Participation Award 2019 Season Review

I am looking at some of the old posts and the moods of this forum over the years... relived some good, bad, and funny moments with my TopBuzz brothers and sisters. I can honestly say, it is always fun going through a season with y'all. The disagreements, the drunk posts, the fan art, the jokes, and even the occasional agreements.

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I want to come out with an interesting topic that I enjoyed rereading... the "recalibration of expectations".

I think as Clipper fans, we have taken the back seat to a lot of NBA action in the past. And for good reason, we had a less than stellar record and circumstances where our teams had not bought in to a winning culture. Still loved the teams and times I've had with them, but we kind of expected to be let down.

When Steve Ballmer bought the team, this all changed. We had an owner that was invested in winning. Things were and are operating with a clear motivation from the top down. We have already covered the ramifications of the sale and the new era of Clippers basketball.

If the culture really has changed, and we want to exhibit a winning culture... we've got to do one thing... WIN. You do not get trophies for participating, this is not a childrens YMCA league.

That is part of the reason I am here to ask Clipper nation to have another recalibration of expectations.

I do not want to take anuthing away from our season, I was very amused and very proud at times. But to come here and say it was a perfect series, or this put us on the map, or drool at a 2-4 perfromance, or happy that the media is being a bit nicer to us, or that Draymond Green and Co "respect" us. All that noise is rubbing me the wrong way.

Some of this is reiterated, but now backed by some context. Would it not have been better to:

#1 Close out the season stronger and place higher in the playoff bracket?

Chances are the media would not have favoured us - again - but we could've pulled off a first round upset (Spurs anyone? Blazers anyone? (latter, not by seeding - but by Vegas.) That is an example of winning by action.

#2 We did not defend our home. You want to know what's perfect about this series? The Warrior's record in Staples.

I don't want media giving us 2 mintues of, "wow, good for little ol' them" (patting our heads). Or Draymond giving us "props". I want Draymond pushed to 7, scared and nervous and hating us because we embarrassed them and made a 7 game series out of it. One more win by action.

#3 We could have still ended up in a fight with GSW with a round or two of series wins. And still have gone 2-4.

Heck with confidence, I could see us taking it to 7. More games, more media attention, more winning by action.

I guess I am trying to get across... Wins are counted by record. Hardware is given by record. Culture follows the hardware. Media and respect and hate/fear comes from hardware. Your actions have to result in wins. Just the spirit of improved conditions, and positive trajectory should not be enough. We need to hold the franchise to its highest standard since we now have legitimate ownership.

And I do not want to sound pessimistic. I loved this team. I loved this season. I am super proud. But I just want to say that I expected more. I demonstrated in my post how things could have been better. I am realistic and I do believe that GSW were the far superior team, but I do see us winning one in LA and pushing it to 7. I know we are moving towards the right direction, and we need to give Ballmer time... but I also want people here to start counting our "wins" by record. Don't be happy with just a participation award. Expect more, expect actual wins.

Mods feel free to edit the title of this thread... I wanted to have a space to vent about the season in review. PageC4 used the correct word of the "silver lining" which I agree that this "feel-good" season had. But just wanted to clarify why my expectations were more.

Some of it is reflective of the last few games to close the regular season, and some of it deals with our first round performance. I guess it is a could've/should've sentiment, and I know you can't change the past.

Rather I think its more important to frame our mindset moving forward. I've had to rewire my brain and emotions with the new ownership and the new LA Clippers.

I don’t think the thread title is at all accurate. It was a successful season and while I agree with the season not being perfect that doesn’t mean it was unsuccessful. I thought your other post was much better while this one sounds a little like just complaining instead of appreciating no one even expected us to sniff the oplayoffs and we almost won 50 games. We showed our youth have a great future, we have some great vets and a lot of cap space.

I thinking playing the warriors was the best thing that happened to us because everyone saw wow, the clippers took it to the warriors and brought it to 6 games when it should have been a seeep and won twice in GS. That’s a huge success.

I am not here to say that it was not successful. I am immensely proud of this team. I just want to point out that we need to reach into our psyche and change our association and expectations for the franchise.

I am here to point out that we could have been MORE successful. We could've arrived at a similar fate... losing to the defending champions. Maybe the best thing to happen to us couldve been playing the Warriors after having upset a first round opponent? If not forcing the issue to 7 games.

