Clippers NBA Picks
The Los Angeles Clippers are an elite NBA team. There’s really no denying that at this point in the process; the question is whether or not they can finally get over the hump and advance past the second round of the postseason.
2014-15 Los Angeles Clippers
Western Conference
2013-14 Record: 57-25 (34-7 @ Home) .659
Odds to win Title: 10/1
Odds to win Conference: 5/1
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Since acquiring Chris Paul, L.A. has seen one first-round exit and two second-round exits. The Western Conference NBA odds are as tough as it’s been in recent memory because of increased competition, but with a full year under Doc Rivers now under their belts, a change could be on the horizon.
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Clippers Key Losses
Darren Collison – The Los Angeles Clippers didn’t endure too many significant losses this offseason, but Darren Collison is one of the exceptions. At 26 years old last season, Collison became the ideal backup point guard. He rejoined Chris Paul in the backcourt from their days with the then-New Orleans Hornets, and he established himself as a threat from outside who could also take over the scoring load when the reserves needed a boost. Collison is now with the Sacramento Kings, where he’ll assume the role of starting point guard from Day 1.
Jared Dudley — Jared Dudley probably doesn’t qualify as a “key” loss for the Clippers, but he was a veteran presence who shot a decent percentage from downtown. He moved onto the Milwaukee Bucks, where he’ll be a clear-cut leader on a young roster.
Clippers Top Newcomers
Spencer Hawes — Spencer Hawes was a steal this summer. The center, who was coming off a career year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was at one point projected to sign a new deal as a starter worth upwards of $10 million per season. Instead, he took the high road, signing for the M.L.E. and taking a backup role on the Clippers’ deep roster.
Hawes is going to be huge for this team, as it’s lacked a true backup center for quite some time now. He’ll provide a big body down low and a sweet jumper up top, and he’ll help spread the floor, which is something DeAndre Jordan simply can’t do.
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Jordan Farmar — This is an acquisition that went a bit under the radar, but with Collison leaving, it becomes extremely important. Although there are more talented guards on the roster not named Chris Paul (J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford, for instance), neither is a true point guard. Attempting to play one of them at the 1 would have tinkered with team chemistry, and while bringing in someone new could certainly do the same, Farmar has been effective in L.A. in the past — just for the enemy Los Angeles Lakers.
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Clippers Top Players
Chris Paul — Chris Paul will turn 30 this year, but that doesn’t mean his best days are behind him. He’s not the kind of player who has ever relied on athleticism, which means his incredible basketball I.Q. will continue to show in his 10th season.
Blake Griffin — Unlike Paul, Griffin’s game absolutely has relied on athleticism throughout his career. We’ve seen him put plenty of players on posters, and as a result, he’s become known for his dunks more than his skill set. That said, we saw last season that he’s improving his jumper and developing low-post moves under Doc Rivers. Keep an eye on the 25-year-old to see if he continues developing that aspect of his game.
DeAndre Jordan — Despite being an ultra-athletic, 6’11” center, DeAndre Jordan has been known as an underwhleming defender throughout his career. He’s never been good at rotations, and one-on-one defense has been less successful than the occasional off-ball swat. Luckily for the Clips, Jordan began to show his defensive potential last season. He blocked 2.5 shots per game and pulled down 13.6 rebounds in the process.
Jamal Crawford — There are very few — if any — players across the league who compete for Sixth Man of the Year every single season. Jamal Crawford does just that with his ability to score from anywhere on the floor, and 2014-15 should be no different.
Clippers Strengths
Offensive Efficiency — As simple as it sounds, there are no teams in the NBA who were as good at putting the ball in the basket last season. The Clippers scored 107.9 points per game last season, and while their 7th-highest league-wide pace had something to do with it, the fact that they were No. 1 in offensive efficiency is the more important statistic to pay attention to.
Clippers Weaknesses
Three-point Shooting – It sounds strange, but despite being the No. 1 scoring team in the NBA, the Clippers were not a good three-point shooting unit.
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Throughout the course of the 2013-14 season, Los Angeles shot just 35.2 percent from downtown. That number was only good enough for 22nd in the NBA, which is only made worse by the fact that it shot the eighth-most three-pointers in the league.
Clippers 2014 Betting Prediction
The Western Conference is absolutely brutal, but the Clippers are one of the main reasons why. There will be six or seven teams vying for home-court advantage this season, but barring a surprisingly disastrous run, the Clips should be one of the few to attain such honors come playoff time.
In the playoffs, L.A.’s major competition will be the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those two are projected to make the Western Conference Finals, but simply put, L.A. could play spoiler to either.
At this point, L.A.’s ceiling is an NBA Finals appearance. Will they make it there? It’s certainly possible, but odds are, a conference championship appearance is more realistic.
Don’t count out this team at any point in the year, but know that they’re a slight notch below OKC and San Antonio at this point in the process.
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