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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Nov 11, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and head coach Doc Rivers and center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Chris Paul (3) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and head coach Doc Rivers and center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Chris Paul (3) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Patience is a virtue

Sometimes everything goes right. It happened for the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. It happened to the Detroit Pistons in 2004. LeBron James made it happen for Cleveland. The Clippers have been banging their head at this playoff ceiling for years, but have never faltered. There have been rumors, and a really weird free agency sags, but this is the same group from 2012. They’ve changed coaches, role players, and even an owner, but the core has remained the same the entirety of that time. Most teams would have chosen to blow it up or change a piece by now, but not the Clippers.

Sometimes that patience is rewarded with an insane playoff run, and if anybody has earned enough karma it would be the Clippers. Their best teams have been knocked off by Josh Smith making 3-pointers for the first time in his career, injuries, and bad matchups. The real reason the Clippers have never made the conference finals? They’ve been in the same conference as the Spurs, Warriors, Rockets, and Thunder. Winning in the NBA is hard. Winning in the playoffs is even harder. Every year it looked like it was finally going to go right for the Clippers it didn’t.

Next: 5 biggest disappointments of the 2016-17 NBA season

Maybe this is the year everything does. An injury here, a lucky bounce there, and an insane Chris Paul performance here and Los Angeles might find themselves in the Conference Finals. It’s certainly possible. Is it likely? No, but that’s not the point. The Clippers have a chance. They’ve proven all season they have a chance. Sometimes that’s all that’s needed. Just one break to finally make everything come together. If the Clippers get that break then they might be the team dancing in confetti come June.