 |
| Eric Gordon and Kyrie Irving could have been a lethal combo in Los Angeles |
After watching the San Antonio Spurs absolutely demolish the upstart Los Angeles Clippers I got to thinking about this currently assembled squda. Of course the Clippers inadequacies were probably far overshadowed by the Spurs overarching wisdom of the game and Gregg Popovich's ability to coach any group of individuals and make them champions. However, there was a major move that stretched back all the way into last year that almost already determined how this Clipper team would fare.
Around the trade deadline last year the Clippers decided to shed the major contract of Baron Davis in order to make room for a future acquisition(cough...cough...Chris Paul). Los Angeles sent Davis and an unprotected first round pick for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. That trade seems harmless on the surface, a deal centered around getting rid of a mistake contract and opening up options. The Cavs were jumping all over it because they got a first round pick. But here's where this trade burns the Clippers. That 1st round pick was unprotected, which means the Cavs had the pick no matter what cellar spot Los Angeles finished in. Well, the Clippers won the lottery and then watched their traded rights in Kyrie Irving head to Cleveland. If they had simply protected that pick at a top-3 or a number pick the Clippers future would be mighty magnificent.
Think about the squad the Clippers would have if they had simply protected that pick and drafted Kyrie Irving. With Irving coming in ready to fill that point guard role immediately(as we saw in his Rookie of the Year Award) Los Angeles wouldn't have had to thrown the bank at the Hornets for CP3. No offense to CP3 as I believe he is the finest point guard in all the land, but depth swamps top-heavy-talent teams as we're seeing with OKC and San Antonio. Kyrie Irving would start at the point, Eric Gordon at the 2, assuming they went out and signed Caron Butler he would play wing, Blake Griffin at power forward and Chris Kaman at center. That means Bledsoe, Foye, Williams and DeAndre Jordan would come off the bench and you'd be looking at a solid top nine and a young up-and-coming squad. As in Oklahoma City-young. Gordon has shown that he can score at the elite level if he could only stay healthy. They also would have Chris Kaman to bang around in the paint. The depth and youth of that squad would be exciting and potentially be the team that battles OKC for Western Conference supremacy. Actually make that a three-way youthful juggernaut in the Thunder, Grizzlies and Clippers.
I give credit to Bill Simmons for realizing this situation, but I was just so interested by it and now that the Clippers are out earlier than they wanted to be, I thought it'd be appropriate to speak on it.
This is all a major "what if." I get it. Classic Los Angeles Clippers though, slinging unprotected draft picks like they were candy. Anyways, I just believe the trio of Kaman, Kyrie, Blake and Eric Gordon is just way more tantalizing than Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Clippers will be a good team in the West for years to come, but the youth and potential of that "what if" Clipper squad is just too exciting to pass up. Unfortunately, we will never see that squad and I should stop thinking or dreaming about it. But enjoy the thought of such a young and explosive team. Maybe throw it on your 2K12 or whatever NBA game kids play these days.
0 comments:
Post a Comment