This Clippers season has been a series of ups and downs. The injuries have mounted as the season has progressed — Patrick Beverley is done for the year, Danilo Gallinari has played in just eleven games and Milo Teodosic and Austin Rivers (out for at least another week) have been dealing with nagging injuries. Until last week, the Clippers had been without the services of Blake Griffin, who missed fourteen games with a knee injury. Griffin is now in the concussion protocol after taking an elbow to the head from Warriors center JaVale McGee on Saturday.
The Griffin knee injury in November seemed to signal the end of the Clippers' season. But the Clippers have very quietly played solid basketball since the Griffin injury and crept up in the Western Conference standings. They have managed to win nine of their last 15 games (with the NBA's fifth-best net rating in that span) and find themselves just two games back of the Pelicans for the eighth seed in the West.
MOCK DRAFT: Who will Clippers take in first round?
The recent surge by the Clippers has created a dilemma for LA fans. Before the Clippers' run of recent victories, the idea of tanking was the smart play. The injury-riddled Clippers looked to have no shot of contending for a spot in the postseason, and the potential trade of DeAndre Jordan and/or Lou Williams began to pick up steam.
Fast forward to the present, and Jordan is once again putting up his usual solid numbers while Williams is in the midst of his best season yet. Williams currently holds career-best marks in player efficiency rating (21.9) and 3-point shooting (40.7 percent on nearly seven attempts per game). For the first time in his career, he is averaging over 20 points while logging a career-high 31.4 minutes per game. His numbers off the bench make him a highly-coveted player for teams contending for a playoff spot.
Given their recent surge, the Clippers need to stay the course. The progress they have made over the past month should be evidence enough. Considering where the Clippers have come from (losing nine consecutive games in the month of November) and the onslaught of devastating injuries, their current spot in the standings is a near miracle. Head coach Doc Rivers was well aware of the situation after Saturday's 121-105 loss to the Warriors.
"Golden State is the world champions," Rivers said. "We have 90 points of offense sitting in street clothes. If we played them ten times they probably would win all ten, but you may win one."
Those in favor of the tanking philosophy will say that the Clippers have no shot of competing in the postseason. And if by competing they mean challenging the Warriors for a spot in the NBA Finals, they would be correct. But in reality, maybe three teams have a legitimate shot of coming out of the West, and even that sounds generous given Golden State's dominance.
DEVENEY: How Lakers can solve their LaVar Ball problem
The idea of tanking in order to build a championship contender is often misguided because teams need luck to actually snag a top pick, let alone select a franchise-changing talent (cue the Michael Olowokandi flashbacks). The Clippers also have something that tanking teams generally do not — a 28-year-old star in Griffin entering his prime and under contract for the next five years. The Clippers have committed to building around Griffin as their centerpiece. Trading away assets will only hamper the opportunity for LA's front office to acquire players via free agency, the only way the team will be able to compete over the next several years in the West.
Health will dictate what the Clippers do before the trade deadline. Griffin's concussion is obviously concerning. There is no timetable for his return, and as we have seen with past concussions, it is very hard to predict when he will be back. If Griffin misses significant time and the Clippers slide down the standings, LA may be forced to look at making difficult decisions. With a healthy Griffin, the Clippers can compete for a spot in the West. Without him, the Clippers are dead in the water.
For the moment, Clippers fans should appreciate the resilience of this team. The young guys are getting quality NBA minutes, which will help them as they continue their playoff push. Give them some time, and put the tanking talk on the back burner — for now.