From here , it’s all legit. No pretenders. No”if a couple of things go right” aspirants. No more”maybe, just maybe” hopefuls.
Real contenders only.
The Clippers, by virtue of being said after that debut, are just one such competition.
Free of the shadow cast by Donald Sterling and imbued with the frightening enthusiasm and deep pockets of fresh owner Steve Ballmer, the Clips will look to lock up a top-three seed in the West again. This time, tough, they’ll hope to advance to the Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
The bulk of the responsibility falls upon the familiar shoulders of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, two players who could easily lead the Clips to yet another No. 1 finish in offensive efficiency. Together with Doc Rivers’ direction and (hopefully) another step from DeAndre Jordan, L.A. is in excellent position for yet another deep playoff run.
There are concerns, though.
The wing positions are somewhat feeble behind J.J. Redick. Matt Barnes is slated to begin at the 3, and at age 34 that there should be real worries that his 4.2 percentage (yes, 4.2% ) shooting from long range during the preseason is not as a blip and more a sign that his offensive game has dropped off a cliff.
Spencer Hawes has been the group’s big offseason get, and as valuable as he is as a passer and floor-spacer, he will not frighten anybody on protection.
If the offense remains elite and Rivers can manage his frontcourt rotation wisely, the Clippers might be slightly better than they were a year ago. That may be sufficient for them to reach heights they have never attained.

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