The Clippers Can't Be Having a Parade Next Year
Coming into the season, there were plenty of expectations for the Los Angeles Clippers. During the off-season, they were able to resign Chris Paul to a 5-year max contract thus cementing the path the team is going to take. During the wooing of Paul, it was reports surfaced that one of the demands of the point guard for resigning was the signing of Doc Rivers to coach the team. And so the Clippers made the necessary move to acquire Doc from the Celtics by sending a first-round draft pick.
After that, other moves were made to improve the roster. The Clippers got JJ Redick from the Bucks and Jared Dudley from the Suns. Both moves gained praises from basketball experts as being smart acquisitions. Some other transactions were made but none were as important as than the these.
In an interview during the off-season when Rivers took the head coach position for the Clippers, he mentioned about the first thing he did was planning a parade in LA. It was a bold statement by Rivers to let everyone know that he intends to win the championship this season.
However, a month and a half into the season, the Clippers aren't really looking like a team that could win a championship. They're not exactly bad, as supported by their 15-9 record, the fourth best in the west. Still, there are many weakness to the team right now that needs serious fixing before they can about championship.
The first one is defense. Defense is something that Rivers has preached during his successful stint with the Celtics. He let every player on the Clippers roster that he wants the team to be good at it. However, it hasn't really turned out that way.
The Clippers have struggled on the defensive end since the start of the season. Although they have a very athletic frontcourt in DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin, both don't have the acumen to be a defensive anchor. The team is bad on defense and the only reason that people aren't talking about it so much right now is the fact their offense has been able to cover their weakness on that side of the floor.
Still, it is very clear that as they are now, the Clippers can't be having a parade next year
