NBA Breakdown: 'King of Dimes'

After last year's playoffs nightmarish ending for the L.A. Clippers and Chris Paul

Paul is a lockdown man-to-man defender.

 you knew he would come back with a vengeance to start this season.  Paul pushed the limits of point guard efficiency in the first 20 games of the season, dishing out 187 assists with only 29 turnovers.  And in the past month, without Blake Griffin (elbow) in the lineup, Paul has put up several MVP-like performances while going up against some of the top point guards in the Western Conference.

Points (3pm)(fga-fgm)(fta-ftm), rebs, ast, stls, tov

vs. HOU, Patrick Beverly (Mar. 15)
CP3: 23(¹)(7-21)(8-8), 3, 5, 2, 3
PB: 11(¹)(3-7)(4-4), 2, 3, 1, 2

vs. OKC, Russell Westbrook (Mar. 12)
CP3: 33(5)(11-19)(6-7), 4, 9, 2, 5
RWB: 24(³)(5-14)(11-13), 9, 7, 2, 5

vs. GSW, Steph Curry (Mar. 8)
CP3: 14(7-17), 5, 11, 2, 5
SC: 12(²)(3-9)(4-4), 1, 4, 3, 4

Paul is averaging 10.0 APG vs. 2.4 

vs. POR, Dame Lillard (Mar. 5)
CP3: 36(²)(14-29)(6-6), 6, 12, 2, 5
DL: 5(1-13)(3-4), 18, 4, 0, 5

vs. MPHS, Mike Conley (Feb. 27)
CP3: 19(¹)(7-14)(4-4), 4, 13, 2, 1
MC: 4(2-11), 3, 2, 0, 2

vs. SAS, Tony Parker (Feb. 19)
CP3: 22(²)(9-16)(2-3), 5, 16, 1, 4
TP: 21(¹)(8-17)(4-4), 3, 13, 2, 0

Throwbackz: Semi-Loaded Clip

Classic SLAM cover

When I see the Los Angeles Clippers on ESPN highlights, I slowly start to notice that the team is not all Blake Griffin.  Certainly, Griffin will be an All-Star, and, unless Washington Wizards guard John Wall averages a triple-double for the rest of the season, will hands-down be the Rookie of the Year.  But besides Griffin, I find myself wanting to use a word to describe the Clip that I've probably only used once to describe them before.  That word is "potential", friends.  The other time that I might have said the Clippers had potential was when they acquired Elton Brand on the day of the 2001 NBA Draft and had drafted Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles the year before (Can you believe that Miles was drafted 3rd overall in that draft?  When people get mad that David Stern put the age restriction on the NBA draft, just thank prep-to-pro flops like Miles instead.  See also Korleone Young, Leon Smith, and James Lang).  And they had Lamar Odom, Corey Maggette, Keyon Dooling, and Andre Miller. 

Remember this?

This team not only has Griffin, but Baron Davis (who is clearly sharing the ball much more at this point in his career averaging only 10.2 FGA per game.  Contrast that to '03-'04 with the New Orleans Hornets when he averaged 20.9 shots a game!), Eric Gordon (23.6 PPG), DeAndre Jordan (1.6 blocks per game), Eric Bledsoe, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman (out until February due to injury), Ryan Gomes, and Randy Foye.  Definitely enough young talent to grow on, or at the very least guys that can be moved if any trades come about.  Their biggest problem (besides not playing any defense) is that they are still owned by Donald Sterling.  Right now they are 13-24, but are 10-9 since Dec. 1.  They just beat the Eastern Conference leading Miami Heat so that is a good sign.  Maybe they get hot and make the playoffs (doubtful in the Western Conference).  Maybe if they keep losing they can add Austin Rivers in the 2012 Draft.