The Los Angeles Clippers emerged from a long period of zero playoffs success to a franchise that is the toast of LA now that they have a championship coach ion Doc Rivers and an elite talent in Chris Paul and the team still likely isn't done, as Lamar Odom and Antawn Jamison have become free agent targets.
According to the LA Daily News, the Clippers introduced Paul as well as a number of other players on Wednesday when the moratorium on signings was lifted, including free agents Matt Barnes, Darren Collison and Ryan Hollins along with players acquired in a trade in Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick. Paul was one of the main reasons that the players came to LA and one of the main reasons Paul stayed was due to Rivers, as well as the five-year, $107 million contract the Clippers gave him.
Paul and company feel that they have a championship team in LA and along with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford, the Clippers have one of the most talented rosters in the Western conference. Some of the players arrived in the trade for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler and now the Clips are looking at names like Lamar Odom and Antawn Jamison to add depth to the roster. Collison and the rest are all veterans and with Paul leading the way, Rivers sees a team that can contend for a title.
Odom would be a solid addition to the team and the move could hel inspire him to play his best basketball in a few years since leaving the Lakers. He ended up back with the Clippers and also spent a disastrous time with the Mavericks, while Jamison last was with the Lakers and could just move locker rooms.
Paul and the Clippers played a tough series against the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs and were eliminated in Game 6 after the Grizzlies won 118-105 to finish the series 4-2 and Paul finished the game with 28 points and eight assists. Paul had an excellent season for the Clippers, averaging 17 points with nearly 10 assists and 2.4 steals per game, which was ranked first in the league and now he is looking to win a title.
The Clippers had their best season in quite some time and part of that had to do with the coaching ability of Vinny Del Negro, who appeared to get along with many of the players and played to their strengths throughout the schedule. The team decided not to give a new contract to Del Negro and decided that it would be best to move on despite a successful season and a division title. The team felt that the move put themselves in the best position to keep Paul, which is the number one priority for the franchise.
