Blake Griffin Supports Mo Williams’ Playoff Guarantee

The NBA season has yet to begin, and for all teams, hope springs eternal. Yes, even for the star-crossed Los Angeles Clippers.

Coming off a promising year that saw the rise of Blake Griffin as an All-Star talent, the Clips like their chances this season, and are making bold statements about what the near future holds.

From the LA Times:

[Mo] Williams said he has told all who will listen and all of the naysayers that “one thing that I can guarantee” is the Clippers will play in the postseason in 2012. “We’re right behind him in that regard,” [Blake] Griffin said Friday after another workout at the team’s practice facility in Playa Vista. “That’s the mentality and the mind-set of our whole team. That’s something that I’ve been thinking about personally all summer. So I have no problems with him saying that. But at the same time we have to back that up and we have to be ready. And I think from talking to everybody, everybody is fired up and ready to go, and I think that’s the direction we’re headed in.”

“We’re going to go to the playoffs this year,” Williams said. “That’s what is going to happen. It’s just how far we’re going to go, that’s what it is. But we’re going to the playoffs.” Why does he feel that way? After all, the Clippers have not made the playoffs since 2006, and their last appearance before that was in 1997. “We’ve got the personnel in place,” Williams said. “And I know my leadership qualities. I know how hard I worked this off-season to prepare for this, and there’s no way I won’t be in the playoffs this year.”

The postseason guarantee isn’t entirely far-fetched. Last year, the Clippers appeared on their way to making the Playoffs until a rash of injuries (and general Clipper-ness) got in the way late in the season.

Assuming most of the key contributors stay healthy this time around, Clipper fans should feel just as confident as the players do in their team’s ability to seriously challenge for a Playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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Tags: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers, Mo Williams, Playoffs

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http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Co-sign JTaylor.
Y’all don’t know, man, having VDN as your coach is a horrible epidemic.
It’s like the VD stands for Venereal Disease.
Also, some of y’all are sleeping on the Spurs if you think they’re gonna be a 5 seed.
You guys forget they were one of two teams to win 60 games last year?
I’m not saying they’re gonna win it all next year or be the number 1 seed, but they always have a great record in the regular season.
Last time they won less than 50 games in a non lockout-shortened season was in Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash’s rookie season and before THAT was in Shaq’s rookie season when they won 49 games.
Consistency at its finest.
http://www.slamonline.com megatron

Enigmatic, I know they always win 50 but in 2009-2010 season they were the seven seed. Each of the two years before that I think they were the 3 seed. So I dont really think its gonna be that suprising if they drop down to the 5 seed this year. They did lose george hill and they are getting older so these back to back to backs and 4 games in 5 nights aren’t going to be easy on them.
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

Yeah, if the Spurs manage to stay healthy throughout the RS like last year, I don’t see them no lower than a 4th seed.
http://www.slamonline.com megatron

but it is going to be close, I think they can have a great record and still be the 4th or 5th seed. Thats why I put them at 4
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Fair enough, Megatron.
I suppose I should remember in the west you can easily win 50 games and NOT have home court advantage in the first round.
Least you have a lot more sense than GP23, saying the L-Wolves will get a higher seed than the Spurs. Lol
http://nba.com GP23

^Thanks matic..
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

All love, GP. I just can’t believe you have so much faith in the Wolves.
Only thing they have going for them is their new coach, their rookie and Love.
http://www.slamonline.com megatron

yeah faith in the wolves is never a good thing
http://www.slamonline.com megatron

I do have faith in Rick Adelman though. He is the only one in that organization that knows how to win.
fish sticks

I remember a Mo guarantee that he would win thw 09 skills comp… And that the cavs would beat the magic… And that they would win game 5… Every time dude guarantees something it doesnt happen haha
http://www.slamonline.com megatron

also david kahn is a lunatic
http://Slamonline.com nbk

Faith in any team whose leading scorers are Michael Beasley & Kevin Love at under 25 years of age, with your 3rd best player being a rookie who plays the exact same position(s) is never a good idea. But what I will say is Darko is about to have the best year of his career.
eZ

I think the condensed season will be killing old legs faster, instead of saving them because there are less total games to be played. I thought I heard Dennis Scot say the same on some NBA show a couple of months back, he experienced the same in ’99.
I think old teams play great the first 20 games and then injuries and fatigue will come up. Having said that I would predict it like this:
1. Thunder
2. Memphis
3. Lakers
4. Mavs
5. Portland
6. Spurs
7. Hornets
8. Clips

That is with important players staying put or being resigned.
Man if Gasol stays and ego’s are checked, Memphis will be a beast of a team. Best team-balance by far and almost entirely young.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDNFKaq5vqw nbk

The Hornets are not making the playoffs. There is just no way. Chris Paul will be a Laker by February.
chingy

If NO keeps CP3, they are in. He himself is good enough for an 7th/8th seed this season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDNFKaq5vqw nbk

yeah but they aren’t. They would be stupid to even try and keep him.
chingy

East playoff picture anyone? I got:
1. Heat
2. Bulls
3. Celtics
4. Hawks
5. Knicks
6. Magic
7. Pacers
8. Nets
chingy

^ agree ndk.
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

1. Heat
2. Bulls
3. Knicks
4. Celtics
5. Hawks
6. Magic
7. Pacers
8. Bucks

Just a stab in the dark. I do think the Knicks will have a better regular season record than the Celtics, but I also think the C’s make the second round I playoffs again. I just think all those games in a short amount of time in the RS will hurt them.
I think the Magic will fall due to the DH distractions. Bucks should be improved. Who gets first seed between Bulls and Heat I think may come down to who they manage to sign in free agency here soon
chingy

