The Curse Is Back?

By: Lamar "L.A." Smith

The Curse Is Back?

The Clippers' franchise is constantly treated like second-class citizens in Los Angeles. Since the Lakers moved from Minneapolis to L.A. in 1960, the city of Los Angeles has been Lakerland, the Lake show or the city of Purple & Gold. The Clippers cannot replace the Lakers especially not after 45 years of bad basketball including 31 years while in the City of Angels.

Chris Paul's response to a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Houston Rockets in Houston after leading the series 3-1. Paul quotes Ricky Bobby the character played by Will Ferrell in the movie Talladega Nights.

"If your not first you're last."

This quote personifies the amount of anguish CP3 and the Clippers franchise has been through. Chris Paul is an 8-time NBA All-Star and next year could become first on a couple lists earning him a few dubious distinctions as well.

Paul has played 65 playoff games without reaching the Conference Finals which is the most among active NBA players. Paul also only has to play 5 more games to top that list next season, assuming the Clippers go back to the playoffs and win at least a game. Paul also has the second most amount of All-Star Game appearances without a trip to the Conference Finals behind Dominique Wilkins (9).

The Clippers are still one of only four franchises who have yet to make it to the Conference Finals. The Clips will only have but so many chances before they will be seen only as the franchise plagued by losing. The Raptors, Hornets and Pelicans have also never been to the Conference Finals but they currently do not have lofty expectations. Since Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers instead of the Lakers 4 years ago, the people of Los Angeles were now hopeful for the new persona the Clips had which was "Lob City". A perennial title-contender was expected with a nucleus consisting of young bigmen oozing potential in: DeAndre Jordan,  Blake Griffin and the team's new floor general Chris Paul.

Instead of "Lob City" Los Angeles has been "Sob City". A franchise full of disappointments continues to look at the more successful franchise in the other locker room and ask themselves: Why us? Why do the Clippers seem to find ways to lose games? This is a question everyone wants to know the answer to.

Doc Rivers the only coach to squander two 3-1 leads in the playoffs. Rivers also squandered a 3-1 lead vs the Pistons in 2003 while coaching the Magic. In contrast, Kevin McHale is the first person to comeback from 3-1 series leads as a player and a coach. McHale's coaching includes coaching the Rockets to a No. 2 seed after an injury plagued season and keeping Harden out of the game in a Game 6 comeback vs the Clippers.

A Game 5 collapse in Oklahoma City including a foul by Chris Paul on Russell Westbrook who sank the game-winning free throws to win Game 5 as the Thunder would go on to win the 2014 Western Conference Semifinals series vs. the Clippers. The Clippers would duplicate another misfortunate playoff run this year becoming the 9th team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead in the playoffs. This is including a 19-pt lead in Game 6 in L.A. which turned into a 49-18 run by Houston who won Game 6 and the series.

Another year has ended and even more questions are proposed to a franchise which is now devoid of hope. Maybe fans saw this outcome coming when Doc Rivers traded a two-way player in Jared Dudley or decided not to pay Darren Collison money to comeback in free agency. Doc tried to make amends for his mistake by signing Jordan Farmar and Spencer Hawes but, those acquisitions didn't pan out. However, this offseason Doc Rivers will have his work cut out for him from resigning DeAndre Jordan to finding some way to upgrade the Clippers' porous bench.

Are the Clippers cursed? The fans who have watched this year's NBA Playoffs may think this is already apparent.

'I have the blood of a champion. Championship blood runs through my veins.'

Jason Terry made this statement once the Rockets completed a 3-1 series comeback vs the Los Angeles Clippers. The quote is a derivative of Rudy Tomjanovich's proclamation "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion."

It seems we learned a few things about the Clippers this year they aren't sitting at home because Houston was head and shoulders better than them. It is because when Houston's back was against the wall they fought back in contrast to the Clippers who crumbled.

Houston simply wanted it more. The team with more heart won the series.