16. Los Angeles Clippers
The last time a perennial fifty-win team experienced a summer wrought with this much uncertainty, the Bulls were coming off their second three-peat, ultimately reaching the collective decision not to bring the band back together for another run. The Clippers split the baby.
Blake is back, which will keep fannies in the seats but will make printing playoff tickets much more of a challenge than its been. Like Memphis, LA is out a future first, but the lottery protection is huge so it shouldn’t impact any potential tank plans. Based on this offseason, that doesn’t seem to be where this team is headed anyway.
A Griffin led attack will be fascinating, but the new Clippers core has a definitive ceiling. Plus they’ll be faced with the same damned-if-they-do scenario with DeAndre Jordan that they just experienced this summer.
There is a sliver of hope. If they let Jordan walk, there’s a path to max cap space out there. If they can somehow land a big fish, and Blake is able to stay on the court, things could turn around in a hurry.
Path to Glory: Griffin and Gallinari stay healthy and a Blake-led offense looks coherent. They let DJ walk next summer and land one of Russ, Paul George, or LeBron to round out the core. Enough ring chasing vets come to join a solid core to make the Clippers an actual threat to the Warriors.