Clippers vs. Spurs: Chris Paul Is the Key for Los Angeles Winning Game 3

If the Los Angeles Clippers are to jump start their comeback from two games down in the Western Conference semifinals, point guard Chris Paul will need to emerge as the catalyst Los Angeles has lacked through two games in San Antonio. 

After proving to be the best player on the floor during the Clippers' opening-round triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies, Paul has been nothing short of average during the San Antonio Spurs' two wins to open this series.

In Games 1 and 2, Paul has averaged just 8.0 points and 7.5 assists, while turning the ball over at an uncharacteristically high rate of 6.5 times a game. During the regular season, the typically careful-minded Paul averaged just 2.2 turnovers a game. 

The Spurs are partly to blame, as their defense has done an admirable job at limiting Paul's effectiveness in both the half-court and transition game thus far. He's been forced to take chances in the half court that he wouldn't normally make. 

Somehow, someway, Paul needs to find the form he displayed during the Clippers' opening-round win over Memphis. 

Against the Grizzles, Paul averaged a solid 20.4 points, 7.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals across the Clippers' seven-game series win. Like he has done throughout his NBA career, Paul was fantastic at controlling the pace and facilitating the basketball. 

But if Paul continues to play as poorly as he has in San Antonio, the Clippers are likely to get swept in four games. The Spurs have too much depth and are playing too well right now for Los Angeles to win a game without its best player taking control. 

Paul knows he needs to play better moving forward.

"I didn't play effective," Paul told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. "I've got to come out and play a better game. I was just missing. I came in today and got a nice workout in. Hopefully it'll work for me tomorrow."

There's reason to believe Paul can turn it on in the Staples Center. 

In 30 games in Los Angeles this season, Paul averaged a touch over 20 points and 10 assists a contest. He shot the ball better (54 percent) and turned it over less (1.9 turnovers a game) at the Staples Center than any other arena in which the Clippers played at least four games this season.  

For the Clippers to begin their march back into this series, Paul will need to either duplicate or exceed those numbers during the next two games at the Staples Center.

Part of the Clippers' early struggles can be attributed to a banged up roster that includes Paul. 

The All-Star point guard is dealing with a strained right hip flexor, while forward Blake Griffin has a sprained knee that has limited him throughout the last handful of games. Caron Butler has a broken hand and Mo Williams is dealing with hand soreness. Even hot-shooting Nick Young needed a root canal this week to fix up the mouth pain he's been dealing with.

Overall, however, a banged-up Paul has been the biggest blow to the Clippers' chances in the semifinals. Paul knows he has to fight through the nicks, via Turner: 

"

You've just got to try and get as well as possible. That's what everybody is doing. I'm sure they're doing the same thing. I think one of our biggest things tomorrow is to come out and play hard like we did. We played hard last night. We just didn't play effective.

"

The Clippers simply can't get back into the Western Conference semifinals without Paul—injured or not—leading the way. His effectiveness controlling a game from the point gives Los Angeles a chance to win every game, but there's no way the Clippers can steal a win from the Spurs if Paul continues to score in the single digits and turn the basketball over at the clip he has in this series. 

If Paul can shake off his hip injury and get back to being the dominant lead guard that he was in the Memphis series, however, the Clippers can still make this a series. Anything less than an All-Star performance from Paul over the next two games in Los Angeles could result in the Clippers getting swept in the Western Conference semis.