From Lopez to Paul: How to hit the championship door of the Clippers

The air conditioning and air conditioning in Las Vegas cannot dispel the enthusiasm of the Clippers' management. When reporter Keith Smith saw the signing list of this West Coast powerhouse at the Summer League, his pen tip couldn't help but tremble three times. Brooke Lopez is in the paint area, as solid as a rock; Bradley Bill’s killer instincts are fully revealed; Chris Paul’s art of passing is at its peak; John Collins’s violent aesthetic is amazing. With the original core and Bogdanovic's external firepower, this luxurious lineup worth $217 million is roaring towards the championship like Ballmer's private jet engine.

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In the calculation model of NBA salary expert Bobby Marks, the Clippers' lineup depth index in the new season is as high as 89.7 points, which is amazing and has set a new record in team history. The "strongest in recent years" mentioned by the management is by no means false - while other teams are still worried about getting qualified rotations, Tyron-Lu has already put up seven different styles of lineup combinations on the tactical board. Brooke-Lopez's joining is undoubtedly a stroke of magic. The 36-year-old franchise expert averaged 2.5 blocks per game last season, and behind him was the opponent's shooting percentage at the basket as low as 51.3%, ranking third in the league. His existence not only liberated Zubac, but also built the first line of defense for Kawhi Leonard. The blitzkrieg in the trading market demonstrates the decisiveness of management. From 135 million to Lopez in 5 years, to packing the first round pick and returning to Corinth, to buzzer-beating Bill and Paul, the Clippers uniforms showed an operating efficiency comparable to Wall Street traders. When asked how to deal with the locker room full of superstars, an executive revealed: "Every new player signed a "Competition Letter" before signing the contract, clearly accepting any arrangements for the role positioning of the coaching staff." This kind of contractual spirit of preparation may be the confidence of the Clippers to bet on the elderly lineup.

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, but the other side of the coin cannot be ignored. The fact that Chris Paul is about to turn 40 is hanging over the head of the team's medical team like a time bomb. StatMuse, statistics from data website StatMuse, show that CP3's absence rate has reached 38.7% in the past three seasons, while Bill's "glass attribute" of 26 games per season in the past five years is even more worrying. The Clippers’ luxury tax bill calculated by salary experts has soared to $147 million, which under the framework of the league’s new labor agreement means that the team must fulfill the championship promises in the next two years.

What is interesting is the management's positioning of young players. When asked about the development space for newcomers such as Jordan Miller, an assistant coach bluntly said: "They need to prove that they are better than 80% of the league's rotation players." This almost cruel competition mechanism is like a microcosm of the Clippers' bet on the moment. Meritorious players such as Mann and Covington may have to give up the reality of starting positions and cast subtle shadows in the locker room.

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From a strategic perspective, the Clippers' team building logic is in line with the ultimate answer of modern basketball - the ultimate space and defense. Lopez's three-point shooting percentage of 42.8%, Bogdanovic averaged 2.8 three-pointers per game, and Bill's 38.5% outside star, combined with Paul's historical assist-and-turnover ratio (4.63), build the most three-dimensional offensive system in the league. On the defensive end, there are two regulars from the best defensive lineups, Leonard and George, who are the best defensive team, and are supplemented by Collins's resilience. This offensive and defensive lineup configuration is enough to make any opponent unable to sleep before the series.

The real test has just begun when the neon lights of Las Vegas illuminate the smile of the Clippers management. Can the keel of the luxury battleship withstand the 82 regular season games? Will the undercurrent in the locker room turn into storm? The answers to these questions may be hidden in Ballmer's declaration of "pursuing excellence at all costs." As an executive said at the end of the interview: "We have done what we can do to the extreme, and now it's time for basketball to speak on its own."