Chris Paul Must Remain with L.A. Clippers to Cement Superstar Legacy
Chris Paul is going to have the freedom to choose whichever team has the means to sign him as an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he would be wise to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The superstar point guard has just begun forging his legacy with his current club and would only be setting himself—and his chances of winning a championship—back by uprooting and playing for another organization.
While the Clips experienced severe disappointment in the form of a first-round playoff exit after six grueling games against the Memphis Grizzlies, it’s simply not time for CP3 to abandon ship.
One of the main reasons why L.A. has struggled so much is due to its inexperienced and overmatched coach, Vinny Del Negro.
The talented players on the Clips’ roster—including Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Jamal Crawford and others—simply deserve better. Because Del Negro’s contract is set to expire this offseason, he could conceivably be easily be replaced by a more capable candidate.
The latest buzz, as per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein, indicates that VDN may return for another rodeo, but it would behoove Paul—for not only himself, but also his teammates’ sake—to recommend the franchise go in another direction.
Fortunately, the 28-year-old has plenty of say within the organization at this juncture. ESPN Los Angeles’ Arash Markazi is reporting that the Clippers brass will ultimately make the decision, but Paul and Griffin will be consulted before the final verdict is in.
If CP3 can persuade owner Donald Sterling to bring in a more playoff-hardened head coach to help guide this young squad on a deep run, his Clips will be in great shape as early as next season.
With big names like Phil Jackson and Jerry Sloan potentially available, it would be downright insane for this team—which is right on the cusp of contending for the Western Conference crown—to remain loyal to Del Negro.
Paul has only been in L.A. for two years and made a pair of solid forays into the postseason during that time period. He’s completely revitalized one of the worst clubs in basketball and brought the Clippers some modicum of respectability.
Now he has to remain with the organization to see them through to a title, which could be right around the corner—assuming there is a coaching change this offseason.
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Paul George gets daunting task: Guarding LeBron James
There’s no good way to play head-to-head with LeBron James, but Paul George can handle it.
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Can the Clippers Get Dwight Howard And Chris Paul?
via 5thquartermag.com Recently, I have been wondering how the Clippers are going to improve their roster to appease Chris Paul. I think if they got Dwight Howard to join with him and Blake, then the Clippers big 3 would be on par with the Miami Heat. Yet is this possible? Eddie Sefko brought up that the Clippers are trying to do it, but how would they? Lets look at the salaries. Right now the Clippers salary for 2013/2014: Blake Griffin: $16,402,500 DeAndre Jordan: $10,986,550 Caron Butler: $8,000,000 Jamal Crawford: $5,225,000 Eric Bledsoe: $2,626,473 Grant Hill: $2,045,065 Willie Green: $1,399,507(Team Option) So the total salary is: $46,685,095 The salary cap for the 2013/2014 season is $58,044,000 so that means the Clippers will have $11,358,905 in Salary Cap. How much salary cap will the Clippers need to be able to sign both Dwight and CP3? According to HoopsRumors, the max Dwight can make is 20,513,178 and Chris Paul can make 18,668,431. I am not exactly sure how the bird exc…
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Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce’s Potential Departure Means Jeff Green Is ‘The Guy’
With the pending departure of Celtics captain Paul Pierce on the horizon, many fans will be looking to Jeff Green to fill the sneakers of the Boston mainstay for at least the near future and hopefully the long term as well.
Pierce’s shoes are certainly big ones to fill.
There is no doubt that his No. 34 will one day hang in the rafters amongst all of the Green Team’s legends, which is the biggest honor that can bestowed upon a Celtics player.
And for Pierce, it is well-deserved. He owns a myriad of team records and is the franchise’s second all-time leading scorer behind John Havilcek. He is also second to Larry Bird in Celtics career scoring average.
Any time you can be mentioned in the same sentence as Hondo and Larry Legend, you know you’ve had a great career. Throw in the fact that Pierce is a 10-time All-Star, an NBA Finals MVP and a bona fide Hall of Famer and it will certainly not be the easiest transition for the young Georgetown alum.
