Nice read on how DJ's exit 'affects' the Clippers

[hodgy03038]

That terrible and mediocre roster still has two of the best players in basketball on it -- we'd trade any three players on our roster for Paul or Griffin.

Yes but no way an LA team or Doc is going to throw it all in and rebuild.

[Who]

Clippers have about $60 million in salaries for next season. The cap is meant to be $68-69 million so the Clippers still have enough room left to sign a starting caliber replacement center (like Kosta Koufos). They should still be a very good team next season.

Then next year, with the cap going up they'll have enough room for a 3rd max contract player to put alongside CP3 + Blake Griffin ... to play in LA ... to play for Doc Rivers ... which makes the Clippers one of the most attractive destinations in the NBA next summer. Which puts LAC well positioned to be one of the top 5 teams in the league in 2016-17.

The Clippers are fine. This is a temporary setback. Nothing more.

[MBunge]

If the Clippers renounce every free agent and team option they can renounce, they have $65 million is salaries next season.  That mean they could offer no more than $4 million.  Any decent center can command at least twice that.  And that would also mean devastating the Clips already bad bench by losing Big Baby and Austin Rivers.  If the sign Pierce and invoke Stephenson's team option, they'll still have over $60 million in salary for the following season.

Mike

[Eja117]

Biyombo would be a good fit there

At the same age Deandre Jordan had per-36 numbers of 10 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.5 blocks  ... Biyombo has per-36 numbers of 8.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.9 blocks

Biyombo is basically a poor man's DeAndre Jordan.   If Clips need a cheap defensive center who isn't going to demand the ball on offense, that's a good bandaid.

Biyombo is a poor man's Jordan in the same way that I am a poor man's Einstein.

Before you argue with me, know that I crushed him on the SATs, bro. He didn't even show up.

I have a better love life than Einstein had

[Who]

If the Clippers renounce every free agent and team option they can renounce, they have $65 million is salaries next season.  That mean they could offer no more than $4 million.  Any decent center can command at least twice that.  And that would also mean devastating the Clips already bad bench by losing Big Baby and Austin Rivers.  If the sign Pierce and invoke Stephenson's team option, they'll still have over $60 million in salary for the following season.

Mike

Ah, my mistake. Lance Stephenson wasn't in the Clippers team salary page at basketball-reference.com.

[PhoSita]

The Clips should sign a couple of beefy stiffs to put at center for 10-20 minutes a night and then just play Griffin a lot at the 5 as a point-center.

Pierce can play the 4 for extended stretches, and Lance can play the 3 with Reddick at the 2.

Paul - Reddick - Lance - Pierce - Griffin

That will be a fun lineup to watch.

The Clips won't be great next year, but they have two top 10 players whose skillsets are very complementary.  They will be fine.

[tazzmaniac]

If the Clippers renounce every free agent and team option they can renounce, they have $65 million is salaries next season.  That mean they could offer no more than $4 million.  Any decent center can command at least twice that.  And that would also mean devastating the Clips already bad bench by losing Big Baby and Austin Rivers.  If the sign Pierce and invoke Stephenson's team option, they'll still have over $60 million in salary for the following season.

Mike

The Clips are still over the cap without Jordan.  Losing Jordan, does give them the full MLE rather than the mini MLE.  However the Pierce signing uses most of that so they only have around 2.7 mil left to use.  I don't think they have their bi-annual exception either.

[MBunge]

The Clips should sign a couple of beefy stiffs to put at center for 10-20 minutes a night and then just play Griffin a lot at the 5 as a point-center.

Pierce can play the 4 for extended stretches, and Lance can play the 3 with Reddick at the 2.

Paul - Reddick - Lance - Pierce - Griffin

That will be a fun lineup to watch.

The Clips won't be great next year, but they have two top 10 players whose skillsets are very complementary.  They will be fine.

Obviously they're not going to end up in the lottery, but this is a team in the "championship or bust" window and they're going to lose an entire season at least.  Then they have to try and rebuild a title contender the year after that when, if they invoke Stephenson's team option, they'll have only 5 legitimate players and $29 mil in cap space for everything else.  And that's supposing they don't sign anyone now to more than a one-year deal.

