HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

With the arrivals of Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, believe it or not, the Clippers are actually on the rise after at times seeming like they were destined to be mediocre forever. The main reason why is the reigning Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin. Griffin’s emergence as one of the league’s premier power forwards has legitimized the Clippers in every aspect. Pairing him with Chris Paul arguably the best point guard in the game is a perfect match. The teams decision to match DeAndre Jordan’s contract offer means the Clippers are set at every position. The addition of a few more veteran free agents and this could be a big year for Los Angeles’ second team.

2nd Place, Pacific Division

- Yannis Koutroupis

Even before the Clippers traded for Chris Paul they were on fire in free agency. Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups alone made them a quantum leap better than last year’s team and easily put them in the playoff picture. Add Chris Paul and now we may be talking about contenders in Clipperland. They are at least contenders for home court advantage.

2^nd Place, Pacific Division

- Bill Ingram

I think we can all agree that adding Chris Paul immediately turned this team into a favorite in the Western Conference this year, but he isn’t the only reason this team looks so strong.  Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, and Mo Williams all have deep playoff experience, and Blake Griffin is a superstar in the making.  DeAndre Jordan is a physical force, and while matching his 4-year, $43 million offer sheet seems a little pricy, he’s a guy Griffin loves and loves to play with.  Honestly, he’s a guy fans love to watch, too, and combined with the other young, exciting players on this team, the end result is maximum entertainment that could actually be supplemented by some serious wins this season.  I’ll never be sold on Vinny Del Negro as an NBA coach, so that could prove to be a problem at more than one point over the course of the season, but based on talent alone, this is about as sexy a roster as there is in the entire league. 

2^nd Place, Pacific Division

- Joel Brigham

- Lang Greene

The Los Angeles Clippers win the ‘Best Offseason’ award. After acquiring Chris Paul, Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups as well as re-signing DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers went from being a promising up-and-coming team to a legitimate contender. Paul has never had a teammate as talented as Blake Griffin, and they’ll be one of the most exciting duos to keep an eye on over the next few years. The Lakers are still the team to beat in Los Angeles, but that may change very soon. The Clippers only won 32 games last, but that number will increase significantly this year. In the past, Paul was able to singlehandedly lead the New Orleans Hornets to the playoffs. Now, with so many talented players surrounding Paul, the Clippers have to be considered one of the elite teams in the Western Conference.

2nd Place, Pacific Division

- Alex Kennedy

Top Offensive Player: Griffin stunned the NBA with his explosive force as a dunker but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all he can do. He sees the floor very well, averaging 3.8 assists per game as a forward along with his 22.5 points. Blake’s agility is off the charts which makes him a very, very difficult cover. Already a triple-double threat, Griffin is just scratching the surface at 22 years old. Blake has put the Clippers on the map. There would be no Paul, Billups and Butler in LA without the “Blake Effect.”

Top Defensive Player: This is an imperfect category for the Clippers. Paul, for his size is solid but he’s barely 6’0”. Billups, when he was a little bit younger, was one of the better defensive guards in the league. If there’s one are that Griffin needs to work on most it’s on the defensive end of the ball. That would leave DeAndre Jordan the team’s best defender. DJ is a demonstrative shot blocker (1.78 per game) but his game is still developing. Last year he made dramatic strides, especially defensively. That’s where he needs to put in the work to earn that $43 million contract the Clippers inked him to this offseason.

Top Playmaker: Paul is arguably the best point guard in the league. Perhaps he’s been overtaken by Derrick Rose but Chris may force a reevaluation this coming season. The Clippers are about to become “Lob City” and it’s going to be Paul averaging double-digit assist numbers every night. Additionally having Billups and Mo Williams, two former All-Star point guards, on the roster will just improve the team’s ability to play smart, team-oriented ball. Randy Foye is also a capable combo guard and as mentioned, for a big, Griffin is a sharp passer.

Top Clutch Player: The issue for the Clippers, forever (except for an ever brief stretch with Sam Cassell), has been clutch play down the stretch. LA has always needed a closer and now in Paul they have one of the best in the business. When someone named “Mr. Big Shot” (Billups) is not the considered the most clutch on the team, that’s a sizable turnaround for a team that has lost seasons’ worth of games in the final two minutes.

