Blake-led Clippers will surprise on upside

Before the season starts, the three teams I have emphatic overs are Houston, LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets. Now that Jeremy Lin is out for the season, I'm really rooting for Rockets and Clippers.

I want to talk a little bit about this Clippers team, which had a over/under of 43.5. Star players don't mesh well tend to cancel each other out, which was clearly the case between CP3 and Blake Griffin. When CP3 sits, Blake was a monster. And this season will be a chance for him to prove that he's still a top 10 player in the NBA.

The guys they got from Houston, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams are real assets. Beverley has improved his 3-point shooting tremendously comparing to when he first got into the league. His defensive tenacity will always be there and he runs picks and rolls effectively enough. Sweet Lou is instant offense and will provide scoring punch off the bench.

If the team avoids major injuries, to me it's a no brainer that the other team from the city of angels will win more than 43.5 games. That assumption itself of course is a big caveat given Blake's injury history. So fingers crossed that he will stay healthy.

So other than losing one of the all-time great point guards, this Clippers team looks better on paper. Chemistry can't be underestimated as everyone seemed miserable playing along Chris Paul. Instead of CP3 dominating the ball all the time, the democracy of ball movements I think will rejuvenate the players. Blake Griffin is one of my favorite players and I will be rooting for him to get into MVP conversations.

Please stay healthy everyone. Yeah, including you Gallinari. Don't punch anyone no more.