Positioning Is Everything in the West

The Clippers began the night with the fourth-best record in the Western Conference, which used to be the fourth-best thing that could happen but not this season.

Under the old two-division format, if the playoffs started today, the Clippers would be the fourth-seeded team and would open in the first round against the fifth-seeded team, New Orleans/Oklahoma City.

Under the new three-division format with the division winners getting the top three seedings, the Clippers are No. 5 and would play No. 4 Dallas in the first round ... with the winner looking at No. 1 San Antonio in the second round.

Meanwhile, No. 2 Phoenix would open against No. 7 Memphis, then play the winner of the No. 3-6 series between Denver and New Orleans/Oklahoma City.

In other words, the Clippers will have a big advantage if they can overtake the Suns and win the Pacific Division, but will fall into a killer bracket if they come in second.

“You can’t help but notice what you’re looking at, particularly in the West,” Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said before Sunday’s game against Chicago.

“I mean, four-five is kind of a hard matchup. Four is going to be the second-best record in the West, no question, one way or the other, San Antonio or Dallas. Either way, you’ll play somebody better than you’re supposed to play....

“It doesn’t seem like the potential scenario for the two best teams in the conference to play in the second round makes sense for anybody, TV, fans, product. It’s common sense to me but I don’t know, maybe I’m missing something.”

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The Clippers began the night having won 10 of 12, giving up 93 points a game over that time.

Before that, however, they lost 11 of 17, giving up 98.

“I think a part of the problem was, I thought we were getting Corey [Maggette] back,” Dunleavy said.

“So I managed us that way, where I played guys big minutes. And maybe we hit a stretch in there where maybe we just got a little worn down. And then once I realized he wasn’t coming back for six weeks, I was like, ‘Whoa, got to get some more guys in the mix.’

“And bringing those guys into the mix, it took them a little bit.

“Then we went back to where we kind of were.”