Los Angeles Clippers, Playoff Hopeful: 2010-11 NBA Western Conference Preview
Despite the Los Angeles Clippers opening night loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, let's not write them off for the season just yet.
Despite Blake Griffin's dazzling debut, let's not pencil him in for the Hall of Fame just yet.
There are a lot of games left to play before we can begin accurately assessing the Clippers or their young stud. However, that doesn't stop us from predicting how LA's other team will turn out.
Realistic or not, the goal of every team is winning the championship—it's too early to think about tanking to increase your lottery odds at the No. 1 pick—and the path to a title starts with making the playoffs. Every squad wants to reach the postseason and give itself at least a puncher's chance of going on a run.
So what are the Clippers prospects as far as the playoffs are concerned?
The Clips have enough talent and their coaching situation is much improved, they need to establish an identity, maintain effort and focus, and perform consistently well in order to have a shot.
I've split all the Western Conference franchises into four categories: teams the Clippers will not finish ahead of, teams the Clippers will finish ahead of, teams the Clippers should finish ahead of, and teams with which the Clippers will be battling for the better record.
If Los Angeles is to secure a playoff spot, then they have to take care of business against those in the final grouping.
Here it is in more depth, the Los Angeles Clippers' Western Conference preview.
"ROCKY IV" DIVISION
Sorry, Donald Sterling, but you won't find yourself with a better record than any of these teams this year. No, performance enhancing drugs and a futuristic personal training program won't help either. That'll just make you look like the bad guy.
Los Angeles Lakers: Last year the Lakers were the clear-cut favorite to repeat as champions. This year it's more up in the air, with questions surrounding the health of Kobe and Andrew Bynum and the improvement of several teams in the East. Still, the Lakers should have little problem securing the top seed in a down Western Conference. Forecast: 56-62 wins.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Fan darlings, with good reason. Kevin Durant dominated the FIBA World Championships, Russell Westbrook is a rising star, and the cohesive supporting cast is constantly improving, not to mention that they are very underrated on the defensive side. Should rise to home court advantage in at least Round 1. Forecast: 54-60 wins.
San Antonio Spurs: Somehow Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan keep doing it. Year after year they find a way to win 50 games, and this season should be no different. George Hill is emerging as a very capable backcourt option, and Ginobili is supposedly in fantastic shape. With interior help from import Tiago Splitter, expect Duncan to keep trucking along. Forecast: 50-56 wins.
Portland Trail Blazers: Is this finally going to be the year of Greg Oden? Doubtful, but the Blazers will be just fine. Though he continues to fly under the radar, Brandon Roy is a legitimate superstar. Last season's trade for Marcus Camby remains extremely beneficial on defense and the glass, and get ready for big things from Nicholas Batum. If LaMarcus Aldridge ever became a truly consistent second option, this team would be very dangerous. Forecast: 50-56 wins.
Dallas Mavericks: Last year the Mavs finished second in the West but lost their first round series to the Spurs. Though they're getting older—which seems to be a trend in this conference—they retain a solid and talented core. Moreover, they have become exceptionally deep, with Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea and Roddy Beaubois all coming off the bench. Forecast: 50-56 wins.
Utah Jazz: This should be a revealing season for the Jazz. After years staying the course, they've finally undergone a roster shakeup. Al Jefferson occupies Carlos Boozer's spot on the front line, Andre Kirilenko returns to the starting lineup, and Raja Bell is the new shooting guard. The main constant is Deron Williams, arguably the best point guard in the league. Although they'll need Jefferson to reclaim his pre-injury form to be seriously dangerous, they'll have no trouble making the playoffs. Forecast: 50-56 wins.
"ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD" DIVISION
Unless these two teams receive actual celestial aid, which I'm not completely discounting despite major doubts, they will be the West's cellar-dwellers. Luckily, they played each other on opening night to guarantee that they both wouldn't go winless. Unluckily, that very game proved to everyone that neither of these teams can play much defense. The Clippers don't have to worry here.
Sacramento Kings: The Kings are going in the right direction. Too bad they're not moving that quickly. Tyreke Evans is a beast and DeMarcus Cousins should be a rock in the middle, but they start three guys who should be backups and they have little offensive firepower. They have to rely on Evans too much, and he can't yet carry a team. Forecast: 23-29 wins.
Minnesota Timberwolves: I have no idea what this franchise is trying to do, and I doubt they have any clue either. The T-Wolves lineup is a mishmash of busts, underachievers, role players and unproven youth. There's not a veteran leader on the roster—sorry, Luke Ridnour; you don't count—but there is plenty of questionable talent and heart. I sympathize with coach Kurt Rambis. Forecast: 15-21 wins.
"LITTLE GIANTS" DIVISION
Though the Clippers should win more games than these squads, I would be wary to bet on it. They each have "annexation of Puerto Rico"-type gimmicks that give them a shot every night.
New Orleans Hornets: They still have Chris Paul and the pick and roll, which is enough to make them competitive night-in, night-out. On the other hand, they haven't addressed the problem that has plagued them for years: perimeter scoring. Marco Belinelli and Trevor Ariza are not answers. There's too much weight on Paul's back; David West is solid but not good enough to carry a scoring load. Forecast: 35-41 wins.
Golden State Warriors: Even though Don Nelson is gone, the Warriors will still be the highest scoring team in the league. They have not changed their uptempo identity, so they will remain extraordinarily fun to watch. Furthermore, their backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis can flat out light it up, as evidenced by their combined 71 points last night. What else does this indicate? They will still approach defense as if it has cooties. They won't go near it, don't want to learn about it, and definitely don't want to play with it. This isn't a recipe for long term success. Forecast: 31-37 wins.
"SANDLOT" DIVISION
These teams are like a bunch of guys just trying to play ball and win some games without having to face The Beast. Including the Clippers, there's room for two of them to make the playoffs, and I think the outcome is up in the air.
Memphis Grizzlies: One of the few teams with the exact same starting lineup as last year. Shouldn't that mean they finish about 40-42 again? Not quite. The Grizzlies have young guys who keep improving, like Marc Gasol and OJ Mayo, and the West isn't as good this season. So I predict a several-win boost. Forecast: 41-47 wins.
Phoenix Suns: It'll be quite interesting to see how the Suns do without Amare Stoudemire, considering they don't have anyone to consistently finish Steve Nash's passes around the rim. Phoenix is playing a tiny lineup, with Hedo Turkoglu and Grant Hill at the forward spots, but they're not especially fast. They need Turkoglu to be awesome, but I don't know if it's possible. Forecast: 43-49 wins.
Houston Rockets: They've lost two heartbreakers in back-to-back nights to open the season, but I'm a fan of this team. The Aaron Brooks/Kevin Martin guard duo is dynamic but inconsistent, and Luis Scola can ball. The jury is still out on Yao; his performance will probably be the difference this year. Forecast: 44-50 wins.
Denver Nuggets: This is all about Carmelo Anthony. He's gone either at the trading deadline or after the season. Where they finish depends on whether they keep him or what they receive for him. If they maintain their current lineup, they'll stay dangerous. Forecast: 45-51 wins.
Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin looks like he'll be a true stud, Eric Gordon can score in a variety of ways, and Kaman is steady in the paint. If Baron can recapture some of his old glory and they find some production out of the 3 spot, then they could have their best season ever. Forecast: 39-45 wins.
