Los Angeles Clippers vs San Antonio Spurs recap: Chris Paul shows his worth

Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers drives past Danny Green #4 of the San Antonio Spurs for a lay up in the first half at Staples Center on December 16, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

By: Ryan Rodriguez

The Los Angeles Clippers picked up a big win last night as they shot down the San Antonio Spurs, 115-92, in an impressive showing as they returned from their road trip.

The first 14 minutes of the game seemed to point to a systematic beatdown by the Spurs precision offense, as the Clips once again failed to get stops to start the game in a startling matter. However, after Doc Rivers called a timeout with 10 minutes left in the second, a switch was flipped on the Clippers bench and they proceeded to run the Spurs off the floor.

The Clips got standard star performances from Blake Griffin and CP3, but most importantly, saw role players Willie Green and Jared Dudley go 7-10 from three and raise the Clips offense to a new level.

This was another example of the brilliance of Chris Paul, as he once again controlled the game and never let the Clippers panic when they got down early. His ability to make the exact play that is needed in the game and for his team cannot be overstated in a game like this.

The Clippers need to validate themselves to the world as true title contenders, and getting run out of the gym by the Spurs at home was not the way to make that statement. The score sheet may say that Blake Griffin was the star scorer with 27 points in the game, but this team is and has always been about Paul. It’s mostly the little things he does – stepping up with a bit of extra effort on defense or finding a trailing big man for an alley oop on the fastbreak – that truly make him the master that he is.

CP3 has a unique ability to let the viewer see him make a conscious effort in getting everyone involved. Someone doesn’t even have to watch closely to see Paul seek out trailers for dunks and threes, things that are simply huge morale boosters for players who rely on the point guard for shots.

CP3 doesn’t do it in ways where he looks like he is actively passing up his own shot, something another elite pace controller - Rajon Rondo - does; rather, he has a keen eye for when the precise moment to be aggressive with his shot is as well.

The Clippers, without any back up bigs with which to speak for, will need CP3 to be at his absolute best all year, toggling between shooting and playmaking, if they want any hope of breaking into the Western Conference Finals. Last night was another good showing in what could be turning into Chris Paul’s peak year in terms of all around basketball play.

Notes

DeAndre Jordan might give up too many shots at the rim, but when he doesn’t give them up, they usually result in ridiculously athletic blocks. When he follows those blocks with fastbreak rim runs like the one he had last night, it is a beautiful thing to watch as you wait for the guard to throw him an alley oop.
The Clips need Jared Dudley to start to pick up his shooting. Last night was a good start, but with no Matt Barnes or J.J. Redick, Dudley needs last night to develop into a trend that can be paired with these other two’s offensive games upon return.
Doc Rivers decided to shake up the lineup last night, starting Jamal Crawford at the 2 for the second straight game, as he messes around with different lineup combinations amid these injuries. Crawford didn’t seem used to playing in the first quarter so much as he failed to register a point in the first half yesterday. He picked it up in the second half to finish with 17 points though.
The Clippers knocked down 11-23 threes last night, as they out-Spursed the Spurs from deep.