Playoff Picture: Los Angeles Clippers

By Luke Duffy | Apr 13, 2015

Apr 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) talks with teammates including guard J.J. Redick (4), forward Matt Barnes (22), and center DeAndre Jordan (6) during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 11, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) loses the ball as Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes (22) falls into him during the third quarter at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Clippers won 94-86. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

For the Los Angeles Clippers, it’s been a somewhat strange couple of years. Once the joke franchise of the NBA, seeing them draft (Blake Griffin) and trade for (Chris Paul) genuine All-Stars to make them a team worth fearing was a feel-good story.

With the right role players on the team as well, this was an organization casual fans liked. That they overtook the Los Angeles Lakers as the best team in town helped their cause as well.

But then strange things started to happen. Their bench, once a strong point for this team, fell off a cliff. The team traded to get a head coach in Doc Rivers with championship pedigree. But then people felt Griffin was flopping a lot, Paul was playing with a frown on his face night after night, and suddenly this team was harder to cheer for.

That Rivers also traded for his own son (Austin Rivers) midway through this season only added to people’s grief. He wasn’t even that good, this was a blatant act of nepotism. Despite all of the perceived opinions of this team though, they are still loaded and ready to contend again.

For more on this year’s playoff picture, click below

(West: Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies)

(East: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards)

Next: True Superstar Still The Man Here

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