We wanted experience for our rookies (which they got). But forcing game 7 would've meant one more game of experience. Would've meant defending home court experience. Would've meant a seven game series experience. Heck taking care of the ending of the season might have meant a different first round opponent, and the experience of winning a series. To hypothetically get to the same opponent - Warriors - at a later stage. They could've experienced a second round series.

Again this is all hypothetical, but I am trying to get us to measure success with wins. I am trying to get the fans (especially the older crowd) to reasses their expectations for the team and try to expect some of the hypothetical circumstances I mentioned above.

I don't mean to sound like I am complaining, again I am super proud. But imagine how much more prouder we could've been? Great teams, with winning cultures, push themselves to realize some of the above hypotheitcal scenarios. They also accrue more wins, experience and media attention through the process.

And as fans, we should hold our team to a higher standard.

^^^ I didn't say losing to the warriors was the best thing but playing the warriors. Yes there were plenty of problems in the series and honestly we should have tied it up 2-2. But the way we won game 2 and also game 5 put other teams on the notice and was really our coming out party for free agents, so that was hugely successful. I think it would have been a worse result versus the nuggets and we wouldn't have gotten fan fare if we lost.

This was a rare scenario where you lose but are considered a winner in what you accomplished, just like Rocky. But yes it's all hypothetical

You’re assuming better standing would have resulted in the first round series victory and I am not so sure about that. We would still be underdogs against Houston, Portland, and Denver.

Houston play a better brand of our switch and help defense. Plus they have James Harden on Offense.

Denver is a match up hell and would expose our lack of interior defense and we gotta worry about keeping Murray and Harris in check.

We might have a higher chance against Portland, but CJ and Lillard don’t really struggle against the clippers.

We would have lost in any given scenario in the first round IMO.

Discounting the scenario where we seed higher and avoid GSW in the first round, and upset a first round series...

I am saying it would've been a greater accomplishment to push these guys to 7 (and very do-able). More importantly my point is to expect them to push this to 7.

And I do not want to get into the whole "playing for media exposure" and "silver lining" and "free agent" discussion. [Because if we do, even then, pushing the series to 7 would have been a greater accomplishment.]

What this team proved to us was that we are for real. In a tough Western conference we can compete with the best of them as-currently-constructed. Realistically a superstar can help elevate our goals... but aforementioned greater level of success would be a greater draw for a star. Success is the best recruit... ask the Lakers, the Heat, or these Warriors.

In order to ever get there, we need to measure our success with actual W's.

Pushing game 7 would've been +1. Seeing them in Round 2 would've been +4.

And I know that getting hardware requires star power, but I think having more expectations for this team is very reasonable. Not to say it was not an impressive performance... but maybe people should not be as enthusiastic or as impressed if their expectations were greater.

^^^ sounds like you just wanted to put your opinion out there and find people who wanted to agree with you. Sorry to disappoint that I disagree

That is not my only assumption, that is only one of my assumptions... but it (kind of) proves my point.

Before I said anything, I should've mentioned the hypothetical nature of it all. What I am trying to emphasize, is that our expectations should be shifted.

Here's my line of thinking...

As an 8 seed we took 2 away games, we should've managed 1 home game... that would've resulted in a 7 game series.

After our performance over Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green (and friends) we should expect to neutralize Harden+CP and friends (as an example)... Or expect to neutralize Lillard+CJ...

While I agree Denver is a match-up soft spot, I do not (rather, should not) worry about their guards.

We just went up against a 3 headed jauggernaut and handled them as best as anyone could expect (with some momentary lapses). And we could have done better.

I guess my only point is that if you believe we could have done better, you should've expected them to do better... and not to discount the performance that we did put out, but to be proud of it knowing you should have done better.

I do not think we had any business winning the series, but could have seen 2 of the home games playing out differently and yielding a home win... and pushing a 7 game series.

Nah 24, that's not what I am wanted to do...

I wanted to ask y'all if you think we played this series as good as we could've? Was this our best possible performance and thus the best outcome? Could you not see us winning one home game?

I could. And I am saying that our expectations should be higher.

There has been the sentiment on this board a few times over the season, along the lines of: "previous Clipper teams you'd expect to disappoint you, but this team does not."

I want to express, that this new mentality keeps me from accepting a "moral victory" of a 4-2 series with ZERO games won at home.

This new expectation and evaluation for the team is to push for that 7 game series.

