The Lob City Clippers Were Fun, Exciting, and Very Disappointing
Today is the start of a new series, Disappointing Teams. This series will highlight some of the teams that disappointed us for a lot of reasons. These teams were talented and supposed to do great things. But for one reason or another, they came up short. In the first installment of this series, we have the Lob City Clippers. This team had a lot of talent, highlighted by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. This era of Clippers basketball was fun, exciting. It was primetime TV every single night. They were title contenders for multiple years during their 6-years together, but they could never break through. Through injuries, collapses, and breakdowns, the Lob City Clippers were disappointments. Let’s take a deep dive into this era of Clippers basketball.
The Makings Of Lob City
Before we knew them as Lob City, the Clippers were bad. Lob City officially started during the shortened 2011-12 season. In the 4 years prior to the official start of Lob City, the Clippers were bad. In each of those 4 seasons before 2012, the Clippers hadn’t managed to win 40% of their games in any season. They were bad, gloomy, and struggled to sell tickets. But lets look at their core of 3 talented players that we imagine when we think of the Lob City Clippers.
Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin was drafted #1 overall in 2009. He was going to be the Clippers crown jewel as they tried and rebuild. Ignore the fact that James Harden and Steph Curry went later in this draft. But Griffin’s career didn’t exactly start in a Hollywood way. Griffin injured his kneecap in the Clippers final preseason game. The day before the start of the 2009-10 season, Griffin had been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left knee. This would have delayed Griffin’s debut by 7 weeks, but after a few weeks, the Clippers ran tests on his knee to find that it wasn’t healing properly.
So the Clippers bit the bullet. In January of 2010, Griffin had surgery on his broken left kneecap, causing him to miss his entire rookie season.
But Griffin returned in 2010-11 with a vengeance. He was the rookie of the year, averaging 22.5 points per game and was an All-Star in his rookie season. The Clippers were still poor, but it looked like their star hadn’t been affected by that knee injury as Griffin threw down a ridiculous 214 slams in his rookie season. Griffin was the Clippers young star who would try and lead them to their first shred of success, maybe ever.
DeAndre Jordan
While Blake Griffin was the #1 overall pick in 2009, Jordan had more humble beginnings. Jordan was a 2nd round pick in 2008 and played decent minutes in each of his first two seasons. He got a much bigger role in the 2010-11 season, which was also the year when Griffin made his NBA debut. Jordan was a great rebounder and a lob threat in the pick and roll. In the 2010-11 season, Jordan shot 69% from the field (nice) and threw down 158 dunks alongside Blake Griffin.
So the Clippers had two up and coming players. Griffin was great but Jordan had emerged as one of the best centers in the NBA. They were just missing another star. They needed that star guard who could compliment their two excellent young front court members. Enter Chris Paul.
Chris Paul + Vetoed Trade
Chris Paul was drafted in 2005 and immediately became a star player with the New Orleans Hornets. Paul become a 20 points – 10 assists per game guy who was elite defensively. He led the league in assists in 2008 and 2009 and led the league in steals for 3 out of his final 4 seasons in New Orleans. The Hornets won 56 games in 2008 and they made it to the Western Conference semi-finals. They took the defending champion San Antonio Spurs to 7 games, before eventually losing.
That was the best it ever got for Paul and New Orleans. After losing to the 2x defending champion LA Lakers in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, ownership was worried that Chris Paul would leave the franchise via free agency. So they looked to trade their generational talent in hopes of getting something in return instead of watching him make another Lebron like decision. What happened next is infamous, for multiple reasons.
Paul wanted to go to a contender and the Lakers and Knicks were at the top of his list. The Lakers were especially intriguing because they had won titles in 2009 and 2010 led by Kobe, but they were dismantled in 2011. After beating Chris Paul and the Hornets in the first round, they were swept by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks. Kobe Bryant was 32 at the time and he had a few years left in his prime. The team around him was old and CP-3 would be the perfect backcourt mate to try and get his 6th ring.
On December 8th, 2011, Paul had been traded to the Lakers. The season would be starting on December 25th and Paul would be starting his 7th season with Kobe Bryant. Here was the deal to send Chris Paul to Hollywood.
