National Basketball Association

LA Clippers' Competition: Ranking Pacific Division for 2016-17

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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As the LA Clippers head toward the 2016-17 NBA season, where do they rank in the Pacific Division and how far are they behind the Golden State Warriors?

November 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) speaks with guard Chris Paul (3) during a stoppage in play against Toronto Raptors during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

We’re well and truly in the doldrums of the NBA calendar. The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics have come to a close and nothing is happening after the craziness of free agency passed, leaving us with nothing but debate for the 2016-17 season to enjoy as we wait for the remaining weeks of summer to pass. So, with that thought in mind, ranking teams against one another and predicting the LA Clippers’ standing in the Western Conference seems like a good place to start.

To begin with, we’ll rank the Pacific Division.

From the Los Angeles Lakers to Kevin Durant‘s Golden State Warriors, the disparity in talent is possibly the greatest of any division in the NBA. Many predict the Lakers to have one of the worst few records in the league, while it seems impossible to find any fan or analyst that doesn’t project the Warriors to win close to 70 games and claim the 2017 championship.

What could be in store for the LA Clippers next season? Making the 2nd seed in the West could be a possibility. But before getting to that, let’s rank their division competition and look into each team’s upcoming season.

Jul 9, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) celebrates with forward Larry Nance Jr (7) during an NBA Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Thomas & Mack Center. Los Angeles won 70-69. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

5th – Los Angeles Lakers

2015-16 record: 17-65 (5th in Pacific Division)

2016-17 prediction: 26-56

It’s time. It’s time for the post Kobe Bryant era in L.A.

His $25 million salary is off the books, his air-balling, farewell festival is no longer a distraction, and the Lakers can solely focus on their youth movement.

With new head coach Luke Walton, instilling team play, running, and fast paced offense, it’s safe to say his well respected character and coaching style will be a welcome change to the young guys after a year with Byron Scott.

Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell, look forward to not getting randomly benched.

Some reinforcement from the Lakers as the faces of the franchise rather than an old Kobe is what the new core needs. They need that support from Walton and the front office, but it won’t necessarily result in many more wins. Development rather than a playoff pursuit is the aim for these Lakers right now.

Development is on their side, though. Randle is essentially entering his second season after his injured, one-game rookie year in 2014-15. With an average 11.3 points and 10.2 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game last season, he showed how potent he can be on the boards and his strong driving game on offense.

Larry Nance Jr. showed his promise as an energizing, athletic role player, so it’s likely there’ll be a little progression from him in his sophomore year, while the real sophomore to watch is, obviously, D’Angelo Russell.

If Russell can continue some of his improved three-point stroke from the latter stages of last season (finishing at 35.1 percent for the year), hone his shooting off the dribble, and simply further his understanding and poise running an NBA offense, his future is still incredibly bright for what he can do at just 20 years old.

Of course, Brandon Ingram is the new kid to watch. At 18, he’s the youngest collegiate player from this year’s draft, with the frail frame to go along with it. Regardless, he was the obvious second best player in the draft class behind Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, and with such length, fluidity and a 41 percent three-point shot in college, Ingram can still contribute as he develops physically and slowly begins his career.

Yes, Timofey Mozgov’s four-year, $64 million contract is one of the ugliest deals of the offseason. Signing Luol Deng for the duration of four years is also a little puzzling, but Deng in particular can still help and lead the young guns. Jordan Clarkson returning is another positive, too.

Overall, while the Lakers are still miles away from ruling the Pacific Division or contending again, more opportunity for others in the absence of Kobe should encourage fans in 2016-17.

Nov 25, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward T.J. Warren (12), forward Jon Leuer (30), forward Mirza Teletovic (35), guard Eric Bledsoe (2) and guard Devin Booker against the New Orleans Pelicans at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

4th place – Phoenix Suns

2015-16 record: 23-59 (4th place in Pacific Division)

2016-17 prediction: 28-54

There’s a chance that the Suns could overachieve slightly and snatch the 13th seed in the Western Conference and finish 3rd in the Pacific Division. Maybe, if their young players really overachieve and second-year Devin Booker is the Phoenix saviour that every fan wants him to be, there could be a small chance that happens.

However, with backcourt questions surrounding the current duo of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, not to mention Tyson Chandler’s fit or the sheer age and inexperience of 2016 lottery picks Dragan Bender (18) and Marquese Chriss (19), wins won’t come too easily.

The Suns need to be patient.

They’re a young team, and similarly to the Lakers, next season is about developing the young building blocks.

The return of a healthy Bledsoe will help lead the way, with career-highs of 20.4 points, 6.1 assists and two steals per game in his 31 contests before injury last season offering a nice indicator of what fans can expect in 2016-17. Providing he stays (the chance of trading Knight will be very much alive given Bledsoe’s play and the emergence of Booker at shooting guard), his return is a real bonus for their possible win total.