Jeff Green’s talent and potential are undeniable. We saw glimpses this season of just how dominant he can be on any given night.
The performance that obviously sticks out is his national breakout show in March against the Miami Heat. Green scored 43 points and went toe-to-toe against the world’s best player in LeBron James.
James would ultimately score 37 of his own, including the go-ahead basket at the end of regulation to seal the deal for the Heat, but fans walked away from that game knowing that the Celts have a legitimate budding superstar on the roster.
The problem for Green has been consistency. Couple that with the fact that some of his best games during the regular season came while Kevin Garnett was out due to injury and it was hard to gain a complete understanding of how he could ultimately fit into the lineup.
He definitely seemed to thrive as a starter and, should Danny Ainge make the move to trade The Truth, will be thrust into Pierce’s spot.
Many analysts have also questioned if Green has the same natural killer instinct that Pierce has exhibited throughout his Celtics career.
At times this season, it seemed as though head coach Doc Rivers was desperately trying to pull that side out of him. Yet there were other times when Green showed his merciless side, knocking down big shots in pressure situations—particularly in Game 5 of the playoffs against the Knicks.
Green has not yet been given the opportunity during his NBA career to be “the guy.” If Pierce is ultimately traded, then he will certainly be pushed into that role.
Even though it may not be the flawless transition fans are hoping for, Green Teamers should take solace in the fact that Green has the potential to be the best player on the court on any given night.
It’s certainly sad to see Pierce go, but it will be exciting to see what Green can ultimately do for this team. His inconsistencies this year will certainly lead many to question whether or not he can be that type of franchise player.
It must be remembered, though, that Green was coming off of major heart surgery and missed an entire season. Not only did he have to adapt to a new team essentially, he also had acclimate himself to simply playing the game of basketball again.
As the season went on, fans got to see Green gain confidence with each game back and having a more solidly defined role this upcoming season will only help his progress.
Many have speculated on Rivers’ role in a possible rebuilding stage for this team. Ainge recently stated (via The Boston Globe‘s Gary Washburn) that the Celtics coach would be coming back next season, quashing any rumors that had been floating around previously.
One theory for him staying may be that he knows he has something here with the young combination of Green and Rajon Rondo. Garnett has previously said that he believes Green will ultimately be one of the best players to ever play the game.
Could that be Doc’s feeling as well?
Amid the doom and gloom that have been thrown out there regarding this team’s future, Green should be looked at as a bright spot. Will he have the same impact that Pierce had on this organization over the past 14 years? It’s way too early to tell.
One thing is for certain, though. He has the potential to be everything Pierce was and then some.
Potential, however, will only get you so far. It’s up to Green whether or not he wants his number hanging in the rafters next to the captain’s.
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Why Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce Decision Will Define the Next Decade
Paul Pierce is the Boston Celtics.
At least that’s been the case for the last decade and a half. Envisioning a Celtics squad without The Truth is almost unimaginable.
However, it just might be the reality facing Boston fans as soon as next season.
While Pierce is set to enter the final year of his contract, only $5 million of his $15.3 million salary is guaranteed. The team has until July 1 to make a decision on the matter.
Could we have witnessed Pierce’s last game in a Celtics uniform? According to Boston sideline reporter Greg Dickerson, that’s a very real possibility.
It would mark an unfortunate close to an era for one of the greatest players in the Celtics’ illustrious history.
Since being drafted 10th overall by the team in 1998, Pierce has led Boston in scoring for 13 of his 14 seasons. He also holds various franchise records, as well as earning several NBA awards and honors over his career. But most importantly, the 35-year-old played a vital role in delivering the Celtics their league-leading 17th NBA title in 2008—Pierce was named Finals MVP for his efforts.
But all good things must eventually come to an end.
Although Pierce put together a rather successful 2012-13 season—18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game—he’s shown signs of breaking down. He only shot 43.6 percent from the field.
