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The Los Angeles Clippers have had a busy few weeks, and they look like a different team compared to what they were last season. With some trades, buyouts, and free agent signings, the Clippers could now be a serious threat in the Western Conference. The first move they made was trading for John Collins, who has been known as a solid stretch four throughout his career.
A week later, Bradley Beal agreed to sign with the team after agreeing to a buyout with the Phoenix Suns. Days later, Chris Paul made the decision to return to the Clippers after having a stint with the team during the prime of his career. On paper, this looks like a team many should be worried about, but there is a chance that something could go wrong and they don't live up to those expectations.
Here are 3 ways the Clippers could flop despite the additions they made.
Injuries could doom the Clippers
This league is no stranger to injuries, and we saw that in the playoffs that it could happen to some of the biggest stars. One injury can hurt a team's season, and with the Clippers, they have a few players who have dealt with these types of things over the course of their careers.
The first player that comes to mind is Kawhi Leonard, who has had constant knee injuries over the past few years. The Clippers had a perfect plan for him last season, and he was able to play through the end of the year and into the postseason. Beal has not played more than 60 games in four seasons because of injuries, and the hope is that he can be available for the Clippers.
Paul has been relatively healthy throughout his career, but he seems to have a freak injury when the postseason arrives, which has led some of his teams to fall short of their championship aspirations. Harden also finds himself on the injury report occasionally. If these players end up having injuries throughout the year, it can be a long season.
They're missing athleticism
It's obvious that the Clippers have the talent on paper to compete with some of the best, but most of their key players are in the second half of their careers. When looking at teams across the league nowadays, they get up and down the court and have a lot of athletic players on the team. The NBA Finals showcased two teams that use pace as their way to take advantage of defenses. The jury is still out on whether this team can do that with the players they have.
Paul, Beal, and Leonard are more known as halfcourt players, and nothing is wrong with that if they're getting buckets are making plays for others on the team. The only question is if they can get back on defense and handle fast-paced teams. They do have athletic players on the team, such as Derrick Jones Jr. and John Collins, but they're seen more as role players.
The Clippers still might not have enough
The Western Conference has become a war zone for teams, and almost every team has a chance to be in the playoffs. Last season, the Clippers were the No. 5 seed, and even with improving this offseason, it's still possible they could finish lower this upcoming year. Other teams in the conference have also improved in the offseason, and they're looking to be in the mix when it comes to winning the Western Conference.
Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets are teams that many people will be the cream of the crop. You then have teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves who have been to the Conference Finals two years in a row, and the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, who will be looking to come back from their injury-riddled seasons last year. You also can't forget the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Anything can happen in the West, and if the Clippers aren't on their Ps and Qs, they can find themselves on the outside looking in.
