10 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

9. The Los Angeles Clippers make the playoffs — comfortably

Outside of the four locks in the Western Conference (Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder), there could be as many as seven teams competing for those final four spots.

The Minnesota Timberwolves feel like a safe bet too, so from there, it’ll come down to the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies all jostling for playoff positioning in those other three spots.

The only team being more overlooked in this group than the Utah Jazz — who lost Gordon Hayward this summer — are the Clippers, who lost Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and Luc Mbah a Moute. Still, Lob City is nowhere near its deathbed, and not just because Milos Teodosic is an actual wizard.

The Clippers won’t be title contenders in 2017-18, but overlooking this veteran group feels like a mistake. Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Danilo Gallinari, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Austin Rivers are all experienced players, and aside from injury concerns, there’s a great mix of playmaking, 3-point shooting, defense and interior threats at the rim.

Lob City is still alive and breathing, and barring injury setbacks for Griffin and/or Gallo, I actually went as far as predicting the Clippers would finish sixth in the Western Conference playoff picture.