One of the greatest point guards of this era, Houston Rockets superstar Chris Paul seemed to criticize the Los Angeles Clippers when he was asked about the difference in playing for both teams:
Chris Paul speaking on the difference playing in Houston: No one is looking at you sideways for shooting a certain shot, or complaining because they only took three shots.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) October 3, 2018
The sentiment was much different when Paul first went to LA. In one of the Clippers' greatest moments, they were able to trade for the then-New Orleans Hornets star in 2011. Paul immediately made the team more exciting, but the expectations also heightened along with the bright lights that the team dubbed as the “Lob City” attracted.
Unfortunately, the excitement that the trio of Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan brought each game never translated into significant postseason success. Their roster was really good on paper, but every season ended in disappointment because of their playoff woes. The team has gone through an overhaul in the last year and change, with trades of Paul and Blake Griffin. Jordan then signed with the Dallas Mavericks early this summer, officially ending the Lob City era.
Yahoo Sports' Michael Lee talked to Griffin about the failures of his former team:
“You look at the past five years, what have we really accomplished? I think the reason people were calling for us to break up, or blow it up, or move on, or whatever it was, is because we haven’t accomplished anything,” Griffin told The Vertical. “I think after you’re here for five or six years and everybody is dogging you and going through the misery of losing in the playoffs, four or five years, I think it wears on you.”
Paul seemed to address one of the problems the Clippers suffered through in those disappointing years. There may have been flaws with the system, as well as with the team's culture itself. J.J. Redick has hinted at similar on multiple occasions.
Paul and his Rockets are primed to once again challenge the Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy this season, while the Clippers look to develop their young core.
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