The Los Angeles Clippers were in shambles when Chris Paul arrived via trade in 2011. They had promising young players like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, but they needed someone to bring stability and credibility to the franchise. The future Hall of Fame point guard quickly helped the Clips become a consistent presence in the playoffs, something that had eluded them for decades. When the two sides reunited this past offseason, fans anticipated an amicable final run together.

That is not what happened, though. LA unceremoniously parted ways with Paul earlier this week, much to his chagrin. The 40-year-old now has the opportunity to join a championship contender, which the Clippers are clearly not. Even so, he obviously did not expect such an abrupt split. Griffin is displeased with how the organization handled the situation, coming to the defense of his longtime teammate during the “NBA on Prime” pregame show.

“I'm disappointed for Chris Paul, but I'm disappointed in the Clippers organization,” the three-time All-NBA Second-Team selection said, via the Oh No He Didn't X account. “I talked to him today, {there} was no communication with Steve Ballmer and that's like the disappointing thing for me.”

Griffin and Paul spent six years in Los Angeles together, leading the squad to five 50-win seasons. They endured their share of pitfalls — a blown 3-1 series lead versus the Houston Rockets in the 2015 Western Conference Semifinals especially stands out — but it was still the most prosperous era of Clippers basketball the city had ever experienced. Griffin is forever grateful for Paul's tutelage and contributions. He does not think management showed the same level of appreciation.

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“He brought a winning culture,” Blake Griffin said. “He taught us how to operate in the NBA and how to take every game seriously, how to take your body seriously. There was no detail that was too small. We we weren't perfect… and CP and I didn't always see eye to eye, but I'm disappointed because we got to a franchise that was synonymous with jokes.

“We didn't win a championship, but we did create a culture and environment that people respected. Chris Paul, for 20 years, has been the same player. He's been about winning.”

Griffin's esteem for the four-time All-NBA First-Teamer is undeniable. He perfectly highlighted the impact Paul made for a team that was once considered the Los Angeles Lakers' forlorn roommate. But the Clippers felt a second breakup was necessary. Their climb back into relevance will be steep with or without the franchise great.

There was a time when fans lamented the unmet expectations associated with the Paul-Griffin-Jordan-Doc Rivers era. Now, they are just hoping to avoid a return to the dark ages.