Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
One of the great head scratchers and understated narratives of the modern NBA is how the 2012-2017 Los Angeles Clippers aka Lob City were never realistically in contention to win an NBA Title.
Despite having Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, and solid role players like JJ Redick and a two-season stint with Lou Williams, Lob City made the playoffs for seven straight years, won 60 percent of their games in each of those seasons, but never advanced past the Western Conference semis.
It’s amazing to even conceive when they did shit like this:
Still surprised that the Lob City Clippers didn't win anything. Didn't even make any noise.
Had a top coach in Doc Rivers, and one of my favorite one-two punches of all time in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. pic.twitter.com/NiwrJ5zsLb
— Mayowa. (@Wana____) July 13, 2019
The lob. The JAM!
For DeAndre Jordan's 31st birthday, we look back at that time he gifted Brandon Knight with a poster 🎈 pic.twitter.com/SiPQUAlhSP
— ESPN (@espn) July 21, 2019
The Clippers roster now is totally overhauled, and the acquisition of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard has tightened the pants of every Clipper fan.
In a press conference introducing the two MVP candidates, Clippers coach Doc Rivers revealed his excitement for the overhauled roster and took a swipe at Lob City’s pedigree in the process.
“It’s a different energy. [In 2013], I joined a group. And that group had—had some success, and also some baggage.”
“I view this as another opportunity to win it. And let’s be honest: You don’t have a lot of opportunities to actually win it. When you have that, you take advantage of it…I never felt like I could get that group [the Lob City group] to understand that this was their time, the urgency of it. When we beat Golden State [in the 2013-14 playoffs], that following year, Golden State decided this was their time. I don’t think we decided that. We just showed up and wanted to try to win. But that’s not enough,” said Rivers.
“This group is new. This is our creation. I feel like that college coach, when you first get the job and you take all the recruits that are there and try to win with them. And then you get your recruits. That’s how I feel.”
Doc is one of the more confounding coaches in the NBA. He has been able to avoid the chopping block because players love him, but I doubt if a guy like Dwane Casey coached Lob City for five years and didn’t win squat, he’d still be manning the ship. This season is as important for Doc as it is for Kawhi and PG-13.
[h/t Real GM]