Clippers are handed back-to-back first-round playoff eliminations
Bursting with talent, the inclusion of previous MVP James Harden made the Los Angeles Clippers a fan favourite for a chip run. Securing individual flair across the board and a convincing team style of play, LA produced a 51-win season. Undeniably a contender, it looked as if the Clippers could shake up the West.
Achieved through the mature mindset of another former MVP Russell Westbrook agreeing to come off the bench, this played a significant role in securing squad depth. As a result, LA had leadership and experience across the whole 48 minutes.
MVP here, MVP there, championship nowhere.
Besides everlasting entertainment and drama, the past 10 years of NBA basketball have shown us the Super Team era is over. Unable to buy your way to the top, LA has landed in a sticky spot. The Goliath size win-now culture has been outsmarted by David in the front office with efficient use of the draft.
Supported by the Denver Nuggets, Bucks and Warriors, these recent champions have built around a strong drafted core. Outside of the draft, it’s also crucial to acquire key role players in place of that third-star talent. Certainly, we are all in agreement that 3+ MVP-caliber players on the same team sound amazing. However in reality it’s greedy and unrealistic.
Patience is a virtue, Rome wasn’t built in a day, yada yada yada, it takes time for this type of chemistry to form in professional sports.
Run it back or face the facts?
Speaking for the majority of the population, our only experience in running sporting franchises comes during our prepubescent console-playing years. Sure, we can shape a similar Clippers dream team to our liking during career mode, but this is the real deal. Acquiring this much generational talent on the same roster is an exciting position to be in, especially if you are directly involved. For LA, it’s not an easy decision to abandon years of hard work and dreams for essentially nothing.
Unsurprisingly this offseason presents the Los Angeles Clippers with a difficult decision. Run it back or begin the rebuild. Compelling evidence against the Super Team is undeniable. On the other hand, what madman releases 4 All-Stars?
To summarise, this decision would be much easier on my Xbox.
Image Credit: NBA.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
