Although the LA Clippers have steamrolled inferior competition during their stunning 16-3 run, the real test begins now. Over the next 12 games, the Clippers face 11 playoff teams. This stretch will determine whether this turnaround is legitimate or just a mirage built on beating sub-par competition.
Several of the teams the Clippers have on schedule will have the goal of fighting to expose every weakness in Tyronn Lue's scheme. This is something LA will have to overcome, if their goal is to prove they are the real deal.
It was truly a very important win over the Utah Jazz since the schedule is about to get tough. Going 6-6 in the upcoming stretch would be considered a success. Anything better would be remarkable, but if the Clippers stumble to 4-8 or worse, all the feel-good momentum from the past month evaporates instantly.
Can the Clippers' role players handle elite defenses?
During the 16-3 run, Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders have been phenomenal, but they've done it against lottery teams. How will they perform when the Phoenix Suns throw multiple elite defenders at them? What happens when the Minnesota Timberwolves' suffocating defense forces them into uncomfortable situations? These are the questions that Tyronn Lue needs to figure out.
It's normal to be nervous about seeing how playoff defenses will affect Sanders and Miller. Right now, both are hitting open threes created by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, yet elite teams don't give up the same looks.
The LA Clippers also have a glaring vulnerability that good teams will exploit: they struggle against full-court pressure. The good teams know how to shut that down, effectively limiting ball handling and/or playmaking to a crawl. Unless the Clippers get a few more options to be more creative against the press, they are in trouble.
James Harden is still playing a majority of the first and third quarters because the Clippers lack a reliable backup point guard. When teams press and force turnovers while Harden is sitting, the Clippers have no answers. That worked fine against Utah, but it won't work against the Timberwolves or Suns.
The Clippers have a .500 mountain to climb
Even if the LA Clippers split the next 12 games down the middle, they'd only be 28-30, still two games under .500. To reach 47-35, a record that might secure seventh or eighth seed, they'd need to have an impeccable finish to the year.
The schedule eases slightly in March and April, but by then the damage might already be done. The Golden State Warriors aren't going away, the Phoenix Suns are finding their rhythm, and the Minnesota Timberwolves remain one of the best in the Western Conference.
That said, this February stretch is where seasons are made or broken. The Clippers can either validate their turnaround by holding strong against playoff teams, or they can expose themselves as pretenders who feasted on weak opponents. There's no middle ground. By March 1st, we'll know exactly what this team is, and whether their historic turnaround was real or just a beautiful illusion.