With Jeff Green primed to step into Pierce’s shoes, can the team really afford paying an aging veteran $15 million?
Boston finds itself at a fork in the road, with three different options spread out in front of them.
Option 1: Trade Him
This is an option GM Danny Ainge has already considered.
With the Celtics flailing, paired with the loss of Rajon Rondo, the team sought out interest in Pierce during the NBA trade deadline back in February. Several options popped up, but none were good enough for Ainge to pull the trigger.
As summer’s free agency quickly approaches, don’t be surprised if Boston tests the market for Pierce once again.
Sure, it’s hard to imagine seeing the Celtics send off their captain to another team. But at the same time, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense.
With a trade, Boston could get a little cap relief, while bringing in some players who could address some of the roster issues. On the other hand, another team would receive an experienced veteran who could help push an “on the verge” team into a contender. Plus, Pierce has shown that he can still pour it in—he averaged 19.2 points per game over six contests against the New York Knicks during this year’s first-round series.
But every positive usually comes along with its negatives.
In this particular case that arises with the team needing to keep Pierce past the July 1 deadline. That would require the Celtics to guarantee the full amount of his contract. It’s a tough situation, especially with the team not sure just how much it can get in return for Pierce.
Then there’s the whole ordeal regarding Kevin Garnett.
Basically, if Boston trades Pierce, the team should prepare to part ways with Garnett as well. That’s because back in February, the 36-year-old reportedly said that he would waive his no-trade clause if Pierce was traded. (via Sports on Earth’s Shaun Powell)
Depending on the trade, this move would likely put the Celtics into rebuilding mode for at least a season or two.
Option 2: Waive Him
Sometimes, just cutting your losses is the best route to take.
If Ainge chooses this option, Boston would be able to release Pierce before the July 1 deadline. This would also ensure that the team only pays the $5 million of the salary that is guaranteed, leaving them with a little more than $10 million to play around with over the summer. As far as free agency goes, the Celtics would have their full mid-level exception ($5.15 million) and the bi-annual exception ($2.02 million).
While it would be nice to open up these exceptions, it doesn’t always guarantee that the team will get a good return. One only has to look at Boston’s offseason pickups last season as an example.
So is it really worth the risk to dump off a veteran scorer who is a guaranteed 16-5-4 guy just for the chance that there might be a free agent who could make a difference?
To make matters worse, as stated earlier, this would also likely result in Garnett walking away. This could be via retirement or by waiving his no-trade clause and requesting a trade.
Garnett will be 37 next season. At this point in his career, he would only come back if he felt like he was playing for a team that could contend. Without Pierce, Boston is not that team.
Option 3: Keep Him
Finally, there’s always the option of keeping Pierce.
He has proven that he can still produce and his loyalty should grant him the opportunity to finish out his career as a Celtic. No one can argue that Pierce doesn’t deserve it.
However, at the same time, keeping Pierce would give Boston little to no room to do anything else. The team would most likely have to shed a player or two just to accommodate signing a draft pick.
Is the same roster that put together a 41-40 regular-season record, claimed the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and made a first-round exit worth keeping together?
Surprisingly, yes.
That’s because what the Celtics did this year was admirable. Battling through several key injuries, the team still rebounding and fought till the very end.
One can only imagine what this roster will be like with another year of experience and the healthy returns of both Rondo and Jared Sullinger.
In this scenario, Garnett would possibly make a return to have one more go at the ultimate prize. If he doesn’t, Boston will have around $10 million free to add to their already depleted depth at center.
The only pitfall here is whether or not Pierce would be OK with a lesser role on the team.
But hey, he did it once when Garnett and Ray Allen arrived in 2007. Who says he wouldn’t do it again?
Summing It All Up
Regardless of whether Pierce stays, is released or traded, it’s no surprise that the decision will significantly alter the face of the franchise.
