team that’s hitting a hard reset, the Clippers have no incentive to be terrible, as their future first round draft capital has
been forcefully taken by the league office. So, where does that leave the Clippers? Let’s dive in.
Los Angeles Clippers: Last season 42-40, lost in Western Conference Play-In Game
Over/Under: 27.5 wins (-110/-115)
To win Pacific Division: 30/1
To win Western Conference: 600/1
To win NBA Finals: 1000/1
Key additions: Keaton Wagler (5th pick in Draft), Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick (Kawhi deal), Max Strus (Cleveland), Rui Hachimura (LA Lakers)
Key losses: Kawhi Leonard (Aspirations of Toronto), John Collins (Detroit), Many draft picks
I’m sort of buying the Clippers in the short term. Yes, rookie point guards taking a ton of minutes is typically a recipe to stink out loud as a team, but this entire thing isn’t on the shoulders of Wagler. Darius Garland, provided he’s healthy, should carry quite a bit of the burden. There are enough combo guards and wings to help get the offense going. I like Hachimura for this team, Brandon Ingram is solid and you’ve got plenty of bodies with Strus, Gradey Dick, old friend Derrick Jones Jr. and more to fill out the rotation. Ty Lue is a good coach, and the Clippers have no reason to be bad. They’re going to be better than the folks at Fanduel think.