Lakers Receive: Chris Paul (from Hornets)
Hornets Receive: (F) Lamar Odom (from Lakers), SG Kevin Martin (from Rockets), PF Luis Scola (from Rockets), PG Goran Dragic (from Rockets), 2012 FRP (from Rockets via Knicks)
Rockets Receive: PF Pau Gasol (from Lakers)
This trade made all parties happy. Chris Paul was heading to LA and Kobe got another sidekick to try and win more titles. The Lakers also got to keep Andrew Bynum, who the Lakers hoped to use in a trade to land Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard, forming a formidable big 3 in the Western Conference.
The Hornets got some solid pieces in return for CP-3. Kevin Martin was one of the best young scorers in the NBA. With the Kings in the mid-2000s, he had 3 straight seasons of 20 ppg or more. The Hornets got their hands of a great young scorer entering his prime years.
Lamar Odom was a key part to the Lakers winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. He was the 6th man of the year in 2010-11 and he was just entering his 30’s. The Hornets got a decent veteran player as well. Scola came to the NBA when he was 27, but he was still a very good scoring power forward. In the 2010-11 season, he averaged 18.3 points per game. Another great scorer who could pair nicely with Emeka Okafor, who was a decent player at the time.
Goran Dragic was a promising young guard. He started off in Phoenix as an understudy to the great Steve Nash. In the 2010-11 season, he was traded to Houston. He was only 24 at the time and had never really gotten a chance as a full-time starter. He would be getting that chance in New Orleans. The Hornets also got a 2012 first round pick from the Rockets, so they got a pretty good haul.
Pau Gasol has been Kobe’s #2 during their back-to-back titles. He was a very good scoring and passing big guy and the Rockets were getting a productive big guy down low. Gasol was 33 at the time and still had some All-Star caliber seasons in him.
This was a massive trade, a trade that moved a lot of pieces and got every team what they wanted. It would have changed a lot of timelines in the NBA and is one of the biggest what-if’s in NBA history. But we all know what happens next.
A few hours after the trade happened, NBA Commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade. Here’s how. This trade happened in December 8th, 2011. Almost a year earlier, the New Orleans Hornets were looking to sell the franchise. But the David Stern and the NBA took over the ownership of the team, because they wanted the team to stay in New Orleans instead of relocating to somewhere else.
So the NBA owned the Charlotte Hornets, meaning that the 29 other owners were technically owners of the Charlotte Hornets. So while the Hornets general manager wanted to maximize CP-3 trade value, it never happened. When this trade happened, the trade went to a vote with the 29 other owners. They didn’t want to see a Kobe/CP-3 duo, so they voted against the trade and it was vetoed. So just like that, the trade didn’t happen and everybody stayed, for now.
Paul was obviously unhappy, he wanted to play with Kobe. He wanted to be in Los Angeles. And he would be going to LA in a short while, just not with the purple and gold.
Less than a week after the failed trade, a new trade happened, and this time, it actually went through. Chris Paul was now a LA Clipper.
Clippers Receive: Chris Paul, 350k Cash, 2015 2nd Round Pick
Hornets Receive: Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, 2012 FRP (Austin Rivers)
This trade wasn’t as fun, let’s be honest. The Clippers get CP-3, but there are less exciting pieces here. Al-Farouq Aminu was a raw young defensive wing who couldn’t shoot. He didn’t do much in New Orleans and found his most success with the Portland Trail Blazers, missing most of his open corner 3’s from Damian Lillard.
Eric Gordon was the best piece the Hornets got in this trade. Gordon was a promising young scorer who had averaged 22 points per game in 2010-11. But he never worked out in New Orleans as he dealt with injuries. He found new success in the Rockets, teaming up with CP-3 for a few years where the Rockets were contenders.
Chris Kaman was a long-time LA Clipper. He was the 6th pick in the stacked 2003 draft and was a solid player for nearly a decade in LA. He was an All-Star in 2009-10, but only spent one decent season with New Orleans before spending his last few seasons in the NBA bouncing around teams. The first round pick that turned into Austin Rivers was decent, but found success immediately after he left New Orleans. Safe to say the return package for CP-3 wasn’t exactly great.
So there you have it. From the Hornets wanting to trade Chris Paul, to David Stern saying no to that trade to the Lakers, to now where CP-3 is on the Clippers starting in the 2011-12 season. It was a weird journey, but the Clippers now had their Lob-City core. Chris Paul was still in his prime and was elite on both ends. Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan were electric athletes that paired well with Paul. Now it was time to win, a thing fairly new to the Clippers.