For 14 years the Celtics have relied on him to get them through the ups and downs. Without him, the team wouldn’t be in the place it is right now.
The work ethic, dedication and talent that Pierce brought to Boston is a trait all other 29 teams in the league would die for. It’s something the team and its fans will never forget.
But in the end, the NBA is a business.
In the end, it’s all about doing what’s best for your team. Pierce knows that too.
If he leaves, be thankful for everything he’s done for the Celtics during his career. If he doesn’t, let’s hope Pierce can give himself the opportunity to ride off into the sunset.
There’s not another player in the NBA who deserves it more.
For complete team coverage and everything Celtics, you can follow Sebastian on Facebook and on Twitter
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Exploring the Celtics Trade Options for Paul Pierce
The ESPN Trade Machine is a fun way to waste a Wednesday night. Danny Ainge has a multi-tiered mission ahead of him this offseason as he looks to either retool a contender on its (last) (double last) triple last leg or cash in on the reduced yet still prominent value of Paul Pierce’s in flux contract. Let’s play some trade machine and see if there’s a mutually attractive deal out there for Danny to lose a few weeks’ sleep over. Ainge has 6.5 weeks to establish Pierce’s trade market and pull something off. On June 30th, he either buys Pierce out for $5m or keeps him at $15.3m. Ben Watanabe from NESN.com and Brian Robb from Celtics Hub already wrote great breakdowns of Pierce’s contract mechanics and trade mechanics, so they deserve your full read. We’ll just take a look at Pierce’s trade market. First, let’s lay out the five key points for this exercise: 1. Pierce cannot resign with the Celtics if they buy him out. The NBA has a one-year ban on players re-signing with teams that wa…
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Paul Pierce’s career with the Celtics might be over
For the past 15 years, Paul Pierce has been a Celtic. He’s been the face of the franchise for over a decade, and the leader for a Celtics team that has been a title contender ever since the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007.
His final game this year was a rough one, an 88-80 series clinching loss to the Knicks in which Pierce scored only 14 points on an abysmal shooting performance, going 4-18 from the floor and 1-9 from three point range.
That might be Pierce’s final game in a Celtics uniform, depending on how GM Danny Ainge decides to move forward.
Pierce has said that he would prefer to stay with the Celtics under his current contract, which would pay him approximately $15M next year.
Ainge, on the other hand, is reportedly considering releasing Pierce and using the amnesty clause, or possibly trading him. That’s what Pierce thinks will happen, regardless of what he actually wants.
This could create a domino effect of sorts, as Kevin Garnet…
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Paul George Proving in 2013 Playoffs He’s NBA’s Next Max Star
The notion that Paul George isn’t a max-contract NBA superstar is confusing. Why? Because it’s not true.
Sans who was once considered their best player in Danny Granger, the Indiana Pacers are on the verge of advancing past the New York Knicks and into the Eastern Conference Finals. And while they depended upon the underrated talents of George Hill, the leadership of David West and the inconsistent stylings of Roy Hibbert, it’s George who they have ridden into prominence.
Operating as Indiana’s go-to everything, George had the best regular season of his three-year career by far. Like it wasn’t even close. He closed out the year averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, four assists and 1.7 steals. He converted on just 41.9 percent of his field-goal attempts, but that didn’t matter. Not nearly as much as everything else he was able to do.
At only 23 and now with an All-Star selection to his name, George was considered a rising star. And rightfully so.
He had become just the 10th player in NBA history to average at least 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and 1.5 steals per game before his 24th birthday. It was a feat that put him in the company of Larry Bird, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Magic Johnson, among others. It was special. And he was rewarded for it.
George was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, much to the surprise of any Jrue Holiday supporters, but generally supported all the same. That, along with his All-Star credentials, should have been enough. We should have been sold. But not everyone was.
Although his accomplishments licensed star status, there was still something (unjustly) separating himself from the rest of the league’s superstars—postseason success. Not in the sense that he had to win a championship (see Carmelo Anthony), but that he had to prove he was worth building around.
