When the Western Conference standings finally settled, a first round matchup between the eight-seeded Los Angeles Clippers and world-beating Golden State Warriors seemed a formality.
Many – even some Warriors themselves – glossed over the series and set their sights on the next one. To believe anything else would assume the Clippers could push the two-time defending NBA Champions further than anyone else had besides last year's Houston Rockets.
And yet, after a historic 31-point comeback in Game 2 and a wire-to-wire win in Game 5, that's exactly what happened. Sure, Golden State eventually took care of business with a convincing Game 6 win in LA, but only liars foresaw the series lasting this long.
All throughout the year the Clippers were labeled as gritty overachievers. From December when a Tobias Harris-led team was atop the West, to February when the club exchanged him for a slew of Philadelphia's players and draft picks and kept winning.
But to only view this LA team as fighters and hustlers is selling them short. They roster two of the best players off the bench in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. De-facto first option Danilo Gallinari shot 43.3% from deep this year, scored 19.8 points per game, and boasts an underrated case for All-NBA Third Team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet are frontrunners for All-Rookie teams. And bulldog Patrick Beverley is one of the fiercest defenders in the league with a motor so powerful that his teams are never fully out of games.
Simply put, this Clippers team has a talented core. Their series with the Warriors only solidified this.
After elimination, Head Coach Doc Rivers said, “We did more than most thought we could. This is the start of something great here.” But the potential beginning of a great Clippers era started earlier than the final buzzer of Game 6.
And perhaps nobody knows this better than the team itself. Victories over Golden State showed that the club could be just one superstar away from serious contention. Adding that superstar was likely the plan all along – or, at least since the trade deadline, when they dished their best player in a deliberate attempt to gain assets and youth for a player they had no intention of re-signing this summer. They had plans to introduce a more transcendent player to a thriving ecosystem rather than just retain a good one.
Now, the Clippers have over $50-million in cap space this summer. What's more, all of their most important players – besides Beverley – are on contract through next season. And with the exception of Gallinari, who will make $22.6-million in 2019, the rest are on team-friendly deals.
Whether that be Williams at $8-million for the next two seasons, or Harrell for $6-million next year, or the first-year guards on rookie deals through 2022, the group remains flexible while keeping both established and growing talent on the floor.
They will undoubtedly go big-name hunting in a loaded 2019 free agency class. Players like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and Kemba Walker should top their list. And the Clippers should top theirs, too.
Go to LA's less glamorous team and you're welcomed by a sharpshooting co-star, dynamic scorers who can lift the second-unit or tear up opposing starters, and a group of rookie guards with proven skill and poise against the league's best team.
Essentially, the Clippers would ask a star to win them six more games (second-seeded Denver went 54-28) and be the center piece against lesser teams in the postseason while having homecourt advantage through the first two rounds. If Durant ends up leaving the Warriors this offseason, the West becomes wide open. LA's why-not-us? mentality could quickly shift to why-anybody-else?
Even Golden State's coach Steve Kerr conceded that the club could be a sleeping giant. Before Game 6, he said: “When I see the Clippers, I see a team building a foundation, something substantial, something real.”
But this foundation extends beyond just their exciting roster and Hall of Fame head coach. The Clippers' front office has also become one of the best in the NBA.
The transformation began when Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the team after former owner Donald Sterling was banned by the league in 2014 for his racist comments. Since, Ballmer has built a massive front office, fitted with abundantly intelligent and respected personnel who believe in the direction the franchise is headed.
Lawrence Frank was made the President of Basketball Operations; legend Jerry West joined as a member of the executive board in 2017; acclaimed Sports Illustrated writer Lee Jenkins was hired this past offseason; and both LA's GM, Michael Winger, and Assistant GM, Trent Redden, recently turned down opportunities at different teams.
LA's performance against the Warriors should certainly excite fans and superstars alike. However, those six performances may be the most superficial part of their case when attacking free agency's biggest fish this summer. From top-to-bottom, the Clippers are tooled with some of the best offseason advantages in the NBA. A budding and flexible roster, championship-level head coach, impressive front office, and alluring culture will all pay major dividends when negotiating.
Yes, LA could ultimately strikeout come July, but those chances seem slimmer and slimmer. With all the momentum and infrastructure the Clippers have going for them right now, it will be difficult for any player to turn them down.
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