2011-12 Season: The Beginning
The first season of Lob City was a big step up for LA. In the lockout shortened 66-game season, the Clippers won 40 games thanks to CP-3. CP-3 and Griffin were both All-Stars as the Clippers were one of the best teams in the West that season. The Clippers were the 5th seed that year, powered by their elite offense under coach Vinny Del Negro.
While Paul and Griffin were great, the help around them wasn’t great. Outside of DeAndre Jordan, the help was meh. Caron Butler offered decent scoring. Randy Foye was getting big minutes for them, he was just kind of there. Eric Bledsoe was in his 2nd year coming off the bench. Kenyon Martin and Mo Williams were veterans off the bench. Nick Young was one of their better shooters. It was mostly just Paul and Griffin with shaky help.
But that didn’t stop them from seeing playoff success early on. In the first round, they played the Memphis Grizzlies with Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen leading one of the best defensive teams in the league that season. The Grizzlies were going to be a tough matchup for the up-and-coming Clippers.
The series started off with a bang, with the Clippers making one of the great playoff comebacks ever. The Clippers came out flat on the road as the veteran Grizzlies were looking dominant. The Grizzlies dominated the first half and with 2:38 left in the 3rd quarter, the Clippers were down by 27. You probably know what happens next.
The Clippers outscored the Grizzlies 35-13 in the 4th quarter and two clutch CP-3 free throws late sealed the deal for the Clippers, giving them their first playoff win since 2006. Not a bad start to the Lob City postseason era.
The Clippers lost Game 2 but they had a 4th quarter comeback in Game 3 to win by one. They held the Grizzlies to just 15 points in the 4th and now the Clippers had a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 offered more madness.
LA led for most of the way in Game 4, but Zach Randolph tied the game at the free throw line to force OT. But Chris Paul had 8 points in OT, giving the Clippers the win and a decisive 3-1 series lead. The Clippers lost Games 5 and 6 in close fashion, but they held the Grizzlies to 72 points in Game 7 on the road and they advanced to the 2nd round.
The Clippers first playoff series was a success. They were just getting on the right path to a bright future in the West.
While the Clippers were swept by the Spurs in the 2nd round, they had already made great strides in their first year. The duo of Griffin and Paul proved to be great and they proved they can beat good teams in the West. Now it was time to surround their talented trio with solid role players and win a championship.
2012-13 Season: Glitz, Glamour, and Disappointment
This was the breakout year for the Clippers. After a solid shortened 2011-12 season that featured a first round series win, the Clippers grew up. Griffin and Paul continued to be great, Jordan continued his ascension as one of the best big guys in the league, but the supporting cast was a lot better.
They added Matt Barnes in free agency for veteran toughness and defense and they also added smooth scorer Jamal Crawford to help the bench. Crawford signed a 4 year/$21.35 million dollar contract to be the certified 6th man bucker getter for LA. Eric Bledsoe also took strides as being a very good backup behind CP-3 in his 3rd season.
This team was fun and they got a lot better defensively. The dunks, the glitz, the glamour, that led them to a 56-win season. One of the best overall teams in the league, they looked like serious contenders in the Western Conference. The Clippers had a 17-game win streak in December and they were 25-7 to start January. The Clippers ended the year on a 7-game win streak as they were hot headed into the postseason.
56 wins, 17-game win streak, CP-3 and Griffin were All-Stars again, and the Clippers had the #4 seed in the Western Conference. It seemed like the stars were aligning for the Clippers but they met a familiar face in the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were now the grit and grind Grizzlies. Rudy Gay had been traded to the Raptors mid-season, so the Grizzlies were a low-post offense featuring the #2 defense in the league. The Grizzlies had also won 56 games that season, but the Clippers won the season series 3-1 against Memphis. Let’s just say the Grizzlies were a little better in the playoffs.
The Clippers dominated Game 1 with 7 guys scoring in double figures. The Clippers also won Game 2 thanks to some late game heroics from CP-3. Paul had the ball up top and drove right down the lane with 5 seconds to go. Paul got around Tony Allen and banked in the floater from 4 feet out to give LA the 2-0 series lead. That was the end of the line for the Clippers winning wise.
In Game 3, the offense struggled and 27 points from Zach Randolph led Memphis to the win.
In Game 4, the offense continued to struggle and Memphis blew the game open in the 4th quarter as Randolph and Gasol combined for 48 points. The series was tied 2-2 and Game 5 saw no change from LA.
Their offense was held below 100 points again for the 4th straight game and they lost the pivotal Game 5 at home. Then in Game 6 on the road with the season on the line, the Clippers led for all but 12 seconds as they were eliminated in 6 games.