The Unheralded Player: Given the star power suddenly filling the team’s lineup, a couple of players stand out as the kind of role players the team will need to do the dirty work. Ryan Gomes, a forced starter last year, is the perfect guy to bring in off the bench to defend, scrap, and sacrifice his game (and body) for the good of the team. With the depth at guard, it will be interesting to see how Randy Foye fits into the mix but he’s Coach Vinny Del Negro’s utility player at three positions. Mo Williams may prove to be the heart of the team, especially the bench as the team’s probable sixth man.

Best New Addition: Rookies Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie are both well-regarding by the team . . . but come on, it’s Chris Paul.

– Eric Pincus

1. Blake Griffin – He’s one of the league’s new generation stars like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose, confident yet humble. The Clippers are well-represented by their superstar. With Paul setting up the offense, expect big numbers from Griffin.

2. Chris Paul – It’s Chris Paul.

3. Vice President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey – It didn’t hurt to have Griffin fall into his lap via Mike Dunleavy’s reign as General Manager but Olshey has managed to change the team’s character from top to bottom. Gone are the pay-to-play type players of the past. The talent Olshey has brought into Los Angeles wants to be there, playing for the Clippers. If he makes no other move his entire career with the team, landing Paul as he did gives him a winning resume.

4. Chauncey Billups – It’s going to take Billups a moment to adjust to suddenly being a Clipper and then finding out he’s not even the starting point guard. Chauncey was hoping to clear amnesty waivers and sign wherever he chose to do so. Instead he’s a Clipper. Paul indicated Thursday that he and Billups are very close and if there were any worries Chauncey might have had? Paul has it under control. Expect the two long-time friends to share the backcourt with Billups as the two.

5. DeAndre Jordan – While DJ is still just 23 years old, he made such a big leap last season as an emergency starter, a number of teams were eager to sign him up this offseason. The Golden State Warriors gave him a lucrative offer sheet but as a Clipper free agent, the team chose to match.

Is DeAndre worth his salary?

Based on numbers and his present abilities? No. Based on the role he fills for the team as a finisher, shot-blocker, defender and complement to Griffin? Yes.

The Clippers made what they felt was the best move for the team, so if DJ benefits from a few extra million, that’s the team investing in what they believe to be an overall winning product.

DeAndre is also a light-hearted presence in the locker room and arguably Griffin’s closest friend on the team.

- Eric Pincus

Point guard depth: Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe (recovering from knee surgery). It’s too much frankly.

Blake Griffin as a force of nature with complementary parts?

This could work out very well for the Clippers.

Not to mention a scorer at the three in Butler who adds the toughness LA has needed for years.

The Clippers have the pieces, albeit with a tweak or two needed, that may lead to a deep playoff run.

- Eric Pincus

Depth up front – behind Griffin and DeAndre, the Clippers only have Brian Cook and rookie Trey Thompkins. No seven-footers on the roster . . . just Griffin, Jordan and Thompkins are 6’10” or taller.

The Clippers are looking to add another body, be it via their $3.8 million trade exception generated in the Paul trade or the new “Room Exception” worth $2.5 million.

Another issue is the glut of guards including young players Travis Leslie and Willie Warren. It would not be a shock to see Mo Williams traded although the Clippers seem to think he will fill a valuable sixth-man role.

- Eric Pincus

There is a buzz about this group. I’m sure you guys can hear it, I’m sure you know it’s there. We don’t want to shy away from it, we want to embrace it. We want to believe it. That is the only way for us to reach the high standard now set for us. Chris, you’ve earned the respect around the league to be the man from Day 1. I need you to be as much a coach on the floor as anything else. Blake, you had one of the best rookie seasons of all time. But we need more from you. You need to become one of the best pick and pop players in the business: can you use this season to add an 18-footer to your arsenal? If so, I believe we have the personnel to run it to death and make life very difficult for everyone we face. The other real key for us as a team is how we perform on the defensive end. I want Blake and DeAndre to have less blocked shots this year because our perimeter defense is better. Last year, they had to spend way too much time cleaning up the mess, and we can’t let that be the story of our season this year either. We have complimentary pieces now, and a great core. Let’s have some fun – and let’s be the best team in LA.

- Anthony Macri

Can this team come together quickly and progress far enough into the playoffs this season – and next – to convince Chris Paul that the Clippers are his long-term destination?

Paul opted into the final year of his contract, so the Clippers have a certain amount of time to work with before he’s a restricted free agent.

Griffin will be unrestricted the following year in 2013 but the team will offer him a massive extension next summer.

The Clippers have the makings of something tremendous but history has not been kind to the organization. 

Are the gremlins gone and will the team finally become a competitive force year in and year out?

- Eric Pincus