NBA Free Agency 2016: 5 Targets for Los Angeles Clippers
By Jaylyn Cook
The Clippers’ front office needs to address the team’s lack of depth, youth, and toughness with the help of at least one of these free agent targets.
The 2016 NBA Playoffs marked another early exit for the Los Angeles Clippers. As a long-time Laker stan, I wish I could pin the bouncing of Doc Rivers and his squad on a lack of trying – or on residual karma for the vetoed Chris Paul trade – but that’d be both unfair and deliciously petty of me.
Truth is, the Clips had neither the depth or the youth to keep up with Damian Lillard and the hungry Portland Trail Blazers during their first round series. Franchise cornerstones Paul and Blake Griffin were sidelined with consecutive season-ending injuries – leaving the keys of the offense (and the team’s championship aspirations) in the hands of J.J. Redick and Austin Rivers.
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In previous years, that would have been comparable to handing over your cherished Ferrari to Ferris Bueller and Cameron Frye, who hasn’t even reached the peak of his daddy issues yet. However, the duo – especially Rivers – threw the odds out the window and pushed the Blazers to the brink during games 4, 5, and 6.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as the Clippers lacked the firepower to keep up with a roster of baby-faced killers – something that could have been avoided if the Clippers’ front office at least attempted to make solid personnel decisions throughout the regular season.
No one (except for me) wants to see this same scenario play out again during next year’s playoffs, so Doc and GM Dave Wohl are going to need to put on their thinking caps and tackle the team’s shortcomings head-on during the impending free agent period.
The following players are five potential free agents that the Clippers could (and probably should) look into during their efforts to spruce up their 15-man rotation.
Next: 5. Thomas Robinson