Each day, I’ll be posting my thoughts and predictions for one of the remaining teams in the NBA playoffs. Today, I’m looking at the Los Angeles Clippers.
Honestly, I’m amazed that the Clippers are still playing. Going into the playoffs, I was excited/disappointed to see that the Clips and the San Antonio Spurs had a first round match-up. I was excited because it’s rare to see two championship contenders battle in the first round, and the series was sure to be a classic (it was). I was disappointed because both of those teams deserved so much more than a first round playoff exit.
When the series began, I picked the Spurs to win. They were more experienced, more motivated, and they had been practically unstoppable for the last month of the season. When the Spurs went up 2-1 in the series after burying the Clips by 27 points, I patted myself on the back for correctly calling a series that much of the basketball world was split over.
Then something crazy happened. The Clippers and Spurs split the next two games, giving San Antonio the opportunity to close out Los Angeles on their home court. Only they didn’t. Instead, we got to see one of the most entertaining game sevens ever, a game that didn’t feel like it was from a first round series, but felt as if it was the end of a conference final. I watched Tim Duncan, a living legend, fail to block a last second layup by Chris Paul. That layup gave the Clips the win, clinched the series, and it might propel them to the championship.
Instead of facing a first round exit that would have called into question the futures of Paul, Blake Griffin, and Deandre Jordan, the Clippers are well on their way to dispatching the Houston Rockets in round two. Los Angeles has looked phenomenal in the semifinals, despite an injury to Paul that sidelined him for the first two games. Griffin’s numbers are astounding, putting up 25.8 points per game, along with 12.8 rebounds and 6 assists. He had a triple double in Game 1 and has basically looked unstoppable at all times. Despite his injury, Paul has also looked good, averaging 13.5 points and 9.5 assists in less than 25 minutes per game.
Let’s make one thing clear: There is no way the Rockets win this series. The hack-a-Jordan attempts served only to break Houston out of its own rhythm, and Los Angeles capitalized by converting the Rockets many turnovers into easy fast break points. Houston has been outplayed for essentially the entire series, even in their lone win, where the Clippers actually shot the ball better and had an all-around better game.
So, once the Clips send the Rockets home, the real challenge awaits. If the Golden State Warriors defeat the Memphis Grizzlies, then the Clippers will be forced to play their bitter rivals in a series that could easily go either way. The Warriors were unquestionably the best team in the league this season, despite struggling at times against the Grizzlies. Even if the Clippers manage to halt the Warriors offense, winning a series against that team would be very difficult. If Memphis advances, then Los Angeles will be facing a very tough team that beat the Clippers twice during the regular season.
Prediction: Right now, it’s hard to imagine a team that the Clippers couldn’t stop. If Griffin keeps playing the way he is, and if the bench continues to play well, then a team that many critics wrote off in December may be the one to win it all.