Playoff Time 2013: Chris Paul

In the City of L.A the Lakers have always been king, They are that team that your girlfriend cheers for, They are that team your coworker cheers for, They are that team that attract most people who know little to nothing about basketball. For all intensive purposes they Run the Los Angeles Sports market and are Internationally known and for many years they're Staples Center counter part The Clippers were the punch line of many jokes ala Charlotte Bobcats. For the first time in a long time the LA Sports market is there for the taking with the Clippers a 50+ win team and one of the leagues marquee teams. Players like Blake Griffin Jamal Crawford, Deandre Jordan make the Clips a Highlight reel waiting to happen but its Chris Paul who drives the bus for the Red, White& Blue who changed the Landscape of basketball in Southern California forever.

Chris Paul is one of the Premier players in the NBA and is the biggest reason for the Clippers becoming a dominant marquee team to watch in the west. Coupled with Jamal Crawford and Eric Bledsoe I think it's safe to say that the Clips have the best point guard core in the NBA. Make no mistake about it Chris Paul is the leader of the other team in L.A.  If you watch the Clippers play he controls the tempo, He directs traffic and is a leader on both sides of the floor which is what they need him to be in the Playoffs this year.

This season has been a year of firsts for the Clipper organization. Like the 1st Division Championship in franchise history. This is huge for them because the neighbors in purple and gold have always had a strong hold over the town, even when they play each other. You always saw more Kobe Bryant jerseys then anything but now the stands aren't so Laker dominant, Now we see Blake Griffin and Chris Paul jerseys in Clipper red and blue that roam the Staples Center. For the first time  things are even in L.A and thats great for the NBA.

The Winston-Salem native was once gain an All-Star and averaged 16 Points per game along with 9.7 Assists. Paul's impact goes beyond the line up though, he is a leader. Throughout the Course of these playoffs Paul will need to play an even bigger role for the Clippers and play his best basketball against a tough Memphis Grizzlies team. The 1st round will provide a very physical challenge in which the Clippers passed last year in 7 games vs the same Memphis squad but these Grizzlies are bigger and tougher then last year after the trade of All-Star Rudy gay. They beat you up inside and harass you on the perimeter, Paul will need to be composed and play elite basketball in the first round. Shall he past the 1st round test the question of "How far can the Clippers go"? Will arise. Shall he and the Clipper defense disrupt the tempo and force turnovers then the Clippers will become "Lob City" and challenge anyone who stands in their way in the Western Conference.

Paul is an Elite player but Can he be the Driving force towards a Non-Laker Championship banner hanging at the Staples Center?

The Playoffs begin April 20th with Chris Paul and the Clippers taking on Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Playoff Time 2013: Zach Randolph

2 Seasons ago in the 1^st round of the Playoffs the 8^th seeded Memphis Grizzlies upset the #1 seeded San Antonio Spurs and an identity was forged. “Grit N Grind” was the motto and the Grizzlies fell one game short of reaching the Western Conference Finals that season as they lost to Kevin Durant and the Thunder in 7 hard fought games. It was then that the Grizzlies put the NBA on notice that no longer was a Memphis a speed bump in the 1^st round for teams, they were contenders and Zach Randolph was a dominant force in the post.

This season has seen the Grizzlies go through a transitional period trading away All-Star Forward Rudy Gay to the Raptors and adding Bigger, longer more athletic  bodies such as Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye. Rather than worrying about getting Gay/Randolph a certain Number of touches the offense has more of an identity and plays more in the low post through Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Adding the likes of Tayshaun Prince and Ed Davis has added help to playing the kind of basketball Memphis wants to play which is grind it out defensive basketball which is a great formula for winning in the playoffs.

Although Randolph is among the league leaders in Double-Doubles (4^th-44) he hasn't quite been that dominant force people expected him to be after trading Rudy Gay. If the Grizzlies want to get where they want to go then Zach Randolph needs to play his best basketball and become a dominant force down low for the Memphis Grizzlies. 20+ Points per game and 10-12  like Rebounds is what they need from him. When he is dominant it makes life easier for guys Like Quincy Pondexter, Jayred Bayless and Mike Conley to knock down open shots on the perimeter.

The Grizzlies will meet the L.A Clippers in the 1^st round who knocked them out in 7 games. Randolph averaged 13 Points and 9 rebounds a game which is solid but not what you need from the focal point of your offense. In the 2011 Playoffs he averaged 22 points and 10 Rebounds, the fate of Memphis will rely on how dominate Randolph can be in the post in the playoffs. That will be a tall task particularly in the 1^st round vs the Clippers with guys like Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan in the frontcourt. Memphis is going to have to limit turnovers and control tempo throughout the series.

Randolph is an All-Star talent and is a very good player but does he become great in the Playoffs this year? Only time will tell

The Playoffs begin April 20^th With the Memphis Grizzlies Matched up against Blake Griffin and the L.A Clippers

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