The Clippers are coming into the season with very high expectations after making a run in the playoffs and Blake Griffin will be a major part of that and while his back injury has not been called serious, the Clips held workouts for some players on the free agency market, including Andray Blatche, Andrew Bynum and Emeka Okafor as potential backup options off the bench for Doc Rivers.
The Clippers are coming into the offseason while dealing with the whole Donald Sterling thing and then they got news about Griffin and his back. According to ESPN.com, Griffin suffered a back fracture, but the power forward said the injury is not serious and he will be ready to start next season. The Clippers are not taking that news lightly and they are looking for more depth up front and that is why they worked out Andray Blatche, Andrew Bynum and Emeka Okafor as well as Greg Oden this offseason.
Griffin said the back fracture that kept him off team USA is not a serious one and while it will keep him sidelined for a bit, he will be able to fully recover. The Clippers want more depth and Blatche could be a solid option, as he is a good rebounder and shot blocker. Bynum was a mess last season with the Cavs and the Pacers, while Oden could be a nice fit since LA likely will only be asking for limited minutes from him if he signs after playing for Miami last season.
The Clippers made some great improvements last season under Doc Rivers and they ended up as the top ranked offense in the league. The team was first in points per game and they were solid in defense, ranking 14th in points allowed per game. Griffin had another great season and led the team with 24 points per game, while DeAndre Jordan has developed into a great center and averaged over 13 rebounds per game. Chris Paul kept up his usual pace and he averaged over 10 assists per game and was once again a leader on and off the court for the Clips.
The Clippers signed Spencer Hawes this offseason as well and they feel he can be a very good player for the team after playing with the Sixers and Cavs last season. Hawes was a major trade target and now he is a new free agent signing and comes in after averaging 13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for two bad teams and now he gets to play for the Clippers. Hawes is a big man and he also can step back and shoot the three, as he hit over 40 percent last season.
Griffin and Paul are two of the best players in the NBA and Jordan is turning into an elite talent as well and the entire team has been elevated with Rivers coming in. The team has the chance to be one of the best in the west once again and they are going to be the team to beat in the Pacific division and they could be a finals contender this year if they can get through some of the tougher teams in the west.
