How The Los Angeles Clippers Destroyed A Potential “Dynasty”

How The Los Angeles Clippers Destroyed A Potential “Dynasty”

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Look out below. There he goes again. Denver dominates game seven and it’s on to the second round for the Nuggets at a meeting with the top seat in the West, Oklahoma City. The franchise dating back to the 201920 season was supposed to be spoken as a franchise that dominated the 2020s. But instead, all they have to show forward is one conference finals appearance and early exits out of the playoffs. The Kawai PG era didn’t just fail. It never really began. And for a franchise that had all the media hype and the fans buzzing on the dominance this team was going to do, this was one of the most embarrassing ways to go out after all these years. So, I wanted to rewind with you guys back to where all the hype started, back to where everybody had the utmost faith on what this team was going to do to everybody else in the NBA. But before I do, make sure you guys like, subscribe, hit that post notification bell because this video is going to be a long one. It’s July 2019 and the NBA landscape is on fire. KD leaves Golden State to go join Kyrie in Brooklyn. LeBron just got AD from the Pelicans with a hall. So, this meant that the balance of power was finally shifting in the NBA. And the Clippers, yes, the Clippers were the team to steal the headlines because Kawhi Leonard, fresh off an ice cold robotic playoff run that ended in a Raptors championship, was the crown jewel of free agency. Everybody wanted him. The Lakers think they’ve got him. Toronto is begging him to stay to run it back. But the whole time, Kawhi Leonard was working behind the scenes, quietly making his move that literally nobody saw coming. He told the Clippers that he needed a star, and they listened. And what came next was one of the most explosive trades in NBA history. four unprotected future first round picks, a protected future first round pick, two pick swaps, and outstanding rookie point guard Shay Gilis Alexander, Danilo Galinari for Paul George. The Clippers gave up a hall, Shay, Daniel Galinari. Five first round picks that ended up being one of them, J Dub to Oklahoma City for Paul George. Yep, that’s what it took. And to this day, this trade might have been the worst trade in NBA history to ever happen. But in the moment, it didn’t feel crazy because adding a MVP candidate in Paul George next to Kawaii, the Clippers were supposed to be unbeatable. The Clippers were a deep roster with a multitude of role players that excelled in what they did. All they needed was a superstar. But they didn’t only just get one, they got two of them. They didn’t just want to win LA, they wanted to take over the league. Most websites had them as championship favorites. Media outlets were running segments on how this team might be the reincarnation of the 1996 Bulls. The hype was real, and on paper, the Clippers had it all. Throughout the season, they were proving exactly why they got the hype they did. Despite Kawhai and PG both dealing with injuries and load management that transpired, they rarely played together consistently. Kawhai only played 57 games. PG missed the start of the season and never really hit his rhythm. But despite all that, they finished 49 and 23, second in the West behind the Lakers. And if it wasn’t for the bubble, that’s a 56 and 26 pace. They were elite on offense and defense, but the vibes for the team just weren’t quite right. But nobody cared because this team was built for the playoffs. Their first round matchup would be versus the Dallas Mavericks. Luca Donic was only 21 years old and this series was where he started to really make a name for himself, especially in game four. Donic. Donic pulls up three-pointer. Bang. Bang! It’s good. Dic wins the game at the buzzer. The Clippers still eventually won the series in six games, but even in victory, you really started to see the cracks in the team. Next round was the Denver Nuggets. And without them even knowing, this is where the dream started to unravel. The Clippers were up 31 in the series. They just needed to win just one more game. Just one more. But they blow game five, then they blow game six, and then in game seven, they put up one of the most embarrassing performances in NBA history. Way off P. Pandemic P. The memes were merciless. And just like that, the team that was expected to win the championship by a wide margin collapsed before it could even get a real chance because they didn’t even make the conference finals. Steve Balmer in the front office knew that a lot of changes were going to need to be made and first it needed to start from the head coaching position. Doc Rivers and the front office mutually agreed for him to step down and they decided to promote Tyoo as the head coach moving forward hoping that Tyoo can help bring in a new face and help repair some of that team chemistry to maximize that Leonard and George pairing. Paul George later down the line voices frustrations for how Dark Rivers was utilizing him. The Clippers needed a reset. Moderris Harold left that offseason 2D rival team in the Lakers mainly for his defensive inefficiencies and the problems he brought to the two stars off the court. The Clippers responded by signing Sergy Baka, a big who could stretch the floor and defend and also had championship chemistry with Kawi Leonard. They traded for Luke Canard and signed forward Nicholas Pat Batum to bolster the roster even more. They double down on spacing and defense, hoping Lou can bring the pieces finally together. They also resigned Paul George for a 4-year max extension where he declared that he owed them a trophy for this. And