The L.A. Clippers have done well in free agency so far. They added small forwards Paul Pierce and Wesley Johnson plus shooting guard Lance Stephenson. These are excellent moves that may improve the Clippers from last year.
One player on the team wasn’t pleased with what they had done. Shooting guard for the Clippers, J.J. Redick, was critical of his team for not re-signing center DeAndre Jordan. Jordan agreed to a contract with the Dallas Mavericks. According to ESPN, Redick told Bleacher Report Radio that the Clippers had one priority this summer saying, “Listen, we had one priority this summer, and that was to re-sign D.J., and we missed out on that. So barring some miracle, [the] makeup of our team is completely different now.” He even added that they deserved an F in free agency.
DeAndre Jordan was one of the best defenders for the Clippers. He had 11.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. This is a big loss down low. Redick has a reason to be upset. He worries they won’t be as good defensively saying, “He was such an integral part of what we did, not just defensively but offensively with his screening, his rolling, his offensive rebounds. His presence down low essentially made teams either commit to the 3-point line when Blake [Griffin] or Chris [Paul] penetrated or commit to him, and that either opened up lobs for him or 3s for guys like me and Jamal [Crawford] and Matt [Barnes].”
Redick is upset that his team let a great player go. He has to understand letting DeAndre Jordan was a business decision. The Clippers probably thought he wasn’t worth the money to re-sign.
What he may not realize is that they improved on the offensive end. Paul Pierce is one of the best shooters in the game. He can shoot anywhere on the court. That will take the pressure off of Chris Paul and J.J. Redick. Stephenson is a player who will come off the bench and play with energy.
Finding a way to replace DeAndre Jordan on the defensive end and in the low post will be a priority for the Clippers. That won’t be easy. Blake Griffin will have to step up for them on defense and can rebound the ball. Last year, he had 7.6 rebounds per game. The Clippers will need to find another shot blocker on the team. The Clippers should be able to make the playoffs as a top 4 seed in the West. The grade they deserve for the off-season is a B, not an F.
What do you think of the moves the Clippers have made this off-season?
Leave a Reply