After a difficult off-season, the Los Angeles Clippers‘ troubles are getting worse by the day. The Clippers injury woes have plagued the team since the beginning of the season. Head Coach Doc Rivers is at risk of losing his job and the core of the team is in tatters. So, what happens now? The Clippers are in a strenuous position, leading some to believe this groups time together is coming to an end. Whether it be injuries or the failure to gel as a team, the Clippers have a decision to make: Do they hold their ground and hope for the best or be brave press the reset button?
Los Angeles Clippers Injury Woes Continue
Losing point guard Milos Teodosic in late October was just the beginning of the Clippers injury woes. What started as just a minor inconvenience, became a debilitating problem. Just two weeks later, off-season acquisition Danilo Gallinari went down with a hip injury, leaving the team without two of their best players. The season was spiraling out of control. With the team’s season at risk, Rivers would look to his locker room leaders to handle a challenging situation.
Late November proved a bad situation can indeed get worse. All-Star Blake Griffin joined guard Patrick Beverley on the injury list. Beverley is out for the season and Griffin will miss significant time. Both are a huge loss, with the team losing scoring and valuable leadership. These injuries will surely impact the Clippers, potentially even costing Rivers his job.
No structural damage in left knee with sprained MCL for Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin, league source tells ESPN. Recovery could take two months, source says.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 28, 2017
The End of An Era?
When Los Angeles lost star point guard and leader Chris Paul this past off-season, only two of the original “lob city” trio remained. Paul was a massive loss, with the team losing more than just a quality court general. The team would have to adapt and persevere, signing Griffin to a colossal five-year, $173 million deal. This was a statement by the Clippers, letting everyone know Griffin was their future. This was a bold move, seeing as Griffin is known more for his playoff injuries than his playoff performances. Averaging almost 24 points per game, Griffin was injured during Monday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. You can see this latest injury in one of two ways: Either the Clippers will remain patient or pull the trigger on a franchise-defining moment.
Bummer about Blake Griffin. Fluke injury on a fluke play. The Clippers franchise needs a real exorcism with priests and holy water and stuff.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 28, 2017
Selling Time
The Blake Griffin injury is not your everyday injury. This is the Clippers chance to start over, with Griffin as the centerpiece. Despite their recent struggles, this is a team with a few selling opportunities. The likes of DeAndre Jordan, Lou Williams and a few others could be moved before this year’s deadline. It is still early, so do not expect any movement soon, but the Clippers must react. Whether it is selling their assets or moving on from Rivers, change is likely either way. Clippers fans have experienced plenty of rebuilding over the years, with none of it paying off. This appears to be the latest in a long line of unsuccessful efforts to build a championship caliber team.
The worst thing this Clippers team can do is nothing. After all, the first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
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