Los Angeles Clippers Team Review

 

2022-23 Finish: 40-42

 

Season Highlight:

The Clippers highlight has to be finishing in the 7^th seed spot, despite the changing of the guard with Giannis heading out. The team was 13 wins worse off on the year, but the depth, fun and slew of riches was abundantly clear and on show despite all the pundits predicting it to suddenly be a bottom of the table rebuild sans Giannis. Instead, the playoffs were pretty much in view the entire season, though harshly ripped away at the last minute, and the kids brought in all shined bright like diamonds. Banchero was a top rookie all year. Mathurin lit it up and should have been rookie of the year. And the picks, oh the picks!

 

Season Lowlight:

The lowlight had to be the missing of the playoffs after a play in straight sets exit. They sat in the playoff spot all year, finished 7^th, top of the play in table, but lost to the 8^th seeded Rockets (who tanked most the year to be fair) and then got washed out in the decider against the 10^th seeded Suns to boot. It was a disappointing end to a season that showed so much hope and promise.

 

Best Trade:

Clippers send: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Clippers receive: Paolo Banchero, Bennedict Mathurin, Kelly Oubre, PJ Washington, Daniel Theis, Duncan Robinson, Pick 18 2023, Pick 29 2023 and SA 2027 1^st round pick

 

How often do you see the best player in the league traded�and then also call it the best trade for the team for the year? Now lets put this I perspective, you simply cannot get exact value back for a Giannis in a trade. This man IS a team. Take him out of LA and the last few years they would have struggled to make the playoffs. Facts. So, when you trade him, you have to be left with a swathe of assets, a bunch of future and some high upside, and, maybe you have to look at how the team did these last few years even with Giannis and realise, a refresh and hoard is probably what was best for the team going forward anyhow.

 

Worst Trade:

Clippers send: Domantas Sabonis and Usman Garuba
Clippers receive: Dwight Powell, Ayo Dosunmu, Pat Connaughton, Pick 20 2023 and Denver 2025 1^st round pick (Top 5 protected)

It�s not the worst trade in the world getting a good looking young guard and 2x 1sts for your 2k maligned elite NBA big man, but Sabonis was probably worth more than this then, went on to have a Allstar year signing a massive extension and rising way up the rankings and now would be the perfect C for them in a team that doesn�t have a C under the news rules.

 

Other Notable Trades:

Clippers send: Collin Sexton

Clippers receive: Evan Fournier and Pick 11 2023

 

In the end, pretty good value for Sexton in Pick 11. Of course, it remains to be seen what Jordan Hawkins does with his career. The pick was probably more valuable as a trade asset prior to the draft, definitely than Sexton was. Plus, Fournier who is 2k useful despite his career falling off a cliff.

 

 

Clippers send: Corey Kispert
Clippers get: Pick 19 2023 and Orlando 2026 2^nd round pick

 

Pretty elite value for Kispert really. A rarity from a Portland trade.

 

 

Clippers send: PJ Washington, Duncan Robinson and Denver 2025 1^st (Top 5 protected)
Clippers get: Jerami Grant

 

Probably about right value wise either way really. Grant�s massive new contract makes him an easy resign to continue moving for value, despite it also feeling on the high side.

 

 

 

 

Free Agency:

The Clippers have one goal in FA, find a C�any C. They�re currently looking down the barrel of Noah Clowney and not much else and are going to have a bad time. In terms of guys they have coming off contract, both should be required players and retained players in Ayo Dosunmu and Jerami Grant, and both probably won�t be on the roster by the deadline either. There�s not a lot of roster spots to go round though in LA, so they likely will fill more needs by trade with their plethora of young up coming and valuable wings and guards, so we don�t expect them to be big FA players.

Jerami Grant � UFA, resigned, easy retain with few with cap space.

Ayo Dosunmu � RFA, coming back for free.

 

 

Star:

Bennedict Mathurin

The kid is a star on this squad already, even if he isn�t quite there yet in the NBA. As a rookie in a league dominated by big men, he averaged 17 points per game (and was pushing 20 a night before being bench-tanked down the stretch). This was team leading, as a rookie, and likely was the main cause for the demise of RJ Barrett in LA. The true face of the team is still well and truly up for grabs however with Mathurin not yet gelded into the seat.

 

Flop:

PJ Washington

Washington keeps threatening to be a really nice young piece and serviceable player, but his size and skillset just do not translate at all in the 2k sense and it saw him languish through 58 games as the teams most used bench player, for less than 5 points a night before being shipped in the Jerami deal. You have to wonder what could be on the cards for him, but he was brought in as one of the guys �worth a 1^st round pick� in the Gianis deal and coming off his rookie deal now (all be it elsewhere) you have to wonder where he is going in this league.

 

 

Draft Grades:

Pick 11 � Jordan Hawkins
Pick 14 � Cason Wallace
Pick 18 � Kobe Bufkin
Pick 19 � Noah Clowney
Pick 20 � Kris Murray
Pick 29 � Nick Smith Jr.
Pick 45 � Jalen Pickett (traded)
Pick 48 � Julian Phillips (traded)

Overall Grade: A

This team that already boasted Banchero, Mathurin, Trey Murphy, Tari Eason, RJ Barrett and Jalen Williams, still had no less than 6 1^st round picks in the war chest! It�s no wonder they traded out the 2^nd round picks. Where do you fit them all? They basically followed along the lines of the NBA with their picks selecting a couple up for Hawkins, Clowney and Murray, but a couple down for Wallace, Bufkin and Smith, levelling it all out really. Other than struggling to meet the C demands of the roster, the kids they got all look like they should have futures so you can�t argue with that. Even the 2^nd rounds got deals and these guys will help add to the war chest, undoubtedly, as they jostle for playing time in a loaded wing rotation or get shipped up and out.

 

The Future:

The future is everywhere in LA it�s now, tomorrow, next week, next year and 5 years from now with this roster. They should compete for a play in spot at least again this year, but won�t be too disappointed if they don�t make it, as the kids they possess are all brimming with NBA talent and both situation and time to make a leap now, as well as come through in their 1^st year down the stretch. If it glues and guys get bumps sooner than later, you can see them easily pushing to where they were last year and the assets can accrue vets easily to fill needs and holes, if they want to. The speed of it all is in the hands of the man with the reins and Andrew knows all about what he�s doing.

C: Noah Clowney
PF: Paolo Banchero / Trey Murphy / Kris Murray
SF: Jerami Grant / Bennedict Mathurin / Tari Eason
SG: Jalen Williams / Jordan Hawkins / Ayo Dosunmu / Evan Fournier
PG: Jordan Poole / Cason Wallace / Kobe Bufkin / Nick Smith Jr