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This is the year for the LA Clippers as they have a great shot at winning a title this year. It all started with them landing the first pick and taking Blake Griffin. The presence of the young superstar was alluring enough to bring Chris Paul to the city of angles. Although he came tantalizingly close to becoming Laker, Paul ended up on the other side of the city and the Clippers haven’t been the same since.
Last year’s playoffs afforded a glimpse into the juggernaut this Clippers team can become. Even an injury riddled squad gave a 7-game battle to the Memphis Grizzlies before bowing out to the San Antonio Spurs. This year they have a lot more to give. The addition of Jamal Crawford adds an unpredictable dimension to an already potent offense. A premiere candidate for sixth man of the year, Crawford is capable of creating his own shot much as Paul is. And the frontcourt of Griffin and DeAndre Jordan provides one of the best finishing duos on the receiving end of Paul’s excellent playmaking skills. This season marked the first 50 win season for the Clippers and their first division title. Let’s not forget the 17-game win streak and the 32-9 home record.
Although the Clippers and Grizzlies both finished with 56 regular season wins, a lot of the Clipper losses came when Paul sat out with an injury. This season the Clippers took the season series vs. the Grizzlies by a 3-1 record. Impressively, two of those wins came at the FedEx Arena, home to the Grizzlies. While the Clippers only allowed 94.6 points per game this season, good enough for fourth best, the Grizzlies allowed a NBA low 89.3 points. Of course pace also has a lot to do with points allowed. The Clippers averaged 101.1 points per game to the Grizzlies’ 93.4 which is 5th lowest in the league.
Here’s a look at how the expected starters for the two team’s matchup:
Chris Paul vs. Mike Conley
Paul averaged 46.9 points per game with 9.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds. He is one of the best closers in the league and is capable of running an offense even without any set plays. Another potent weapon the Clippers have against Conley specifically is Eric Bledsoe. The Mini LeBron has been a thorn in the side of Conley in the regular season. Conley averaged 14.6 points with 6.1 assists per game this season, but when Bledsoe is on him you can expect those numbers to drop. Bledsoe, by the way, led all NBA guards in per minute blocked shots with 1.3 blocks per 36 minutes.
“No question, I expect it to be physical,” Chris Paul said. “We’ve just got to play our game. We’ve got to pick up the tempo and keep those ‘bigs’ in ball screens and try to stay out of foul trouble.”
Chauncey Billups vs. Tony Allen
There’s a good chance that Allen will be put on Paul for large parts of this series. Regardless, he’s one of the toughest defenders in the league and will put immense pressure on whomever he guards. While Billups may not be as spry as he once was, the Clippers have Crawford coming off the bench and there are few shooting guards who ride the pine who are as good as Mr. Four Point Play. Crawford led the league in points per minute off the bench. As for the starters, Billups averaged 8.4 points with 2.2 assists this season. Although Allen’s numbers of 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds are not gaudy, his impact isn’t measured on the stat sheet, unless it’s the shot chart of the opponent’s team.
Caron Butler vs. Tayshaun Prince
Both are tough and grizzled veterans who can hit the long ball and put pressure on their opponent on the defensive end. Butler averaged 10.4 points per game with 2.9 rebounds and Prince averaged 10.4 points too with 4.4 rebounds.
Blake Griffin vs. Zach Randolph
Griffin averaged 18.0 points per game with 8.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Having star teammates this season, his number wasn’t called as often explaining his numbers dropping this season. But his overall game has become a lot more polished and there isn’t really an answer to stop him when he’s in motion near the paint. Randolph averaged 15.4 points per game this season with 11.2 rebounds and will be looking to cause trouble for the young Clipper whose defence still needs work to consistently contain someone like Zach.
“It’s about locking in. Everybody knows the plays and the tendencies everyone has. So it’s about locking in and actually executing the plays and the game plan each and every game. It comes down to the small details, the guys who make the small plays and the hustle plays that carry over and allow you to win. You have to lock in mentally and be on another level.”- Blake Griffin
DeAndre Jordan vs. Marc Gasol
Gasol is an incredibly talented big man, and while Jordan isn’t as polished he makes up for it by being an athletic dynamo. Jordan averaged 8.8 points with 7.2 rebounds and Gasol averaged 14.1 points with 7.8 rebounds. The Grizzlies average 12.9 rebounds per game on the offensive glass and Jordan needs to corral those loose balls on defence to disallow easy shots for Gasol.
“They win games for a reason,” Del Negro said of the Grizzlies. “They’ve been together for a while. They make it tough on you, especially on the glass.”
The Clippers have home court advantage and given that they took two at the FedEx Forum this season and their 27 point comeback against the Grizzlies in last year’s playoffs, one can safely assume them to have the edge. No series is decided before it’s over though, and no one wants to dismiss the Grizzlies. Expect a tough nosed battle, one of the most entertaining first round series this year. And expect the Clippers to advance.
