Rowan Kavner
SACRAMENTO – The start of the NBA season also means the start of expert predictions and placements for teams.
It also means the beginning of power rankings, which started coming out early this week.
Here’s where NBA.com, ESPN.com, SI.com, CBSSports.com and BleacherReport.com placed the Clippers, along with a brief explanation for the position. Each publication put the Clippers in the top six teams in the NBA to start the year.
Clippers No. 5 – “The Clippers are playing softer defense on pick-and-rolls and the change seems to be having a positive effect, with just 54 percent of their opponents’ preseason shots coming from the restricted area or 3-point range. That was the second lowest rate in the league and down from 60 percent last season…”
Clippers No. 6 – “The line shocks you every time it circulates around the office: Chris Paul has yet to taste the conference finals. We shouldn’t forget he’s spent all 10 of his seasons so far in the unforgiving West, but CP3 will join Dominique Wilkins as the only nine-time All-Stars with that unwanted distinction if it happens again this season.”
Clippers No. 5 – “Say what you want about the Clippers, but beyond surviving DeAndre Jordan’s summer blockbuster, this is a team that got almost improbably deeper, patching up what might have been its final gaping hole. There’s going through the fire, and then there’s going through it with Paul Pierce on your side…”
Clippers No. 6 – “They addressed their biggest issue last season by getting great depth and they return one of the best starting units in basketball. But after picking them to win the title last year, seeing them get past the Spurs and then give up a 3-1 lead to Houston, I’m right back to ‘you’ve got to prove to me you’re not going to vomit on me if I trust you’ with the Clips…”
Clippers No. 6 – “The Los Angeles Clippers averted disaster by getting (DeAndre) Jordan back, then addressed their embarrassing lack of depth by hauling in Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith. The lack of reliable bench help felled the Clips last year, pushing stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul beyond the point of exhaustion as a playoff run petered out. That shouldn’t happen this time around…”
