Los Angeles Clippers: 5 Positive Signs from the Team's First Week

The Los Angeles Clippers are par for the course after the first four games of the Chris Paul Era. 

A 2-2 record is nothing to brag about, but for now it's good enough to place the Clips at the top of the Pacific Division standings heading into Tuesday night's games. 

It's important to remember that this team is still in flux. After completely re-hauling the roster, the Clippers are still trying to integrate several new pieces into their starting lineup. Injuries to newcomers Chauncey Billups and Reggie Evans are making the transition that much more difficult.

While the squad has several areas in need of improvement, there are still some positives to take out of the team's first week in action. Let's take a look at five such things that have jumped out.

1. Lob City Is Just as Fun as We Thought It Would Be

After the opening week of the 2011-2012 NBA season, the Clippers have cemented their reputation as appointment television. 

Any time either Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan is on the floor, you just get the sense that something sensational is about to take place at any moment. 

The team is having almost as much fun as the fans are when they get out on the fastbreak. Guards are licking their chops waiting for the perfect moment to soar their lob skyward, while Blake and DJ hurtle down the court past their lagging defenders ready to launch themselves into the air and throw down with authority.

It's almost as if the players have to force themselves to settle for the mundane and fundamental play in transition sometimes, as defenses instinctively try to guard against the lob.

Although the Clippers aren't playing at a faster tempo than they did last season—in fact, they're down about two possessions per game from last year at this moment—it's been fun watching Lob City take full flight.

2. The New Parts Have Fit in Nicely

Considering the great lengths to which the team went to re-shape its roster during the offseason, it's been a bit surprising to see how well all the new guys have fit in.

With the Clippers starting three brand new guys on the perimeter, you'd think that the team would be thrown off kilter a bit, but you wouldn't be able to tell by watching them play. Veterans who are used to changing zip codes like Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups know how to integrate themselves onto a new squad.

Chris Paul has taken the mantle of leadership upon himself as he crafts the team into an offensively efficient machine. Billups, Paul and Butler are already the team's second, third and fourth leading scorers respectively.

Once Billups and the as yet unseen newcomer Reggie Evans get off the shelf, the Clippers will finally be able to try to cement a rotation and find out which lineup combinations work the best on the floor.

3. Vastly Improved Offense

There's a reason Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA.

Sure, he's a great offensive player. He can shoot, he can pass, he can dribble. And he's a great leader to boot.

But what puts Paul over the top is the way he makes the guys around him better.

It's been just four games, but the Chris Paul Effect is already visible on the Clippers offense, which is vastly improved from last season.

The Clips are better by leaps and bounds this year in terms of assist ratio (up from 18th to 4th), turnover ratio (tied for last to 5th), effective field goal percentage (16th to 10th), True Shooting percentage (17th to 12th) and offensive efficiency (23rd to 8th). 

And that's without Chauncey Billups, the team's second leading scorer and top three-point threat, for half of their games.

With such an array of offensive talent and the league's best floor general at the helm, the Clippers are poised to possess one of the most potent offenses in the association this season.

4. The Evolution of DeAndre Jordan

A large chunk of the Clippers' success in 2012 hinges on new starting center DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers traded away longtime middle-man Chris Kaman and matched an enormous offer sheet from Golden State, locking Jordan up for the next four years, for $43 million.

Most feel that the Clips overpaid to retain a player who hardly contributes anything on offense. In order for the team to meet the heightened expectations placed on them for this season, it will be necessary for Jordan to step up to the plate and provide the team with solid center play for the duration of the year.

So far, so good.

Jordan has more than been up to the task of being half of the best lob-finishing big man duo the league has ever seen. He currently ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage among players who have attempted at least 18 shots so far. And only 15 players in the league average more offensive rebounds per game.

Defensively, Jordan has emerged as one of the NBA's elite rim-protectors. He began the season with an unreal eight-block game on opening night, and his 3.8 blocks per game average currently paces the entire league. 

5. Playing the Schedule Well

We're seeing the backlash from people out there against the Clippers right now, saying that the team is overrated and has underachieved. The truth of the matter is, the Clippers have played well against the schedule set for them.

Think about it. Their two losses so far are against the Spurs and the Bulls. Want to guess which teams had the two best records in the NBA last season?? That's right, it was those same two teams.

The Spurs and Bulls also came into this season with depth and continuity, two major advantages that they held against the Clippers. It was good just to see the Clips hang with the Spurs for the first half and with the Bulls into the fourth quarter.

On opening night, the Clippers took care of business when they blew out a mediocre Warriors team by nearly 20 on the road. And they handed Portland, a deep and talented playoff team, its only loss of the young season.

Given the schedule they've faced, I'd say it's way too early to call this team a disappointment. I believe they're only going to get better from here and are still on track to have their most memorable season to date.