Oh my, the irony of how a team’s misery keeps on writing itself. Ahh, how funny it
must be to giveaway your future for a “present” that NEVER existed. Ladies and
gentlemen, boys, and girls of all ages; gather around as I tell you a story about a
team that will always be the Los Angeles Clippers. Yes, that stepbrother team in
Los Angeles nobody roots for. The day of reckoning has arrived and how it
unfolded rather quickly is hilarious! How did we get here you might ask? Allow me
to explain.
When you mortgage your future to win now, it must equal to championships. The
return of investment for cashing assets and competing is very high. No excuses,
wait… I’ll elaborate on this further in the article. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has
paid more in salaries to superstar players than winning titles. General Manager
Lawrence Frank made some bad decisions based on staying afloat in the Western
Conference. All along, the ship sunk deeper into the Pacific Ocean without sailing.
Let’s rewind the clock to July 2019 when this “new era” was built to sail for
prosperity.
The Los Angeles Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard, who was fresh off a
championship run in Toronto. With a true franchise player came with
“regulations,” upon negotiating a blockbuster deal. Enter Paul George, who the
summer before signed an extension with Oklahoma City after the trade from
Indiana in 2017. All the crewmen were ready to set sail, but this ship sunk faster
than the Titanic did. Los Angeles gave up (6) first round picks plus SGA and Danilo
Gallinari to go???? One Western Conference Finals appearance.
Talk about bad projections and poor decisions. With that, came another trade in James Harden; the castaway former MVP whose playoff record speaks for itself.
In the uproar, re-signing Leonard over George was a head-scratcher for many.
George was the most consistent player in this window and available while his
sleepover teammate sat out most of it. What’s funny is Leonard played the most
games in his Clippers tenure, it shocked his body enough to miss the 2024
playoffs… AGAIN! So, here we are as George decided to leave California and head
east to play with Philadelphia 76ers. The Clippers window slammed shut once
Harden arrived via trade and it can cause some internal friction.
George wanted an extra year on his new deal; the Clippers said no, but they gave
Leonard a 3yr/$160 million dollar extension to sit on the bench for 30 games a
season. You see, when the so called “smartest man in the room” keeps making
the same mistakes, when will Lawrence Frank be held accountable for these poor
acquisitions? All these moves have set the team back five to seven years. Again, if
you make these types of moves, the return of investment better fulfill itself.
As the Clippers move into billion dollar stadium located in Inglewood, California
Leonard, Westbrook, and Harden will start another “era” without Paul George. No
matter how many fans you try to win over, it won’t amount if winning isn’t the
priority. Head Coach Ty Lue has done more without Leonard and still manages to
stay focused. If that’s the plan moving forward into 2025, good luck.
Words to the wise, pay attention to the present and future of your team. Don’t
get too greedy and risk the equity of competing for championships. If you truly
care about your job, be accountable and hold it for everyone else involved. Sports
fans, let this be a lesson to how NOT mortgage your future for one extra round of
postseason play. The Los Angeles Clippers will always be a franchise of not winning when it matters. Enjoy the regular season wins against the real Los
Angeles team; Lakers that is. Keep displaying selfie banners versus championship
royalty; that’s all you’ll amount to.