Blake Griffin hurt his ankle in Game 5 and played only 13 minutes off the bench in Game 6. But Griffin only averaged 13 points per game for the series, as the Grizzlies tough defense, particularly from Zach Randolph, really had an effect on him. Jamal Crawford shot 27% from the field as Chris Paul was really the only guy to step up.
The season was wasted and the Clippers knew they would have to be better in the loaded Western Conference. That Grizzlies team went all the way to the Western Conference Finals, mainly because they played the #1 seeded OKC Thunder who were without Russell Westbrook due to a knee injury suffered in the first round. If LA had beaten Memphis, their chances to make the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history would have also been high.
That off-season, the Clippers fired coach Vinny Del Negro and acquired Doc Rivers from the Boston Celtics. Rivers had championship experience and would surely be an upgrade over Del Negro. Right?
2013-14: Your Yearly Dose of Heartbreak
The Clippers had their coach. Their team had proven to be good. Now it was just time to succeed. The Clippers added some more talent to bolster the roster that offseason.
They did a sign and trade for Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe and Caron Butler were headed to Phoenix and LA got JJ Redick from Milwaukee as part of the 3-team trade. JJ Redick offered elite floor spacing and he would be a great pairing with CP-3. Darren Collison was signed as Bledsoe’s replacement, another good backup for CP-3. The Clippers added talent and they were a very good team entering 2013-14.
The Clippers got off to a slower start with their new coach and pieces, but they got things together. JJ Redick dealt with injuries throughout the season. In December, he would miss 6-8 weeks with a fractured wrist after a hot start to his season. He would miss 3-5 more weeks in February of 2014 with a hip injury. Redick only played in 35 games that season.
But even without Redick, the Clippers were good. They were 37-18 at the All-Star Break, near the top of an absolutely loaded Western Conference. The Clippers had an 11-game win streak during the 2nd half of the season and they finished the season with 57 wins, an improvement from last year. The Clippers ended up as the #3 seed in the West, behind the Thunder and Spurs.
Blake Griffin averaged a career high 24 points per game, getting his 4th straight All-Star selection. Chris Paul led the league in assists and steals and earned his 7th straight All-Star appearance. DeAndre Jordan became the league’s best rebounder and averaged 2.5 blocks per game as he took a huge step up.
Jamal Crawford averaged nearly 19 points off the bench and won 6th Man of the Year. The reserves were solid as the Clippers looked like a dangerous team in the West. Now it was just time to show it in the playoffs. But this time it actually worked. Kind of.
In the first round, the Clippers took on the 6th seeded Golden State Warriors. This Warriors team would soon be a dynasty but they were still the underdog team at this time. The Clippers were the much more talented team but the Warriors were still a very tough team under head coach Mark Jackson. The Warriors were without Andrew Bogut for the playoffs but that lethal shooting duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson was scary. The Clippers were taken to the limit by this Warriors team.
The Clippers lost Game 1. The Warriors built a lead in the 3rd quarter and a Harrison Barnes 3 late in the game proved to be the dagger. Not the best start to a series. But the Clippers responded by beating the Warriors by 40 points in Game 2 to tie the series. Then in a tough Game 3 in Oracle Arena, the Clippers scratched out a win after Steph Curry’s 3 at the buzzer fell well short.
But the Clippers fell flat in Game 4. The Warriors scored 39 points in the first quarter thanks to 17 points and 5 3-pointers from Steph Curry. The Warriors led for 46:42 out of 48 minutes as the Clippers just got rinsed, series tied 2-2 heading back to Staples Center for Game 5.
In Game 5, the Clippers responded. The Clippers led for almost the entire game and they got back to form. DeAndre Jordan had 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison combined for 34 points off the bench and the Clippers took the 3-2 series lead.
But the Clippers couldn’t close things out in Game 6. But they were very close to doing so. The game was close throughout as neither team could really pull away. But the Warriors gained some separation as an Andre Iguodala 3 from the corner put the Warriors up 7 with 2:30 left. The Clippers closed the lead to two but they couldn’t take the lead. The Warriors held on to win 100-99, forcing a Game 7.
It was do or die time for LA, trying to avoid another first round exit. They were at home and had the talent advantage, so there was no way they could lose this game, right?
