NBA: 7 Teams That Should Start To Panic
By Bryce Olin
7. Los Angeles Clippers
All right, so this might come as a surprise to some people.
The Clippers, likely, have one of the three or four best teams in the West, but there’s just something that isn’t working. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but it revolves around that fifth starter, whoever is playing small forward.
Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan is as good of a “starting four” as there is in the league.
Matt Barnes is not the piece that’s going to make the Clippers a championship contender. Jamal Crawford is a good enough offensive player, but he’s a bad defender.
When you consider that neither Paul, Griffin, or Jordan are dominant defenders, the Clippers really need someone to hold it all together.
To make it worse, the Clippers have handicapped themselves with little cap flexibility and few tradable draft picks.
Solution: Trade Redick, Barnes, or Crawford to try to find a good defender on the wing to maximize their potential.
Perhaps, Corey Brewer, Iman Shumpert, Arron Afflalo, or Wilson Chandler will somehow become available.
What Will Actually Happen: The Clippers will wait until the buyouts begin and grab this year’s version of Danny Granger, a player who will see significant minutes, but will have minimal impact.
Next: Finding Defensive Help For The Suns