NBA Playoffs 2012: 5 Burning Questions for the Clippers Rest of the Series

Forty minutes into Game 1 of the Clippers-Grizzlies series the Clippers were dead and buried.

They trailed by 24 points, but the way it felt it might as well have been 44. Yet somehow, some way the Clips scrapped and clawed and Swaggy P'ed their way back from that seemingly insurmountable deficit to steal the first game of the series on the road.

Even though they prevailed, Game 1 presented more questions than answers for the Clippers.

Here are five burning questions for the Clippers for the rest of the series.

Who Will Replace Caron Butler?

For the second straight season, Caron Butler has the misfortune of having to sit out of the playoffs due to injury after breaking his left hand in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

With former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups already sidelined for the season with an achilles injury, the Clippers are down to zero players in the rotation with championship experience.

More than that, they will need to replace Butler's production on the court.

The most likely candidate is Nick Young, who broke out in Game 1 with 19 points including three colossal three-pointers in a one-minute span of the fourth quarter to cut the Clippers' deficit from 12 to three in the blink of an eye.

Not only will Young be counted on to provide supplemental scoring, he will also become the Clippers' primary perimeter stopper and be matched up against Rudy Gay for the rest of the series.

Can the Clippers Stop Marc Gasol?

Marc Gasol was the catalyst for Memphis' rout in the opening three quarters of the game. 

The Clippers had no answer for Gasol, who not only scored efficiently but controlled the entire Grizzlies offense through the post. His six assists were second among all Grizzlies.

Blake Griffin did a much better job guarding Gasol in the fourth quarter, pushing him further out towards the three-point line where Gasol is much less comfortable making plays from.

It will be interesting to see if the Clippers stay with the matchup of Griffin on Gasol, or if DeAndre Jordan is up to the task of slowing down the Spaniard.

Which Blake Griffin Will Show Up?

It was a tale of two halves for Blake Griffin in Game 1.

In the first half, Griffin looked as if the pressure of the postseason had gotten to him, as he amassed just two points and one rebound going into halftime.

Griffin came out much more aggressive in the second half, scoring 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, grabbing six rebounds and hitting two clutch free throws to bring the Clippers to within one late in the game.

If the Griffin from the second half shows up, the Clippers are one of the best teams in the league. But if first half Griffin makes an extended appearance in this series, L.A. won't make it out of the first round.

Can the Clippers Defend Like They Did in the Fourth Quarter of Game 1?

The Clippers absolutely locked it down on defense during the fourth quarter, particularly over the final nine minutes.

In that span, the Clips held Memphis to just three points on 1-of-14 shooting—including 12 straight misses—and forced four of the Grizzlies' 12 turnovers.

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were held scoreless in the fourth quarter, a big key to the Clippers' comeback.

Although it is impossible for a team to defend at that freakish level over a full 48 minutes, the Clips need to bring that same passion and intensity to the defensive end of the floor for the rest of the series.

Will the Clippers' Bench Continue to Produce?

During the regular season, the Clippers' bench was the fifth least productive bench in the league, producing less than 26 points per game on 40 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from three-point range.

In Game 1, a different bench showed up, scoring 48 points on 62 percent shooting from the field and 63 percent on threes. The five players who came off the pine were a combined plus-79 in their 96 minutes of court time.

More importantly, they made a huge impact defensively. Reggie Evans gobbled up rebounds, Eric Bledsoe pressured the heck out of the ball and Kenyon Martin stopped Rudy Gay one-on-one on the game's final possession to seal the victory.

The Clippers will need their bench to step up all series long, particularly if the starters are consistently outplayed by Memphis' starting five.

The bench will be spread a little thinner with Nick Young moving into the starting lineup, which means there will be more minutes and greater responsibility thrust upon the reserves.