The Clippers fell behind by 10 after the first quarter. They trailed by 8 at halftime as their defense was getting shredded by Curry, Green, and Iguodala. But the Clippers responded with a great 3rd quarter. Fueled by JJ Redick’s shooting, the Clippers outscored the Warriors by 11 in the 3rd quarter to take back the lead.
The 4th quarter was close all the way. The Warriors took the lead with 4:36 left and lead was exchanged a few times. But JJ Redick scored with 36 seconds left to push the lead to 6 and a DeAndre Jordan dunk with 22 seconds left sealed the deal. The Clippers won 126-121 and they won the series 4-3. 4 players scored 20+ points for LA in Game 7 as they were headed back to the 2nd round for the second time in the Lob City Era.
In the 2nd round the Clippers would take on the OKC Thunder, featuring a healthy Westbrook and Kevin Durant. This series would be tough but the Clippers held their own, through the first 4 games.
Chris Paul dominated a Game 1 road win, but KD and Westbrook responded, giving OKC wins in both games 2 and 3. But in Game 4, with the season on the line, LA responded. The Clippers were down by 17 after the first quarter and they were down 12 entering the 4th quarter. But they miraculously came back.
The Clippers bench of Collison and Crawford got them going and CP-3 scored 6 straight points to inch LA closer. A Blake Griffin and-one with 1:50 left tied the game. Back-to-back Darren Collison layups put the Clippers up 4 with 30 seconds left. Russell Westbrook missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the Thunder the game and LA had miraculously cameback to win to tie the series at 2-2. Paul and Griffin combined for 48 points and Collison and Crawford scored a combined 36 off the bench.
Now the series was tied 2-2 and the Clippers had the momentum from that comeback heading into the pivotal Game 5. The Clippers got hot early and led for almost the entire game. LA led 104-97 after a Chris Paul jumper with 49 seconds left. The game was in hand, it was over. The crowd was stunned, OKC players hung their heads, the game should have been over. The Clippers were going to be taking a 3-2 series lead heading back home. Then, Chris Paul played the worst 49 seconds of basketball of his storied career and it (somehow) lost the Clippers the game.
Durant scored 5 straight points to cut the lead to two with 18 seconds left. Then Chris Paul lost the ball to Russell Westbrook on the in-bounds pass. Chris Paul, the guy who averages more than 10 assists per game with only 2 turnovers per game. Lost the ball. Reggie Jackson drove down the lane and after a weird play that resulted in the Thunder getting the ball, even though it looked like it was off of Jackson, the Clippers still had a chance to win the game with their two point lead.
The ball went to Westbrook on the left wing. As he rose for the 3-pointer for the lead, Chris Paul fouled him. It was bad shot selection on the part of Westbrook and it wasn’t that much of a foul as Westbrook did kind of sell it. But nonetheless, he now had 3 free throws to try and give OKC the lead. He calmly sinked all 3 free throws and OKC had the lead. Now LA had to score to win the game.
Chris Paul drove down the right side with Serge Ibaka switched onto him. Reggie Jackson swiped from a help-side position and maybe he fouled Paul, but this caused Paul to lose control of the ball and the Clippers ran out of time. Chris Paul had 2 turnovers and a foul on a 3-PT shooter in the final 49 seconds as the Clippers just blew Game 5. Now they were down 3-2 in the series.
The Clippers couldn’t recover from that devastating loss. The Clippers led by 14 after the first quarter in Game 6, but then OKC tied the game entering the 4th quarter and 21 combined points from Westbrook and Durant in the 4th was too much for LA as they lost the series in 6 games.
This was such a meltdown for the Clippers. They were 49 seconds away from going up 3-2 in the series and they were probably going to win that series with that 3-2 lead. Instead they blew that game and lost the series. Now, I doubt they would have beaten the 2014 Spurs who were just so dominant, but the Clippers should have at least been in the Conference Finals that season. Instead, a collapse of monumental proportions led them to head into another offseason disappointed.
2014-15 Season: You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me
The 2014-15 season was basically the same team. CP-3, Griffin, Jordan, Redick, Crawford, they were all back. Derrick Collison left in free agency but they got Austin Rivers from New Orleans. He was the 2012 first round pick that LA sent to New Orleans in the CP-3 deal but now he’s back and playing for his Dad in LA.
The Clippers were still talented, still a very deep team. There was no doubting their talent at this point. But, they just hadn’t shown the ability to show up and deliver in the playoffs. Maybe this was the year, or maybe it was time for more heartbreak (foreshadowing).