Could the Pacers contend in the postseason with him as their primary identity? Could he lead his team to some measure of postseason success? Was he worthy of a max contract, or was he perhaps a prolific facade?
The latter is a fair question. George is due to enter restricted free agency after next season, which means he’s eligible for an extension next season.
This side of the lockout, it’s become common practice to scrutinize the potential of any players entering the last legs of their rookie contracts. The Denver Nuggets (Ty Lawson), Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry) and Philadelphia 76ers (Jrue Holiday) all exercised extreme caution when it came to assessing the market value of their prized prospects.
No such trepidation is needed when it comes to George, though. He’s not on the cusp of stardom; he’s there. What he’s actually on the precipice of is being compensated like one.
Anyone who watched George knows. He wasn’t feigning stardom or some flash in the pan that would disappear overnight, or even next season. George was for real. Playoff success now in hand, arguments to the contrary are less than feeble.
For the postseason, George is averaging 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, five assists and 1.9 steals per game. If those averages hold, he’ll become just the 15th player in NBA history to post at least 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists and 1.5 steals per game through his entire playoff run.
Once again we find George pitting himself next to Hall of Famers like Magic, Bird, Scottie Pippen and Clyde Drexler. And future Hall of Famers like LeBron and Garnett.
It’s not just his individual numbers either, but what he has meant to the Pacers all year, especially now.
Indiana is in a position of power against the Knicks thanks to George. New York’s offense has spent most of the series wallowing in ineptitude because of the Pacers’ stout defensive sets. And George has led the cause on that end (both ends, really) by shutting down the Knicks’ greatest weapon—Carmelo.
Anthony is averaging 26 points per game in the series, but is shooting just 40.9 percent of the field. And he’s fared even worse when being defended by George.
Per ESPN Stats & Information (via Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com), ‘Melo is shooting just 32 percent from the floor when being defended by George, a number that has aided in the debilitation of the Knicks’ offense.
‘Melo’s shooting woes attest to George’s superior length and overall defensive capabilities. Few players in the league can legitimately be considered two-way stars, yet he’s one of them.
Which shouldn’t be a surprise.
George has been amongst the most elite of defenders all year. It’s what truly separates him from the pack. The NBA is laden with scorers and playmakers, but George’s unbridled effort on the defensive end has put him in a class shared by a select few. And his teammates recognize this.
“He’s got length and good feet and he’s never really out of position even when he gets beat he’s in the rear view contesting the shot,” West said of his teammate (via Windhorst). ”Melo is the best 1-on-1 player in the league, he can get shots from anywhere and he can make shots from anywhere. And PG embraces that challenge.”
He’s always embraced “that challenge.” But because he doesn’t play in Miami or New York or Los Angeles, he hasn’t garnered the same praise as some of peers. And it’s left many surprised at how complete a player he really is.
Refer to the postseason as George’s coming-out party if you must, but understand this is nothing new. His ceiling was always this broad; his future always this blinding. He played at this level the entire season.
Any who have believed otherwise have missed out. Those who continue to think otherwise are still missing out. Depriving themselves the opportunity to embrace the NBA’s next max superstar.
That’s what George is, after all, a superstar.
A warranted status his next contract is destined to reflect.
*All stats in this article were compiled from Basketball-Reference and NBA.com unless otherwise attributed.
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LA Clippers’ Disaster Plan if Chris Paul Leaves in Free Agency
The past two seasons in Los Angeles have seen Chris Paul help transform a franchise known for losing into Pacific Division champions for the first time in Los Angeles Clippers history. As Paul enters free agency this summer, his potential departure could cripple the franchise once again.
Paul provides stability to the franchise and serves as the team’s leader. One of the best point guards in the league, Paul is a demanding leader, but proves his worth by the amount of wins his teams rack up.
