5-On-5 Roundtable: First Round Western Conference Predictions

(3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) Golden State Warriors:
Regular season head-to-head record: 2-2 all

Dunlap: Although I believe the Clippers were going to win the series anyway, Andrew Bogut‘s injury will make it that much easier on Los Angeles. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are playing out of their minds right now, combining for 45 points, 11.7 rebounds, 14 assists and 3.3 steals per game over their last nine games. Griffin is even beating Paul from the foul line (83.9 to 82.7). Mark Jackson and his crew can score, but they can’t stop the Clippers. Look for Stephen Curry to have his usual explosion of a game to lead the Warriors to victory…once. Jackson gets fired after an easy series win by the Clippers. Prediction: Clippers in 5

Watson: I would like the Warriors’ chances so much more if they had a healthy Andrew Bogut to protect the rim, but he’s out with a fractured rib. Bogut was extremely effective against the Clips, averaging 11.8 points and 10.8 boards and shooting 67.7 percent. Stephen Curry averaged 22 points, 9.5 assists and five turnovers a game, but hit 58.6 percent from 3-point range, so Golden State has a puncher’s chance. But with Bogut around, DeAndre Jordan averaged 15.3 rebounds. Good God, how many will he have with Jermaine O’Neal trying to battle him down low? Blake Griffin averaged 25 and 10.5 against the Warriors and Chris Paul, in three games, went off for 28 points and 12.7 assists. Just too much weaponry for a short-handed Golden State crew to contend with. Prediction: Clippers in 6

Bourguet: If this series had Andrew Bogut, you could talk me into the Warriors putting up a good fight in a brutal playoff series that would reach Smush Parker proportions of inane and uncalled for violence. But now it’s up to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to shoot the lights out of the entire state of California while Mark Jackson frantically tries to figure out how the Warriors can stop the league’s highest-scoring offense without the attitude and paint enforcer of Golden State’s defense. No one can stop a Curry heat check and that’s how the Warriors will win a game or two, but Chris Paul has a better chance slowing him down than Curry does of stopping CP3. Oh, and Blake Griffin doesn’t have much to fear from David Lee, Draymond Green or Jermaine O’Neal either. Prediction: Clippers in 5

Young: Why give me a heart attack?  I thought the playoffs were supposed to be a time to shed tears of joy, or sadness … not falling over due to an anxiety attack. That’s what we’re in store for in this series. With the potential to be the best first-round series in history, LA and Golden State will be at each other’s throat for six games. The homecourt advantage in the first two games is what could kill the Warriors, as Los Angeles has scorched them for 118.5 points per contest at Staples Center this year in two meetings. On the road at Oracle Arena, the Clippers scored just 97.5 points per game. However, the reason why Golden State’s defense was so stiff at home (Andrew Bogut) will be out for the entire playoffs. Jermaine O’Neal is a veteran, and we’ll see some fights within the frontcourt for sure, but the two-man game between Chris Paul and Blake Griffin/DeAndre Jordan is too much. Almost for anyone. Stephen Curry will have to explode in the 30s each night for them to outscore Doc Rivers‘ bunch, and that’s a lot to ask from a shooter with high volume. Prediction: Clippers in 6

Giese: When Golden State and the Clippers get together, offensive magic happens. You’ve got two relatively young teams both fighting for respect in the brutal Western Conference and two point guards that are trying to be known as the best in the NBA. Curry vs. Paul will get a lot of attention but the biggest difference in the game is going to be the Warriors without Andrew Bogut. Not having Bogut to defend against DeAndre Jordan swings this in the Clippers’ favor. Playoff basketball at Oracle Arena is a lot of fun to watch and the Warriors should be able to swing at least one game their way, but unless Harrison Barnes has some playoff magic again I don’t see how Golden State gets out of this series alive. Prediction: Clippers in 5