The new ownership and direction of FO has put together a team that has bought in... As fans we need to shift our expectations of the franchise to meet its full potential. I think that a 7 game series was a very reasonable task. That's why I am proud of our accomplishment, but left hungry. I would've been more content with one more win.

Kind of like that Hennessey commercial: "never stop. never settle."

Of course it’s doable to push to game 7 but it’s asking a lot for really good players like Lou, Galo, and Harrell to play at superstar level at the same time for at least 3 games. We did it in game 5 and 2 but for the other four 2 out of the 3 struggled. GSW defense is so good at rotating and switching that the only way for our role players to get open shot is for Lou to come out shooting efficiently and for Galo to come out to shoot above his average.

The team is deep in terms of we have good players that will play hard but we were not deep in terms of versatility. We have Green who is only comfortable spotting up, Harrell who is not refined in mid range, JROB who is indecisive, SGA who is inconsistent, and Shamet who can’t put the ball in the floor. Each player played to their strength, but after it was taken away they revert to passing it to Lou or Galo who unfortunately did not have a very high shooting percentages overall.

I'll just let this article speak for not just the majority of the fan base, but the NBA fan base in general. Here are a few snippets:

Heisler: The Clippers were something, the Lakers something else

"It’s the story of the 2018-19 Clippers, the proudest moment for an NBA team with “Los Angeles” in its name since the Lakers won their last championship in 2010."

"First-round drama is usually forgotten by the second round, but the Clippers’ stand won them something lasting.

Respect.

“What’s been really impressive is that they won while they were rebuilding,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before their Game 6 victory. “When I see the Clippers, I see a team building a foundation, something substantial, something real.

“You can see what they’ve done and how special this team has been �" and the remarkable thing is, they traded their best player and got better. Think about that. Tobias Harris was having an All-Star year. …

“It’s a great story. It’s a model for other teams, I think, to try to compete and rebuild at the same time. It’s not an easy thing to do.”"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/heisler-the-clippers-were-something-the-lakers-something-else/ar-BBWm6uU?ocid=U508DHP

Joe I posted beofre I saw your post... but your post is not addressing my point...

To reiterate, I am VERY PROUD of this team. All I am saying is, that I could've been PROUDER.

And for us to ever hang a banner of our own, we are going to have to expect more of this team.

I think it is very reasonable that we could've pushed this series to 7, and only a notch less enthused as everyone else.

As I have said counteless times, this team overachieved and I am super proud. I just see the reality of how we could've pushed this series further and made a larger name for ourselves. It was a very real possibility and I am only a bit upset we couldn't do that.

I am not contrarain to our own fanbase, let alone the NBA fanbase... but thanks for framing it that way bud.

I guess it is my own fault for the hard stance title... while we have done more as an organization to change the landscape of the franchise. As one user mentioned 180 degree turnaround... and as the LA Times article states, we did not need to push the Warriors to 6 games for that to be true.

Wouldn't we all still have been super proud of this team?

Wouldn't the reaction be the same, if not similar if this was a 4-1 series? What about a 4-0? What about just missing the playoffs to a budding SAC team?

The answer for me is NO. And following the same logic, I am saying that going out 4-3, would've been that much more special.

That is all I am saying. Making the defending champions go on red-alert, in a do or die situation would've resulted in slightly different reaction to our group. The narrative of the franchis as of late might not have changed, but the credibility would have - even if slightly. (Not to mention give our rookies game 7, away from home experience.)

You're basically complaining that the radio volume is not on 10 when I have it at 9.

You're basically complaining that the radio volume is not on 10 when I have it at 9.

When Ralph Lawler is broadcasting, dial that b*tch up to 11!

But also, no. I guess I see a forced game 7 series against the defending champs as a larger step than some of you. Going into the next round, having them on the ropes and on the defensive is a different operation than allowing them to go 100% at our home. And as far as going to the playoffs for experience for our rooks... Game 7 is a different animal that the young core would've learned a lot from.

Nice retort. lol

Nice retort. lol

Considering I also meant this thread to be a refelction thread of the GREAT season we had... I woke up this morning VERY sad knowing next year will be without Ralph. I felt a sense of emptiness I didn't even feel when my GF and I broke up.

Sad I wasn't able to make it out to his appreciation day, and sad I wasn't in Staples for the last home game.

