It’s Time for the Clippers to Re-Work the Ship…Again.

There’s a famous book called “Season on the Brink” written by John Feinstein about the 1985–1986 Indiana Hoosiers, coached by Bob Knight. Their season ended abruptly in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Cleveland State University, who aren’t known as a basketball powerhouse like, let’s say, the Indiana Hoosiers.

While, to mine and the general public’s knowledge, there isn’t a book being written about the 2019–2020 LA Clippers, I would love to know about what’s going on there.

See, the Clippers, for all of the goodwill they’ve earned since Steve Ballmer purchased the team after Donald Sterling was forced to sell, can still seem like the old LA Clippers. They aren’t used to winning and they will never truly be accepted as the sports epicenter of Los Angeles like the team they share the same building with, the Lakers. Sure, the Clippers have been in Los Angeles for almost 40 years now, but with no championships to show and abut seven years of good basketball in the history of their franchise, they will never be the Lakers.

Not even Jerry West, the man who made the Los Angeles Lakers who they are since the 1960’s and who is now an adviser for the Clippers can force it.

Not even Kawhi Leonard, the once in a generation basketball talent who is among the best five players in the world, can get the Clippers escape their past.

Because the Clippers, like the Mets, Nets, and White Sox before them, can get out of the big brother’s shadow.

There’s a few reasons why the Clippers feel underwhelming this year. For one, the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are two absolute powerhouses. The Lakers are the best team in the West and the Bucks may finish win one of the best records ever. They currently sit at 49–8. The Denver Nuggets, who are the second seed and sit a game above the Clippers, are playing at the same consistency they did last year with an improved Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The third, and most important reason, is that the entirety of the Clippers organization, outside of Kawhi and Doc Rivers, get in their own way.

For starters, why did the former best coach of the New Jersey Nets, Lawrence Frank give up seven(!) draft picks for Paul George? This trade reminded me of both the Carmelo Anthony and the Billy King trade all in one. For one, the Clippers gave up a lot of talent in Danilo Gallinari (who was coincidentally traded for Carmelo to the Nuggets) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for one player. And like the Billy King trade, the Clippers like the Nets before them, gave up a boat load of picks. Now, Paul George isn’t an aging Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry. Paul George, when he’s on, is a top ten player in the league.

The only thing is, he hasn’t been on a whole lot this year, which makes you wonder: was it worth it?

Kawhi Leonard wasn’t going to sign with the Clippers without Paul George getting traded, even though George tore up his rotator cuff with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although hindsight is a beautiful view, it’s not as if the signs were there that Paul George, who had a great regular season, wasn’t playing like his normal self against the Blazers in the playoffs. You can’t predict a guy like SGA is going to be a star in OKC, but you can see and say, “Hey Kawhi, I’m not sure Paul has it. That injury is really bad.”

Sure, the Clippers had a lot to lose with Kawhi not even coming to the team and going back to Toronto or worse yet, joining the Lakers. But someone, Jerry West or Lawrence Frank, should have said no to giving up seven picks for a two year contract to Kawhi. When you do that and don’t win a championship in those two years and Kawhi goes somewhere else, it wasn’t worth it.

Another thing that doesn’t make sense to me is some of the in season deals they’ve made like trading for Marcus Morris and signing Reggie Jackson.

Morris, who was the Knicks best player this year, has proven why he’s the Knicks best player this year by stopping the offensive flow of a possession every time he’s on the court. Reggie Jackson, whose best days are behind him, has never seen a shot he didn’t like. The only thing is, he couldn’t hit the side of a barn. These two guys are not beneficial to the Clippers.

Patrick Beverly has also been injured, but he’s contributed in ways that don’t show up in the box score. He is the heart of this team.

Also, it’s important to note that Montrezel Harrell, while his offensive stats have gone up, has felt ham stringed. I don’t know why, but when I was watching the Celtics and Clippers right before the All-Star break it didn’t feel like he was really out there. He’s not Andrew Wiggins level of missing, but missing nonetheless.

So, how do they fix this mess?

I would trade Paul George for Bradley Beal. Look, the Wizards are going nowhere and Beal wants out of D.C. so do almost anything you can to get him. I emphasize almost, because I fear that the Wizards will try and tack on John Wall’s contract to a trade in an attempt to blow the whole thing up and start over. It’s the worst contract in the league and I can’t blame the Wizards for trying to do so.

But you can’t take on Wall. No matter what.

I would attach Landry Shamet with George because you don’t have much else if you’re the Clippers. I mean, you don’t have any draft picks. Morris and Jackson’s contracts end at the end of the season so, you can’t trade them. It’s obvious that Kawhi doesn’t like playing with Landry Shamet. They don’t gel well whatsoever.

If you want to compete next year and win the 2021 NBA Championship, you have to get Bradley Beal. Dumping Paul George may make Kawhi upset, but if you can explain it’s a better basketball move and a move that will earn you a ticket to your first Finals, then he’ll understand.

Another thing that’s funny in hindsight is people picking the Clippers to make the Finals. Do you know who they’d play in the first round? The Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s like Adam Silver writes these story lines himself. If they get past the Thunder, they’d have to play the Nuggets and, I’m sorry, but I don’t see anyone stopping Jokic. I really don’t. Which once again means that the Clippers will not make the Western Conference Finals.

The ship isn’t sinking like it used to, but it obviously needs patchwork.