boy was the clock ticking to see if this promise would actually be meant. The Clippers were on a vengeance mission all season after that embarrassment they suffered the prior year. They were more efficient, aggressive, and overall this team had a different air around them. The Clippers finished this year with only 47 wins, good for the fourth seed in the West, but they were top five in offense, top 10 in defense, and they still currently hold the best free throw percentage for a team for the entire season. But there were still some cracks in this team that transpired during the regular season. Their acquisition in Sergy Baka missed a chunk of the season with back issues that never really got better and Reggie Jackson was barely getting minutes earlier in the year. So they needed another guard. So this promoted the Clippers to make a move and that’s what they did. They traded Lou Williams, a fan favorite, their bench bucket getter for Rajan Rondo. And the idea was Rondo had just won a title with the Lakers. And this was supposed to be the quote unquote playoff Rondo, a stabilizer when things slowed down to help playmake for Kawaii and PG. And spoiler alert, that didn’t really happen. But despite the question marks, this was the best the Clippers had ever looked entering the playoffs. In round one, the Clippers would see a familiar face in the Dallas Mavericks again, playing a Luca Donic with more experience. And man, did it not start off well. The Clippers go down 02 at their home and here comes the memes flying back. Twitter is roasting them. The media is literally tearing them apart. And it seemed like the team that was supposed to make a push for a finals run would suffer another early exit. And moving on to even game three, the Clippers found themselves early down 20 to the Dallas Mavericks in their home court. It looked like this was going to be the dagger for them. But something changed. Kawhi Leonard locked in. Paul George actually started to become reliable. And Reggie Jackson out of absolutely nowhere became an essential component to making to even this series. And even then, they still lost again at their home court being down 32. But Kawhi Leonard just wasn’t going to go out this way. And he gave a performance that honestly live watching it was one of the greatest individual performances I have ever seen from a player. He dropped 45 points on 72% shooting to stave off the elimination. They fought back, won four of the next five games, and the Clippers won in seven games. It was tough, but they advanced. Their next opponent would be the Utah Jazz, a number one seed in the West with the best record in the league. The Clippers once again dig themselves a hole and find themselves down 200. They managed to even the series again, but the curse for the Clippers strike. Kawhi Leonard landed awkwardly late in the game. And the next day, it was reported Kawhai suffered a knee sprain and would be ruled out indefinitely. Still without Kawhai, the Clippers turned into a grit and grind underdog. PG-13 played the best basketball of his career. He dropped 37 in game five in Utah to win. Then in game six, Terrence man erupted for 39 points, including seven threes to win the series. The Clippers came back from 25 down to the Jazz to make it their first ever Western Conference Finals appearance. the moment Clippers fans had been waiting their whole lives for. Even without Kawawaii, the team was balling. Pug, Reggie Jackson, Batu. Man, it was a beautiful mess that actually worked. And now they had to face the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. And man, the Clippers fought like hell. They lost game two on that infamous Valley oop, a DeAndre Aiding dunk with.7 seconds left. PG missed two free throws right before that, which would have iced the game. PG overall had a good series against them though, but it wasn’t enough. The Suns took the series in six and as hard as the Clippers fought, there was no denying it. They needed Kawhi Leonard and if Kawhai was healthy, they could have possibly won this series and go on to win a championship. But that’s the thing about dynasties. They don’t get built on whatifs. And unfortunately, that year, a lot of injuries struck a lot of different teams. So, it will stay as a whatif for the Clippers. The Clippers brought back Reggie Jackson on a contract after his stellar performances in the playoffs. They traded away long-term player Beverly for Bleo and signed Justice Winslow. The 2021-22 season was going to be survival mode for the Clippers and all the focus would be on Paul George to keep them afloat. This was the season many believe could have been another 2019 for Paul George. A genuine push for the MVP. He was playing well for most of the season, but unfortunately the curse persisted with the Clippers. He got injured in December on his right elbow that would sideline him indefinitely. This now made it so that the Clippers would be missing both of their stars. Tyron Lou with his expertise in a scrappy unit showed a lot of heart during this stretch. They demanded a lot from other role players to play above their means. And by the All-Star break, they still remained above 500. They decided that it was best to make trades that will help the core of Kawaii MPG. And that’s what they did in trading for Norman Powell and Robert Coington. Powell was a player who’s shown he can score efficiently without the ball in his hands. A perfect player next to Kawhai, especially since he did win a championship with Kawhai in 2019. adding Coington was going to be that player to add in more defensive depth in the wing position. This added a ton more salary against the cap, showing that Steve Balmer was willing to spend that money for a title