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Los Angeles Clippers
Overall: 69
Title track: 98
Ownership: 49
Coaching: 44
Players: 66
Fan relations: 86
Affordability: 82
Stadium experience: 86
Bang for the buck: 68
Change from last year: -27
Was it just a dream? The halo surrounding Steve Ballmer's acquisition in 2014 seems to have worn off. After the Clippers enjoyed an all-time high ranking last year (No. 42), L.A. has slid in almost every category, as an ill-conceived branding update foreshadowed a season of injury, disappointment and yet another early playoff exit.
What's good
At least in terms of ownership and coaching, the Clippers rank above average in the NBA with Steve Ballmer (49th overall and 10th in the NBA) and Doc Rivers (44th overall and 13th in the NBA). L.A. still boasts two top-10 players in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. That duo is backed up by a newly gold medal-minted DeAndre Jordan, JJ Redick coming off a career season and the deepest bench in the Doc Rivers era. With all that in mind, might L.A. finally be poised to crash through the second-round glass ceiling? The buttressing of new hires in the Clippers' front office suggests a renewed focus to the long view as well.
What's bad
The Clippers fell in several on-court categories this year: title track at 98 (down 26 spots), ownership down 30, coaching down 16. But the bigger concern is a dip in players from 38th to 66th overall and just 17th among NBA rosters. Although the talent is there, clearly fans are concerned that the core is aging, and Paul and Griffin both have the option to enter free agency after the season, which adds uncertainty to the future of the Clippers as currently constructed. If L.A. doesn't perform like a title contender early in the season, management might re-evaluate whether it can afford to let the Clippers' two biggest stars test the waters in nine months.
What's new
The 2015-16 season saw several new changes to L.A's less storied franchise. From a new logo to the introduction of a mascot, supporters aren't convinced: Fan relations has taken a hit and is down 49 spots from a year ago. Also down is stadium experience (dropped 31 spots), perhaps due to that new signage? Even Kanye West got into the mix by imploring Steve Ballmer on social media to turn brand management over to Yeezy & Co. All this along with steadily rising prices (up 4 percent this year to almost $80 a ticket) and a title path blocked by the Bay Area. If the Clippers aren't careful, the once-adored Lob City might be flirting with the only thing worse than infamy: irrelevance.
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