One would think the Los Angeles Clippers have a lot to worry about next season with both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin headed to free agency.
Not DeAndre Jordan.
In fact, Jordan is currently in Rio playing for the United States alongside Kevin Durant and others. When the topic came up, he gave The Vertical’s Michael Lee a relaxed, no-nonsense answer about the situation:
Jordan said there wasn’t any more urgency to win next season, simply because Paul and Griffin can both become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2017. “They’re both extremely talented players,” Jordan told The Vertical. “I believe whatever decision they make is going to be a great decision. I’m not worried about it right now. I don’t expect it to be a distraction during the season.
Interesting, because one has to think nothing but pressure has built around the Clippers over the past few years.
The Clippers continue to look like a beast in the Western Conference, only to fail to meet expectations for one reason or another. Though the current core looks good on paper, it clearly pales in comparison to teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and especially now against the Golden State Warriors. In fact, the team couldn’t even upend the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs last year, dropping four straight games after going up 2-0.
It’s not just iffy performances holding the Clippers back, either. Paul continues to struggle with injury woes at times and last year had the odd Griffin fight with a staff member that kept him out longer than expected.
At full strength, the Clippers look like the third or fourth best team in the conference. Jordan might not sound too worried right now, but with the way the league keeps trending toward superteams, Paul and Griffin might think it best to pursue such a team somewhere else.
Rest assured the headlines will focus on this all season long when it comes to the Clippers, no matter how many times Jordan reassures folks he’s not concerned about the situation.