The Clippers had another great regular season. 56 wins with the best offense in the league. Griffin and Paul were both All-Stars. JJ Redick shot 44% from 3 and Deandre Jordan led the league in rebounds again. The Clippers ended the season winning 14 out of their last 15 games as they were once again red-hot entering the postseason. They were the 3rd seed again and they would be facing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
The Spurs dominated 2014 and won their 5th NBA title in their long dynasty. But they were older. Tim Duncan was 38, Tony Parker was 32, and Manu Ginobili was 37. The Spurs weren’t as good as they were a year ago when they won 62 games. This first round would be a test for the defending champs and the Clippers had a chance to get by them.
If you look up bloodbath, the basketball reference link to this series pops up. Because it was just a bloodbath. Tough, gritty series, with lots of defense and close games. One of the best series in 2010’s that culminated with one of the biggest Game 7 shots in NBA history. More on that later.
LA dominated Game 1. The Spurs only shot 37% from the field and CP-3 and Griffin were excellent. 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists for CP-3 along with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists from Blake Griffin. LA cruised to the 1-0 series lead.
Game 2 was a lot closer. The Spurs led for almost the whole game but it was close. The Spurs built an 8-point lead in the 4th but LA tied the game with 1:20 left. Chris Paul put LA up 94-92 with 50 seconds left after making 2/2 free throws. The Clippers had a chance to end it, but Blake Griffin lost the ball and Patty Mills free throws forced overtime for the Spurs.
In OT, the Spurs scored 6 straight points and held the Clippers scoreless for nearly two minutes. The Clippers tried to comeback but the Spurs had tied the series 1-1. Griffin, Paul, and Jordan each had 20+ points, but it wasn’t enough for LA.
Game 3 was a blowout. The Clippers shot just 34% from the field and they lost by 27, only scoring 73 points. Kawhi led the way with 32 points for the Spurs as the Spurs now had a 2-1 series lead.
Down 2-1, the Clippers needed to win Game 4 otherwise their season was likely over. And they came through with a crucial win. The Clippers led for most of the game and their offense was on fire, as they shot 54% from the field. A JJ Redick 3 with 3:29 left put LA up 14 and they would hold on to win Game 4 and tie the series 2-2. Chris Paul led the way with 34 points as 5 players were in double figures for LA.
The pivotal Game 5 in LA was a nail-biter. The game was very close throughout but the Spurs started to pull away in the 4th. A Boris Diaw 3 put the Spurs up 7 with 3:35 left. The Clippers cut that lead to two but Blake Griffin had a costly turnover late and the Spurs hung on to win, taking the decisive 3-2 series lead. The Clippers bench struggled and the Clippers starters weren’t enough to win.
Heading back to San Antonio was a death sentence. The Spurs were 33-8 at home during the regular season and they were one of the best home teams in the league. Game 6 would be a tough one for the Clippers. But the Clippers showed their colors in Game 6. They led for most of the way and their starters were excellent. In the 4th quarter, the Clippers pushed their lead to 7 and managed to hang on and win and force a Game 7 back home at Staples Center.
This Game 7 epitomized the series perfectly. It was a close game, no team could gain an edge, and it came down to the final moments. Chris Paul hurt his hamstring and was hobbling around in the 2nd half. But he was on a mission. He was not going to lose this game. He made a 37-footer to beat the 3rd quarter buzzer, giving the Clippers the lead entering the 4th.
The 4th was back and forth, both teams exchanging blows. Chris Paul made two free throws with 13 seconds left to give the Clippers the two-point advantage. But Tim Duncan was fouled by JJ Redick and he tied the game at the free throw line. Now the Clippers had to score to try and avoid playing overtime. They gave the ball to one-legged Chris Paul with the game and series in the balance.
Paul was guarded by Danny Green, at the time one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Paul drove down the right side of the lane. He pulled up for an off balance floater, shedding Green in the process. But he would still have to get a shot over the outstretched arms of Tim Duncan. He did that and his floater softly bounced off the glass with 1 second left, giving LA the lead.
The Spurs didn’t even get a shot up for the tie/win and the Clippers had done it. They had defeated the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, a pretty monumental series win. The Clippers won with Chris Paul only on one leg and now they were headed to the 2nd round.
Where they would play the Houston Rockets. The Rockets also won 56 games that year and they were the #2 seed. Lead by James Harden and Dwight Howard plus some solid role players, the Rockets were a solid team. But through the first 4 games, they seemed like the far inferior team compared to the Clippers.