Played his last few moments over and over again. #Legend

(yes I hastagged a post... I feel like a moron)

GSW is the best team in the modern era. We were supposed to get blown out. They were afraid of us. Who in the name of George Foreman could give a 30 point comeback against the old Celtics or GSW? The Second Coming of Christ was supposed to happen before we won ONE game. It should have been a 7 game series. As it turned out, we were their nightmare. GSW didn't beat us. Durant beat us. No matter how well we played, we had nobody who could stop KD. Otherwise the series was a toss up. Splash was the sound of a turd dropping into the toilet.

Got to love Pat Bev... some of what I meant comes out from his exit interview... Dude talks about winning, and that there are no moral victories. Don't ever tell this dud that he is the David in any David and Goliath situation. He expects to win.

https://www.nba.com/clippers/video/teams/clippers/2019/04/27/2585242/1556407314369-190427patexitscrum-2585242

Looks like you are a man who created a thread so you could argue with the whole forum, congrats

I understand what you are saying, but you gotta be a little more realistic about this. I don't think anyone would have batted an eye if we barely missed the playoffs, we weren't supposed to be here. To me, and i think most of us, this was all a bonus. Yes we wanted more, yes we had hope at some points we could pull off an upset of the defending champs, but that wasn't the expectation for us. I'm sure the cavs would have loved to win a championship after LeBron left, but that isn't reality just like us going deep into the playoffs. We accomplished our goals for this year AND THEN SOME. The future is bright, enjoy the ride.

I am definitely enjoying the ride, and not trying to argue with anyone... My main point is that our measure of success should remain objective.

As Clipper fans in the Sterling era, we have always had dreams of winning... but our team has never given us the confidence to believe that we should win. (A lot of this has to do with poor ownership, that trickled down.) With solid ownership, we should have the confidence for our team to achieve great success. Not only should we have confidence in actual success, but we should expect it.

Once we traded away Tobias, and got the "go-ahead" from ownership/management to pursue winning we did surprisingly well.

Yes, we were ALL WRONG, and misjudged what this team was capable of, but throughout the course of the season we had a chance to recalibrate those expectations.

I've listed different scenarios that could've happened, but none of those really matter. What matters is that the fan base expect for the team to do better.

Being media darlings for all of 2 days, and getting a "good effort" nod does not equate to wins.

We can be happy and proud, without going over the top. We can be realistic and evaluate the team as having very little chance of upsetting the defending champs, but I think we would be equally as realistic in saying we had a great shot to push this to 7. I think that's what the expectation should have been.

In the grand scheme of things and a national level, this team overachieved greatly and it seems like its a Cinderella story... but for fans who follow the team at every game, and can reassess what the team is capable of... we should have aimed for going back to Oracle for a game 7.

All in all, as I have said plenty of times... I am very proud of this group. All I am saying is that I am still hungry, and Clipper fans everywhere should remain hungry.

Man we are all hungry for SOMETHING. We are so close to going Where no previous clipper team has been able to go, but desire and expectation are two different things. If you ask me I think we will be in the WCF next year, but who knows what's going to happen. That being said, i think one of the great things about sports is that it's all subjective. Everything is based off opinion until it happens, that is why all these sports talk hosts have jobs. Hindsight is always 20/20. I agree we could have pushed them to 7 games, but we also could have gotten swept in 4. A couple games of lou, Trezz and SGA playing out of their minds got us those 2 wins. I personally think this team, with this experience had no business hanging with golden state, which is why I'm happy with the outcome, but to each their own and I can see how and why you wanted more from this group. No reason for people to get upset by this topic, debate is part of what makes sports so much fun.

LAC12, you sound like a lakers fan, lol

Man we are all hungry for SOMETHING. We are so close to going Where no previous clipper team has been able to go, but desire and expectation are two different things. If you ask me I think we will be in the WCF next year, but who knows what's going to happen. That being said, i think one of the great things about sports is that it's all subjective. Everything is based off opinion until it happens, that is why all these sports talk hosts have jobs. Hindsight is always 20/20. I agree we could have pushed them to 7 games, but we also could have gotten swept in 4. A couple games of lou, Trezz and SGA playing out of their minds got us those 2 wins. I personally think this team, with this experience had no business hanging with golden state, which is why I'm happy with the outcome, but to each their own and I can see how and why you wanted more from this group. No reason for people to get upset by this topic, debate is part of what makes sports so much fun.

