L.A. Clippers: Steps They Must Take to Make It to the Western Conference Finals

Last season, the Los Angeles Clippers fell just short of reaching the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

They managed to advance one round in the playoffs but ran into a dominant Spurs team in the midst of a 20-game win streak.

If the Clippers want to take the next step, here are five things they need to take care of.

Boost Free-Throw Shooting

As a team, the Clippers ranked second-to-last in the NBA in free-throw percentage last year. Only Orlando—aided by Dwight Howard—was worse.

The Clips did have several high-percentage foul shooters on the team, but their efforts were drowned out by the free-throw woes of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Blake and DJ combined to shoot 52 percent from the stripe. When you consider that they attempted 40 percent of the team's total free throws, you can imagine the negative impact they had. 

If the Clippers are to improve in this category, the big guys are going to have to knock down more of their freebies.

Add a Wing Defender

The Clippers were one of the smallest teams in the NBA last season, particularly in the backcourt.

With no true shooting guard on the roster until acquiring Nick Young late in the season, the Clips often featured lineups comprised of three point guards.

This allowed opposing wing scorers to have their way with the likes of Mo Williams and Randy Foye defending them.

With elite scorers like Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant populating other Western powers, it's essential that the Clippers find someone who can match up against them.

Increase Frontcourt Depth

The presence of veteran big men Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans really boosted the Clipper bench in the playoffs. Those two brought a toughness and physicality to the court that permeated through the entire team.

Both are free agents this offseason, leaving 2011 second-round pick Trey Thompkins—who played all of 119 minutes last year—to back up Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Trading for Lamar Odom can certainly help, but it remains to be seen whether his disappearing act in Dallas was an anomaly or reality.

Since the Clippers didn't add anyone through the draft, they will have to fill the void in free agency, either by re-signing Martin and Evans or bringing in new backup bigs.

Improve Team Defense

While the Clippers possess one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA, they struggle on the defensive end.

L.A. ranked in the bottom half of the league last season when it came to defensive efficiency. Their problems on that end of the floor stemmed mainly from not being able to defend without fouling.

Only three teams let their opponents get to the line more than the Clippers, and the team paid for it, getting outscored from the charity stripe by 205 points.

A more disciplined approach will be required to turn the defense into one of the league's better units.

Find a Third Scorer

While the Clippers have a solid foundation in their two All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, they need to find a third scorer to augment their offensive output.

Not having a viable third option to keep defenses honest contributed to L.A.'s downfall this past postseason.

The Clippers were the only team in the playoffs to have fewer than three players average double figures in scoring.

In the era of the "Big Three," the Clippers need to find the final piece to complete their triumvirate.