Chris Paul didn’t play in Game 1 against Houston but it didn’t matter. Griffin had 26 points and Matt Barnes added 20. Jamal Crawford had 21 off the bench as LA’s offense didn’t miss a beat with Austin Rivers starting in place of CP-3. The Clippers outscored the Rockets by 20 in the 2nd half as they stole homecourt from the Rockets.
Game 2 was more of a struggle. Griffin was excellent again with 34 points and 15 rebounds, but he didn’t exactly get help. Redick was 3/10 and Crawford was 6/22. James Harden was 15/15 from the free throw line and finished with 32 points. The Rockets pulled away in the 4th quarter to tie the series 1-1 heading back to LA.
Chris Paul returned to action in Game 3 and you could say things went well. The Clippers jumped on the Rockets and a big 3rd quarter pushed them to a 25-point Game 3 victory. JJ Redick was 11/14 from the field, 5/6 from 3, for 31 points. Griffin had a double-double and Paul was solid in limited minutes. Austin Rivers also had 25 off the bench. LA took a 2-1 series lead.
But the Clippers didn’t stop there, as their offense just kept rolling. After the first quarter, here’s what the Clippers did. They outscored the Rockets by 9 points in the 2nd quarter, scored 43 points in the 3rd quarter and outscored the Rockets by 18. Then outscored the Rockets by 9 more in the 4th quarter. Overall, the Clippers won by 33 points and they took a commanding 3-1 series lead.
(Fun tidbit from this game, DeAndre Jordan was 14/34 from the free throw line in this game and the Clippers shot 63 free throws as team. The Rockets finished with 40 personal fouls).
The series should have been over. The Clippers were holding their own without Chris Paul and when he came back they absolutely blew the brakes off of the Rockets. They were up 3-1, what could go wrong?
Everything, apparently. Game 5 in Houston was a blowout. The Rockets controlled the game and forced Game 6. The Clippers were still up 3-2, no problem. Just don’t panic. Just do-
They panicked. But it’s not even like they lost. No. Because the Clippers don’t like to lose. They like to suffer. The Clippers were on a roll in Game 6, they were dominating. They were up 87-68 with 3:04 left in the 3rd. A 19 point lead at home in Game 6, it should have been over. The Clippers should have just held onto the lead and won, giving them their first Western Conference Finals appearance in franchise history. But again, the Clippers like to suffer.
That 4th quarter was one of the worst displays of basketball ever. The Clippers were outscored 40-15 in the 4th quarter. 40-15! They just kind of quit, lost energy as soon as the Rockets showed signs of life. Do you know what’s worse? It wasn’t James Harden lead the comeback. Heck, it wasn’t even Dwight Howard. Do you want to know who torched the Clippers in that 4th quarter?
Josh Smith and Corey Brewer. Josh Smith and Corey BREWER. HOW? James Harden literally didn’t play a second in that fourth quarter and you still lost. Corey Brewer had 15 points in the 4th quarter. The Clippers as a team had 15 points in the 4th quarter. The Clippers just never stopped the bleeding, never re-asserted themselves. No, none of that.
So now, the series is tied 3-3. The series was already over, there was no way the Clippers could recover from that and win a Game 7 on the road. Houston won Game 7 pretty easily and they were headed to the Western Conference Finals. The Clippers were up 3-1. They were up 19 in the 3rd quarter of Game 6 at home. And yet they were headed to another offseason with a bitter taste in their mouth. This was the last time that the Lob City Clippers would be in the 2nd round.
2015-16 Season: Injuries
The Clippers won 53 games this season, whatever. We know how this is going to end. The Clippers were the #4 seed but they weren’t as dominant. Blake Griffin started his decline thanks to injuries, only playing 35 games that season. Griffin dealt with a quad injury and he broke his hand because he got into a fight with a team employee. The Clippers weren’t the same dominant team as they were in the past two seasons and they weren’t viewed as contenders with the Warriors and Thunder in their way.
The Clippers had home-court advantage against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Clippers won Game 1 by 20 points and they won Game 2 by 21 points. They were rolling, up 2-0 in the series. Then they lost Game 3 as Lillard had 32 and CJ McCollum had 27. But it was still a 2-1 series lead for LA.
Game 4 was a nightmare for the Clippers in every possible way. Not only did the Clippers lose, Blake Griffin re-aggravated that quad injury in the 3rd quarter. Chris Paul broke his hand and was out for the series. Now the Clippers, not as deep as years prior, were done for without their two best players.
