Every Western Conference first-round series figures to be entertaining this year, but the matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs could be the best of the bunch.
Los Angeles earned the third seed with a late-season push that saw them win nine of their last 10 games and seven in a row heading into the playoffs.
The Clippers boast basketball’s most efficient offence, narrowly edging the mighty Golden State Warriors, but could be suspect on the defensive side of the ball where they’re decidedly middle-of-the-pack. They will look to disprove the old adage “defence wins championships.”
Blake Griffin and Co. couldn’t have drawn a much tougher opponent in the opening round than the defending-champion Spurs, who won 11 consecutive contests from March 25 to April 12, before dropping their regular-season finale.
While San Antonio’s Big Three of Tim Duncan, Many Ginobli and Tony Parker remains intact, the torch may already have been passed to last year’s Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard. Leonard led the team in scoring this season and is also in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year after averaging a league-best 2.3 steals per outing.
Marquee matchup: Chris Paul vs. Tony Parker
Suiting up for all 82 games this season, Paul earned his eighth straight all-star berth in 2014-15, and led the Association in assists per game for the fourth time in his 10-year career. One of the only things left for Paul to accomplish is winning an NBA championship, and this could be the team to get him there.
Parker had one of the worst statistical seasons of his illustrious career, but always seems to step up his game come April, helping the Spurs to four championships during his tenure in San Antonio. It should be a treat to watch these two veteran floor generals operate against one another.
Role player to watch – Los Angeles: Matt Barnes
Barnes is the Clippers’ best wing defender, and figures to be tasked with chasing Leonard around the court. In his 12th NBA season, the former second-round pick averaged 10.1 points in less than 30 minutes of run, and provided Doc Rivers with a reliable three-point shooter, especially from the corners. This will be Barnes’ sixth consecutive trip to the playoffs, so we’ll see if he can help his team advance deep into spring.
Role player to watch – San Antonio: Marco Belinelli
Gregg Popovich is not afraid to rely on role players in the post-season, and this series’ potential X-Factor is the Italian marksman Belinelli. The ex-Raptor is a career 39 percent three-point shooter, and figures to be in for a big series against a lacklustre Clippers’ defence. On the season, Los Angeles surrendered nearly 24 attempts from beyond the arc per game—the sixth-most in the league.
Season series: Tied 2-2.
Clippers stats leaders:
Points: Blake Griffin (21.9)
Assists: Chris Paul (10.2)
Rebounds: DeAndre Jordan (15.0)
Spurs stats leaders:
Points: Kawhi Leonard (16.5)
Assists: Tony Parker (4.9)
Rebounds: Tim Duncan (9.1)
Prediction: Spurs in seven
NBA playoff previews: Cavaliers vs. Celtics | Bulls vs. Bucks | Rockets vs. Mavericks | Warriors vs. Pelicans | Hawks vs. Nets | Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies | Clippers vs. Spurs |