Are the Clippers the New Lakers?

Of course not. Don't be absurd.

They have one of the worst owners in the league in Donald Sterling, haven't won a game that mattered in recent memory (or distant memory for that matter) and have spent every moment in LA as the bastard step child to the behemoth Lakers.

However, in spite of their low-rent image, the Clippers are actually starting to build a buzz around Los Angeles, thanks to the new human highlight reel, Blake Griffin. All the guy does is average double-doubles every night, fill ESPN and the news in LA with monstrous dunks clips and make the Clips look competitive! In one week they managed to beat the Heat and the Lakers - a rare feat. Griffin is the real deal and he's carrying a rejuvenated Clipper team on his back to nine straight wins at home. That's the equivalent of a playoff appearance in Clipperland.

Ok, ok, so they're 19-28, but they're only one game back....of third place! As the Lakers continue to age and decline (and dominate LA in totality), could the Clipper rise coincide with the Laker decline to give them a shot at being the new cool-kid on the block? Could Blake Griffin's jersey be the new Kobe jersey in LA? Not likely, but an entertaining scenario.

Come on, think about a world where the Clippers are Kings. Kinda fun to think about. I wonder how Sterling will screw this momentum up...