10 things to expect from the Los Angeles Clippers

No team in the NBA embodies the combination of excitement and frustration that the Los Angeles Clippers do. They run, they dunk, the shoot threes, have fiercely passionate players and coaches, and somehow manage to lose the in the Western Conference Semi-Finals every year. For head coach and team president Doc Rivers, along with stars Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan, the 2015-16 season could be a make-or-break year for the group. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at ten things you can expect this upcoming NBA season from the Los Angeles Clippers.

1) Dunks!

Every basketball fan on the face of planet earth is familiar with the dunking prowess of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Every night at least one of the two of them has a jaw-dropping slam dunk. And although the Clippers maintain they’re no longer “Lob City” with the additions of Josh Smith and rookie Branden Dawson (who has pogo sticks for legs) you can expect the Clippers to be the same high flying team of years past. Make no mistake, there is nothing more these guys love to do than rattle the rim.

2) A log-jam a shooting guard

J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford, and Lance Stephenson are all great individual players, and any team would be lucky to have one of them (well, at least Redick and Crawford). The Clippers however have all three players on their roster, and it just so happens that they all play the same position in shooting guard. Yes, Doc Rivers will likely play a lot of small ball this year, and Stephenson and Crawford can each bring the ball up the court, but each of these players are most effective when they are playing their natural two-guard position. Don’t be surprised if the odd-man out here is Crawford, as he has a trade friendly contract.

3) Paul Pierce at power forward

As previously mentioned, the Clippers are expected to play a lot of small ball this year. This means that newly signed Paul Pierce, a ten time All-Star at the small forward position, will be asked to play significant minutes at power forward this season. For Pierce, who will be 38-years-old when the season starts, it’s not a totally unfamiliar position as he has played some time at the four spot with the Nets and Wizards over the past two seasons. Still, it will be interesting to see the dynamic of having a future hall of famer in Pierce match-up with opposing Western Conference power forwards every night.

4) The new L.A. team to hate

With the Lakers struggling to rebuild, and the Clippers now having found continued success, expect this to be the year the Clippers receive more hate from opposing fans than their Staples Center roommates. The Clippers have been embarrassing opposing NBA teams the past several years with blowouts, over the top slam dunks, and constant complaining to the zebras. The Lakers have also been playing basketball, but it would be best for the mental health of us all not to discuss what that’s looked like. With that in mind, expect the Clippers to receive 100% of the “beat L.A.” chants heard across NBA arenas every season.

5) The re-birth of Lance Stephenson

Just two years ago, Lance Stephenson was a threat to record a triple-double for the Pacers every night. And although his usage rate won’t be high enough for that to happen with regularity playing for the Clips, expect Stephenson to recapture some of the magic he had with the Pacers now that he is playing on a quality basketball team with one of the most respected head coaches in the NBA.

6) Pressure

Pressure. It will be everywhere and it will be on just about everyone who matters in the Clippers organization. The pressure will be on center DeAndre Jordan to prove he was worth the off-season fuss, it will be on Blake Griffin to prove he is truly one NBA’s elite players, it will be on head coach and team president Doc Rivers to prove he’s the right man for the job, and it will be on owner Steve Ballmer who still needs to prove he truly knows what the hell he is doing running an NBA franchise. All things considered however . . .

7) The Clippers will have the NBA’s most efficient offense

With future hall of famer Chris Paul leading the charge once again at point guard, and with a new influx of talent, the Clippers will likely have the most efficient offense in the NBA the upcoming season; just as they did last year. In fact only one team managed to score more points the Clips last season; their Pacific Division rivals, and NBA champion Golden State Warriors. And speaking of the Pacific Division . . .

8) The Clippers will finish second in the Pacific Division

In any other division in the NBA, the Clippers would probably finish first. But as of right now, the gap between the Clips and the defending NBA champion Warriors is simply too much overcome over the course of an 82 game season. Still, despite finishing second in their division, the Clippers will . . .

9) Win at least 58 games

58 games seems to be the magic number where an NBA team turns into a legitimate title contender. The Clippers finished two games short of this mark last season with 56 wins, but the additions of Pierce, Stephenson, and Smith should give them the depth needed to push above the 58 win threshold. Also, 58 wins would constitute the best season in Clippers franchise history. But how far would such a win total take the Clips in the playoffs?

10) The Clippers will lose in the Western Conference Finals

Congratulations Clippers fans! You’ve finally made it past the second round of the playoffs! Unfortunately your team is probably going to match-up with the Warriors or re-loaded Spurs in the Conference Finals; and Stephen Curry and Gregg Popovich are just too hard to bet against that far into the postseason. Plus that DeAndre Jordan guy has a bit of a hard time making his free throws.
   
The Los Angeles Clippers are an NBA team oozing with talent, are an incredible amount of fun to watch, and are lead by one of the most respected head coaches in basketball. Still, I can’t help but to feel there is still something amiss with this team. Maybe it’s the rumors that CP3 doesn’t get along will with Blake Griffin, maybe it’s the fact DeAndre Jordan can’t shoot free throws, or maybe it’s the fact that they play in the same conference as the Warriors and the Spurs.
   
Or maybe I’m just blinded by the fact that they’re the Clippers.