First, the Clippers had to draft Blake Griffin. Then, they had to wait a year as he nursed a stress fracture back to full strength. Then, they had to figure out if DeAndre Jordan, a second round pick the year before, was going to develop into a starting center. Using a few other valuable assets, they were able to land Chris Paul, only after a trade that would have sent him to the rival Lakers was nixed by the NBA. Later, they brought back Matt Barnes in free agency and added J.J. Redick in a trade.
The Clippers' starting lineup didn't come together in a day, but it's that group that coach Doc Rivers invests most of his time in. They compose the only lineup in the NBA to play 1,000 minutes together this season. The chemistry and compatibility of the lineup gives the Clippers an edge and explains their 53-26 record. But it also is a testament to the team's bench and how little Rivers, the second-year coach and team president, can rely on them.
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That bench features notable names with playoff histories. But they haven't produced. No one expected Hedo Turkoglu to play like he did with Orlando in the late 2000s, but his impact since joining the Clippers has been nearly nonexistent. Glen "Big Baby" Davis hasn't been able to find his niche in Los Angeles as he did with the Celtics and Magic, either. Spencer Hawes, their second-most heavily used bench player, is having his worst shooting season in four years.
If 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year Award winner Jamal Crawford weren't part of the Clippers framework, things would look completely dire for the Clippers and their bench. But even Crawford, keeping up his scoring numbers at more than 16 points a game, has seen his shooting percentages slip a bit this year.
It is easy to see why Rivers has relied heavily on his starting five. And it has worked, especially offensively.
The Clippers are in the top three in the NBA in points, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and assists. Paul, despite an increasing number of critics, is having one of the best regular seasons of his career, posting his best shooting numbers since 2009-10. Jordan, free throw problems still very much intact, is having the best season of his career on both ends.
Even as the only 1,000-minute lineup in the league, compared to other heavily used combinations, the offense is still the best in the league.
That puts the Clippers' five-man unit above the best from the Cavaliers, Warriors, Grizzlies and Hawks have to offer in offensive efficiency. Their starting 5 is the best in the league, on that end.
The eye test backs up the numbers. Remember: They still have Paul, Griffin, and Jordan. They're still "Lob City" and are still incredibly dangerous (and fun) on the fast break. Chris Paul can still carve a defense and get to the bucket with ease. Jordan still manages to make the basketball look like a Little Tikes hoop when he elevates. Griffin is still an All-Star. Redick is still a three-point marksman, maybe even moreso now than before. Together, they still are a great watch.
And the results are there, as the Clippers are 53-26 and in the fight for the No. 2 seed in the hilariously tough Western Conference. But there are still a number of issues that need to be addressed if they are going to make a real shot past the second round, something this unit has yet to do since coming together.
The Clippers have done a good job beating the teams they're supposed to beat. But, when it comes to the rest of the best, they have struggled. To this point, they're just a combined 5-12 against the Warriors, Grizzlies, Cavaliers, Hawks, and Mavericks. All five of those teams have managed to stunt the Clippers' momentum at different points in the season and were part of the reason they weren't able to get off to the hot start they wanted.
Even though it's not always fair to look back, it's tough to make an argument for a team when their past playoff performances have been so underwhelming. Their history is still their history. Paul's Clippers, under both Rivers and Vinny Del Negro, have yet to reach a conference finals. And critics won't let him forget that.
It's a reasonable argument, maybe even more than looking at the team's iffy bench situation. In the playoffs, coaches often give their starters (more specifically, their best players) more run. That may be to the Clippers' advantage.
The Clippers hold the advantage in a lot of ways. Offensively, they're about as good as you can get. Their starting five, statistically and, arguably, on paper tops the league. But, as history would suggest, the Clippers have a lot to figure out before the playoffs hit. This is a team that has been pieced together slowly, but its window for a title won't last as long as this lineup took to construct.