LA Clippers on a roll winning 14 straight and destroying the visiting Celtics (12/12)
The LA Clippers got off to a torrid start vs the old-looking Boston Cceltics. Boston came in 14-13 while the Clips have the best record in the NBA at 22-6 winning 14 straight. The confidence is flowing while the chemistry and depth make this LA team the one to watch and beat at this time. Chris Paul is running the show while Blake Griffin is playing at a high level in the frontcourt and a big part of Lob City. This game, Paul took on one of the better point guards in the NBA (Rajon Rondo) that promised to be a great matchup. LA has added much needed help from last year’s team in Matt Barnes (having an incredible season had a season and game high 21 points while sixth man of the year so far this season Jamal Crawford added 17 points off the bench. Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf and Grant Hill (who hasn’t played yet due to an injury) make their team one of the deepest in the league. They also got Chauncey Billups back from his achilles tendon injury last season but he has played in only a few games so far. The clips will be even more dangerous when they are at full strength.
I recently attended a clippers practice and the team was brewing with confidence and a state of revenge before they played New Orleans (the last team to beat them). They blew them out and have continued their longest winning streak of all time.
The Celtics broke up the big 3 letting Ray Allen go and adding sharp shooter Jason Terry. They also got Jeff Green back after he missed all of last season with a heart issue. Boston hasn’t been the same since they traded Kendrick Perkins even though they got Green in that deal. They lost much of their toughness plus their significant players Garnett and Pierce aren’t getting any younger. Garnett had a team high 16 points while Pierce had 12 points and moved into 24th place on the all time scoring list during the game.
Back to the Clippers- Crawford has been their biggest addition as he is second on the team in scoring behind Griffin. I interviewed him and he said this team is like a family with everyone on the same page and all of the players going out together as a team unlike teams he has played on in the past where only a few guys would get together off the court. He talked to many of the players on the team before he made his decision to sign here in LA and felt the great vibe from the start. I also asked Odom why he came to the Clippers after his disappointing season last year and he said they made a great effort and wanted him. He started slow but has been making progress so if he can get to the higher level of when he played for the Lakers, this team would benefit greatly. They are making claim to other teams as a legitimate NBA champion contender. More at www.nba.com/clippers