Can the Clippers win it all? And more…
The Los Angeles Clippers are perhaps the most polarizing team in the National Basketball Association. Los Angeles is going to make the postseason, already clinching with a 49-25 record. In the loaded Western Conference, the Clippers are sitting in the fifth seed, pitted against the Portland Trail Blazers if the playoffs began today.
So is Los Angeles, who has made the postseason in each of the past three seasons, ready to make a run to the Finals? Vegas sees the Clippers as a fringe contender, ranking them sixth with 16/1 odds.
The Clippers have been a force in recent times behind the trio of Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul. However, the club has not been able to advance past the conference semifinals in any of the years, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014.
If Los Angeles stays in the 4-5 matchup, a victory would provide a clash with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are the best team in the NBA and play an up-tempo style, led by Splash Bros. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The teams play tonight at the Staples Center (TNT, 10:30 p.m. ET), maybe giving us a preview of the future. In their previous three meetings this season, the Clippers hold a 2-1 edge.
Los Angeles is loaded with top-tier talent, and has a coach already boasting a championship ring that he won with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics. Rivers knows what it takes to guide his team through the dangerous waters of the postseason, and has a brutal test ahead.
With Griffin back from an infection and Paul and Jordan running on all cylinders, the Clippers are healthy and without excuse. Along with the three premiere stars, Los Angeles has elite shooters in J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford. The Clippers also get quality play from Austin Rivers and forward Matt Barnes, two players who can push Los Angeles over the top if they rise about expectations this spring.
Ultimately, the Clippers must play their best basketball and win on the road come May and June. Los Angeles is 22-15 away from Staples this year, a number is excellent but needs to be even better in the postseason. Beating the Warriors will likely need to happen at some point. Considering Golden State will have home-court advantage and is 34-2 at ORACLE Arena, the Clippers must put forth elite performances.
Is Los Angeles ready to take that next step? The talent is there, it is all about the mindset.
Battle for the Southwest
The Memphis Grizzlies looked like a great bet to win the Southwest Division, but the Houston Rockets are not going quietly. Houston is only a half-game back and tied in the loss column, winning seven of its last 10 games.
The Rockets don’t have an easy road though. Houston plays only three teams with a sub-.500 record over the last eight games of the campaign. Conversely, Memphis has two such contests over its final seven games.
