The Numbers
- NBA Rank: 4
Conference Rank: 3 
Los Angeles Clippers
The Brief
It would seem like it's finally the time for the Clippers to shed their history of losing and reach the pinnacle of the NBA. The racist owner is gone. They've become the big brother in their city that beats up on their Staples Center roommate.
The Story
In NBA history, the city of Los Angeles has been home of the league's Yin and Yang. On one side we've had the Clippers, a poorly run team with one of the worst records in history. On the other side we've had the Lakers, the pinnacle of success. In the last few years, these two teams have swapped spots. Last season saw this hit its peak. The Clippers are a legitimate contender, who were several assists from NBA refs away from the conference finals.
Last Year
| Player | Minutes | Age | WP48 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeAndre Jordan | 2,870 | 26 | 0.323 | 19.3 |
| Blake Griffin | 2,863 | 25 | 0.169 | 10.1 |
| Chris Paul | 2,171 | 29 | 0.335 | 15.2 |
| Jamal Crawford | 2,094 | 34 | 0.066 | 2.9 |
| Darren Collison | 2,069 | 26 | 0.135 | 5.8 |
| Matt Barnes | 1,735 | 34 | 0.107 | 3.9 |
| Jared Dudley | 1,729 | 29 | 0.045 | 1.6 |
| J.J. Redick | 987 | 30 | 0.126 | 2.6 |
| Willie Green | 869 | 32 | -0.032 | -0.6 |
| Ryan Hollins | 482 | 29 | 0.080 | 0.8 |
| Reggie Bullock | 395 | 23 | -0.018 | -0.1 |
| Hedo Turkoglu | 392 | 35 | 0.104 | 0.9 |
| Glen Davis | 308 | 28 | 0.007 | 0 |
| Antawn Jamison | 248 | 38 | -0.115 | -0.6 |
| Danny Granger | 194 | 31 | -0.003 | 0 |
| Byron Mullens | 167 | 25 | -0.160 | -0.6 |
| Stephen Jackson | 107 | 36 | -0.168 | -0.4 |
| Darius Morris | 54 | 23 | -0.161 | -0.2 |
| Sasha Vujacic | 10 | 30 | -0.251 | -0.1 |
| Maalik Wayns | 9 | 23 | 0.344 | 0.1 |
Indicates that the player is no longer with the team.
The Clippers have a pretty simple recipe for success, have one the best point guards in history with the top center in the league. Again, they are definitely copying the Lakers. Tack on a maturing Blake Griffin and this team was a force. Again, they were a few bad calls in the playoffs from making it a step closer to the finals. Everything isn't perfect with the Clippers. It's hard to go wrong with such a strong core of players. However, pieces like an ancient Chauncey Billups, a terrible Glen Davis, and Antawn Jamison?? If the Clippers got a slightly better scout, they could be even more amazing. With the strength of the west, they may need it if they ever hope to get to the finals.
This Year
| Player | Position | Minutes | Age | WP48 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Griffin | 4.0 | 2,270.2 | 26 | 0.166 | 7.8 |
| Chris Paul | 1.0 | 2,243.1 | 30 | 0.311 | 14.6 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 5.0 | 2,106.5 | 27 | 0.209 | 9.2 |
| Matt Barnes | 3.0 | 2,044.4 | 35 | 0.082 | 3.5 |
| J.J. Redick | 2.0 | 1,887.7 | 31 | 0.161 | 6.3 |
| Jamal Crawford | 2.0 | 1,329.0 | 35 | 0.112 | 3.1 |
| Spencer Hawes | 5.0 | 1,326.4 | 27 | .076 | 2.1 |
| Glen Davis | 4.0 | 1,249.4 | 29 | 0.016 | 0.4 |
| Jordan Farmar | 1.0 | 1,167.5 | 28 | 0.109 | 2.6 |
| Chris Douglas-Roberts | 3.0 | 1,093.7 | 28 | 0.129 | 3.0 |
| Ekpe Udoh | 4.5 | 788.4 | 28 | -0.079 | -1.3 |
| Reggie Bullock | 2.5 | 621.9 | 24 | 0.097 | 1.3 |
| C.J. Wilcox | 2.0 | 574.8 | 30 | -0.013 | -0.2 |
| Jared Cunningham | 1.5 | 542.8 | 24 | -0.073 | -0.8 |
| Joe Ingles | 3.0 | 434.2 | 27 | 0.094 | 0.8 |
Indicates that the player is new to the team.
The Clippers are a little weaker than last season. Jordan Farmar is a decent replacement to Darren Collison. Of course, the Clippers are pretty much a three man team with Paul, Griffin, and Jordan. They didn't really improve their teams depth, and they have a lot of aging players. Even without the Lakers, the Pacific division is going to be tight. The Clippers are going to need to hope their big three stay healthy. It's possible, but unlikely that some of their bench will improve in performance. Clippers fans can expect another winning season, but it may not be enough in a very tough division and conference.
The Wrap
Three consecutive fifty win seasons would be an amazing turnaround for the Clippers. Griffin and Paul are signed for the longterm. Hopefully Ballmer, who just spent two billion dollars to acquire the Clippers, won't flinch at paying DeAndre Jordan to stick around. The Clippers have the title of the best team in Los Angeles; we'll see if they can hold onto it for a while.