Los Angeles Clippers Clinch Playoff Berth For Fifth Consecutive Season

The Los Angeles Clippers are officially headed to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

Their 105-90 beat down of the Denver Nuggets helped them clinch a playoff berth that will not only smooth out the rest of the regular season, but hopefully shift their focus in the right direction.

Los Angeles is the kind of team, especially given the makeup of the Western Conference this year, that can be both explosive and disappointing in the same breath.

On the one hand, they are the squad that has what it takes to contend with San Antonio, rival Oklahoma City, and even take down the defending champs in Golden State — but they can also take themselves out just as quickly.

If they aren’t careful, the return of Blake Griffin, despite how much it’s been anticipated, could create some problems for the Clippers in the post-season.

Los Angeles was able to get another solid win on Monday night against the Boston Celtics at home in the Staples Center, but unless they can turn wins that that into the right kind of momentum, it’ll mean nothing.

Boston is a strong sleeper team in the Eastern Conference and, should the Cavaliers or Raptors take an early tumble, the Celtics could emerge as the best remaining team.

Once the juggernauts of historic fashion run their course, the same could be said about the Clippers, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Doc Rivers will have to find a crafty way to put Griffin back into the cycle and environment that the team has created since the off-court incident that led to Griffin being re-injured and eventually suspended by the league.

Why?

Because things have changed for the Clippers, as they should have.

While yes, clinching a playoff berth for the fifth year in a row is an impressive feat for the Clippers, setting their eyes on the championship means absolutely nothing if they can’t learn how to better themselves and they start from within.

Other than those factors, bench play is going to determine how the Clippers perform, especially in the first round.

With the way things are panning out, their first round match up will be with the Grizzlies, assuming that Memphis doesn’t somehow collapse while at the same time Portland surges to grab the fifth seed.

That’d just be awkward.

The way that Memphis likes to play includes the concept of matching your opponent’s tempo for a while, making them comfortable, and then going in for the kill and changing things up completely.

If the Clippers aren’t careful, they’re the kind of team that would fall for that trap — and they’d fall hard.

Next: Buddy Hield Is The Best Fit For The Lakers

Jamal Crawford‘s contributions are going to be huge, and if Paul Pierce could actually find the hero he was last year with the Wizards in the post-season, the Clippers are going to be bad news for whoever is opposite them on the hardwood.