Each year, at least one team from both conferences shocks the NBA community, and this season, it may be the LA Clippers. They have many weapons to inject defenses with, a coach who has shown tendencies to adjust in-game, and a staff that breaks down the numbers differently.
About the coaching staff, the Clippers' comeback win against the Utah Jazz pre-all-star break illustrates why Lue and his assistants are phenomenal in their roles. They were down by 20 points early, changed their half-court scheme after the break, and allowed a newcomer in Ben Simmons to close the door on Utah.
Though Simmons would have likely not been on the floor with superstar Kawhi Leonard healthy, the proficiency to adapt spontaneously is unique and will enable the Clippers in a seven-game playoff series.
Moreover, assuming full health, Lue should feed James Harden, Norman Powell, Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac the most minutes.
These five are the most complete in the NBA. There is action off the ball with Jones Jr., in the paint with Zubac, and three stars who can be counted on to score a bucket with Harden, Powell, and Leonard.
The logic proves they are great, but with Leonard healthy, there is a stat that solidifies why the Clippers have the best starting rotation in the NBA.
Advanced statistics show the LA Clippers' lineup is better than every team in the NBA this season.
The LA Clippers have a record of 10-5 with Kawhi Leonard healthy, yet he still has not eclipsed the stage of dominance that will soon arise. This Leonard is a menace on defense and will quickly burst into an individual double-digit run to crush his opponents.
Furthermore, in a minimum of 150 minutes played together, the Clippers starting five of Harden, Powell, Jones Jr., Leonard, and Zubac has the top net rating in the league of +26.6. In fact, their offensive rating is 129.2, which seems fabricated when conducting research on LA's performances before Leonard debuted.
As many say, 'health is wealth.' Injuries have previously stopped the Clippers, and they continue to be the only uncontrollable factor that can terminate a 16-win playoff run from LA.
That said, Tyronn Lue and his squad can finish the regular season as the sixth seed and still make the NBA Finals if Leonard and the rest remain away from the sidelines and on the hardwood.