LA Clippers: Evaluating each possible scenario to the finals
Semi-finals:
After the LA Clippers get out of an easy or a difficult first-round, they will be faced with likely two scenarios. These two are the Rockets or the Nuggets, but this will depend on if the Clippers are second or third and whether there will be any upsets.
As mentioned in the previous slide, the series between the Clippers and Rockets will be interesting and extremely fun to watch. Kawhi Leonard going up against Harden, and Paul George going up against Westbrook, if that is not primetime basketball, then I do not know what is.
Despite what the standings say, these teams plus the Los Angeles Lakers should be in everyone’s top three contenders in the West.
The other possibility is if the Nuggets take care of the Rockets or if the Clippers are the 3rd seed and get out of the first round.
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Although the Nuggets do very well in the regular-season, as they have been top three in the last two seasons, their post-season success is still yet to be determined. Since the 2013-14 season, they made the playoffs only once where they got eliminated by the Portland Trail Blazers.
They do have Nikola Jokic, however, and each season he seems to be improving his game. In his first playoffs, he averaged 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.9 blocks on 59.6 percent true shooting, while almost having 50/40/90 splits. For a 23-year-old in his first playoffs, it is fair to say he exceeded expectations.
Now recently, some news came out that Jokic had lost weight. If he is in much better shape than he was before, that will make the Nuggets a lot scarier if they face the Clippers in the second round.
What is the one main weakness for the Clippers? Their interior defense and that is something Jokic will be able to exploit.
They are still a young team, though, being led by two young players with not much playoff experience while the Clippers are filled with players with experience and being led by a player with championship DNA.
Being completely honest, whatever scenario happens, there is not much threat to the Clippers apart from the Rockets, which in the most likely scenario, they will face them in the second round.
Finally, their biggest threat in the path to the finals and to be honest, there is only one possibility.