This is why “Lob City” failed
When Chris Paul was traded to the LA Clippers after the NBA vetoed his trade to the Lakers, it seemed to everyone that the Clippers were no longer going to be laughing stock of Los Angeles.
They then proceeded to be the better team in LA thanks to a core of CP3, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and JJ Redick. With Doc Rivers at the helm, this team was dubbed “lob city” thanks to the excellent passing of Paul and the thunderous dunking ability of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
It was thought that eventually, this team would make a serious push for a title as chemistry and experience grew, but sadly it never came to fruition. LAC did win over 50 regular seasons for the next 5 full seasons this core was together, but they could never get past the 2nd round in the Playoffs.
Eventually, the team was blown up. Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets, Griffin to the Pistons, Jordan to the Mavericks and Redick signed for the 76ers. Why didn’t this highly talented team with respected leaders and an experienced coach at least make it to the Conference Finals, let alone the NBA Finals?
Egos
In an interview with CBS Sports Redick was asked why the Clippers never made it to the mountain top and he had this to say; “We had a chance to win and there were these small little cracks and fractures and we didn’t repair and address them the way we should’ve. I look back and think, ‘how did that team not win one championship?’ We did not do a great job of not being annoyed by each other.”
Team chemistry and cohesion is vital if a team is to go all the way. When you’re coming up against other great teams in Conference and NBA Finals it’s highly likely that games are going to be close and players will be nervous. You have to be able to trust your teammates or you will fail.
The Clippers didn’t trust each other enough, so they were always going to fall short of their potential.
Culture
This team wasn’t called “Win City” or “Title City”, it was called “Lob City”. This wasn’t a team that was fully focused on winning a title, it was put together to entertain crowds and sell tickets. It was certainly fun to watch players like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan dunk on the entire league, but getting on the Top 10 highlight reels does not win you titles.
To win in the NBA every part of your franchise has to be locked in on winning and everything else is irrelevant. This is this difference in culture between teams like the LA Clippers and the LA Lakers. The Lakers just want to win and if they entertain crowds as well then that’s a bonus.
The Clippers now have their best chance of winning a title because they have serious players that have proven they can win deep in the Playoffs. Kawhi Leonard is a 2x Finals MVP and Paul George has reached the Conference Finals twice.
Maybe this current Clippers core can do what their predecessors failed to do and take LAC to the promised land.