run. The Clippers finished 42 and 40, good for the eighth seed in the West. And even with the return for Paul George at the end of the year, they didn’t even make the playoffs since he would miss a game with co and they would eventually miss the entire playoffs because of the playing. Just like that, the season was over for the Los Angeles Clippers. After making a conference finals run, the Clippers would miss the playoffs their very next year, largely because of injuries. But time slows down for no one. This would be the third year of Kawaii PG with no finals run, no championship to their name. So now going into the 2223 season, they knew that more moves needed to be made. So they signed John Wall in free agency, hoping he would be the tempo changing playmaker they have desperately needed to supplement the Kawawaii and PG core. And this time, unlike the past season, they would have Kawawaii and PG going into the season and a roster that was deep with talent. But again, reality setting for the Clippers because what did I say earlier in this video? They’re cursed. Kawise started the season on a minutes restriction. Then he missed 20 straight games with a knee issue. PG was in and out of the lineup with minor injuries. John Wall looked rusty when he was playing for the Clippers. Reggie Jackson became very streaky and too streaky for the Clippers liking. Tyoo had way too many guys and not enough consistent rotation of good enough players. The Clippers never found their rhythm. They were still hovering around the middle of the West, never truly separating themselves from the pack. So by February, the front office knew they needed a shakeup. So, at the 2023 trade deadline, they flipped the script, traded Reggie Jackson for Mason Plumbley, finally getting a legit backup big to supplement Zubot. They dealt John Wall and Luke Canard in a multi-team deal that brought in Eric Gordon. Now, trading away Jackson Wall, Canard, they essentially hit a reset button on the guard position. So to remedy this, they brought in Russell Russbrook after getting bought out by the Utah Jazz post trade deadline. The Clippers were desperate for a spark at that point guard position. And to his credit, Russ delivered. He played his role, attacked the rim, played defense, playmates for Kawaii and PG. He brought energy that this team desperately needed. By the end of the season, the Clippers finished 44 and 38 and earned the fifth seed in a tight Western Conference. So, you would hope this year is the year, right? With Kawaii and PG being healthy. Nope. Because this franchise is cursed. Cursed to hell, man. Paul George suffered an injury in March with a sprained right knee that would actually keep him out for the remainder of the regular season and ultimately the playoffs as well. And the matchup this time was going to be versus the Suns, but this time they added the 7 foot Slender Man on their side and the Clippers were without PG. Game one was set at the Suns home court and the Clippers shocked a lot of people winning at the Suns building. Kawawaii was magnificent, 38 points on 54% from the field in a fivepoint win. Game two was also close until the fourth quarter, but Kawaii had another stellar game with 31 points. The Clippers did their job. They tied the series 1-1 going back to LA. Even without Paul George, this won’t be easy for the Suns. And then Kawhi Leonard’s ruled out with, wait for it, a meniscus tear in the same knee he tore his ACL two years prior. He had looked like the best year in the playoffs. And just like that, Kawhi Leonard was gone again. No Kawhai, no PG. And now it’s up to Russ, Norman Powell, and a bunch of role players to go against Booker and the Durant Suns. They fought. Russ had one of his best playoff run in years. But talent wins usually at the end of the day, and that’s what happens. And that was the biggest difference. The Clippers lose in five games. And now it’s year four of the Kawawaii PG era. Still no finals appearance, only one healthy run that ended in a 3-1 comeback. So what was the next move for them? Because what started off as a dream for Clippers fans and getting Kawaii PG was starting to look like a curse. Especially once you start to realize what Shay and those picks were starting to become there in OKC. Who knows if it was desperation, maybe it was denial, but this just wasn’t one more run for the Clippers. They decided to make a real push for a championship and gamble because in October 2023, the Clippers pulled off a blockbuster trade for James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers. He was voicing his opinion on how bad Daryl my out of Philly. It was messy. It was loud. It was risky, but it was also very Clippers and the price to get Harden came at the cost of a lot of their depth. They gave up Marcus Morris, Robert Coington, Nick Batum, KJ Martin, plus draft capital. They also brought in PJ Tucker, Harden’s longtime partner in crime, but he didn’t really play. So really, it was only James Harden they were getting back for the hall that they gave up. And adding Harden, the thinking was simple. put Harden next to Kawai PG alongside a resurgent Russell Westbrook and now you’ve got four battle tested vets all hungry for a ring and for a while it kind of worked. When Harden first got there it wasn’t easy. They lost five straight games after the trade and people were quick to call this a disaster. But then eventually Harden adjusted. Kawawaii started to ramp it back up. PG was finding his rhythm and Russ he bought into the bench role without ego. From December to March, the Clippers looked legit. They climbed the standings. Kawawaii looked like an MVP candidate and played 68 games, the most games he’s played since he was on the Spurs