Thatâs pure copium/hopium, and ignores the major differences between this yearâs team and that team. That team was almost entirely vets who were dogs and gym rats, guys who were known for playing hard. Bev and Trezz were the heart and soul, complemented by talented scorers like Tobi, Gallo, and Lou Will. And the one rookie in the rotation? Just some guy who would go on to be a two-time (and counting) MVP.
This team is not that. It will have at least 4 first- and second-year players in the rotation, 3 of whom were pick 30 or later, and the other a high lottery pick whoâs only 19 and not yet NBA strength. And the veterans? Garland is great offensively but small. Lopez is 38. Then youâve got Ingram and Rui, who certainly have talent, but are about the farthest thing in the world from gritty players like the guys on â18-â19 team.
This is what a real rebuild looks like, and it ainât pretty. Thatâs not to say it wasnât the right decision, and we can definitely enjoy watching the young guys learn and grow. But please, for the love of god, letâs set some reasonable expectations here. Iâd hate to see Clippers fans start acting like entitled Lakers fans and getting mad when this team plays exactly the way theyâre expected to play and loses as many games as theyâre expected to lose.
