From here , it’s all legit. No pretenders. No more”if a couple of things go right” aspirants. No more”maybe, just perhaps” hopefuls.
Real, honest-to-goodness contenders only.
The Clippers, by virtue of being mentioned after that introduction, are one such competition.
Free of the shadow cast by Donald Sterling and imbued with the frightening enthusiasm and impossibly deep pockets of new owner Steve Ballmer, the Clips will look to lock up a top-three seed from the West again. This moment, tough, they will hope to progress to the Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
The bulk of the responsibility falls upon the recognizable shoulders of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, two players who may easily lead the Clips to yet another No. 1 finish in offensive performance. Together with Doc Rivers’ direction and (hopefully) another measure from DeAndre Jordan, L.A. is in great position for another deep playoff run.
There are concerns.
The wing positions are feeble behind J.J. Redick. Matt Barnes is supposed to begin at the 3, and at age 34 there should be real concerns that his 4.2 percentage (yes, 4.2 percent) shooting from long range during the preseason is less a blip and more a sign his offensive game has fallen off a cliff.
Spencer Hawes was the group’s big offseason get, and as valuable as he is as a passer and floor-spacer, he won’t frighten anybody on defense.
If the crime remains elite and Rivers can manage his frontcourt rotation wisely, the Clippers could be marginally better than they were a year ago. That might be enough for them to reach heights they’ve never attained.

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