OFFICIAL LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 2023-2024 SEASON THREAD

[lawdog1]

Warned y’all about Gallo

Yes. Yes you did.

 

[lawdog1]

Heck of a win today. Team looked dead in the water and really turned it around.

Monster performance from BG with a few huge 3s in the second half.

 

[lawdog1]

So, yeah, Woj just tweeted we’re talking to the Pistons about trading Blake. W.T.F.??????

 

[bapar11]

Oh What? Why?

 

[P C H]

What the hell?????!!!

This was unexpected and this sucks

 

[lawdog1]

What the hell?????!!!

This was unexpected and this sucks

Woj says done deal. I’m just numb right now. Thought Blake would be a Clipper for life.

One person I follow on Twitter suggested there’s some behind the scenes problems with Blake. But still. He’a producing, been good in the community. Sells tickets. I don’t understand this at all.

 

[lawdog1]

I’m seriously pissed. This is the first time I’ve really questioned being a Clippers fan.

 

[lawdog1]

Per Woj, we’re still shopping Lou and DJ too. We picked now to go into full ****ing tank mode. Now. Unreal.

 

[rfx45]

ugh

 

[moonman818]

I’m seriously pissed. This is the first time I’ve really questioned being a Clippers fan.

I definitely won't be renewing next season.

As someone who has been a proponent of trading CP3 and DJ for the past 2 seasons this stings.

 

[wavycrocket]

Welp...

 

[bapar11]

brb. checking the calendar to see its not april

 

[HIM]

I must be trippin cuz this isn't really bothering me much. I did want Blake to be a lifelong Clipper doe. Let's see what else we do before the 8th.

 

[gaiiige]

 

[CP1708]

Y'all don't have to listen a word I say, and I know today sucks, but......

Jerry West built the old Laker teams. It was tore down, Magic retired, he rebuilt it again.
He traded Pau, and made Memphis the best that org ever was. (no title, but best they've been)
He went to GSW and drafted that core and made them what they are.

I know it hurts, but I would trust him more than any person on the planet rebuilding a team. It may take a couple years, but if he is given the keys, he will rebuild you guys in a more sustainable manner, and possibly even stronger than even the CP3/Blake/DJ era.

 

[servechilled81]

 

[P C H]

I ...like this deal?

As this thread has showed, I’ve wavered on BG and as the season has progressed, I’ve been meh on BG. He’s obviously really really good, but I personally hoped Blake would become a surefire too 7 player this year which he’s not close to.

IMO it’s clear as day he’s best suited as a #2 option and you just don’t pay that much bread to a 22ppg player on a 6-9 seed which is what we probably would have been for the duration of his contract. We get off of his deal, get maybe two potential lotto picks, and free up a ton of cap space maybe more in the coming days / weeks.

As a fan that sucks but the long view of this deal makes total sense. We paid BG to be our KD, our Steph, our harden and he’s not close to that.

 

[Mr.Guy]

This hurts for real. We're back to the rebuild stage. Hopefully Jerry can rebuild this squad.

 

[lawdog1]

Y'all don't have to listen a word I say, and I know today sucks, but......

Jerry West built the old Laker teams. It was tore down, Magic retired, he rebuilt it again.
He traded Pau, and made Memphis the best that org ever was. (no title, but best they've been)
He went to GSW and drafted that core and made them what they are.

I know it hurts, but I would trust him more than any person on the planet rebuilding a team. It may take a couple years, but if he is given the keys, he will rebuild you guys in a more sustainable manner, and possibly even stronger than even the CP3/Blake/DJ era.

That all makes sense. I do get the deal from a basketball perspective. That said, I’m not as confident about Jerry working the same magic here as he did for the Lakers. First, as Lakers fans are fond of telling us, we don’t have the Lakers’ history. Sure, the franchise has made huge strides in the last 10 years, but I’m not sure the perception of the team has completely changed. And judging from the player reactions on Twitter so far, the players in the league are scratching their heads at this. Is a top tier FA really going to want to go to a team that traded it’s two best players away in a 8 month span? I’m not so sure.

Second, this admittedly goes beyond logic for me. Blake was the first legit, homegrown LAC star. He’s the catalyst that pushed the team into respectability. CP3, Ballmer, etc. all were possible because of him. We watched him grow up and have invested so much time rooting for him. It’s just an emotional loss.

 

[HIM]

Lawrence, we'll be laughing in three years when we are the champions of the world.

I'll give you a day to cool off though.

 

[lawdog1]

^^^ LOL. Thanks, bro. I appreciate you giving me my time to mourn.

 

[CP1708]

I hear you in terms of FA pitches, but, Jerry West isn't just about signing Free Agents. He is a TREMENDOUS scout. He knows talent.

He loaded my roster with talent for decades, then helped Memphis and GSW draft multiple stars. Multiple.

Give him a few picks, let him make a trade or two, he'll get the youth/cheap contracts sorted, then he can make a more solid pitch to 1-2 stars.

Today looks bad to FA stars, no doubt, but it allows him some flexibility goin forward.

 

[Nipsey3000]

Hate that bg is gone. I think him being a clipper for life held some value in itself. That's a value that, as an organization, we may have traded away along with Blake. We could possibly be viewed by free agents as the franchise that bamboozles you into long term commitment with the promise of longevity, only to send you packing. I mean, as the fa pitch to bg32, lac dimmed the lights, raised his jersey into the rafters and said "today we celebrate a lifelong clipper".

On the flip side off all of this, the Clippers are barely staying afloat as currently assembled. It's been time to cut ties, create flexibility or keep on finishing in the middle of the pack. Our championship window is closed, for now. But We aren't the Clippers that we used to be prior to bgs arrival and the departure of past ownership.

This day reminds me of when the hawks cut ties with dominique Wilkins. They were in a similar situation...couldn't get past Boston, couldn't be bad enough to get better. Then overpaid to keep the players they had and made bad free agent blunders.

I just hope that we don't end up like the hawks...post nique.

With Blake and eventually dj gone, Lou will too, we will have the flexibility to create a possible team of mercenaries aimed at ending gsw before the finals. I don't think the question is if that team will form, the real question is, where will that team be? Who will coach that team? Etc

NOW, regardless of what anyone said in the past (players) the Clippers are in the hat as one of those destinations.

I really really hope lou will stays...Tobias Harris included. They are 2 players who are really figuring this basketball thing out, and are truly blossoming.

Hate that bg ends up with egg on his face in a way.

But just 4 short years ago gsw was nothing like they are now.

 

[P C H]

Hate that bg is gone. I think him being a clipper for life held some value in itself. That's a value that, as an organization, we may have traded away along with Blake. We could possibly be viewed by free agents as the franchise that bamboozles you into long term commitment with the promise of longevity, only to send you packing. I mean, as the fa pitch to bg32, lac dimmed the lights, raised his jersey into the rafters and said "today we celebrate a lifelong clipper".
.

I wouldn't worry too much about this, every team in the NBA employs this kind of ****ery it's the culture of Sports. No loyalty. And no one is turning down big money in LA because of it I think, just have to charge it to the nature of the beast that is the NBA.

 

[wavycrocket]

@ me when Trae Young is drafted.

**** Doc, Jamal & DJ.