The Terribly Cluttered LA Clippers

The+Terribly+Cluttered+LA+Clippers

Nathan Bush, Staff Writer

An Open Letter to Doc Rivers:

The fate of the Los Angeles Clippers is up to you. Your team is simply not good enough. Unless the Golden State Monstars travel back to their distant planet and the Spurs finally get busted for being robots, there is never going to be a chance for you to win a ring with this team, or even compete in a seven-game series.

I hear about how you love your core of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, but the rest of us hate it. It’s the most archaic thing in the NBA right now. Literally, your team is a Blackberry in a league full of iPhones. It’s terrible. We loved Lob City, but now it’s time for the team to evolve, as huge, athletic big men are simply not what this league wants. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you refuse to trade your three-headed monster of complacency; you’ve always been painfully stubborn. Hopefully, this letter will encourage you to do something with your team.

You have to keep Chris Paul. It’s a no-brainer. He’s the type of guy people want to play with, and he is the leader of this Clipper team. DJ and Blake were an interesting experiment, but have been rendered ineffective when teams go small against them. DJ has the capability of battling Anthony Davis and Draymond Green for Defensive Player of the Year, so I feel he has earned his spot. This means Blake Griffin is the player on the chopping block, and I think it’s well deserved. He is the Amar’e Stoudemire of today’s NBA, and he needs to go. Blake hasn’t played all 82 games since his rookie season. His career is declining, and he is only 27. His field goal percentage has decreased all the way to 48%, and while I understand that he’s not dunking as much as he used to, he’s playing like someone he isn’t. His body can’t sustain his posterizing style of play, and his shot isn’t good enough to not live in the paint. It’s time for him to go. What’s even better? Some teams might really want him, which means you have options, Doc!

I think there are three wonderful scenarios that you could capitalize on if you ever want to put your GM britches on and finally make a move bigger than trading for your kid or signing a practically retired Paul Pierce. You could go big and probably make CP3 smile ear to ear. Get the 6’8, 240-pound 32-year old scoring machine from New York. Yeah, we are talking Carmelo Anthony. He’s obviously annoyed with Derrick Rose’s ball hogging, and he is probably unsettled with the fact that Kristaps Porzingis gets more MVP chants than he does in Madison Square Garden. He should waive his pesky no-trade clause to play basketball with his Banana Boat friend Chris Paul. It’s a trade of dreams. You package Wesley Johnson and Blake Griffin and land Carmelo and finally have a small forward to go head-to-head against the Spurs and Warriors. Is that trade too risky? Would you rather get some players a bit younger? I have a couple of trades for that too.

You send Blake to Toronto. Toronto is thirsty for a player to play alongside Lowry and Derozan. With Griffin, Toronto would actually compete with Cleveland, so the trade is a no-brainer for the Raptors. I know you love your athletes, so how does Terrence Ross sound? He’s itching for a bigger role and the lobs from Chris Paul to Ross would be electrifying. You also receive another freakish athlete in Norman Powell, and you also land Jared Sullinger. It’s a nice trade if you don’t feel like winning now, but if you feel like winning soon.

This trade, I think, is beautiful. It sets both franchises on a path to victory, and I pray you are inspired and go through with this. Remember that city you won a title with? They now have more assets than Floyd Mayweather and are bursting for a trade to get Blake Griffin. Make the trade with Boston. They can practically give you whatever you want. My favorite trade is a glorious acquisition that blends accomplished players with young guys oozing with talent. You package Blake Griffin and Celtic great Paul Pierce for hustle forward Amir Johnson, defensive star Avery Bradley and electric rookie Jaylen Brown. The Celtics finally complete their siege in recapturing a big three, with a three prong attack of Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford and Blake. Coach Brad Stevens would love Blake’s passing ability from the power forward position, and I believe Danny Ainge would pull the trigger immediately. Doc, I imagine you are asking yourself, what about us? You finally have a future and even better, an identity. With Paul, Bradley, and Brown on the perimeter and Jordan protecting the paint, the Clippers become the defensive powerhouse you have desperately wanted. For the first time in your four-year tenure of coaching the Clippers, they will actually be what you want.

You need to make a move, Doc. The clock is ticking. Blake is a free agent this offseason, and the worst thing imaginable would be watching him walk without the ability to get anything back for him. For the sake of your job security, Chris Paul’s legacy, and the future of the Los Angeles Clippers, make a move and retool your team.

Sincerely,

Nathan Bush