Clippers emulating famous NBA dynasty with consistent play

It is safe to say that the LA Clippers have massively outdone their preseason expectations to this point in the season. Most saw them as a fringe playoff team at best, with some believing they would be near the bottom of the Western Conference standings by season's end.

So far, it is looking like the Clippers will far exceed what the general consensus of them was in the offseason. LA has been one of the most consistent teams in the West, and the most incredible part is that they are doing it without Kawhi Leonard.

Even more impressive is that the Clippers have won their last three games in a row without their leading scorer in Norman Powell as well. It truly has not mattered who has stepped on the floor for LA, and they have been winning with whoever is available. Tyronn Lue and his staff deserve massive recognition for the kind of coaching clinic they have been putting on.

In the big picture, the sort of "next man up" approach that the Clippers have been winning with is reminiscent of one of the great dynasties in NBA history: the San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers' next man up mentality mirrors the dynasty Spurs

Back when Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were leading the Spurs to championships, they managed to become a consistent winner in spite of injuries and changing rosters around them. Gregg Popovich's system allowed seemingly any role player to step in and contribute in a meaningful way, to the point where observers wondered how on earth they did it.

We are seeing the Clippers win in a very similar way right now. None of the role players they signed in the offseason are high-level stars that would be an obvious ceiling-raiser in a big way for this group. But their collective contributions through the coaching of Ty Lue has allowed them to find an identity quickly, and the team has rallied together despite not having its best player.

Tim Duncan was obviously the Spurs' engine back in the day, but San Antonio was able to play winning basketball even when he was off the floor. In their heyday when they won five championships, they were the definition of unselfish team basketball. The Clippers are currently weathering the storm of playing a tough schedule in the stacked Western Conference by taking a page out of the playbook of one of the greatest teams in league history.