Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul Arrives, but Don't Buy the Hype

In 2011-2012, the Los Angeles Clippers will not win the NBA title.

One would think that would be obvious, but the hype following the Chris Paul trade makes it seem like the Clippers acquired the second comings of Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird in one package deal.

What the Clippers did get, in exchange primarily for all-star caliber shooting guard Eric Gordon, was Paul (familiarly known as “CP3”), who is a top-10 NBA player despite his diminutive six-foot even size.

Paul improves the Clippers, principally because he makes other people better on a basketball court comparable to the way LeBron James does. Those two are in a league by themselves in this regard. Paul has the court vision, savvy and polish that maybe only two or three others currently possess. Moreover, Paul displays superlative execution.

And, Paul burns to win. As he elaborated:

"I believe in this organization," Paul said. "I believe in the players here, and I want to win. I want to win now. I'm so tired of doing everything else. I want to play." 

But alas, despite all of Paul's attributes, the Los Angeles Clippers need more parts to compete for a title. Blake Griffin may be able to jump over cars, but he and Paul are not enough to lift their team over Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis, Denver and perhaps the other Los Angeles team, the Lakers. Not to mention San Antonio.

Said L.A.Times veteran columnist Bill Plaschke in a recent piece:

“With a team [The Los Angeles Clippers] that is suddenly a potential title contender, he [coach Vinny Del Negro] doesn't have much of a safety net to fall on if the season unravels.” 

With all due respect to Mr. Plaschke, I would have to say to his assertion of expectation for the Clippers, “Uh, no, not so fast.”

The Clippers have one superstar in Paul and a rough-around-the-edges maybe superstar in Griffin. Griffin has only had one all-world year. That's not superstardom.

This poses the question: When was the last time a small guard or any guard carried a team to a title without another sure superstar presence and other time-tested, fitting parts? Answer: never.

Oscar Robertson had Kareem. Jerry West had Wilt. Magic [Johnson] had Kareem and Shaq. Cousy had Russell. Forget mentioning Michael Jordan. Jordan was a supernatural force once-in-a-lifetime seen. Paul is not even near Jordan.

Furthermore, who else do the Clippers have? DeAndre Jordan averaged seven rebounds and seven points last year. He's not Moses Malone. If Caron Butler is such potential “glue” at small forward, why has he been with seven teams in nine years?

Then there is Chauncey Billups, newly acquired off of waivers, who broke down physically with the Knicks last year. It will be an upset if he remains healthy throughout the 66-game campaign.

The Eric Bledsoes, Brian Cooks, Randy Foyes, Ryan Gomeses and Mo Williamses can all be questioned as sanctified game-in, game-out, productive reserves. Williams, projected to be the Clippers' sixth man, deteriorated once LeBron James left him in Cleveland, illustrated by his shooting percentage dropping to 39 percent immediately thereafter.

For the Los Angeles Clippers to win the NBA title or even get to the Finals, it would be a resurrection surpassing in astonishment all of the various Count Dracula resurrections combined.

Paul can possibly get his new team to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, but no further. However, Paul, to the contrary, apparently believes the Clippers have reached elite status:

"Teams are gonna be gunning for us," Paul declared just a week or so after suiting up with his new crew. 

Chris Paul is drinking the hype Kool-Aid. Wise NBA fans should not even touch such a hocus-pocus libation.