Postseason Possibilities: What the Clippers Must Accomplish To Make the Playoffs

Let's face it, the NBA playoffs are not hard to get into. With that being said, nobody predicted the Clippers to have a shot at postseason glory.

Even if some predictors had them in the top eight in the Western Conference, things were looking down early in the season. In the preseason, the Clippers won only one game! And to start the season, the Clippers began with a four-game losing streak.

The month of November was harsh to Los Angeles fans, who saw the Clippers win only three games, all at home. Their road record stood at 0-7, and hopes were looking down.

December was a turn-around month for the young team, where their road record improved to .500; 3-3. However, their home record dipped below .500, and the record stood at 4-5.

Despite having a 9-1 record at home in January, once again the Clippers went defeated on the road. However, the Clippers did gain lots of publicity.

Blake Griffin has now become the poster boy of SportsCenter's top plays, and usually shows off his great dunking ability. Griffin is quite possibly the man that keeps this young team from falling apart, and he is a rookie.

Despite having a losing record, and being inconsistent on the road, the Clippers are still alive in the Western Conference. Still, the young team has a long road ahead of them, and many goals to achieve if they want to make a serious run in the playoffs.

First of all, the Clippers MUST be consistent. Many times this year, the Clippers have imitated a roller coaster. If the team can play well together on a consistent basis, and not drop easy games, the Clippers can dig themselves out of their hole.

Secondly, the Clippers must stay healthy. Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon are two notable players who have or will be missing substantial time with the team. These are two main pieces to the puzzle, and performance was severely hurt when Kaman was out with ankle injury.

Also, the Clippers must play better on the road. This season, the Clippers have a 5-21 record on the road. This is the main reason why the Clippers are still fighting to get into the eighth seed in the West.

With an improved record on the road, more pressure is taken away from the team to constantly win at home. This horrible performance away from Los Angeles may have contributed to the loss in Cleveland, which snapped the infamous 27-game losing streak by the Cavs.

As we speak, the Clippers are 13th in the Western Conference, and 10 games out of eighth place. Only half the season is over, and if the Clippers want a shot at the NBA Finals, they must fight for eighth place.

The second half of the season is upon us, and is a clean slate for the Clippers. It is time for them to rise up, and play like champions.