If the Los Angeles Clippers somehow manage to eke into the Finals, defeat an Eastern Conference juggernaut and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy, critics will point to their offensive execution – and not their defense – as the key to their success.
But defense wins championships. And champions rarely have defenses ranked outside of the top-10. Look no further than the last ten teams to play in the Finals – as D.J. Foster pointed out, no team ranked lower than seventh in defensive efficiency.