The LA Clippers are showing this season that their biggest threat in the West is themselves. They’re performing well against the teams they’re supposed to beat, and it’s rare that a game against a contender isn’t a tightly contested affair.
Most (but certainly not all) of the losses the Clippers have suffered can be boiled down to three root causes:
a) Open shots refusing to fall
b) Health concerns causing stars and/or important players to miss the game
c) Both a and b
If healthy, the LA Clippers can hold their own against any team they may see in the playoffs.
Despite it being a frustrating loss, their recent result against the Phoenix Suns was actually encouraging to me for this very reason. It fell into category c above; Kawhi Leonard, Patrick Beverley and Serge Ibaka all missed the game, and the players who did play missed several wide open shots that they usually make.
And yet? The Clips kept it close. The Suns lead was down to one several times before ending at eight. The Clippers were down their best player and another important starter, as well as their only other defensively competent big man, playing against the team that very well may end up being the top seed in the West, and they still nearly won.
What does that game look like if just Kawhi Leonard was able to play? We saw the answer to that question on April 8th, when the Clips took care of Phoenix.
In a seven game series, I trust the Clippers not to go cold four times. They’ve earned that trust, unlike last year’s team. To be frank with you, if the Clips can play all of their guys in the playoffs, there’s not a team in the West that I’m betting on against the Clippers.
In the first round, the Clips hold a distinct advantage over anybody they could realistically play. Going further into the playoffs, every real Western contender has at least one player that Coach Lue can exploit in a matchup against the Clips.
This LA Clippers team is poised to make some noise in the postseason, and I’m expecting the team to see its first Western Conference Finals. In truth, I’m expecting the team to go a bit further than just the WCF, but that’s a conversation for just a little later.