The Los Angeles Clippers have been seen as threats and contenders in the west for some time now but have never been close to living up to the hype despite bulging star power. With Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden leading the charge in LA, the Clippers ceiling has never really been met, but a haul of new talent, and some serious depth heading into next season, staying healthy may be the key to finally being successful in the postseason.
The Clippers have been smart so far in their offseason bid to improve, and with veteran talent, among some solid depth options, their additions this summer could have a serious effect on their playoff performances. So far Bradley Beal who signed a two year, $11 million contract following his buyout in Phoenix will be a solid shooting guard upgrade, still being a solid point producer and scorer despite some drop off in Phoenix. The return of Chris Paul on a one year $3.6 million deal brings veteran experience, franchise familiarity, and deep playoff experience that is needed in order for them to make a deep playoff run. Also, with this year likely to be his final season in the NBA, his hunger to win, and belief in the team may mean a solid backup option, and legend of the game could still be a game changer for LA, backing up James Harden nicely.
But scoring and playmaking wasn't their only upgrade. Beal, and Paul will ensure there is still class and elite scoring on the team in the wake of any injuries, but the signing of Brook Lopez on a two year $18 million deal ensures their rebounding and rim protection is concrete had Ivica Zubac suffer any injuries. And the three team trade in which LA acquired John Collins, a solid power forward who has great rebounding tendencies in the frontcourt, and again, offers scoring on top of his rebounding as their new PF.
Kawhi, Harden, Beal, Zubac, and Collins look like a scary team on paper, and like the Clippers look every season, they look like a serious contender, and with stars offering backup in all positions, the Clippers may have found their weakness, and patched it up extremely well. Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, Batum, Derrick Jones Jr, and Bogan Bogdanovic are all capable players who are extremely reliable and useful had any major injuries occur, and with their newfound depth, and safety in tough situations, their protection and depth throughout the regular season may mean a fresh team, and a ready team heading into the playoffs. The signings themselves look good on paper, but it is what they each offer individually as cover and reliable assets which may mean a solid playoff run for the Clippers, and may turn out to be a sequence of offseason moves to remember. The new look Clippers look scary, and health won't be as big a problem as previous years, but had they all stay healthy, nobody can match their depth overall
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