The Los Angeles Clippers were within one win of their first ever trip to the Western Conference finals until they blew a 3-1 lead against the Houston Rockets last postseason. After that collapse many people thought that the Clippers would still likely be one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference next year, as long as they re-signed DeAndre Jordan. Well, Jordan accepted a four-year, $80 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks and now Clippers guard J.J. Redick says the Clippers deserve an "F" for their offseason according to Bleacher Report.
Redick went on to say "Listen, we had one priority this summer, and that was to re-sign DJ, and we missed out on that," according to Yahoo.
The Clippers weren't completely shutout this offseason, as they signed Paul Pierce away from the Washington Wizards, but you still can't blame Redick for his comments. Jordan is not only one of the best rim protectors in the league, but he is also one of the top rebounders in the NBA. Redick is clearly expressing frustration here that his teammates also are probably feeling.
Earlier in the offseason it was reported that the Clippers weren't likely to re-sign Jordan because he was sick and tired of Chris Paul's constant barking and gestures, according to ESPN. Now that Jordan has moved on, the Clippers might be in for a bit of trouble next season as they don't really have a replacement for him. All of the top free agent centers have already signed contracts with other teams and that leaves Los Angeles with a major deficiency in the middle.
The Clippers are still a very talented team and will more than likely make the playoffs in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference, but losing Jordan might have dropped them from a title contender to just a playoff team. Paul Pierce will certainly help ease the loss of Jordan with his leadership and clutch shot making ability, but there is nobody available in the NBA right now that can give the Clippers what Jordan gave them. For all his deficiencies (free-throw shooting, lack of offensive game) it's hard not to agree with Redick when he says regardless of what other moves the Clippers make, losing Jordan makes the offseason an "F."