Should Paul opt to sign elsewhere, the Clippers would have two immediate options, depending on the team he chooses. The Clippers could facilitate a sign-and-trade, assuming the team Paul wishes to play for does not have enough cap space available to offer him a maximum contract. This would allow the Clippers to receive some compensation and help build without Paul around.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of suitors who could offer Paul a maximum contract without needing to sign-and-trade for him. Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets all could have enough cap space to offer Paul a max contract.
Assuming Paul leaves for another team, who would the Clippers be able to target to take over his job at point guard? The first, and most likely option, would be for Los Angeles to hand the job to Eric Bledsoe. He might not be ready for the spotlight, but he has proven that he has the potential to become a quality NBA lead guard.
Bledsoe’s play improved significantly this past season. According to Basketball-Reference.com, he posted career-highs in every shooting percentage, reduced his turnovers to 3.2 per 36 minutes and posted the best offensive and defensive ratings of his career.
Still, should the Clippers choose to search for other options at point guard, they would only be armed with $13 million in cap space, with only eight players under contract. It would seem unlikely that the Clippers would be able to acquire an adequate replacement without trading with another team.
Still, with Bledsoe on the roster, it seems likely he would take over the starting point guard role. They could make plays for Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis in a trade, but handing the job to Bledsoe makes the most sense.
Bledsoe’s energy is infectious and might be a welcomed change for Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Bledsoe excels in transition, much like DJ and Blake. There is no doubt Bledsoe’s primary goal would be to lead the Clippers in transition, where the team’s athleticism can be put on display.
Griffin and Jordan seemed to struggle this season playing at Paul’s slow pace. While the offense was efficient, it also began to take shots away from Griffin and forced Jordan to develop his post moves in order to stay on the floor.
Bledsoe might not lead the Clippers to a more efficient offense, but he might be the better fit, in that he wants to push the tempo and create extra possessions. Additionally, he would be a plus-defender, keeping the Clippers defense effective.
According to 82games.com, Eric Bledsoe was able to hold opposing point guards to a player efficiency rating of 14.9, right at the league average. Paul is a good defender, but he is not the type of lockdown, game-changing defender Bledsoe has proven to be.
Additionally, Bledsoe finished third in the league in steals per 48 minutes. Paul has been one of the best in the league at forcing turnovers and jumping in passing lanes, but Bledsoe is equally effective.
Overall, losing Chris Paul in free agency would derail everything the Clippers have built and accomplished these past two seasons. Paul’s impact on the game is immeasurable, despite how great his statistics are on paper. Leadership, poise and clutch play cannot be defined in a statistic. Eric Bledsoe could turn into an All-Star point guard in the future, but expecting him to fill Paul’s shoes would be humorous at best.
Eric Bledsoe might be able to fit better with the team’s overall athleticism and allow Blake Griffin to reach his rookie-season statistics, but at what cost? This is not a shot at Bledsoe, as it is a compliment to how great Chris Paul is. Statistics are great to look at, but winning is the only thing that matters. That is something Chris Paul does as well as any player in the league, and the Clippers would sorely miss him because of that.
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Greg Dickerson: Paul Pierce Thinks He Will Not Return To Celtics
Celtics’ boss Danny Ainge still hasn’t made (or at least executed) any decision regarding the future of Paul Pierce. But on Sunday, CSNNE’s Greg Dickerson said he believes Pierce will not be a Celtic next season, and said Pierce likely feels the same way. “I don’t think they will (bring Pierce back),” Dickerson said Sunday on CSNNE. “And I know that the company that Paul Pierce hangs around in, they do not believe – and I don’t think Paul Pierce believes – that he is going to be brought back next year at $15 million. I know for a fact that people around Paul Pierce have pretty much resigned themselves to the fact that he’s played his final game in a Boston Celtics uniform. Again, Paul wants to stay – obviously for $15 million, but he wants to finish his career in a Celtics uniform.” We could pick apart the language here – does he mean he won’t be back at $15 million or at all? – but really its just speculation on top of speculation, and only time wi…
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