At least when Dallas let Tyson Chandler walk the first time, it was part of a long-term plan.  That plan completely blew up in their face, but at least they had it.  The Clips got nothing.

Mike

[tazzmaniac]

The Clips should sign a couple of beefy stiffs to put at center for 10-20 minutes a night and then just play Griffin a lot at the 5 as a point-center.

Pierce can play the 4 for extended stretches, and Lance can play the 3 with Reddick at the 2.

Paul - Reddick - Lance - Pierce - Griffin

That will be a fun lineup to watch.

The Clips won't be great next year, but they have two top 10 players whose skillsets are very complementary.  They will be fine.

Obviously they're not going to end up in the lottery, but this is a team in the "championship or bust" window and they're going to lose an entire season at least.  Then they have to try and rebuild a title contender the year after that when, if they invoke Stephenson's team option, they'll have only 5 legitimate players and $29 mil in cap space for everything else.  And that's supposing they don't sign anyone now to more than a one-year deal.

At least when Dallas let Tyson Chandler walk the first time, it was part of a long-term plan.  That plan completely blew up in their face, but at least they had it.  The Clips got nothing.

Mike

If the Clips don't get a decent center, I don't see them getting 50 wins so the definitely could be in the lottery.   

[Who]

Pierce can play the 4 for extended stretches, and Lance can play the 3 with Reddick at the 2.

Paul - Reddick - Lance - Pierce - Griffin

That will be a fun lineup to watch.

That would be awesome. The Clippers running D'Antoni's SSOL Phoenix Suns offense.

I'd love to see Blake Griffin in an offense like that. CP3 too. Although that would be an adjustment for CP3. If he committed to it though, he'd be spectacular. Reddick would be great in that type of an offense too. Grant Hill (old SF/PF) was well served in that up and down game. Might be good for Pierce too.

Blake Griffin would be absolutely lethal in this type of a setup. Imagine his playmaking from the center spot. His transition game. His speed advantage in face up situations. Deadly.

[Ogaju]

That terrible and mediocre roster still has two of the best players in basketball on it -- we'd trade any three players on our roster for Paul or Griffin.

Yes, but who comes in for them when they hit the bench? The answer is NOBODY!!!

[Ogaju]

The Clips should sign a couple of beefy stiffs to put at center for 10-20 minutes a night and then just play Griffin a lot at the 5 as a point-center.

Pierce can play the 4 for extended stretches, and Lance can play the 3 with Reddick at the 2.

Paul - Reddick - Lance - Pierce - Griffin

That will be a fun lineup to watch.

The Clips won't be great next year, but they have two top 10 players whose skillsets are very complementary.  They will be fine.

Why do people keep expecting miracles from PP. An athlete's drop off from one year to the next can be pretty precipitous at the end of their careers. If you doubt me check out the end of the careers of Kareem, Karl Malone, KG, Shaq, and now Kobe. You really think PP can carry the burden of a load left by a young D'Aandre Jordan?

The Clippers are cooked, you just don't know it yet.
\

[tazzmaniac]

Pierce can play the 4 for extended stretches, and Lance can play the 3 with Reddick at the 2.

Paul - Reddick - Lance - Pierce - Griffin

That will be a fun lineup to watch.

That would be awesome. The Clippers running D'Antoni's SSOL Phoenix Suns offense.

I'd love to see Blake Griffin in an offense like that. CP3 too. Although that would be an adjustment for CP3. If he committed to it though, he'd be spectacular. Reddick would be great in that type of an offense too. Grant Hill (old SF/PF) was well served in that up and down game. Might be good for Pierce too.

Blake Griffin would be absolutely lethal in this type of a setup. Imagine his playmaking from the center spot. His transition game. His speed advantage in face up situations. Deadly.

I'm imaging Griffin trying to defend Cousins.  Seeing career highs for Cousins (pts) and Rondo (asts). 

[CelticSooner]

@WojYahooNBA

Link to Yahoo Sports story on free agent center JaVale McGee and the Clippers. http://yhoo.it/1G0y8Nt

[saltlover]

I don't think the Clips are a championship contender.  I do think if Paul and Griffin stay healthy that they're still better than Phoenix, New Orleans, and Dallas, and should make the playoffs.