The Clip Show

The L.A. Clippers have only posted two winning records since their move to Los Angeles in 1984, and in neither one of these seasons did they see the second round of the playoffs. Since their last playoff berth, the Clippers have done some respectable wheeling and dealing (Lamar Odom, Elton Brand, Sam Cassell, Corey Maggette, etc.), but all of their transactions have been made in an attempt to find a player to build a franchise around. As good as some of the aforementioned players are, they have all found their own in a more Robin-esque roll as the second (or third/fourth ... sorry, Lamar) best player on their respected teams.

Cue Blake Griffin. In the Clippers' dismal tenure in Los Angeles, they have had more than their fair share of high draft picks, but none of these picks has become the focal point of an offense around the league (though Eric Gordon still has potential to break the mold). As amazing as Blake Griffin is, he is still in the same, "Oh my, what an amazing athlete!" category as the Darius Miles' and Quentin Richardson's of years past.

Unfortunately for the aforementioned names, though, an athlete is not enough to build a team around. LeBron James is, without a doubt in my mind, the best athlete in the NBA, but after his transition to Miami, I still don't think he has the heart and soul you need to win an NBA championship alone. He made the right move, however, because he has a teammate there who does put his will to win before his will to be the most popular guy in the NBA and that man is Dwyane Wade.

As much as I love (in its strongest sense) watching Blake Griffin play basketball, I can already tell that he is every bit as proud of his fame as he is of his ability to play basketball. Mind you, I don't think he would ever hold a primetime press conference just to tell the people of L.A. he is moving to Miami, but I still believe limelight and a big paycheck seem more appealing to Blake Griffin (and this may change; the guy is only 22) than an NBA championship.

Cue Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams. Both of these players have had great success in other cities (even a ring and a Finals MVP for Billups in Detroit) and both have come to terms with the fact that they are much more successful as role players (Williams with LeBron, Billups with Carmelo Anthony) in these later stages of their careers. The Clippers saw their respective successes with other superstars and decided to bring them in as role playing assets to their flourishing young star, Blake Griffin. When I first heard a proven winner like Chauncey was going to the Clippers, I was convinced they would be a playoff team, but wasn't overly optimistic to them being much more than that.

Cue Chris Paul. People would laugh at me if I said Chris Paul was a better athlete than Blake Griffin. People would even have a case to argue that Chauncey Billups is a better all-around point guard than Paul, but one thing about Chris Paul that sets him apart from most exceptionally talented players like himself is his heart. Chris Paul has an exceptional will, and with the cast forming around him in Los Angeles, I finally think he has the pieces in place to make his run at a championship.

As good as a pickup as Billups was, he is not the man he was in 2004, nor does he still have the same motives to be a champion (he was vocal about being happy to end his career in Denver before the Knicks trade).

Paul, on the other hand, is coming off an all-star season in which he was vocal about wanting to be somewhere he can win a championship, not somewhere he can retire happily. This is the heart that the Clippers need to follow the Dirk Nowitzki's, (matured) Kobe Bryant's, and Ray Allen/Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett's of recent years to the top of the NBA.

The Hornets did their best to help Paul reach the top (David West is one of the most underrated players in the NBA), but there was still always a missing piece. Now that he has joined a budding team, rather than having one built around him, I think Paul's will to win will be that much stronger in his quest for a championship. He knows the spotlight (metaphorically and literally) is on him in L.A. now, and I can't see why his goal would be anything less than a championship with the supporting cast he has now. Aside from the big names I mentioned previously, the Clippers box office managed to lock down the extremely promising young stars DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe, as well as a few more solid veterans like Caron Butler and Randy Foye (who had a great year last year).

Many could argue that heart can only go take you so far, as with the Hornets, but arguing the strength of Paul's heart and the places that heart can take you is almost impossible. Watch this video and I think you'll agree.

Paul's biggest obstacle will be staying healthy, as it has been throughout his career, but if he can stay on the court, the Clippers could, without a doubt, be the new "kings" of the Staples Center and maybe even the Western Conference.