Free agency didn’t change too much for the Suns. They brought back notable 3-and-D wing Jared Dudley, which is a great signing to support their perimeter play, add a stellar catch-and-shoot threat, and provide some more leadership for the likes of Booker, Bender and Chriss. They also brought Leandro Barbosa back to Phoenix, but, again, he hardly takes the team to another level.

Booker’s future is nothing but bright. He has a beautiful shooting stroke, he showed his ability to create and drive as time went by, and his ball handling and facilitating is improving all the time.

Alongside Bledsoe, young pieces like Alex Len and T.J. Warren, their new veterans, and the rookie efforts of Bender, Chriss and Tyler Ulis, the Suns should be able to begin their progression to a more promising future.

Feb 23, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) during a stoppage of play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Kings defeated the Nuggets 114-110. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

3rd place – Sacramento Kings

2015-16 record: 33-49 (3rd place in Pacific Divison)

2016-17 prediction: 31-51

The Sacramento Kings’ offseason has been… interesting.

DeMarcus Cousins has stayed put despite the wishes of many eager rival fans around the NBA, which is ultimately what everyone should have expected, anyway. They signed Arron Afflalo for a fair price of two years, $25 million, brought in Matt Barnes on a two-year, $12.5 million deal, and have even added the rapidly falling Ty Lawson, as if the Kings couldn’t look any more Kingsy.

But free agency isn’t even the issue at the hand. The general direction of the franchise — the identity by which it will function or try to improve with in 2016-17 — is simply unknown.

After trading their 8th overall pick in this year’s draft (that could have been super-high-upside Marquese Chriss), they received the 13th and 28th overall picks from the Suns. Those picks resulted in an unknown Greek center, Georgios Papagiannis, at 13, and Skal Labissiere at 28. The Kings also traded Marco Belinelli to the Charlotte Hornets for the 22nd pick (resulting in Malachi Richardson).

Primarily, they hoarded big men. They added a random, slow, center in Papagiannis and power forward Labissiere when they already have Cousins, Kosta Koufos and Willie Cauley-Stein in their frontcourt, as well as another four in Anthony Tolliver from free agency.

With such selections on draft night and the Papagiannis pick, Boogie didn’t hesitate to tweet out some frustration.

If that wasn’t enough, Sactown Royalty asked Rudy Gay in July about what he thought the franchise’s current direction is. He said he has no idea:

“I have no idea. I suit up and give it my all. That’s all I can do in this situation, that’s all you can do. Go out there and play as much as you can. Obviously, we don’t have anything to really build on. We have a new coach. I think that’s the only thing we can really build on. New coach and seeing how it plays out.”

In response to being asked about the potential of the new team, Gay again had no idea what they’re doing:

“Honestly, I haven’t paid attention. I don’t even know who our new players are to be honest with you.”

For new head coach Dave Joerger, questions of a cluttered frontcourt, defense, and the simple managing of rotations throughout the roster hardly sheds much excitement onto next season for the Kings.

Key players like Gay and Cousins are clearly bothered by what the team is doing. Seeing much success or any kind of easy sailing to an improved record isn’t easy to do for this Kings team. Hovering around 30 wins based on their talent alone seems likely.

April 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and forward Wesley Johnson (33) celebrate the 102-81 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

2nd place – LA Clippers

2015-16 record: 53-29 (2nd place in Pacific Division)

2016-17 prediction: 57-25

It’s time to talk about the LA Clippers. As you’d have expected, unless you’re an incredibly optimistic fan, they come in at 2nd here, thanks to the misfortunate of playing with the Warriors in the Pacific Division.

After winning 53 games while having Blake Griffin for just 35 in the regular season, the Clippers’ 2015-16 campaign was impressive. It would have been even more impressive, right up until their window following Stephen Curry’s MCL injury in the playoffs was struck down by their own abysmal luck.

If Chris Paul and Griffin weren’t ruled out with season-ending injuries within minutes of one another in Game 4 of the first round against Portland, last season may have been the first time in LA Clippers history that they made it to the Conference Finals.

But we can’t know that now. It’s all irrelevant and it’s hard to judge their success last season due to such major injuries throughout the year. However, now that Griffin is returning to full health over the summer, he’s set for a major comeback season. If Doc Rivers entrusts him with more responsibility as a facilitator and he center of the offense outside of Paul more often, Griffin could be even better.

If that’s the case, the Clippers winning 57 games should be relatively easy. There’s a genuine chance of reaching 60 wins, given the (ideal) health and roster continuity they’ve experienced heading into October.

With Griffin returning to a team that rose from 15th in defensive efficiency in 2015 to 4th in 2016, still highlighted by an elite starting lineup and a reasonable bench, a rise to the West’s 2nd seed isn’t out of question. The San Antonio Spurs’ interior defense has taken a major hit after the loss of Tim Duncan and the signings of Pau Gasol and David Lee, and they won’t be quite as formidable in that regard next season. This can only give the Clippers a slight advantage to try and edge past.