Al-Farouq Aminu had 30 points in Game 4 as Portland tied the series 2-2. Dame and CJ ran wild in Game 5 as the Clippers were now down 3-2. Dame and CJ combined for 48 in Game 6 and that was it, the Clippers were eliminated in the first round.
Sure, they weren’t going to beat the 73-9 Warriors in the 2nd round, but this was just sad. They had been title contenders the past two seasons and suffered monumental collapses. Then when they can at least try to be good, they get hit with injuries. Lob City was slowly dying.
2016-17: The Last Hoorah Into The Sunset
The Clippers roster outside of their core continued to deteriorate. Marreese Speights was getting major minutes. Luc Mbah a Moute was their starting forward, which isn’t exactly ideal to say the least. Griffin and CP-3 both missed time with injury and Wesley Johnson played 68 games. That’s just how bad it was (sorry Wesley Johnson).
The Clippers still won 51 games and they still housed a top-5 offense. But they had just lost that glitz and glamour, that feel of an up and coming team. The team they were facing had the feel, the Utah Jazz. The Jazz were on the rise with Gordon Hayward at the helm and the Clippers would be in for another tough series.
Game 1 in LA ended with a classic Joe Johnson game-winning floater. The Clippers won Game 2 to tie the series and they won game 3 on the road. But that win came at a cost. Blake Griffin injured his big toe and he was done for the playoffs. So while the Clippers took a 2-1 series lead, their 2nd best player was done for the postseason again with injury.
The Clippers didn’t have the depth that they had had in prior seasons. In Game 4, they started Marreese Speights. Again, certainly not ideal. The Jazz bench dominated Game 4 to tie the series 2-2. Gordon Hayward led the way to a Game 5 victory and while the Clippers forced a Game 7, the Jazz controlled that Game 7 to eliminate the Clippers from the first round for the 2nd straight season.
If Blake Griffin was healthy, the Clippers likely would have won this series. But they certainly wouldn’t have won the finals with the juggernaut Warriors in the way. April 30th, 2017. That was the day that Lob City died. It started way back on December 14th, 2011, but after 6 years of disappointment, that was the end of Lob City.
What Went Wrong?
Chris Paul was traded to Houston during the offseason where he immediately went to the Western Conference Finals. Griffin was traded mid-season to Detroit where his decline continued. Redick and his elite shooting went to Philadelphia in free agency. Jamal Crawford spent his last few years bouncing around the league. Deandre Jordan eventually left, bouncing around a few places. The Clippers dismantled themselves, removing the core of Lob City in an instant. It was the end of an era, an era I’m assuming the Clippers don’t want to talk about.
But what really went wrong? How did these extremely talented rosters, teams what won 50+ games in the regular season with ease, never make a conference finals? I think it boils down to a few things.
Blake Griffin/Chris Paul can’t be the #1 option on a championship team. Even when Blake was healthy and elite, he could never be the #1 option. Maybe Chris Paul could have, he was still in his prime, but as we’ve seen with Phoenix and Houston, an elite scorer like Booker or Harden compliments him a lot better.
The chemistry was also never great, which seems to be a trend with Doc Rivers teams. The Clippers never had the feel of a team that could respond to adversity. Teams with great chemistry are able to respond to challenges. The Clippers had that collapse in 2013 against Memphis where they lost 4 straight games and were eliminated in the first round. They collapsed in Game 5 against OKC and eventually lost that 2nd round series. They collapsed yet again in 2015, blowing a 3-1 lead against the Houston Rockets, highlighted by that Game 6 from hell. If the Clippers had better chemistry, who knows what type of success they would have had?
The roster had talent, but they never had role players. Sure Jamal Crawford and JJ Redick could score, but they never had guys like Matt Barnes on their roster. Barnes was a tough defender, a veteran who didn’t care about his shots/touches. The Clippers lacked that. It was a bunch of talent, not really the DNA of a championship team.
But while you can point to a lot of things that went wrong with this era of Clippers basketball, the Lob City Clippers were still a major disappointment. They had a very talented trio and had some powerhouse teams in the mid-2010’s. They started off so promising but after one disappointing year after another, after every collapse in the playoffs, things broke down eventually. Injuries hampered them in their twilights years and almost in the blink of an eye, they were dismantled entirely. The Lob City Clippers were exciting, primetime television. But at the end of the day, they were still disappointing.
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