Clippers Status: Fourth Quarter Update

Right now we are essentially 75% done with the NBA regular season.  This is where the playoff picture comes to form.  Right now, we are sitting in the middle of the pack with the 5 seed.

In an ideal world, we manage to stay around 4-5 and meet up against Houston or Portland in the first round.  We can control the ball with CP3 and overpower the smaller Houston front court.  Yes, Dwight is huge but so is Deandre Jordan, and Blake Griffin versus Terrence Jones is not even a real debate.  Portland is the same story.  Too big, too strong, too easy.

I want to say we match up well with the Spurs too, but they are just one of those teams that can turn it on in the playoffs.  They play team basketball, they have depth, and they have the best coach in the league.  I know better than that, the Spurs are an absolute threat, Dallas on the other hand is not.  For whatever reason, the Rondo trade doesn't seem to be having any positive impact on the Mavs.  As far as I'm concerned, us against them is a no brainer.  We walk all over them.  Dirk will get worn out by the athleticism of our bigs, he's too old to bang with guys like D and Blake.  Rondo is manageable, Chandler Parsons hasn't done anything to 'wow' me since he got paid, and even if he had, Matt Barnes can hold him in check.

And despite being the current 8 seed, OKC scares the living shit out of me.  Russell Westbrook has been playing pretty well the last few weeks, he got the team back to their winning ways in February, but they are still playing without Kevin Durant.  After the development of Kevin Durant last year in Westbrook's absence and the current evolution of Westbrook himself, the idea of those two together on the court in the postseason is a bone chilling thought.  Two of the most ruthless assassins basically giving it one last push for a title.  Russell will be off to succeed Kobe as the heir to the Laker throne and KD supposedly is interested in heading back home.  Assuming they are together for the playoffs, watch out.

But, in reality, seeds 3-7 are all separated by 3.5 games so it's a total crap shoot.  It looks okay for now, but something tells me we will get stuck with the Spurs to kick it all off.  We can definitely beat them.  We have the size, depth, and athleticism.  And with Chris running point and controlling the tempo of the game, that takes a little wind out of their sails.  At this point, it's all theoretical anyways.