Rusty Gorelick
Steve Ballmer must feel fine with having a team that resembles the pre-Process Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers were stuck in mediocrity, as the Clippers are, and if Ballmer refuses to take a radical approach, then the Lakers’ little brothers will end each season between the sixth seed and the last few picks in the Lottery.
Ballmer’s also wrong about another thing: the Process took four years of losing, not the “long, hard five, six years” he talked about in his interview. So it would not even take half a decade for the Clippers to brighten their future through tanking. And it could take even less time if their luck with injuries is better than the Sixers’, which is almost guaranteed.
The Clippers owner also said his team will “be good our way”. Well, if a preseason over/under of 36.5 wins is “good” in Ballmer’s eyes, then he should be happy with his roster. Coincidentally, his roster has the 13th-highest payroll even though they have the 19th-highest over/under in the league for this upcoming season, which proves that the team has struggled under the former Microsoft CEO’s ownership.
Finally, Steve rhetorically asked, “how could we look you in the eye if we did that to you?” Well, now the Sixers, who spent four years tanking, have the best young core in the league and are ready to contend for the title this season. The Clippers, on the other hand, set themselves up for another season of mediocrity.
If Ballmer thinks tanking is not a moral or effective way to build a team, then he clearly should not run a franchise.