Any idea how Bogut is doing with his injury from last season?
http://slamonline.com nbk

That was 2 seasons ago. He’ll never be 100% but he did just lead the league in blocks.
http://slamonline.com nbk

1)Mia 2)Chi 3)NY 4)Bos/NJ 5)Mil/NJ 6)Atl/NJ 7)Ind/NJ 8)Orl/NJ (depends where & when Dwight goes)
http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

West: 1)OKC 2)LAL 3)DAL 4)MEM 5)SA 6)POR 7)GS 8)LAC
East: 1?MIA 2)CHI 3)NY 4)Bos 5)Orl(if Dwight stays) 6)NJ 7)Ind 8)Atl
http://slamonline.com Allenp

I got the Bucks at the six seed, seventh at the lowest.
Stephen Jackson is going to be a HUGE improvement over the Salmons/Maggette tandem. If they can just get a modicum of production out of Drew Gooden they will be a problem. But, that is unlikely.
Celtics finish higher than the Knicks. Amare is still hurt.
Magic probably won’t make the playoffs with the Dwight drama and eventual trade.
So
Heat
Bulls
Celtics
Knicks
Hawks
Bucks
Sixers
Pacers/Nets
http://slamonline.com nbk

I think with the crazy pace of the schedule Boston gonna take a lot of games off and just try and win in the playoffs. Almost Like the Knicks in 99
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Sixers!
I knew there was a team I was forgetting
Co-sign AllenP. Sixers get in, Magic don’t.
http://www.slamonline.com megatron

1. Heat
2. Bulls
3. Knicks
4. Celtics
5. Hawks
6. Nets
7. Bucks
8. Sixers
- the nets could jump as high as 3 depending on if they get dwight and how early into the season they get dwight
PAul

they remind me about the 2008 bulls
Maniac

I’ll make my picks after free agency because I guarantee some stuff is going to happen and a lot of people are going to change their pre-season standings lol
http://Slamonline.com nbk

Duh
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

Bulls go all out during the RS to win HCA and the 1st Seed.
MIA’s too focused on playoff redemption to worry about HCA throughout the playoffs.
BOS/ATL are deeper and better from top to bottom than the Knicks.
ORL falls out of the playoff picture after DHow is traded to NJ right before the all-star break.
CHI
MIA
BOS
ATL
NYK
NJ
MIL
PHI
http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

Don’t sleep on Houston, peeps.
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

Damn…I forgot about IND. The east is deeper than I thought.
http://cnbc.com New_Guy

Clips surprise everyone and are 6th seed! Hold me too it, I think they are the real deal
http://Slamonline.com nbk

I think a full season of Deron Williams is better than whatever Philadelphia ends up doin. Unless Indiana regressed when they add David West and lose their athleticism….
LA Huey

Hard for me to make my playoff picks without seeing how things shake out in free agency. But here it goes:
East – CHI, MIA, ATL, BOS, NYK, MIL, NJN, IND
West – OKC, LAL, SAS, DAL, MEM, POR, GSW, HOU/DEN
I think CP3 and Dwight will be traded before the deadline, Chandler will land in GState, Nene will stay or go to Houston, Miami and Boston will pace themselves for the playoffs
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Oh, I’m cryogenically freezing on the Rockets.
Their best center is 6’6″, their best player is too one dimensional,
Jordan Hill’s a bust, Hasheem Thabeet’s a bust, Patrick Patterson and Terrence Williams will probably be buried on the bench again, Rick Adelman is gone, they got a Marcus Cousin but could really use a DeMarcus Cousins.
At least they drafted the right Morris twin.
http://Slamonline.com nbk

F*ck. I hate basketball twins. My city is infatuated with the “under-brother(dog)”
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Lol they got the wrong Lopez brother, the wrong Griffin brother and now the wrong Morris brother!
http://www.slamonline.com Nick Tha Quick

@ NBK They love the under-brother out here. Surprising. What’s so different between him and Taylor Griffin? Met one of the Suns trainers few weeks ago and he was really high on Morris. Said he had a really good workout pre-draft. Come to think about it, no city has had at least one NBA twin/brother play here at one point. Griffin, Lopez, Morris, Collins…Eboy/Pat Burke….
http://Slamonline.com nbk

Well they always like the one who works harder, and normally have the second pick out of the two lol. Markieff Morris specialized as the roll-man in college and was very good on the boards (which normally translates) so they grabbed him. I really wish they would have picked Faried though, he’s gonna be a terror.
Jennifer

I believe they can make the playoffs esp with Griffin + Gordon but they need to FIRE VINNY DEL NEGRO first!!! Horrible coach making horrible decisions.
http://www.slamonline.com J

The Clips can make the playoffs with VDN as the head honcho. He did it in Chicago.
Getting past the first round is a different story.
Maniac

I think you guys are overrating the Nets. If I had to choose a potential low seed team that wouldn’t make it, it would be the nets
Maniac

Heat
Bulls
Knicks
Celtics
Magic
Bucks
Hawks
Sixers

Lakers
Thunder
Spurs
Mavs
Blazers
Grizzles
Warriors
Clippers

idk about this at all…
DuckTape The Mob

Ya’ll coming up with all these theories of why They won’t make the playoffs…………………But ya’ll forgot the real reasons

They are The LA Clippers and their Owner is DONALD STERLING! <——
Waskito

Really want bob cat get one slot in the play off
http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

Free agency, Enigmatic. Free agency.
Zabbah

HoMo Williams.
Justin

If someone can put the T-Wolves at number 4 can I put the Bobcats at #4 in the East?

Blake Griffin Supports Mo Williams’ Playoff Guarantee

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