NBA teams
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Senior Writer 10y

Can we trust the Clippers?

NBA

Three teams have better records, but last week's Insider update revealed that Vegas handicappers are in agreement with advanced statistics: Right now, there's nobody in the NBA better than the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers, who bring an 11-game winning streak into tonight's ESPN matchup at Denver, now own the league's best point differential at plus-7.4 points per game. Since Chris Paul returned from a shoulder injury Feb. 9, they've blasted opponents by an average of 13.5 points per game, going 13-2 in that span.

Yet skepticism can be forgiven. The Clippers were in the same spot in December 2012, when they won 17 in a row and got me wondering whether they might be the best team in the Western Conference. That winning streak was long forgotten by May, when the Memphis Grizzlies knocked them out in the opening round. So why might this season be different? Let's take a look.

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