Being past the halfway mark of season, the NBA playoffs have already seen contenders take top positions in both conferences. But what if I were to tell you, that it is a team that is fighting to stay in the playoffs that might be the most dangerous when April comes around?

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently 23-25 and ninth in the Western Conference. This may not seem to be very promising, but the record does not tell the entire story for the team. The story begins in the last playoffs, when they lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games in the Western Conference finals and were two breaks away from facing Milwaukee in the Finals. This team was missing superstar player Kawhi Leonard who tore his ACL against the Utah Jazz the previous series. 

Coming into this season, the squad was led by Paul George, another star-caliber player in the league. The Clippers started out the season in the top five of the Western Conference and showed that they might contend for the title. Once again, injury struck, and Paul George suffered a UCL injury and has missed significant time, leading to the Clippers struggling without their two best players. 

Most teams would completely fall apart when playing without their two stars, but the Clippers have found a way to stay afloat this season, and that is what makes them scary. Players like Terance Mann, Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Nicolas Batum, and Ivica Zubac not only stepped up last playoffs, but have done it again this season. If they can continue playing as well as they have when George and Leonard return to the lineup, this is a team that is a true threat to make a title run.

Whether it be that they rise up to a four or five seed or win in the play-in game, whatever team they get in the first round better not take the Clippers lightly. Otherwise, they will be in for a rude awakening.