Chris Paul Clippers: Expect a Slow Start from CP3 and Clips

It took a lot of bad noise and repeated attempts, but the Los Angeles Clippers finally got their man on Wednesday night, acquiring Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets.

As first reported by ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Clippers had to hand over a heavy price to the New Orleans Hornets to get Paul. They gave up Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and Al-Farouq Aminu, as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves' unprotected 2012 draft pick (head here for a full breakdown).

In return, the Clippers get Paul, obviously, and two future second-round draft picks.

They definitely paid a big price, but the Clippers are getting a huge puzzle piece in return. Paul is without a doubt one of the very best point guards in the NBA, and he's still relatively young. Ideally, he will fit right in with a young core that already included Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, and that now also includes Caron Butler.

With Paul in the fold, the Clippers will undoubtedly be able to make some noise in the Western Conference this season. I actually wouldn't be at all surprised to see them go on a deep run through the playoffs when the summer rolls around.

But whatever you do, don't expect the Paul-enhanced Clippers to explode out of the gate.

That would be nice, but it's wishful thinking. A huge chunk just got taken out of the Clippers' roster, and they're only getting one man in return. A completely new identity must be cultivated, and it's going to take a lot of time and a lot of energy to finish the job.

Along with every other team in the NBA, time is something the Clippers don't have. They open on the road against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, which is just 10 days away. Between now and then, the Clippers only have a handful of practice days and two exhibition games to come together.

As such, asking this team to be a well-oiled unit by the time Christmas rolls around is asking way too much.

The gelling process is going to take much longer. You can expect to see CP3 and the Hornets still working out the kinks a couple weeks into the regular season, and they will keep falling down the Western Conference pecking order in the meantime. 

Think of how the Miami Heat started last season, and then multiply it by 10. In all likelihood, it's going to be that ugly.

It will be worth it, though. The talent the Clippers have assembled is too much to stay bottled up for long, and CP3 is too smart not to figure out how to make it all work. Eventually, he and Blake Griffin will start finishing each other's sentences, and Griffin will be ooping Paul's alleys as well.

Other people will do stuff too, but I think you and I can both agree that this tandem is what this trade is all about.

Yes sir, the highlight reels await footage of CP3 and Griffin doing their thing. It will be the same as last season, really, except with CP3 instead of Baron Davis.

But like I said, be prepared to wait a while. This Clippers team is going to be a work in progress for quite a while.