Welcome to the inaugural edition of eDraft’s NBA Season Preview. We turn our attention to the Pacific Division, covering everyone from the pretenders to the contenders. Today we take a look at the Clippers. This is an exciting team, but do they have enough talent to win it all?

Key Additions: Jamal Crawford (G), Grant Hill (F), Ronny Turiaf (F), Lamar Odom (F)

I was ten when we moved to L.A. for the year, and fresh off of my first season with the Clippers, a youth team on the Upper West Side’s Safe Haven League. I was a little taller and much heavier than the other sixth graders and played center proudly and without much skill. We won a few more games than we lost that year and I wore my Safe Haven Clippers shirt two or three times a week to school. I didn’t know what a Clipper was, but drew scissors all over my backpack thinking they had to be in the same vein. My depression over moving to L.A. was quickly lifted when I learned that the real Clippers played there.

When we arrived in L.A. however, it was impossible to find evidence of this: Clippers paraphernalia simply could not be found. My mother, probably feeling very guilty for uprooting me from my friends and school in NY drove me across the region in search of that elusive Clipper gold to no avail. While L.A. has officially had two basketball teams since 1984, for all intents and purposes the Clipppers simply didn’t exist in the collective mind for many of those years. From the autumn of 1990 to the late summer of 1991, I never once witnessed anyone wearing Clippers regalia, saw an ad for a Clippers game, or watched a Clippers game on TV. For the much of their cohabitation, the Lakers were the glamorous international brand and the Clippers were moribund and irrelevant in their own town. However, a radical shift would occur in the landscape of L.A. basketball at the start of the 2010-11 NBA season and it would be a great deal of fun to watch.

Blake Griffin (’11-’12 20.7PPG-10.9RPG-3.2APG), all of 23 years old, is arguably the most exciting player in the league today. Making his debut in the fall of 2010, Griffin captured international attention with his violent dunks and his all around tenacity. Largely lacking a graceful postgame or consistent jump shot Griffin resorted to dunking on, through, and over opponents. He also outworked everyone else on the court, diving for loose balls like a journeyman, Griffin quickly earned the respect of opposing teams and soon became one of the league’s marquee players.

The Clippers started selling out both at home and on the road and the Lakers found a rival who happened to share the same arena. And for as much as Griffin’s individual play has improved the Clippers, it’s his presence as a global brand that has reshaped the fortune of the team. Star players began to imagine what it would be like to toss alley-oops to Griffin, or to be a constant presence on SportsCenter, and suddenly the Clippers were a hot destination. Through the wily mechanisms of David Stern and the obvious attractiveness of playing with Blake in a huge media market, the team was able to assemble an outstanding cast of players led by all-world guard Chris Paul (’11-’12 19.8PPG-9.1APG-2.5STL).

Paul is, by nearly all accounts, the best point guard in the NBA today. Able to hit the three point shot and the medium range jumper, and get to the rim seemingly whenever he wishes, Paul is a nightmare to defend. He is an outstanding passer, a fierce defender and perhaps the most intelligent player in the game. Young players across the country should study Paul’s game if they want to see how the point should be played. He nearly always makes the right decisions on the court and is the perfect leader for this young ball club. With an underwhelming coach roaming the sidelines, the Clippers value Paul’s presence, indeed he often seems to be coaching the entire team from the floor. If the Clippers don’t hold on to free-agent Paul this summer, the franchise will suffer a huge loss.

With Paul and Griffith as their cornerstones the front office has done a nice job building around them. Jamal Crawford (’11-’12 13.9PPG-3.2APG-30 3P%) should once again come off the bench and will be a threat every time he touches the ball. Unfortunately, he is sometimes a danger to his own team as he is one of the streakiest shooters in the NBA. Still, most contenders would love a player like Crawford bolstering the second unit, and the Clippers will find his services useful come playoff time. Lamar Odom is still immensely talented, but looks lost and may need a long break from basketball. However, if he is able to maintain focus the Clippers have yet another weapon off the bench.

DeAndre Jordon (’11-’12 7.4PPG-8.3RPG-2BLK) is an awesome talent who often goes dunk for dunk with Griffin and should continue to develop this year. He is however, a subpar defender, and the Clippers will be forced to count on the likes of Ronnie Turiaf and Ryan Hollins to provide size and defense up front. In short: the team is a bit soft. The Clippers have emerged from irrelevance to the playoffs in a few short years but their remarkable duo of Griffin and Paul needs more help in the energy and hustle department if this team is to take the next step: championship.

Reason for optimism: Griffin is finally starting to look comfortable with his back to the basket; if he can develop one or two go-to moves in the post watch out.

Reason for despair: this is the worst ownership in the NBA, by far. If anyone can mess things up with Paul it’s Donald Sterling. Don’t be surprised if the dynamic point guard is playing for another team next season.

Projected record: 52-30