The Los Angeles Clippers , despite their loaded roster of All-Stars, have faced their fair share of challenges. After a 4-2 defeat by the Dallas Mavericks, their early exit from the NBA Playoffs has left many questioning the team's future.
When a loaded team gets ousted early in the postseason, many questions about their future will be posed, and speculations will abound. For former NBA champion and respected commentator Stephen Jackson , the time is right for the Clippers to clean house and start anew.
Perfect time to start fresh
As the Clippers prepare to move into their new home at the Intuit Dome, Stephen Jackson sees this as a prime opportunity for a fresh start. With Paul George and James Harden's free agency and Russell Westbrook's player option, the team's roster is in a state of flux. This uncertainty presents a perfect chance for the Clippers to shake things up and build a new team that could contend for a championship.
"It's a perfect time with the situational contract situations with everybody. It's the perfect time to break it up. It's a perfect time," S-Jax shared on All The Smoke Unplugged.
Health, or the lack thereof, has always been the Clippers' biggest enemy. The team's stars often played with PG and Harden this season, who suited up in 74 and 72 games, respectively. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard, considered the godfather of "load management," played in 68 games, which is the highest game total since the 2016-2017 season.
However, right when the Clippers needed the two-time Finals MVP most, Kawhi was nowhere to be found. Due to a lingering knee issue, he played in only two games in the first round.
"You're going into a new arena; you might as well try to just start new. This ain't working. You might as well just try to get new and try to offload Kawhi if you can. James, a free agent. Paul's definitely going to opt out because there are teams just want to throw him the bag right now. So, this is the perfect time to go into that new arena, new coach, new team, and just try something new," Jackson added.
Players uncertain of coming back
According to All The Smoke co-host Matt Barnes, the most intriguing piece of the puzzle is Kawhi, who the Clippers handed a three-year contract extension that runs until 2027. With PG and Harden's future in LA still up in the air, it would be interesting to see what The Klaw would do this offseason.
"I think the interesting person on the roster to me is obviously Kawhi, being healthy, and if we're going to get a chance to see that because I think he played—and I don't want to mistake—he played a lot of games this year. I know he didn't sit out very much, but when they needed him the most in the playoffs, he wasn't there," Barnes said of the two-way beast, who averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in the regular season.
Barnes added that PG's decision this summer holds a lot of weight for the team's future.
"Paul George, you know, there's talks to Indiana, the Knicks, you're hearing a lot of different things. Obviously, this is all speculation right now, but I think Paul George could be the one guy; if he decides to leave, you know, teams are still going to throw him good money. So, it'll be interesting to see where he lands if he does decide to leave," Barnes shared.
The Clippers are a team with many resources and play in a city where most players want to go. However, with the franchise playing in a new arena, how they'll approach this new chapter remains to be seen. Would they keep the same team and run the risk of achieving the same disappointing result? Or would they start anew? It would be safe to say it will be a thrilling offseason for the Clippers.
Related: "You're asking me a question that I don't have the answer to" - James Harden and Paul George on their plans after Clippers exit from playoffs
Local Los Angeles, CA
Most Popular
Comments / 0