This week’s Blake Griffin blockbuster sealed a philosophical transformation that’s been underway since Chris Paul pushed his way out last summer: The Clippers have become the anti-Clippers, even if they haven’t been able to ditch their long-standing injury bug.
Instead of clinging to a well-oiled starting lineup and treating the bench as an after-thought, coach Doc Rivers has started 16 different players this season, including multiple rookies, and turned to deeper rotations. Instead of winning with superstars like Paul and Griffin, they’ve grinded out games with a roster of anonymous stand-ins. Instead of running up the luxury-tax bills to pursue a title at any cost, they’ve punted on contention, sought greater flexibility and tried to level their books.