From here , it is all legit. No pretenders. No more”if a couple of things go right” aspirants. No”maybe, only maybe” hopefuls.
Real, honest-to-goodness contenders only.
The Clippers, by virtue of being said after that introduction, are just one such contender.
Free of the shadow cast by Donald Sterling and imbued with all the frightening enthusiasm and impossibly deep pockets of fresh owner Steve Ballmer, the Clips will look to lock up a top-three seed in the West again. This moment, tough, they will hope to progress to the Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
The majority of the responsibility falls on the familiar shoulders of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, two players who could readily lead the Clips to yet another No. 1 finish in offensive performance. Together with Doc Rivers’ direction and (hopefully) another measure from DeAndre Jordan, L.A. is in great position for yet another deep playoff run.
There are concerns, though.
The wing positions are feeble behind J.J. Redick. Matt Barnes is slated to start in the 3, and at age 34 there should be real concerns that his 4.2 percentage (yes, 4.2% ) shooting from long range during the preseason is less a blip and more a sign that his offensive game has dropped off a cliff.
Spencer Hawes was the group’s big offseason get, and as precious as he is as a passer and floor-spacer, he won’t scare anybody on defense.
If the offense remains elite and Rivers may manage his frontcourt rotation wisely, the Clippers could be slightly better than they were a year ago. That may be sufficient for them to reach heights they have never attained.
Read more: 2017ipl.net