Many people, whether they are avid or casual basketball fans, will remember the infamous “Decision” television broadcast, where LeBron James announced he would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and signing with the Miami Heat. Though they were hated, the new Miami Heat became a top tier team their first year together, ultimately reaching the NBA Finals (losing in six games to the Dallas Mavericks).

This year, another “super team” has arrived in the NBA: the Los Angeles Clippers. After putting in a lot of effort, the Clippers picked up a star player of their own from the New Orleans Hornets, the best point guard in the NBA, Chris Paul. The question is though, do the Clippers, a subpar team the year before, have what it takes to reach the Finals on their first try? Many fans are skeptical, but with Chris Paul on the team, nothing is impossible.

In the two preseason games Chris Paul has played as a Clipper, they have been playing some exciting basketball! Paul has been distributing the ball very well and the other members of the team (which include all-stars Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, and Caron Butler) have been taking advantage of Paul’s tremendous passing ability. As a result, the Clippers have looked very strong offensively and have been making some jaw dropping plays.

The biggest thing the Clippers have going for them is that the players are in synch, largely due to the veteran leadership of Paul, Billups, and Butler. On offense, their teamwork has often looked flawless; Paul, who loves to throw alley hoops, has already connected multiple times with the Clippers’ dunking phenomena, Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Based on way the Clippers played in the NBA preseason, it is safe to say that they are starting the regular season on the right foot. It will be interesting to see how the Clippers fare against their hometown rivals and the former champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.

As strong as the Clippers are offensively, I do not yet think that they are contenders for the championship because of one major factor: defense. While they could arguably be the best offensive team in the league, their defense is not at a high level. On top of that, while they do have solid sixth man, all-star Mo Williams, the rest of their bench consists of young and inexperienced players. However, I am not going to completely write off the Clippers either; I will be shocked if they do not make it to the playoffs this year. They have loads of talent, both young and old, and if they can just pick up a few defense-first type of players, there is great chance that the Clippers will be fighting for the championship in the a few years.

Here’s a video of Chris Paul connecting with DeAndre Jordan: