A surprising first-round exit by the Los Angeles Clippers and a general lack of postseason success under the watch of Doc Rivers and the roster he has constructed has some wondering what the future might hold in the land of stars. Especially with the contract situation at hand.
J.J. Redick will be a free agent this summer. Chris Paul will be a free agent this summer. And Blake Griffin, who sat out most of the Jazz series with a toe injury, also is slated to become a free agent.
Is it time to blow up the roster? Or will L.A. reinvest in its stars and hope for another run at full strength, or maybe even pursue Carmelo Anthony in a trade in the offseason ? No one knows what the strategy is right now, but head coach and general manager Doc Rivers says blowing it up isn’t in the cards right now.
“We do know blowing it up would not be the right decision,” Rivers told AM570 LA’s Jason Stewart. “What we do know is that making changes might be.”
Blowing up the roster seems borderline absurd, given its overall talent pool. The Clippers have one of the best point guards in NBA history in Chris Paul, and All-NBA-caliber big men DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. But the point of contention centers around what matters most in the NBA — its postseason success. The team hasn’t advanced past the conference semifinals in Rivers’ four seasons as coach despite a talented core of players. Keeping that core intact will require Steve Ballmer to open wide with his checkbook. If it’s even worth it.
“What we have done is proven that we can win,” Rivers went on to say. “What we haven’t done is proven that we can be the winner.”
Courtesy: CBS Sports
