NBA Standings: Los Angeles Clippers Closing in on Golden State Warriors in Pacific Division
The 2014-15 NBA season is more than a third of the way complete, and multiple teams are standing out among others.
The Southwest division has been the strongest division in the league this year, but the Pacific division has been an intriguing one, as well.
The Golden State Warriors lead the Pacific Division with 23 victories. The "Splash Brothers" of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have been the most dynamic back-court in the NBA this season. Offense is of no concern by the Bay, but defense without Andrew Bogut on the court isn't easy.
Head coach Steve Kerr has done a great job in his first season, but the Warriors have quietly lost three of their last five games. No need to panic, but it doesn't look like the Warriors will be reaching the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls 72-win mark after all. Don't be surprised if the Warriors make a few moves before the NBA trade deadline for a big man.
With an impressive 20-10 record this season, the Clippers are just three wins behind the Warriors. In their last game on Christmas Day, the Clippers defeated the Warriors, 100-86. The Clippers and Warriors will play each other two more times this season.
DeAndre Jordan has been outstanding this season for the Clippers, leading the NBA in rebounds with 13.4 per game. Blake Griffin leads the Clippers in scoring with 22.9 points per game, while Chris Paul III continues to prove he's one of the best point guards in the world today. Still, the Clippers do have some defensive issues to work out, and head coach Doc Rivers is the perfect man for the job.
The biggest advantage the Clippers have over the Warriors is physicality. In order to win and advance in the postseason, teams have to play physical against their opponents.
Since the 2007-08 season, a Los Angeles based team team has won the division every single year. In that time span the Los Angeles Lakers won the division five times and the Clippers twice. The last team outside of Los Angeles to win the Pacific division was the Phoenix Suns in 2006 with 61 victories.
The Suns are the only other team in the division with a winning record. At 17-14, it doesn't look like the Suns will be winning the Pacific division this season, but they are currently the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The Suns have won their last four games, but rank 26th in team defense. The Kings rank 23rd in team defense, and the Lakers rank last in that category. The Pacific division doesn't offer a lot of defense for NBA fans.
There's still plenty of time remaining in the season, but the Warriors and Clippers have stood out as the two best teams in the Pacific division. The Warriors and Clippers will play each other again next on March 8.
Pacific Standings (as of Dec. 27, 2014)
1. Golden State Warriors: 23-5
2. Los Angeles Clippers: 20-10
3. Phoenix Suns: 17-14
4. Sacramento Kings: 12-17
5. Los Angeles Lakers: 9-21
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