Los Angeles Clippers: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Predictions

The Los Angeles Clippers do not have the same killer starting lineup that they did last season. However, they improved significantly at their weakest position. Furthermore, the team is far deeper than it was last season. That depth is particularly clear in the backcourt, with four guards who would play at least 25 minutes per game on nearly every team in the league.

With that being said, the Clippers are at a minimum slightly worse than they were last season. Chris Paul is still one of the 10 best players in the league. Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic can fill his role in the aggregate, but neither of them can replicate Paul’s two-way play.

With the Western Conference shaping up to be a bloodbath, the Clippers cannot expect to earn home-court advantage in the playoffs again this season. However, they still have enough talent to return to the playoffs as a lower-seeded team.

Next: 10 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

Ultimately, the Los Angeles Clippers should finish next season as the second-best team in the Pacific Division. Their most likely scenario is a seventh-place finish in the Western Conference with a respectable 47 wins. The team’s frontcourt talent and backcourt depth will be enough to paper over their weak points as the team prepares for another season ending in a playoff berth.