Apr 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) jump for control of the tip off to start the first quarter in game five of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
I started writing this 2,500-word review of the Warriors-Clippers playoff series about a week or so after it ended, but I paused halfway through and never got a chance to finish it until now.
That’s because when a team fires its head coach (Mark Jackson), igniting a firestorm among the fanbase and around the league, it doesn’t seem like the right time to publish a comprehensive review of the playoff series that the ex-coach just lost. Then, we became embroiled in the coaching search, the Steve Kerr hiring, and finally the incessant trade rumors concerning Kevin Love.
Thus, it’s been hard to actually find the time to reflect upon this series and its lasting impact. But now, with the draft over and Warriors news and rumors taking a brief break before the chaos of free agency begins on July 1, this seems like a good time.
So I’m going to take a walk down memory lane of a series filled with everything from racism to locker room altercations, and everything you could possibly imagine in between.