No. 2 reason the LA Clippers will win Pacific Division: We know how to respond to adversity
The LA Clippers have already experienced the adversity that they are going to be facing this season.
Yes, they are without Ibaka and Leonard, but they’ve been there before.
They played all but two playoff games without Ibaka, and were without Kawhi after we tied the West Semis at two apiece. We didn’t even have a healthy Morris for most of the Western Conference Finals, and missed Ivica Zubac for the last two games.
We already know how to play with an injury-depleted roster. We held our own, and finished as the third-best team in the entire NBA.
We also dealt with our entire starting lineup missing significant time in the regular season. Were we the best team in our division last year? No, but we were the second, and we came in second despite all of the adversity we went through.
We’re going to be stronger next year, already having the experience to overcome these issues. Last year is only going to make us stronger.
We’re well-coached, and won’t be making the same mistakes that plagued us last year.