Clippers, Lakers Continue Search For Identity
The 2015-2016 season has been off to a very intriguing start for the Clippers and Lakers.
The Lakers have been bolstered in the off-season with the number two pick in the draft in D’Angelo Russell as well as the return of last year’s draft pick, Julius Randle.
The Clippers made a big splash in re-signing DeAndre Jordan over the summer by taking him out of the clutches of the Dallas Mavericks.
The addition of Paul Pierce and Lance Stephenson were also steps toward adding the “missing piece” that the Clips have been lacking.
In these first few weeks of the season, both teams have shown that they are struggling to find themselves.
For the Lakers, their latest roster has not performed to the potential that fans hoped for in the early going.
With their only victory coming by way of the Brooklyn Nets, the team is struggling to turn things around and gain enthusiasm for the remaining 70+ games.
Losses to the Timberwolves and Knicks, in particular, something involving teams that finished behind the Lakers in the standings last year, have not been reassuring as the purple and gold had a led in both games before collapsing.
As the team is on a road-trip this week, more is being made of the season being a swan-song for Kobe Bryant.
The veteran superstar has been very critical of his performance and has made statements that he believes this may well be his final season.
While fans hoped that this years squad would feature Bryant leading his young supporting cast to the Lakers’ first playoff appearance in three years, it appears more likely that the teams rebuild will continue for the foreseeable future.
It seems even an inkling of who the team will be will have to wait until after the era of the “Black Mamba”.
Next summer, as the ones in recent years have been, will be crucial as the Lakers are expected to make a huge push for free-agent Kevin Durant.
Durant’s arrival in Los Angeles would be the addition that changes the course of the franchise and without Bryant’s hold on the salary cap there will likely not be a better chance to lure a player of Durant’s caliber to the team.
The Clippers situation is a unique one all its own.
Aside from their free-agent headlines, the Clippers unveiled their new logo and accompanying jerseys and court designs.
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The reaction to the change hasn’t gone over well, with many feeling that it is not creative and in no way connects with Los Angeles.
In this article from Clips Nation, the story behind the designs are explored.
In short, the move was a rush job by the team’s President of Business Operations, Gillian Zucker.
In theory, the logo does accomplish the goal of giving the Clippers a separate identity from their hallway neighbors in purple and gold.
It was redundantly clear that the old Clipper logo was a mirror of the one used by the Lakers and played into the notion that the team was forever in pursuit of trying to be like their rivals.
Coupled with the re-invigorated hopes for the season, the new logo was meant to inject new enthusiasm for the franchise.
Instead, the change is seen as a fresh blotch that reflects that the franchise does not have the savvy on or off the court to win an NBA title.
Bottom Line: someone needs to step up for the sake of the city.
This season, the Clippers have been off to a great start but have fallen to their rivals the Golden State Warriors and to the Houston Rockets at home.
More than ever, the feeling has been that each season for the Clippers is championship or bust.
While the talent on the court continues to perform, the struggle to let go of their old identity is as clear to fans as the disdain for the new look.