Contenders Profile Series: Clippers

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Contenders Profile Series: LA Clippers

Editor's note: This is the second installment of a 12-part series this summer that will profile six Eastern Conference teams and six Western Conference teams who could knock off the Miami Heat. Today we profile the Los Angeles Clippers.

 

Overview

Last year's acquisition of Chris Paul was perhaps the single biggest transaction in franchise history and brought with it the kind of hope and optimism rarely found in Clipperland. Paul gave the directionless Clippers a label they had never worn before: contender. The Clippers faithful, whose ranks seemed to grow weekly with Paul on board, were rewarded with a 40-26 season.

They spent no fewer than a six weeks at the top of the Pacific Division and defeated the leaders of the five other divisions at least once. In short, they were relevant. After winning a Game 7 on the road in Memphis, the Clippers advanced to the second round for the second time since moving to L.A. before eventually losing to the Spurs in four games.

 

But the biggest storyline for the Clippers heading into 2012-13 is how Blake Griffin comes back from his latest knee injury, which he suffered at Team USA training camp in Las Vegas in July. The Clippers are expecting Griffin to make strides on both sides of the ball, and his development lies at the heart of being able to compete with a champ like Miami. The Clippers won their lone matchup with the Heat last season thanks in part to a monster effort by Paul, who finished with 27 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds. But even with Paul's brilliance, the Clippers are sunk if Griffin isn't at full strength.

 

Key personnel

Due to the compressed schedule last season, the Clippers only faced the Heat once. It's a little difficult to use that game as a basis, considering it came early in the season and the Heat only used eight players. But the Clippers' clear and obvious advantage over Miami is Paul, who provides a serious matchup problem for Mario Chalmers. In the matchup last season, Paul routinely got past Chalmers and deep into the lane, which constantly had Miami's defense in a state of recovery. All four of DeAndre Jordan's buckets (4 of 5 from the field) came off of assists from Paul, who also expertly controlled the tempo and managed the game in the waning moments.

 

The Clippers were in nearly every game they played last season, and the outcome was often determined by their late game execution, which was remarkably solid thanks to a veteran-laden roster. A huge difference-maker for the Clippers could be Chauncey Billups, who is recovering from Achilles surgery and likely won't be available when the season starts. Though he's not expected to score much, it's doubtful his game management skills have deteriorated, and he'll be called on to lead a strong veteran bench. A second unit of Billups, Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford and Ronny Turiaf could be among the best in the league.

 

Additions

The Clippers had an excellent offseason thanks to significantly upgrading their skill and depth at the wing, which should give them considerable scoring punch this season. The most intriguing new addition is the maligned Lamar Odom, who saddles up for his second tour of duty for the Clippers while coming off the worst season of his career.

 

Lamar Odom returns to the L.A., but to the team that originally drafted him.

At 32, this is a fresh start for Odom after waddling in misery for most of last season after a dismal stay in Dallas. Motivated and with a clear mind, Odom's length and versatility allows the Clippers to roll out several intriguing lineups where they can plug Odom in at power forward, on the wing or even at point guard to take advantage of his playmaking skills.

 

By the time the season starts, Grant Hill will be 40, but he is still a serviceable defender and can run the floor surprisingly well. And it certainly can't hurt to have one of the game's most respected veteran leaders in the locker room. The X factor in this equation is Crawford, himself coming off a rather disappointing season. With Paul at the helm, Crawford should thrive off the bench in a catch-and-shoot scorer's role in the Clippers' controlled but freewheeling environment.

Telling stat: 12th worst

The Clippers had the 12th worst defensive rating in the league last season, giving up 105.7 points per 100 possessions. That won't cut it for a team that wants to contend. Individually the Clippers have a lot of quality defensive pieces. Paul is a ball hawk out top and rarely shown up on defense. DeAndre Jordan is a quality rim protector and at just 24 is blossoming into one of the league's best young shot-blockers. When healthy, Caron Butler brings much needy intensity and savvy to the Clippers' defensive efforts.

 

It's not a bad unit, but the play can be sloppy at times. The Clippers' rotations often come late or not at all. Last season, some players had a tendency to jog back in transition and only seemed to turn it on when trying to score. They would do well to pay attention to details like picking up the ball handler sooner on the break and shutting off the baseline to limit penetration to keep Jordan, who likes to go for the spectacular block, out of foul trouble. Griffin is under the gun to improve defensively, and he can start with boxing out, quickly getting back after showing on pick-and-roll defense and losing the habit of leaking out on the break. Griffin obviously has the athletic ability to become a great defender. All he needs now is the commitment.

 

What needs to go right

To take down the Heat? Everything. First there's Griffin's health. His first knee injury in fall 2009 didn't appear to rob him of any explosion, as he's been a highlight-reel staple for the past two years. The Clippers are hoping this latest setback won't either. Paul needs to have another MVP-like year and perhaps even get a bit more selfish with his scoring. When the Clippers need a bucket, Paul is their best offensive option.

 

Last season, Jordan took all of one shot outside the lane. There is considerable pressure on him to develop both a go-to move as well as a counter to mix up his offensive looks and provide the Clippers with some kind of scoring punch inside. If he does so, it could be a decided advantage over Miami. All summer he's been working on a half jump hook and it'll be interesting to see if that translates to game action. Much like the Heat, L.A. has a deep veteran bench that can fill it up in a hurry from the outside.

 

The big problem is that the Clippers just don't have anyone who can neutralize LeBron James. For all their depth, experience and talent, they lack a defensive wing stopper who can body and frustrate James. Last season he hung a rather easy triple double on the Clippers. More importantly, Miami's defense is a class above.

 

The reality is that the Clippers are a couple of years away from challenging the Heat's throne. And that's if Paul stays in L.A., Griffin heals, they make great strides defensively and can once again reload their bench.

ESPN insider