With this blockbuster trade made in the wee-hours on Halloween, will the 10x All-Star, 6x All NBA first team, 3x NBA scoring champion, 2x NBA assist leader, 2018 NBA’s most valuable player and NBA 75th anniversary team member make the impact that the Los Angeles Clippers need to win? Now, I’m writing this as a fan. I’ve been a Clipper’s fan since they played in the Los Angeles Sports Arena. I’m an LA native and have only been to ONE Los Angeles Lakers game and that was when they were of course playing the Clippers (Clippers won that game, 121–106.)
As a fan I’ve seen the decent but mostly ugly Clippers seasons. Until recently the Clippers have been the perennial losers in the NBA for a very long time. They are one of ten NBA teams that have yet to win a Championship and have only been to the conference finals once.
Some put the blame on the front office, back in the Donald Sterling years he’s routinely said he didn't want to “pay” for players and just wanted draft picks. But once players were signed, they never got the full support from ownership that a championship caliber team needs. We’ve heard stories from former players talking about practicing at LA southwest college. A professional basketball team holding practices at a local junior college. The professional etiquette and courtesy wasn’t there, especially when comparing them to the well established, Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers are primetime basketball, they’re “showtime,” the legacy, that franchise honestly is second to none. They were the big brother to the Clippers’ little brother, they were the varsity to the Clippers’ JV squad. But the one thing the Clippers had was their own arena, until they joined the Lakers at the then branded Staples Center in 1999. It was a beautiful arena, but when your team is the third tenant behind the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings hockey team you get the scraps, and get treated as such.
Los Angeles basketball fans often like to say if the Clippers just won at least one Championship, they would get more respect. And why that might be true, the spirit of the Clippers’ fan base is resilient. It’s stead-fast and filled with hope. Each new season is another opportunity to competet for a championship.
And here we are, years after the arrival of a rambunctious sideline cheer captain and owner Steve Ballmer. The Clippers were able to acquire some key pieces to the franchise. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, two “hometown boys” stepped into their roles as leaders on the team. But when expectations were high and results were low, the Clippers once again found themselves in an all too familiar place, out of playoff contention. Injuries plagued the Clippers, as it seems to happen almost every season. Some say its a curse, while others say it’s just the Clippers M.O. While the past decade of the Clippers franchise has been its most successful decade in team history the Clippers once again set their sights on the trophy.
But this season seems different, with the late addition of Russell Westbrook last season Clippers fans got a glimpse of what next season could be. But while injuries reared their ugly heads with the stars of the team, Russell was playing like a kid again. He seemed happy, a complete 180 from the way he was playing when he was suiting up down the hall. When Russ was a Laker you could tell he just wasn’t comfortable there.
Now I know a lot of people will say he’s making HOW MUCH? I don’t care if he’s comfortable he needs to play like he did in OKC. And while most people at work can compartmentalize an focus on the task at hand and leave emotion out of it. Sports is filled with emotion, I don’t know about you but I want my players to play with some level of controlled emotion. Get angry, get back on defense, run it back. This is basketball, it’s an emotional game.
But watching Russ play with the comfort and trust of this Clippers team he’s able to play great basketball. And with the addition of James Harden, someone who has played with Russ before I am hopeful. Although the last time they played together they both wanted out. Having four stars on the court at the same time, I am reminiscent of when the Lakers also tried the same strategy when signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Both were stars, no ALL STARS but both were at the end of their careers. But again, I am hopeful.
I know that Head Coach Ty Lue will coach a phenomenal season of basketball, with the addition of Harden it only gives Lue more options and more rotations on the floor. Which hopefully will give some of these guys a bit of rest during the season, so they can be healthy for a deep playoff season. I hate to say it but it’s now a must win season. I doubt that unless the Clippers can make it to the finals will they be successful in re-signing all four guys.
And when you open up a new arena it would be nice to do it with a championship banner, a ring ceremony, and your stars. The Clippers are a deep team, and if they can remain healthy I think they have a legitimate shot at a title. Because for PG, Russ, and Harden being from the LA area, and not only winning your first, but the teams first Championship. It makes it that much sweeter. But they have a possibility of all the stars aligning and this happening.
Let’s also not forget the addition of PJ Tucker, who is a strong role player and even stronger defender. He adds to the depth of the team, but he also brings with him a lot of the intangibles. A lot of the things that won’t show up on the post game stat sheet. He’s a great locker room guy, a crafty veteran who at this point in his career just wants to win. I can respect that, just like the way I respect his warehouse size shoe collection.
So the question remains, will James Harden be the key to unlocking a championship for this Clippers team? Only time will tell. But Harden will have to have an all-star type season if he wants to stay and get paid in his hometown sans ring. Good luck to my favorite team. I want to see all of them in June.
