Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers have had a winning record just twice since moving to L.A. in 1984, a history of futility unparalleled in the NBA. While there have been legitimate reasons for optimism intermittently over those years (the Larry Brown team that made back-to-back playoff appearances in the early 90s, the young and talented Clippers of Lamar Odom, Darius Miles and Elton Brand a decade ago, the best-record-in-team-history 05-06 team), there is currently more positive buzz about LA's other team than ever. The reason is obvious: Blake Griffin.

The NBA is a superstar's league, and in Griffin the L.A. Clippers have a legitimate franchise player. He was the unanimous Rookie of the Year last season, and the first rookie to be chosen by the coaches as an All Star since Tim Duncan. His rookie numbers place him in rarefied company, but what's truly scary for the rest of the league is that he's going to get much, much better.

Griffin is not however the sole source of optimism in ClipsNation. Shooting guard Eric Gordon provides a perimeter scoring threat that is a perfect complement to Griffin's inside presence. A key member of the Gold Medal winning Team USA from the 2010 World Championships in Turkey, Gordon is considered by many the best young shooting guard in the NBA. And like Griffin, Gordon is only 22, making them the NBA's best young duo outside of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Griffin and Gordon are the cornerstones of a bright future, but they are not alone. Hyper athletic center DeAndre Jordan is coming off a breakout season and is only just beginning to scratch his full potential. High on the team's to do list after the lockout will be re-signing the restricted free agent. Jordan is just 23, and the camaraderie of these youngsters is another reason for optimism.

The rest of the roster includes Mo Williams (an All Star with Cleveland in 2009) and Chris Kaman (an All Star in 2010), so there's no lack of talent. Williams will be the team's point guard when and if basketball resumes, while Kaman will battle Jordan for the starting role at center. Two more youngsters (point guard Eric Bledsoe and small forward Al-Farouq Aminu) are entering their second season, and may or may not be part of the team's future.

The team is not without issues. They won a mere 32 games in 2010-2011, despite Griffin's monstrous debut, so there's a lot of territory between them and the playoffs. They also are in desperate need of more production from the small forward position, where Ryan Gomes has been a major disappointment. Kaman is in the final season of his contract, and could be used as trade bait to help fill the void at the three.

With the players currently locked out, one wonders if the Clippers' history of misfortune will continue. There's a distinct possibility that entering the most exciting season in their LA history, there will be no season at all.