NBA Playoffs | Western Conf | Rd 1 | (4) L.A. Clippers vs (5) Memphis

Photo Courtesy: <funnyclips.com>

This match up was one of the most entertaining match ups in all of last year’s playoffs. It’s a classic offense v. defense match up. Behind the lead of Chris Paul, the Clippers rallied from down 20+ points to show what they’re capable of.

Without Rudy Gay, everyone assumed the Grizzlies chances had essentially been squashed. They surprised everyone with their play down the stretch and find themselves with one of the top scoring defenses in the league.

Keys to Victory – Turnovers
The Grizzlies play phenomenal defense. But surprisingly, the L.A. Clippers are first in the NBA in forcing turnovers. If they can get easy buckets against a strong defense in Memphis, they have a great chance to win the series.

X-Factor – Jamal Crawford
Crawford is an easy pick for the X-Factor as he’s a starter quality player that comes off of the bench. It’s tough to account for such a talent in your second string rotation.

Prediction – L.A. Clippers in 6
With Chris Paul’s hyper-competitive spirit and the overall improvement of the Clippers game, I can’t imagine them falling to a team that I feel has taken a step back 1 year later.