A pair of devastating injuries derailed the LA Clippers’ season, but according to team president and head coach Doc Rivers, there won’t be any major personnel changes this summer.
The star trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will not be broken up, according to Rivers.
Doc Rivers said he expects Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to opt out of final year on their contracts after next season.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) May 2, 2016
Doc Rivers: "We have to try to sign as many of our guys back as possible."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) May 2, 2016
Doc thinks the Clips are “close” to being a title contender.
Per the AP:
“I like our core and I like our bench, which was really good this year,” Rivers said three days after the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers in six games. “I think they all want to come back, and we’re going to make a strong effort to bring all our guys back. The good news about the free-agent guys who are opting out on their contracts — as they should because everyone knows what we can spend and what we can’t spend — I can’t find one who doesn’t want to be here.”
The Clippers are coming off their fourth consecutive season of 50 or more victories. […] “We’re close, and we know that,” Rivers said. “We have a priority of trying to just keep making our team better. Obviously because of the injuries — Blake’s in particular — we literally don’t know what we could have done. Even during the playoffs, he still wasn’t a hundred percent.”
“I would love to have seen us a hundred percent healthy going into the season,” said Rivers, who doubles as the team’s president of basketball operations. “And if we hadn’t have won it then (under those circumstances), you would have known exactly what you need to do. So now it’s more guesswork. But I think we have a pretty good idea of what to do.”
