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The Los Angeles Clippers have clinched the No.3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, with that position comes home court advantage for the Clips throughout the first round of the playoffs. During this series the Clippers will face a young, tough, and talented Golden State Warriors team looking make the leap beyond their previous semifinals success a year prior. The Clippers split the regular season match-up with the Warriors with a 2-2 record, both teams have a talented roster but the Clippers could have the slight edge with a championship coach and a veteran guard in Chris Paul. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson ( The Splash Bros. ) are two of the best pure shooters in the game, meaning the Clippers will certainly have their hands full on the offensive end of the floor. Sports Unbiased NBA writers Arnold Glass and I have joined forces to deliver our predictions for the Clippers versus Warriors playoffs series.
Clippers vs. Warriors Playoffs Schedule
April | Opponent | Time | Local TV | Nat TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 19 | vs Golden State: Playoffs Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA | 12:30 PM | ABC | KFWB 980AM/KWKW 1330AM | |
| Mon 21 | vs Golden State: Playoffs Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA | 7:30 PM | PRIME TICKET | TNT | KFWB 980AM/KWKW 1330AM |
| Thu 24 | @ Golden State: Playoffs ORACLE Arena, Oakland, CA | 7:30 PM | PRIME TICKET | TNT | KFWB 980AM/KWKW 1330AM |
| Sun 27 | @ Golden State: Playoffs ORACLE Arena, Oakland, CA | 12:30 PM | ABC | KFWB 980AM/KWKW 1330AM | |
| Tue 29 | vs Golden State: Playoffs Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA | TBD | PRIME TICKET | KFWB 980AM/KWKW 1330AM | |
| Thu 1 | @ Golden State: Playoffs ORACLE Arena, Oakland, CA | TBD | PRIME TICKET | KFWB 980AM/KWKW 1330AM | |
| Sat 3 | vs Golden State: Playoffs Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA | TBD | PRIME TICKET | TNT | KFWB 980AM/KWKW 1330AM |
Who are the key players on both teams?
Arnold Glass: The Clippers are one of the few teams that’s LOADED with key players and have a deep bench, my key player on this squad will be coming off the bench is Jamal Crawford. He is a constant candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award for how he can just come in a game and contribute offensively. Speaking of contributing offensively, my key player for the Warriors is shooting guard Klay Thompson. He is a component to one of the best shooting back-court tandems in the NBA and he has to contribute constantly in this series to help Stephen Curry on the offensive side.
Jr. Williams: I think this battle will be deciding from a scoring factor and with that in mind my key players for the Clippers will be Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford. Paul is important because he has the ability to involve players in the offense while Jamal Crawford’s instant offense will definitely provide his team with the boost needed to put points on the score board.
As for the Warriors, I think Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala will have to come up big in if they wish to give their team a chance to win this series. Iguodala is an important player because of his defense and veteran experience, he has the ability to lock down perimeter players, meaning this series will be tough and gritty for both teams. Harrison Barnes is another player I expect to elevate his game, he has to rebound the ball and knock down shots at any opportunity given.
Keys to winning the series
Arnold Glass: The Clippers just have to continue to play their style of basketball with point guard Chris Paul running the show, center DeAndre Jordan is leading the league in rebounds per game (13.6), and power forward Blake Griffin is showing how he has developed into one of the best scoring big men in the league.
Jr. Williams: The key to winning the series for the Clippers will require a balanced offensive attack from Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, and surprisingly Danny Granger. Head coach Doc Rivers will have to re-emphasize how important defense and rebounding is to his team because the Clippers shouldn’t have any issues scoring.
Jr. Williams: The Warriors will have to rely on out-scoring the Clippers because I highly doubt they have the ability to stop them offensively. This series should be a high scoring and exciting series.
Arnold Glass: The Warriors will have their hands full in the post with center Andrew Bogut injured, so they will have to rely on constant perimeter scoring and limit their mistakes while playing small ball.
Series Prediction
Arnold Glass: Neither team particularly likes each other and it will be an interesting series at the beginning, but the Clippers just have too much for Golden State and will show their domination in the end. It will not be pretty. Clippers in 5.
Jr. Williams: This series will be long and tough for both teams, but it will be decided by the head coaches ability to match-up player for player and call the right plays offensively and defensively. I think the Clippers are actually ready to make a run at the title this year while the Warriors are maybe one big man away from taking the next step. The Clippers will win a close series 4-3