Path to Greatness…

Or at least to the NBA Playoffs.

Now that the 2009 NBA Draft is done and Free Agency has begun let’s take a look at what the Clippers will need to do to be a playoff contender (quit talking ring yet because you have to “make” the playoffs first… baby steps):

• Get some MOJO - teams following terrible seasons who drafted #1 got players that instantly turned their team into contenders: the Spurs with Duncan, the Cavs with Lebron, and the Magic with Howard. The Clippers drafted that kind of player! Blake Griffin is a special talent who works hard, is a leader and will be good in the locker room.



• Have an IDENTITY – historically what positives can be said about the Clippers? Looking at last year’s squad the only ID the team had was injuries and inconsistency. This team has the players to do well but it needs to develop an M.O. to hang their hat on. Every good team has an identity: Suns are Run & Gun, Spurs/Celtics lock down on “D”, and the Lakers… well they’re the Lakers! For this year the Clippers’ motto should be  “NEVER SAY DIE”! They should be the scrappiest, hardest working team out there. Win or lose the opponent should feel they were in a WAR and not a game.
• HOME COOKING – one of the first steps to success is for the Clippers to protect their turf. Going 11-30 at Staples will never get it done. Utah was the 8th seed in the playoffs with a home record of 33-8 and a road record of 15-26. The Jazz, Cavs, Celtics, Lakers and Blazers were the toughest teams to beat on their home court. Sometimes you can pencil in a loss going into these arenas. If the Clippers go 29-12 at home that would go a long way in developing confidence. 
• BELIEVE – there is a difference between ”hoping” and “believing”.  Right now Clipper fans hope the team wins but do they really believe they can win? Belief stems from positive reinforcement which comes from only one thing… WINNING! When Phil Jackson first came to the Lakers he said he judges the team over 10 game stretches. One good win or one bad loss is not an indication of how the team is performing. Having a winning percentage over a 10 game period is a good indication that the team is on an upswing. This is important because it reinforces a team that it is playing better even after a loss. Consistently winning over 10 game stretches (even if its 6-4) develops that BELIEF the team is on the right track. Winning a game but having gone 2-8 does not equal a winning attitude. You just end up “hoping” to win another game but the trend is still downward.
• ENERGIZE – the Clippers have a huge energy resource ready to explode… CLIPPER NATION! The team has to feed off this and want to make their fans proud. Dive for every loose ball, take the charge, box out, rebound, and play as hard as you can. The fans will always reward effort.

So Clippers go out there and use your MOJO, outwork your opponent, get some home cooking, believe you can win, and harness the energy of Clipper Nation!

Tags: Blake Griffin, Clipper Nation, LA Clippers