Chris Paul Will Make Or Break The Rest Of The Western Conference

Chris Paul is gearing up to take the Los Angeles Clippers on a wild, wild ride.

While only averaging 18 points per game at the moment, the biggest impact Chris Paul will have won’t necessarily be reflected on the scoreboard. The NBA playoffs are subject to providing us with some of the most bizarre games we’ll ever see in all of sports — but we have yet to see all that the Clippers have in the tank. Left empty-handed after shocking San Antonio but failing to hurdle Houston, the Clippers entered the 2015-16 season on a mission — and so far, they’ve proved their point. Despite not having their best individual player in Blake Griffin since Christmas, the Clippers didn’t let that phase them; going on to win ten straight games. Clutch matters in the game of basketball, and even though ten games is a pretty small sample size, there was plenty to love from what the team has showcased thus far. On a development level, Chris Paul has excelled his game to be above and beyond. Mentally, Paul is inching closer to being one of the league’s untouchables from that statute. Tending to the team’s mental needs is where Paul seemed to lack control, even last season, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to let that ever happen again. Yes, on top of the Clippers in the standings at the moment are Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Golden State — but do you think the Clippers are really scared of any of them? Chances are, when considering how balanced the team has remained in comparison to last year’s playoff squad, that if the Clippers were to go up against the Thunder or the Spurs, they might actually have the upper-hand in more than what meets the eye. The Spurs have been the best at balancing their team for years now, but where Los Angeles gains a possible edge is from their match up almost a year ago that went seven games. When it comes to the Thunder, their issue lies in getting used to the pairing of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook without it affecting the rest of the team.

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There is no denying that Oklahoma City has two super-stars that can light up any given night of the week in any arena, but they are clearly too dependent on big games from either Westbrook or Durant, and even just one injury could mess their threat up. With the Warriors, it’s not so much about a clear-cut advantage. In much respect, Golden State and Los Angeles have a lot in common, and that’s what makes their new age rivalry so compelling. Golden State is used to usually having more than one way to one up their opponents, but against the Clippers, the Warriors can’t pull away unless they come storming out of the gates. Because starting slow gives Los Angeles the advantage when it comes to the pace of everything. Chris Paul is maestro on the Clippers’ side of things, and knowing how consistent he can be when he stays focused means that it’ll be up to him when it comes to whether or not Lob City will see a championship.

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