“The Clippers blew a 3-1 lead.”
For the past two months (five years if you want the painful truth), that line has been tweeted, blogged, podcasted, memed, and permanently branded onto the broken hearts of disappointed Clippers fans around the world. There were excuses — some valid, others inexcusable. But no matter how it’s sugar coated or how the blame is distributed, the facts remain: the Clippers underperformed and came up drastically short of their end goal, no matter what Paul George says.
As a result, Steve Ballmer made organizational changes. He and former head coach Doc Rivers agreed to mutually part ways, leading to the official promotion of former Clippers assistant Ty Lue to head coach. Just Sunday evening, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Clippers color commentator announcer and All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups and longtime NBA coach Larry Drew are finalizing deals to join Lue’s staff. Additionally, there have been rumors from Marc Stein that former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson and vaunted Heat assistant Dan Craig are likely to join the staff as well (with Craig all but confirmed). Not only are these all important additions for the Clippers coaching staff, but they also offer interesting player connections that could facilitate the signing of free agents.
Ty Lue (featuring Larry Drew)
Lue has been around the NBA since he began his professional career as a point guard in 1998. As a player, he would suit up for seven teams throughout his eleven seasons in the league. He then transitioned to the sidelines in 2011, where he has since coached as an assistant, associate, and head coach for three different teams to this day. Lue has worked with his fair share of players throughout the years as both a coach and as a player, and among those players there may be one that could potentially be a great addition to the Clippers.
Backup Center:
Nothing has been publicly reported or confirmed, but those who pay attention to the Clippers’ front court situation are speculating that Montrezl Harrell will be playing for another team this upcoming season, as his fit and role were questionable during the past season. He doesn’t seem to be the answer going forward. If that’s indeed how it ends up playing out, the Clippers will be in need of a bench big man that can bring a positive impact over both the regular season and postseason.
Tristan Thompson is a big name that comes to mind. The fit makes a lot of sense: he is a guy with defensive versatility that could contribute 20-25 minutes any given night with the capability to starting and/or close out games. Most importantly, both Lue and Larry Drew coached Thompson in Cleveland for five seasons, with Thompson being the starting post presence for four consecutive finals appearances, including a championship in 2016. Of course, he will have other suitors that could offer similar, if not more, than the Clippers, but between the familiarities with Lue and Drew and the championship aspirations of both parties involved, the situation would be a win for both the Clippers and Thompson.
Dan Craig
Many of us had hoped that Dan Craig, former assistant of the Miami Heat, would be interviewed for the head coaching vacancy, so it was a pleasant surprise when it was reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that Craig would be joining Lue’s coaching staff as an assistant. Craig worked for seventeen seasons as a part of the Miami Heat organization, one of the most successful and respected organizations in American professional sports over that period. We have an idea of the significance that he will bring to the Clippers coaching staff from an X’s and O’s standpoint, but he can also be key in bringing in free agents this offseason due to his relationships with players during his time in Miami.
Playmaking Point Guard:
It has been said in recent weeks that Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has made it known that he is “clamoring” for upgraded playmaking in the backcourt. Although it’s unclear exactly of the source in that rumor, it’s common sense to anyone who watched a Clippers game last season that the team could use more playmakers at the point guard position. For that to happen, the Clippers would likely have to explore the trade market since there aren’t many realistic options in the free agent pool. I recognize that this could seem like a bit of a long shot, but I would keep an eye on Goran Dragic as a sleeper free agent option.
Craig and Dragic have been together in Miami since Dragic was acquired at the 2014-2015 trade deadline. The pairing made an unexpected Finals appearance this past season, and perhaps the relationship materialized strongly enough along the way to earn the Clippers a serious shot at the 34-year-old Slovenian point guard. Given the complexities of the Clippers’ financial situation, it would probably take a multi-year deal to get the ball rolling, but it would be worth exploring for Dragic’s scoring and playmaking as a lead guard.
Kenny Atkinson (featuring Larry Drew)
It is rumored, but not confirmed, that former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson could joining the Clippers’ bench as another key addition to Ty Lue’s coaching staff. As head coach during the 2018-2019 season, Atkinson was able to lead an overachieving Nets team to the seventh seed in the eastern conference playoffs. Perhaps more importantly, for the sake of this article, he was able to help orchestrate three successful Atlanta Hawks playoff runs during his three seasons there, including a first place, 60-win 2015-2016 campaign before being outed in the conference finals. Over the past six seasons (three in Brooklyn Nets, three in Atlanta), Atkinson has had his hand in helping develop some free agents who could slide comfortably into a variety of roles with the Clippers — if he indeed joins Lue’s Clippers coaching staff.
Guard/Wing Depth:
If you take rumors seriously regarding the Clippers being in the trade market for top rotational players, you also have to consider how that could affect their depth. Between Lou Williams’ $8 million salary and Landry Shamet’s “young-talent” attraction, it’s possible either of the two could be included in any trade deals, leaving a vacancy on the L.A. bench. A few former Hawks and Nets rotational players would be interesting addition as bench reserves.
Kyle Korver, despite his age, is still shooting lights out, and has been consistently healthy throughout his 17-year career. Korver had his best seasons during his time in Atlanta under the lead coaching of Larry Drew for a season, and in the following seasons wasn’t shy to mention how important assistant coach Atkinson had been in his decision to re-sign with the Hawks during his free agency after the 2015-16 campaign. He wouldn’t be quite as versatile or as good as Shamet if he were to completely replace him in the lineup, but he could fulfill similar needs and could even play a smaller role alongside Shamet at times at the forward position due to his 6’7 build. It’s unforeseen at this point how much Korver would add to the bench, but his shooting, and more importantly veteran presence, would be especially welcomed in this L.A. locker room.
Kent Bazemore’s pursuit by the Clippers would likely be for a role as an 8th-10th man rotational player, giving strong bench depth. Clipper fans may largely remember Bazemore in one of two ways: that guy on the Golden State Warriors bench who famously trolled Blake Griffin for shooting a three-pointer off the side of the backboard a while back, or the random Sacramento Kings player who came in off the bench and destroyed the Clippers for 23 points back in February. Either way you see it, he became a valuable rotational player on those Atkinson assisted Atlanta playoff teams, and has since built out a solid NBA career. He too gave credit for his development as a player to Atkinson, and was often linked to the Nets as a potential trade target for the years Atkinson was the Brooklyn coach. It wouldn’t be a splashy signing, but Bazemore could be what McGruder was originally brought in to be as a feisty “3-and-D” wing with some guard capabilities.
As recently as last week, there was some speculation that the Brooklyn Nets will not pick up Garrett Temple’s option for the 2020-2021 season. It was a bit unfortunate to see him depart Los Angeles for Brooklyn this past season, but it was great to see him have success there under Atkinson’s system, albeit briefly. Temple’s role would be similar to the role he had on both the Nets and on the Clippers during his brief stint in 2018-2019: defend multiple wing positions, play in transition, and be a floor-spacer — things he has carved out a career doing. Not to mention, he would bring a veteran leadership and a valuable voice to the locker room as Vice President of the NBPA.
CONCLUSION
We now have an exact date of when the 2020-2021 season will tip off, and we are awaiting a bit more clarity regarding the starting period of free agency. Don’t pencil in any of these free agents as future Clippers, but also don’t be surprised if any of these guys get a look. Having a Clippers coaching staff who are well-traveled and highly-respected could be an added bonus in attracting free agents for this season and those that follow.
