Clippers at Warriors
THE STORY: Twenty years after the retirement of Magic Johnson, “Showtime” is back in vogue on the West Coast. Only this time it looks to be domain of the Los Angeles Clippers, who are trying to escape the shadow of the mighty Los Angeles Lakers with the stunning trade for superstar point guard Chris Paul. The move to acquire Paul – which came after the NBA blocked a trade that would have sent him to the Lakers – has left Clippers fans with visions of the postseason in their heads, not to mention a nightly highlight reel with dunk-meister Blake Griffin on the receiving end of Paul's alley-oop passes. “We are trying to establish ourselves in the entire league,” Griffin said. "The Lakers are popular for a reason. Sixteen championships. Two in the last three years. It’s not about us versus them. It’s about us versus everybody.” The Clippers kick off the season with a visit to Golden State on Christmas night.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSBA
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (2010-11: 32-50): Los Angeles did a nice job of putting pieces around Paul, signing veteran G Chauncey Billups and F Caron Butler – both former All-Stars – and matching a pricey offer sheet (by the Warriors) to retain C DeAndre Jordan. Billups must make the transition to shooting guard and Butler needs to show he’s healthy after having knee surgery. Griffin was the first rookie to earn an All-Star spot since 2003 and looks primed for a monster season.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (2010-11: 36-46): For a team that will rely heavily on its vaunted backcourt, Golden State absorbed a double whammy in the past week. Leading scorer Monta Ellis was named in a sexual-harassment lawsuit by a former team employee and point guard Stephen Curry suffered a sprained of his surgically repaired ankle. That’s more than 42 points per game of concern for rookie coach Mark Jackson. F David Lee is the best threat among an unimposing front line.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Jackson has zero coaching experience, but the former point guard played 17 seasons in the NBA.
2. Los Angeles has made only four postseason appearances in franchise history, the last coming in the 2005-06 season.
3. The teams have split the past 10 meetings. The Warriors have scored at least 121 points in four of their wins.