The Off-Season After An(other) Off Season

As a certain Mr. Lennon once sang, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Let’s be honest, to be a Clipper fan you’ve gotta be a bit deluded. And by “a bit” deluded I mean “incredibly.” Every year we think this will be the year that we get back into the playoffs. Heck, a few years ago when Brand and Cassell got us in, we instantly started thinking how in a year or so we’d be competing for the championship. Instead here we are with a team that tied for the second worst record in the NBA. Yet I’m convinced we’ve got a shot at the playoffs next year.

Sure, the West even had nine teams over .500, with the Suns missing out on the playoffs by two games when they were a solid give games over .500. To put that in perspective, if the Suns were in the East, they’d have been the fifth seed, and only one game behind the Hawks for the fourth spot. Meaning if they were in the East, the Suns would’ve gone from missing out on the playoffs to not only being in the playoffs, but almost having home court advantage in the first round. Yet I’m still convinced that next year the Clips have a decent shot at the playoffs.

Yes, not only would the Clips need to pass one of those top nine super-teams in the West, but also the four other non-playoff teams ahead of them (Golden State, Minnesota, Memphis & Oklahoma City). And all four of those teams look like they’ll only be better next year too. Yet I’m convinced the Clips have a good shot at the playoffs next year.

And no, it ain’t ‘cuz I been high on crack (no offense intended to those of you who are high on crack). To understand why I feel this way, over the next few weeks we’re gonna go through the roster, player by player, and analyze each one’s strengths and weaknesses. And then, alas, of course we’ll end with a look at the Clippers’ “coach” Mike Dunleavy (who as we all know made a bet with the Devil & Elton Brand to see how badly he can destroy the team and yet still have Donald Sterling not fire him).