NBA Season Prediction 2011: Can the Los Angeles Clippers Eclipse the Lakers?

The last week has been a hectic one for basketball in Los Angeles.  After David Stern's stunning decision to block a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers rushed in, sending a group of young players and a draft pick to the New Orleans Hornets in return for perhaps the best point guard in the NBA. 

While some argue that the Clippers could have forced the Hornets into a worse trade—one that didn’t include rising star Eric Gordon—but the shot to pair up Chris Paul and Blake Griffin was too enticing to pass up. 

Forever in the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers and their fans can now feel better about their position than their LA counterparts, with a young nucleus of talents bolstered by experienced veteran Chauncey Billups. 

Their starting lineup constructs one of the most dynamic and athletic teams, and from the 1 to the 5, and it’s tough to imagine a team that the Clippers could not match up with.

With the acquisition of Chris Paul, one of the league’s premier talents, the Clippers were immediately thrust back into relevance.  A pass-first point guard, Paul will facilitate the growth of Blake Griffin and the recently re-signed DeAndre Jordan. 

Much depends on the health of Chris Paul’s ailing knees, but Clippers fans eagerly hope the extended offseason left Paul with more time to recover. Indeed, Paul showed highly promising signs of recovery in the first round of last season’s playoffs, where he put up an excellent performance in a first-round exit to the Lakers.

Still, the 66 games in 120 days will be difficult for Paul, and the Clippers desperately need him to be healthy if they want to make any noise in the playoffs, or indeed make the postseason.

Veteran Chauncey Billups was signed before the acquisition of Chris Paul, but will make a more than serviceable 2-guard in the Los Angeles Clippers starting lineup.  A bigger, stronger version of Eric Gordon, Billups brings championship experience as a former NBA Finals MVP. 

Billups has a well-earned reputation for consistency and clutch performances, and should add tremendous value in helping the Clippers remain even-keeled despite a first season of high expectations.

Asides from the Chris Paul trade, the Clippers also made a splash in free agency by signing Butler and re-signing DeAndre Jordan. Caron Butler has faced his own injury setbacks of late as well, only playing a total of 56 games over the past two seasons. 

Butler, normally employed as a main scorer, will need to accept his role as the third or fourth option on the new look Clippers if he is to truly gel with his new team. The erstwhile Maverick adds defensive capabilities and rebounding at the three spot, and could serve as a volume scorer with Paul or Blake Griffin on the bench. 

Averaging a double-double on his way to winning rookie of the year, Blake Griffin was one of the most impactful and dynamic rookies the league has seen in a long time.  Immediately bringing the Clippers into the national spotlight, Griffin amazed with an endless highlight reel of jaw-dropping dunks that displayed his awesome, raw athleticism. 

Griffin seems the most likely to benefit from Paul, and expect a multitude of his points to be scored on alley-oops from CP3.  The former Oklahoma standout spent the bulk of the offseason improving his defense, and the frontcourt of Jordan, Griffin and Butler provides an exciting future for the once maligned Clippers franchise.               

One of the most sought-after names in an admittedly fairly weak free agent class, DeAndre Jordan was re-signed to the Clippers after they matched an offer from the Golden State Warriors.  An incredible athlete, Jordan looks to make another jump in his level of play after his first year of getting starting minutes. 

Jordan, a great finisher above the rim, will be a low-usage scorer, adding points on putbacks and offensive rebounds while not demanding much of the ball in possession situations.  Jordan’s main contributions will be on the defensive end, as he will need to continue to develop into an intimidating force in the paint. 

Overall, the Clippers look to be in terrific shape for the lockout shortened season.  While the intense schedule could affect the injury-susceptible Paul and Butler, the Clippers have a solid rotation and youth that should be able to compete at a high level throughout the whole
season. 

For the first time in seemingly forever, the Clippers begin a season with a realistic shot to make the playoffs, yet fans have even higher hopes and expectations of a deep playoff run.  Stocked with the talent to do so, the Clippers will need to adjust to a totally revamped roster and work out the kinks of an unfamiliar team. 

Their prospects are extremely inspiring, and a top-four seed doesn’t seem out of the question for this talented team.  Look for the Clippers to take their first steps towards relevance and finally out of the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers.