LA Clippers: The Last Hurrah For The Core Four

The LA Clippers has had a solid run for the past six seasons. Yet, with all the uncertainties surrounding the team, this season may very well be the Last Hurrah for the core four

Coming into this season, there were many speculations on how Doc Rivers would handle the situation of the LA Clippers’ Big 4.

Floor General Chris Paul, All-Star forward Blake Griffin and sharpshooter J.J. Redick are going to enter free agency this summer as unrestricted free agents.

Some analysts thought that it would be wise for Rivers to move Blake Griffin before the deadline. This would, at the very least, allow the franchise to get some players back for Blake instead of just allowing him to walk away for nothing.

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Still, Doc Rivers and the Clippers remained intact after the deadline. Thus, they would have to live and die with what they have now. They’ve always had a high regard in terms of what they could do as a complete unit. Yet, unfortunately for them, lady luck has not been on their side for the past few seasons.

In fact, this season, when they were starting to figure it out, both Blake and CP3 got injured again, which obviously, hampered the team’s progress and their chances of landing in the top 3.

Luckily for them, these injuries occurred during the early part of the season. Now, both CP3 and Blake Griffin are healthy and ready to make, possibly, their final push as a group to win that elusive crown.

Of course, it won’t be easy, as they will have to go through the playoffs without any homecourt advantage, not even in the first round. They are only, currently, ranked fifth in the Western Conference Standings. This means that they would also have to go through the young, hungry and upstart Utah Jazz team led by the sensational Gordon Hayward and French Big Man, Rudy Gobert.

The Possibilities

The road to the title for the LA Clippers would be very difficult. There would be some things that would have to go their way for them to survive.

First, they have to be 100 percent healthy and complete. The Clippers are a super solid team if they are healthy. Unfortunately, the H word has not been associated with them as much as they would have wanted to. Still, if they enter the playoffs, ready and healthy, they would be the most dangerous non top 4  team of their conference.

Second, experience would be key. Would the Jazz be able to play like an experienced team out there? Most likely, not. Thus, the Clippers would have to capitalize on this glaring weakness of Utah. Steal Game 1, and that can easily break the confidence of a young team.

Third, they have to hope that Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets would make it difficult for GSW.

The Clippers would also need to face a GSW team that is still without KD or at least, a recovering KD. It would make the Dubs very vulnerable and allow the Clippers to finally, get back at their bitter rivals.

Fourth, let momentum and confidence do the magic. Eliminating GSW in the second round would be a major confidence booster for the Clippers. Just imagine, they would knock out a GSW team, with KD aboard, that was pegged to go 82-0 this season. This would make Houston or San Antonio an easier roadblock to overcome.

Fifth, but definitely not the least, Doc Rivers would have another shot at LeBron James. This time King James would be wiser and even more confident than ever before. Yet, if there would be one guy who saw the evolution of James, it would be none other than Doc Rivers. And let us not forget, Tyronn Lue, coach of the Defending Champs, learned from Doc Rivers himself. In other words, Rivers would be the best guy to figure out the Defending Champs.

So, if this would happen come June, as bold as it may sound, then, the Clippers would have a legit shot at actually, dethroning the King.

They have the talent, the experience, the heartaches, the hunger, the potential good luck/s (after all the bad lucks), and most importantly, the urgency to put it all together.

Unlikeliest Happy Ending

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Lo and behold, Doc Rivers and the Clippers may very well be holding that Larry O’Brien trophy come June. Thus, Doc Rivers would not go home to Disney World for any basketball related ventures. He would probably be staying in Disneyland, where even the most impossible dreams and unlikeliest, happy endings come true.