Sign Up
for the

Los Angeles Clippers-Golden State Warriors A Rising Rivalry


clipps-state

Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports

The excitement surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers‘ upcoming season is justifiable. Chris Paul and forward, Blake Griffin, return for a third season in their prime and hungry for validation. The Western Conference‘s serial title contenders of the past have aged, and haven’t made any offseason acquisitions that warrant pessimism among Clippers fans.

But the Clippers have to look no further than their own division to find a rising rivalry.

The Golden State Warriors are the NBA‘s feel-good story. They’re like a baby-faced leading man with a chipped tooth: easy to root for, yet dangerous. Second-year head coach Mark Jackson is beyond his years as a coach in the league. And with an even younger team, it’ll be awhile before his message falls upon deaf ears.

The Warriors’ nucleus of young talent rival any in the league. Their depth, veteran leadership and last season’s second-round playoff dog fight will make them one of the NBA’s most talked-about teams this upcoming season.

The Warriors’ most dangerous threat to the Clippers is their point guard Stephen Curry. He was noticeably absent from last years All-Star game. Curry is a brilliant shooter that shocked the NBA landscape with his ability to get the rim and make plays for others. But Curry, unlike Paul, has shown a lack of discipline late in games, which cost the team in last year’s postseason.

This budding in-state rivalry will be an exciting one to watch as it unfolds.

ChristopherBrown is an NBA writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @whatrockschris. Like him on Facebook.


Around the Web

ZergNet
Partner with USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties