1. This Team Will Surprise People
Westgate Vegas opened their futures bets up a few weeks ago. They have the Clippers winning 35.5 games this upcoming season. To any true Clippers fan this is a slap in the face and shows that the knowledge of this team as currently constructed is low.
The Clippers finished 42-40 last season. Three of their opening day starters: Danilo Gallinari, Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic played less than 50 games with Gallinari and Beverley only combining for 32 games. To go along with that, the Clippers led the league in different starting fives due to injuries and promoted 2 two-way contracts in CJ Williams and Ty Wallace who both started games due to injuries to other players.
Blake Griffin, while he was on the team, also missed 16 games including basically the entire month of January. What I am getting at here is this: This team was all over the place last year and super injury prone. They still had a winning record. If healthy this year, why can’t they contend for a playoff spot?
That is quite the big “if” I will admit. Given the Clippers injury luck in recent years, it doesn’t seem promising. With that being said, this roster is talented top-to-bottom and can compete even in the stacked Western Conference. I expect a team that will be both defensively and offensively talented and could have one of the best benches in the league as well.
Having the defending Sixth Man of the Year in Lou Williams, SGA, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Mike Scott, Montrezl Harrell, Jerome Robinson and others coming off the bench is dangerous and i’m looking forward to what that second unit can do.
Just as the Clips did last year, they could really surprise some people. If it wasn’t for a few bad losses towards the end of the season last year, L.A. was right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. This upcoming season could be even better if this team can stay healthy.
It’s an exciting time for Clippers fans based on what the present and the future hold. Look for this team to raise some positive eyebrows in 2018-19.
