Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers Will Get Exactly What They Deserve

If you believe in anything like karma or cosmic justice, you probably have mixed feelings about the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers in December. The New Orleans Hornets' pride and joy, a source of hope in troubled times, abandoned the team that drafted him in 2005.

But, of course, there's another side to the story.

Paul gave the franchise six phenomenal seasons as the league's best point guard, and he showed patience with an organization that struggled to be as relevant as Paul was destined to become. He also displayed more restraint than contemporaries like Carmelo Anthony, who were far more outspoken in their desires to be moved.

If there is karma for Chris Paul, it will most certainly be mixed.

In "Lob City," Paul will learn that even he can be over-hyped. With a franchise that once envisaged Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, Darius Miles and Corey Maggette as future contenders, we all know that nothing is beyond hype in LA.

He will also more than ever understand that with expectations comes disappointment (something that Mr. Anthony is perhaps beginning to learn under the New York spotlight). 

The Clippers will be good. It's hard to read too much into their performance thus far, but Wednesday's 28-point thumping of the Houston Rockets shows the upside they undeniably possess.

The performance made the Lakers' nine point win over those same Rockets look pedestrian by comparison. That win required 37 points from Kobe Bryant as he bore the weight of a Laker franchise in decline (a state of affairs Bill Simmons describes without missing a beat). 

There's no doubt that the Clippers are on the right track, and if Paul sticks around, he and Blake Griffin should become every bit the duo that was Stockton and Malone.

But, there were limits to the success of those Utah Jazz teams, and there may come an all too familiar sense of disappointment in Clipper Land as well.

If there's any merit to reports that Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman were mistreated on their ways out the door, maybe the notorious Donald Sterling is due more karma still.

The draft pick Los Angeles traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Baron Davis had only a 2.8 percent chance to land at number one, and yet Kyrie Irving is now a Cleveland Cavalier (and arguably a younger version of Chris Paul).

Whatever the fates decide, I'm predicting no championships in the near future for the Clip Show, and here's why.

First, the Clippers overspent big time on DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler. Butler comes to town on a three-year deal for $24 million, and the Clippers matched the Warrior's four-year, $43 million offer for Jordan. That's a steep price to pay in cap flexibility for an oft-injured small forward and a one-dimensional big man.

I get that the Clippers wanted to surround their star duo with quality role-players, and I get that athletic big men don't usually have Jordan's talent and upside (assuming you consider a Tyson Chandler-caliber prospect to be significant upside).

But, $10 million a year is a lot to spend on upside.

Jordan continues to struggle with fouls, a luxury the Clippers can ill-afford without Kaman around to mop up some minutes. In LA's win over Portland, Jordan stayed on the floor for 39 and only got tagged with two fouls. Two days earlier, the Clippers were pummeled by the Chicago Bulls while Jordan was held to only 26 minutes by five fouls.

Whether this is inexperience or a sign of things to come is yet to be determined. The only thing that is certain is that Jordan will occupy a massive chunk of cap space for the next four years and presumably close the door on would-be free agents lured by the possibility of teaming up with Paul and Griffin.

Second, the small backcourt is a high-risk gamble.

Yes, the Mavericks won the Finals last season with a guard rotation dominated by Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and J.J. Barea. But the Mavericks also had a bigger stopper in DeShawn Stevenson and a brilliant coach in Rick Carlisle.

There's no doubt that Paul, Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams will score their points. However, the tiny trio struggled mightily to put a hand in Manu Ginobili's face earlier this season and may have difficulty defending Western Conference guards with any length and shooting ability (Kobe Bryant and James Harden come to mind among the contenders).

Paul himself is no guarantee, either. After his two-year stint in Los Angeles, he may well go elsewhere.

If the knee and ankle problems that held him to 45 games two years ago don't re-emerge, and if he elects to stay in Los Angeles, the Clippers certainly might have one of the most dangerous combinations the NBA has ever seen in Paul and Blake Griffin.

Even when he loses a step to age, Paul has the intelligence to do so gracefully a la Steve Nash.

Before we start raising any banners, though, it's worth taking a sober second look at these Clippers. They could be the next big thing, or they could be the next big disaster for a franchise quite accustomed to the best laid plans coming up short.

I wouldn't be surprised if head coach Vinny Del Negro is the first scapegoat when they do. How do you think the Clippers will pan out?