Los Angeles Clippers Have Right Attitude Heading Into NBA Playoffs

By Andrew C. Fisher | Apr 15, 2015

Apr 13, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and center DeAndre Jordan (6) in the second half of the game against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center. Clippers won 110-103. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Sometimes in sports there’s no point in denying the truth. A team embracing what it really is can be empowering, as in, the truth shall set you free. Take for instance a team realizing it has nothing left to lose and as a result the players become more relaxed and perform at a high level. The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to be that team as the 2015 NBA Playoffs approach.

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With numerous black eyes from the past few postseasons the Clippers know exactly who they are at this point. They’re the team that no one thinks can get the job done when it really counts. Last time I checked, that’s not what any team ever wants to be known as.

Past results, however, don’t give a rip about what a team ultimately becomes synonymous with. Playoff results are the coldest and hardest of facts, and the record book says that since the Chris Paul era began in 2011, the Clippers have failed to make it past round two.

It’s a fact that people may be tired of hearing, but it’s also the elephant in the room. Paul is the face of franchise, so naturally he gets attached to the situation more than anyone else. That’s just how it goes for star players.

But despite three straight frustrating knockouts in the playoffs, Doc Rivers’ team has come back strong this season. Heading into the season finale, the Clippers are playing their best basketball of the season as winners of 13 out of their last 14 games.

Los Angeles will also finish with more than 50 wins for the third consecutive season. Rivers is proud of that fact and he also realizes the benefit of it in terms of seeding, but his team knows it will ultimately be judged by the results of its games in the coming weeks.

“It means a lot to have the record that we have. We’ve kind of hung in there. I’ve said this to our guys: For a team that has this record, we’ve been criticized all year. Our guys don’t care because we get that the regular season is the regular season. We just want to be great, and we want to keep working at it. We’re not there yet, and we know that, but we just have to keep pushing towards our goals, and that’s all we can do.” – Doc Rivers via ESPN’s Arash Markazi

J.J. Redick also spoke on the team’s attitude and feelings, echoing his head coach.

“It has been an interesting season, in terms of the flow of our team and the wins and the losses. But we are playing our best at the right time, and we still feel like we have another level to get to, especially with Jamal (Crawford) coming back. But we are comfortable with where we are at right now and feel like we can beat anybody.”

The way it looks right now, Los Angeles should be able to hang with just about any team in the Western Conference. If they can avoid the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, you have to like their chances against teams like Memphis, Houston, Dallas and Portland early on.

While this group of Clippers has yet to really win anything, fans should at least be encouraged by the late-season win streak and attitude the team is displaying as the playoffs approach.

Next: Should DeAndre Jordan Leave Los Angeles Clippers?

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