Clippers fans will love former Laker's bold prediction for LA's season

When it comes to the public perception of the LA Clippers for this coming season, morale seems to be as low as ever. And I am not speaking of the Clippers' fanbase, but simply of neutral observers or analysts who have no intrinsic desire to see LA win or lose.

Paul George's departure from Los Angeles seemed to make a lot of people think that the Clippers are now guaranteed to take a step back, that they are no longer remotely considered a Western Conference contender, and that they need not be taken seriously. Now, there is no doubt the West is tough to play in, but it seems some of these predictions might be a little extreme.

We will not know for certain until the season plays out. But in the meantime, one former NBA player spoke up to voice his unpopular opinion on where the Clippers stand heading into the 2024-25 season. That player is Jim Jackson, who played in the league from 1992 until 2006, spending time with 12 NBA franchises including the Los Angeles Lakers.

Appearing on The Mark Jackson Show, Jim expressed his belief that the Clippers will still be a dangerous squad, even without George's services. "I truly believe they're gonna surprise a lot of people," he said. "I know losing Paul George was a big blow because he's one of the top players in the league ... This is a team that will work hard. They're extremely well-coached by Ty Lue. They can be a top 6 team."

Jim Jackson thinks the Clippers can be a top 6 seed

This is a very big statement from the former Laker. Number one, it is nice to see someone affiliated with the Lakers organization give some due credit to the Clippers, rather than just trying to smear the team's name for the fun of it like most seem to do.

Number two, it really does seem like Jackson could be on to something here. He makes a solid point right off the bat when he says they will surprise people. It is truly interesting how preseason perception can affect how a team's performance is measured. A strong start to the upcoming Clippers season would certainly surprise the national media that is counting them out, but a strong start a year ago would not have been newsworthy. Perception is everything.

The last point Jim makes may be the biggest reason the Clippers still have a chance to do something special this season: the genius of Ty Lue. He remains one of the best minds in the NBA, and a summer where he helped coach Team USA to an Olympic gold medal will have the potential to provide him a boost as well.

Plenty of teams around the association would love to have the Clippers' situation right now. No, LA is probably still not in the top tier of championship contenders, but I believe Jackson is correct in saying they will surprise plenty of people this year.