Fansided

5 reasons the Los Angeles Clippers can win the NBA Championship

By Chris Barnewall

Nov 16, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Blake Griffin (32) walk back to the bench for a time out in the second half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. Grizzlies won 111-107. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Blake Griffin (32) walk back to the bench for a time out in the second half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center. Grizzlies won 111-107. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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March 15, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) moves the ball against Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) and center John Henson (31) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
March 15, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) moves the ball against Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) and center John Henson (31) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Offense over defense?

The Clippers are a team that has always used their defense to fuel their offense, and while that was true last season, this year that’s not the case. The Clippers enter the playoffs middle of the pack in defense, but as one of the NBA’s top teams. However, this doesn’t make them a bad defensive team, if this is a year to be a top offense with a middling defense this is it. Offenses across the board are up. Only three teams are ranked in the top-10 on both offense and defense, and of teams ranked in the top 10 of net rating only two of them are not a top 10 offense. This season, the best NBA teams are great on the offensive side of the ball.

Lucky for the Clippers they happen to be a top offense. They’re scoring 109.9 points per 100 possessions which is good enough to put them in the top five of the league — in a class with the Cavaliers, Warriors, Raptors, and Rockets who are all teams that are considered contenders. Somehow, when the topic of contenders comes up, the Clippers have managed to fly through under the radar. Perhaps it’s inconsistency across their body of work, or maybe it’s fatigue with previous failures, but the numbers say the Clippers offense is elite. In some years that wouldn’t matter if the defense couldn’t catch up, but this year is different. Offense is the way to win and the Clippers are doing just that.