Chris Paul, LA Clippers Will Ride Hype Train All the Way to Finals Town

Few times in NBA history have we experienced the type of offseason hype that was placed upon the Los Angeles Clippers—a team predestined to never be relevant. 

With one example being the Miami Heat, the Clippers will look to follow suit of what LeBron James and company were able to accomplish a year ago in South Beach.

Can Chris Paul and the Clippers tear their way through the Western Conference en route to a NBA finals appearance? 

Yes. This is why.

Star Power

The Clippers have jumped on the NBA's super-team wagon. It's as simple as that. 

Blake Griffin is the most exciting, highest flying young star in the game today and he's only going to get better. He'll continue to mold himself into a more complete player, which has to have defenders shaking in their shorts.

Chris Paul, on the other hand, is a bona fide superstar in the NBA and is thought of by most as the most complete point guard in the game today.

The two together this year and in the coming years is a scary thought. 

Not to mention, the mixture of young talent and veteran names takes this team from doormat to knocking on the front door. 

Lob City

The whole aura of "Lob City" has taken the NBA by storm and vaulted the Clippers into discussions that no one believed possible. 

"Lob City" describes the rim-rattling, above the rim alley-oops that Chris Paul feeds his big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers offense is jaw-dropping to say the least. 

These SportsCenter highlight regulars use these plays to add more fuel to the hype. People get excited to watch the Clippers play now, and that's something that has to motivate these players. 

"Lob City" can certainly lead this Los Angeles Clippers squad to a successful 2011-12 season. 

Western Conference Is Down

The Clippers have revamped their roster just when the Western Conference has started to shift. The Clippers find themselves on the right side of the wave. 

The Spurs are forever aging, and losing Manu Ginobili to a broken hand in a shortened season could spell trouble, while most people don't even think of the Lakers as the best team in LA anymore. 

The young Oklahoma City Thunder headlined by Kevin Durant are the clear favorite in the west, but with most teams smelling like mediocrity, the Clippers may be right behind them. 

DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan is a third-year center from Texas A&M and at only 23 years of age he anchors the Clippers defense on the front line. 

To me, DeAndre Jordan is the x factor for the Clippers this season because of his presence on defense and his ability keep possessions alive on the offensive glass. 

We saw him become a difference maker on opening day when Golden State decided to play hack-a-Jordan in the third quarter.

Jordan is porous at best from the free throw line, and if he can improve at all from the charity stripe he'll make himself, and the Clippers, that much better later in the season.

Chris Paul

I briefly mentioned Chris Paul's regard as the best point guard in basketball and that high praise hasn't come without years of dominant basketball. 

He has a career stat line of 18.6 PTS, 9.9 AST and 4.6 REB and those came when he was playing with virtually no one in New Orleans.

Now that Paul has bundles of talent around him, in a city that he actually wants to play in, I think we're going to see a rejuvenated Chris Paul ready to lead a team deep into the playoffs. 

Not to mention those oops that he's tossing Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are simply breathtaking.