Can the Los Angeles Clippers win the NBA Championships

Can the Los Angeles Clippers Win the NBA Championships?

Doc Rivers is entering his fourth season as the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. He was brought in because of his championship pedigree, however the Clippers have yet to break through to the Western Conference Finals. With a healthy “Big Three” of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, a steadily improving bench and the support of owner Steve Ballmer, the Clippers are poised to make it to their first ever NBA Finals.

Hot Start

San Antonio Spurs vs LA Clippers Highlights

The Clippers got off to a blazing start to the 2016-17 season, opening the year with a franchise-best 10-1 record. They beat the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers by 19 points and currently sit atop the Western Conference as one of the best teams. The Clippers already have impressive victories this season, beating the Cavaliers, Spurs, Thunder, Trail Blazers and Raptors.

Defense

Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers Highlights

Perhaps the most impressive stat so far this season is the point differential in which the Clippers are beating their opponents. The Clippers are winning by an average of 10 points, which is second only to Golden State. The Clippers are also holding opposing teams to 43 percent shooting from the field, tied for second best in the league.

The Supporting Cast

JJ Redick Full Highlights 2016.11.16 Clippers vs Grizzlies

The Clippers “Big Three” have been doing their part so far this season, but it’s the supporting cast that has propelled Los Angeles to even greater heights.

JJ Redick is averaging 15.6 points while shooting a career-best 49 percent from the field. Jamal Crawford, a three-time recipient of the Sixth Man of the Year Award, continues to be a factor off the bench, averaging 11 points and two assists per game. Newcomer Marreese Speights has also made his presence felt, averaging 8.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in only 15 minutes per game. Austin Rivers has also shown steady improvement since arriving in Los Angeles in 2014. He is currently averaging 8.2 points per game while shooting 36 percent from downtown, his best 3-point shooting percentage since his second year in the league. Paul Pierce, Raymond Felton, Wesley Johnson and Brandon Bass round out the Clippers improved the bench.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has also been a bright spot in the Clippers starting lineup. The small forward position has been a problem for the Clippers the past several seasons, but Mbah a Moute has seemed to solidify his spot in the lineup. He has started every game so far for the Clippers and is averaging career highs in field goal percentage and three-point percentage and is in the top 30 in the League in steals.

Can the Clippers win an NBA Championship? If the supporting cast continues to play at a high level, they certainly have a great chance.

Opponents

LA Clippers vs Cavaliers Highlights

The Clippers have never made it to the Western Conference Finals, let alone the NBA Finals. For the Clippers to win the NBA Championship, they will have to battle through a tough Western Conference.

The Trail Blazers had the Clippers number last year in the playoffs, in large part due to injuries to Paul and Griffin. The Clippers have shown that they can beat Portland when they had their entire team intact, beating them in the first two games of the series before the injuries started to pile up. The Clippers have already beat the Trail Blazers this season.

The Spurs and Warriors are the teams to beat in the West and will give the Clippers a run for their money. The Clippers proved they could beat the Spurs, eliminating them in a hard-fought seven-game series in the first round of the playoffs two years ago. The Warriors are coming off of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, but they have shown vulnerability to the Clippers in the past. As a matter of fact, before the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors in last year’s Finals, the Clippers were the last team to beat them in the playoffs back during the 2013-14 campaign.

Tradition

LA Clippers Blake Griffin and Chris Paul roast some kids.

The Clippers lack a championship tradition, never having made it to the NBA Finals. However, there are players on the team that has championship experience. Rivers won an NBA championship with the Celtics as a coach, as did Pierce while he was with Boston. Speights also has a championship from his time with the Warriors.

Can the Clippers win the NBA Championship? As long as the team stays healthy and the supporting cast continues to improve, the answer is clear.

But can the Clippers win the NBA Championships based on early wins?

Utah Jazz vs LA Clippers – Full Game Highlights 2016-17 NBA Season

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