The Los Angeles Clippers have focused on acquiring veteran players this summer to strengthen their position in the competitive Western Conference, dominated by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Recently, the Clippers signed Bradley Beal and then secured a deal with former franchise star Chris Paul.
These moves are seen as positive steps forward, at least in the short term, giving the Clippers one of the most talented rosters in the West.
With Paul returning to the team, Beal is willing to give up his No. 3 jersey out of respect for the veteran point guard, according to Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations.
“He’s worn No. 3 his entire NBA career,” Frank said of Beal. “Three All-Star appearances. I think he scored over 17,000 points in jersey No. 3. But he also knows what that jersey means to Chris and there’s a reason why he’s ‘CP3.’ And just the significance of Chris coming back to the Clippers. Brad volunteered giving Chris his number.
“Once Brad heard that it was a possibility that Chris was coming, he said, ‘I want to give him my number.’ And I don’t even think Chris knows this yet. So it’s awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that.”
The pressing question is whether these moves make the Clippers a genuine title contender in the West. In addition to acquiring Paul and Beal, the team has signed Brook Lopez and traded Norman Powell for John Collins.
These changes are significant, but it remains unclear if they are sufficient to conquer the West.
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