Can the Los Angeles Clippers do what the Lakers have done for so long?

I think it’s safe to say that the Clippers are now officially the better team in LA. After decades of constant dominance, the Lakers are going to be struggling just to make the playoffs while the Clippers are expected to be a top three team in the West and possibly the league. And so, now we ask ourselves: Can the Clippers become a dynasty?

Looking at Chris Paul and Blake Griffin’s ages, yes. They have plenty of years ahead of them to dominate. Outside of the two, it’s a great cast. With Doc Rivers at the helm, they have a great coach that can push this team to the finals.

The West is tough right now so it won’t be easy. LeBron James and the Heat are forming their own dynasty so they’ll be a challange for the Clips. So, what defines a dynasty?

I’d say that while championships are important, it’s not the sole definition of a dynasty. A team that is always in talks of contending. A team that is always on top of their division and conference. And yes, multiple championships. We will probably never see what the Celtics did in the 60’s, but that’s okay. They were a freaking machine.

So what has to happen for this current Clippers duo of Paul and Griffin for them to be known as great players on a dynasty? They may never get to Shaq/Kobe status, but they’ll be pretty darn good. I’d say even great. First, I want to give a time table on how long they can play at a high level. Paul is 27 now while Griffin is 23. Griffin clearly has a great career ahead of him while Paul is in his prime. We’ll go with Paul since he’s older. Ho much longer can he play at an elite level? I’ll say six more seasons, assuming he’s healthy.

So, the Clippers of today will be known as a dynasty if they do at least this:

• Four conference championships
• Three finals appearances
• One championship

And that’s not “or”. All of those things have to happen. They have to be great all the time. Teams like the Spurs or Lakers fir the mold. They’ve won championships years apart. While they didn’t always make the finals, they were a dominant team that always made it out of the first round and even second. Also, it’s a span of six years. If we go with just Griffin, you could expand that even further. But I focused on Paul and Griffin playing at a high level.

Can they do what the Lakers have done for so many times? I think so. They have the tools to make it happen.

For the first time in ever, the Clippers are a team to look out for. One thing we never really got to see, and perhaps won’t see for a while, is the rivalry of Lakers and Clippers while both are elite teams. That would be epic.