The Clippers' Sterling summer

The former CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, now owns the Los Angeles Clippers after the media blitz that crushed previous owner Donald Sterling following his racist comments. Sterling had been caught on tape telling his mistress not to bring black men to Clippers games, which was (rightfully) a huge news story throughout the summer. After a drawn-out legal battle, which ended on Aug. 25 when Sterling let the deadline to petition the California Supreme Court pass, ownership finally and permanently shifted to Ballmer.   Despite the seemingly happy ending, the "Summer of Donald Sterling" was quite the distraction for the Clippers. All-Star forward Blake Griffin recently commented that he knew Sterling was a racist from day one, reopening the issue and putting his own image in the crossfire. Coach Doc Rivers, brought in to replace Vinny Del Negro, said that if Sterling retained control of the team he would resign as coach. Considering how desperate the Clippers were for Rivers’ services, that was no light threat. Furthermore, superstar point guard Chris Paul also claimed to be unsure of his willingness to play for Sterling.   But the Los Angeles Clippers are now moving on from Donald Sterling. His son-in-law, Eric Miller, resigned from his position as Director of Basketball Administration, and new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver forced Clippers' president Andy Roeser to accept an indefinite leave of absence. The dust settled, and the Clippers can return their focus to winning a championship.   The Clippers' championship aspirations have been dashed in the playoffs for three consecutive years, and they have yet to make it beyond the conference semifinals. However, each season they finished one place higher in the regular season than they had the previous year, starting at fifth place in the 2011-12 season and finishing with the third seed last year.   Their consistent improvement in the Western Conference, widely known to be the more competitive of the two conferences, is due in large part to their two star players, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Paul is indisputably one of the best point guards in the game, and what he lacks in above-the-rim play he more than makes up for with offensive versatility and defensive awareness. Paul is consistently one of the league leaders in assists and steals, averaging 10.7 and 2.5 per game last year, respectively. Paul’s greatest contribution, however, is his ability to distribute the ball without turning it over -- averaging a mere 2.3 turnovers per game last year. Fellow premier point guards Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and John Wall all averaged over 3.5 turnovers per game last year.   Griffin is the ideal complement to Paul, as he can elevate to dunk and play the ball above the rim like no other player his size. Listed at six-feet ten-inches and 251 pounds, Griffin has excellent size for a forward. He is also a talented passer and ball handler for an NBA big man, and has recently made strides in half court sets on both sides of the ball. Griffin improved his free throw percentage to a respectable 71.5 percent last season, which discourages opposing defenses from fouling him late in games. His career free throw percentage had hovered around 60 percent prior to this past season.   Although the Clippers have one of the best duos in the NBA, there are plenty of NBA teams with similar top-tier talent. The Cleveland Cavaliers boast Lebron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, while the Oklahoma City Thunder employs reigning MVP Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. What sets the Clippers apart is their depth and system. There is no other team with backcourt depth comparable to the Clippers, showcased by the fact that Paul missed 20 games last year and the Clippers still finished third in the Western Conference. They lost backup point guard Darren Collison to the Sacramento Kings this off-season, but two-time sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford and sharpshooter J.J. Redick will pick up the slack.    Critics might say that the Clippers cannot be expected to contend for the NBA Championship this season because there have not been any major roster additions since the season ended and the Donald Sterling carnival ride was an obvious distraction. But what makes this team more dangerous than anything else is its continuity. This season will be Doc Rivers’ second with the team, and the team should benefit from the increased time learning Rivers' system, which has proven to be good enough to win a championship.   Rivers is a defensive-minded coach with a penchant for drawing up brilliant plays. His strong-side overload defensive scheme discourages leading scorers on opposing teams from driving or posting up, and Rivers emphasizes transition defense over offensive rebounds. He has learned since coming to the Clippers, though, that with his athletic frontcourt, formerly known as "lob-city," his team can do both. Jordan averaged a respectable four offensive rebounds a game last year, yet the Clippers boasted the strongest 3-point defense, suggesting that they prevented transition 3-pointers.   Tied for 13th in overall points allowed, the Clippers were fifth in opponent adjusted 3-point percentage, best in opponent 3-point percentage and tied for 25th in opponent free throws allowed. The statistics suggest an aggressive style of defense perfect for forcing fast breaks. If Rivers can get DeAndre Jordan to continue his shot blocking without fouling, this team has the potential to be a top-five defensive unit. Already the league leader in points per game, a more balanced Clippers would prove a difficult team to play against.