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The Los Angeles Clippers can legitimately win a playoff series

By Jason Reed

DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 24: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers puts up a shot over Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center on February 24, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 24: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers puts up a shot over Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center on February 24, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Clippers have surprised everyone this NBA season and could keep the surprises coming with a first-round win in the NBA Playoffs.

The 2018-2019 season was supposed to be a holdover season for the Los Angeles Clippers. With every member of Lob City out of LA and no real star power on the team, the expectations were low for the Clippers.

However, the team was set to have enough room for a max contract in the summer of 2019 and could realistically shave off a couple million to land two max guys. That is why this season was viewed as an afterthought.

In fact, before the season it appeared as if the Clippers would be better off losing as many games as possible. While tanking is a tricky thing and no player wants to purposely lose, a high draft pick would have allowed the team to either bring in another valuable rookie or use that pick in a trade of some sorts.

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In a draft class that is loaded and has the most anticipated rookie since LeBron James (Zion Williamson), the Clippers should have had every reason to tank, especially considering that the three-worst teams all have the same odds at the first overall pick.

Fast forward 70 games into the season and the Clippers are practically a lock for the NBA Playoffs. As the eighth seed, the Clippers are six games ahead of ninth place with just 12 games left to play. They are only two games off from the fifth seed and three and a half games off the third seed.

With the standings being so close you would assume that the teams are fairly even, however, it is still hard to pick the Clippers in a playoff series. Even though they have blown all of our expectations out of the water, the Clippers don’t have the star power to win a playoff series without home-court advantage.

If the team still had Tobias Harris that would be one thing. And while the trade to the Philadelphia 76ers was absolutely brilliant by the front office, they are missing that extra impact that Harris had.

There is one route the Los Angeles Clippers could take to win a playoff series. It does not mean moving up to the fourth or fifth seed to get home court advantage, though. The Clippers need to somehow play strategically enough to be the seventh seed in the West.

If I were Doc Rivers I would intentionally try to lose game 82 if it meant moving up to the sixth seed and likely having to play the Houston Rockets in the first round. If the team stays as the seventh seed the team, at least right now, to play is the Denver Nuggets.

The Denver Nuggets are just one game behind the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference and if they do move up to the first seed then the Clippers should try to finish as the eighth seed.

Although Denver has been playing really good basketball, they are the most favorable matchup for the Clippers and it is more than realistic to think they could overcome the Nuggets.

The Nuggets do not have much playoff experience as a unit together, something that every other team in the Western Conference has. While the Clippers also don’t have playoff experience together, it at least evens the playing field.

Denver also isn’t as good on the road as other teams in the West. The Clippers, Trailblazers, Rockets, Jazz, Thunder and Warriors all have a better point differential on the road this season. The only playoff team that is worse is the San Antonio Spurs.

The Nuggets are also just 17-15 against teams above .500 this season. While the Clippers have a negative record against the same teams, it is not like the Nuggets have been dominating the opposition. The Clippers, Jazz and ironically the Warriors are the only playoff teams with a worse record.

Next. Doc Rivers should be coach of the year. dark

The Nuggets do have a 3-1 advantage over the Clippers this season, which seemingly proves this theory otherwise. It does not take away from the fact that the Nuggets are the best matchup in the first round outside of the Spurs, who the Los Angeles Clippers realistically won’t play because of seeding.

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