"News of Chris Paul's departure from New Orleans and his landing with the Los Angeles Clippers is going to have a big impact on the Western Conference.

The Clippers, longtime laughingstocks who finally got something right with Blake Griffin, will instantly become trendy picks to contend for the West when preseason predictions start coming out next week.

And they will be good. They will have two of the top half-dozen players in the Western Conference.

But are they better than Oklahoma City ? Better than the crosstown Lakers? Better than the Mavericks or San Antonio Spurs?"