in 2017 and the most games he’s ever played for the Clippers. Harden was averaging 17 and8 on good efficiency. PG had big nights and he also played 74 games, the most since 2019. The vibes for this team were really good. By midseason, they were top three in the West. Tailoo finally had a group that understood its roles and for once Clippers fans dared to believe that this could finally be the year. But as always with this team, the basketball gods were watching and they were ready to pass judgment. The Clippers entered the 2024 playoffs with homecourt advantage in round one as the fourth seed. The Clippers faced Luca Donuch and the Mavericks for the third time in 5 years and it was a war once again. But it didn’t matter because Kawhi Leonard’s knees flared up towards the end of the regular season. Again, this time it was inflammation and quote unquote stiffness. So, he missed games one, played in games two and three, but he clearly wasn’t the same Kawhai from the Breckless season. And you know the story by now. Kawhi Leonard would be a non-factor in this series. Harden and PG was up and down for the series. Russ was not able to capture that same magic he did in the last postseason run. And without Kawawaii, they fell in six games against the Mavs. Another early exit, another whatif. And this time the tone shifted because there were rumors starting to swirl that Paul George was eyeing the door. Behind the scenes over the season, actually starting the off season, PG and the Clippers were in contract talks. He wanted a max extension. Comparable to what Kawaii got in January, but the Clippers just weren’t budging. The ownership didn’t want to go deep into the tax again. They were hesitant to invest even more into a core that had never delivered when it came time for playoff basketball. And after weeks of back and forth negotiations, PG decided to walk. He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in July 2024. Paul George would now get a clean break from LA, a new start with his new co-artners in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxi. And just like that, half the dynasty was gone in a blink of an eye. The Clippers were now Kawaii Harden and well, whoever you could piece together next to that. The Clippers during this off season also moved into their brand new stadium in Englewood, ready to finally give the fans and players their own identity outside of the Lakers shadow. The marketing was everywhere. New building, new culture. They resigned Harden. They filled the gaps with role players and youth, hoping the new arena would spark new energy. And to their credit, the team played hard. They finished the season as they succeeded. And even after Kawhai missing the first 34 games of the regular season, acquiring Ben Simmons and Bogdanovich during that trade deadline for bench depth would help alleviate the pressure off Kawan Harden. Well, that was the plan. They were set up for a first round matchup with the Denver Nuggets. Yeah, the team that first bounced them out in 2020, the Clippers were looking for revenge against that team. Things were different, but the Clippers managed to go up 2-1 in this series. And in game four, the Nuggets did this. Remember, I told you this franchise is cursed. Aaron Gordon with the dunk was the first game-winning buzzer beater dunk in playoff history. As shocked as I was in that moment, after going through the history of the Clippers the last six years, I have no idea why I was because things like that is always going to happen to the Clippers. Still, the Clippers pushed the series to seven games to eventually get dominated in game seven at Denver. And by that point, I believe you get the picture. Five years of Kawaiian PG, zero finals appearances, three first round exits, one conference finals run, over $800 million spent, an entire war chest of picks traded for Paul George that included Sheay and Jub. And now just Kawaiian Harden remain with no cap flexibility and no clear future on what this team can do over these next three to four years to genuinely make a push to win a championship. This was supposed to be a dynasty, but instead it became a cautionary tale. The Clippers chased the dream. They made the big swings. They spent the money. They opened the arena. They sold the vision. But in the end, the dynasty never showed up. And man, was it something to behold having to watch this team all these years. I know if you’re a Clippers fan who got to the end of this video, I know you’re truly feeling it after going through and looking back at the entire history. My goodness, I’m going to say it for the last time. You guys are the most cursed NBA franchise probably in NBA history. So, with that being said, make sure you guys like, subscribe, hit that post notification bell, and let me know how you guys enjoyed this video since this is a very different format from my other videos. But, I wanted to try something different for you guys. So, if you guys enjoyed it, make sure you guys drop comments down below and let me know if you make want me to make more videos in this style. Depending on you guys, I just will. So, with that being said, your boy Dream Hoops is out, man. Peace.

The Clippers had everything Kawhi, PG, depth, and sky-high expectations placed on them. But somehow, it all came crashing down. In this video, I go over and break down the full story of how the Los Angeles Clippers destroyed what could’ve and should have been an NBA dynasty. From the Paul George trade and Kawhi Leonard’s injuries to the playoff collapses, coaching changes, and Paul George’s exit from the franchise. This is the rise and fall of a team that was supposed to take over the league.
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