We were a match up nightmare for them. We just couldn't stop Durant. Poor shooting lost one game and Durant's 40 + points cost the others. We were not that over matched.

First Winger decided to stay, now Redden.

It just shows that the culture is so much better than many.

Or probably ballmer pays more for doing less. Haha

I agree we could have pushed them to 7 games, but we also could have gotten swept in 4. A couple games of lou, Trezz and SGA playing out of their minds got us those 2 wins. I personally think this team, with this experience had no business hanging with golden state, which is why I'm happy with the outcome, but to each their own and I can see how and why you wanted more from this group. No reason for people to get upset by this topic, debate is part of what makes sports so much fun.

I am content with that... I guess I just want to point out that we DID have business hanging with GSW. Truly believe we underestimated the group and now we shouldn't take the media's outlook on the team. We should be proud and happy. But also hungry and anxious to get better for bigger and more substantial accomplishments.

We're on the up-and-up, but you've got to keep the hunger and pressure on the franchise to overachieve next year as well.

LAC12, you sound like a lakers fan, lol

Yea, I've been on here all these years cause I'm a Clipper fan. Lay off.

If I am going to take your comment and turn it into anything worthy of a contribution to this thread, it'd be that Laker fans have experienced great ownership and great success with that ownership. So their expectations are high.

Now that Ballmer is here, we need to learn how to cheer for a team that is capable off competing at the highest level. We should expect greatness. Realistic, yes... but, our reality has changed from sterling era to now. Our attitudes and expectations should reflect the new ownership. (just like other weird phenomena that are occurring.)

There’s no salary cap for front offices, here’s where having the richest owner really becomes an advantage.

We know you're not a Lakers fan and are a true Clippers fan. You just want to raise expectations for the team - because the team is better than people are crediting it with. I am good with that. I think your attitude IS more of what we need. Not resting on how we did, but demanding even more.

We know you're not a Lakers fan and are a true Clippers fan. You just want to raise expectations for the team - because the team is better than people are crediting it with. I am good with that. I think your attitude IS more of what we need. Not resting on how we did, but demanding even more.

Exactly! I want to point out that with new ownership, we have a real shot at real success. People always talk about how "defense wins championships" or "you need superstar level talent to win it all"... and while those may be the case, people fail to mention how ownership and administration/management play a big role in a championship run.

Now that we have things cleared up at ownership and management level, we see that the team is buying into playing hard. While the talent mix was not right with BG+CP3+DJ, ownership was an underlying (and at one point front and center) issue.

If we have confidence in our ownership and front office management (which from the sounds of it we do) then we should expect the crew on the ground to be pushing for real success.

Fan bases like SA, Boston, recently GSW, and in the past years the Lakers almost always expect greatness. No matter the talent level, seems like the playoffs are almost always a certain expectation. No matter the talent level, they are always expected to overachieve. Even the media, always has the storyline that these teams are MEANT to win.

This is all new to us and our fanbase, and I am saying we need to start making the adjustment from our end.

Lovely sum up of the end to the season:

https://hoopshype.com/2019/04/27/los-angeles-clippers-2019-offseason-goals-plans-free-agency/

So after yesterday's press conference, this thread was what came to my mind... When Steve Ballmer started with last year was great, yeah. But ultimately it is not what we wanted.

And maybe all the emotion of the media, the posts I was seeing on these threads was not registering for me. But after today's press conference, it helped me ground this thread.

Maybe I was too futuristic with the post... but after the Recalibration of Expectations thread, I have (for better or worse) adopted a "Mamba mentality". Since being bought by Steve Ballmer - and with a couple years to get the staff in place, and learn the business and gain experience - my only question after a season was "did we win a championship, or take a step to get closer to that goal?

A lot of my frustration was boiled by the super stacked team of the Warriors. But now that the NBA has leveled in talent level, I think we should be right back at "'Larry O'B' or BUST" mentality.

I am not looking to break records, or make history, or have a feel good story... Personally, as a fan, I am here to watch a (competitive) championship run.

Maybe I was too quick to adjust that attitude to a team that did overachieve expectations, and a season I could have ultimately been OK with... but mentally I was wired. Things have aligned now, and we have retooled, and it is a more realistic expectation now... but I guess I am venting how this season will be different in 2 ways... No SINGLE super-team, and we have retooled with lethal weapons.

This is why I am with Ballmer... Larry O'Beeeee or BUST. Anything else would be like... a participation award.