By Vincent Bonsignore

vincent.bonsignoire@dailynews.com

twitter.com@DailyNewsVinny

With the Clippers opening the first round of the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies, here are five quick things to keep an eye on:

1. CAN THE CLIPPERS HEALTH HOLD UP

The Clipper’s have battled through injuries all season, some big, some small, but a constant issue all year. They come into the postseason relatively healthy, although Chauncey Billups is still battling leg problems and Caron Butler’s knee has been a sore spot for some time. Billups, especially, is a concern early on and his minutes will be monitored as he works his way back into shape. He returned after an eight-game absence Tuesday against the Portland Trailblazers, and it will still take time to round into form. The Clippers have shown they can win without their veteran leader – remember, the beat the Grizzlies in seven games last year without Billups playing a game – but they are a much better team with him healthy and playing well, especially this time of year.

2. CAN THE GRIZZLIES SCORE ENOUGH TO KEEP UP

Yes, Memphis benefited from the mid-season trade that sent leading scorer Rudy Gay to Toronto and brought Tayshaun Prince to the Grizzlies. Defensively, they are a better team and the ball moves better offensively. Putting it in the basket has been a challenge, though, and as they showed in a loss to the Clippers at home last Saturday, their lack of firepower is a major issue. Gay, for all the concern about how much he was getting paid, was a consistent scorer and the Grizzlies might learn the hard way his production isn’t easily made up for in the playoffs.

3. CAN DeANDRE JORDAN MATCH UP WITH MARC GASOL

The Clippers big man had one of his most efficient games of the year against the Grizzlies last Saturday with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. If the Clippers can get that kind of production from him in the first round, they should soar into the semifinals. The problem is Jordan hasn’t reached the point where he can string together performances like that on a consistent basis, too often playing well one night but then vanishing the next. The Clippers have won a franchise-best 56 games dealing with those inconsistencies, but can they win four out of the next seven against the Grizzlies is he falls into that trend?

4. CAN THE CLIPPERS PLAY SMALL BALL?

We all know Lob City leads the league in highlight plays. Between the dunks of Blake Griffin and Jordan and the cross-over moves of Jamal Crawford and the all-oop passing of Chris Paul, they are a television sports producer’s dream. And while that’s all well and good in the regular season, winning playoff games comes down to focus, execution and an ability to make the most out of every offensive and defensive sequence. Do the Clippers have the maturity and fortitude to grind out each possession, execute their sets precisely and take care of the ball? Conversely, do they have it in them play after play after play to communicate, rotate and help each other defensively? If so, they should win this series easily.

5. IS BLAKE GRIFFIN READY FOR PRIMETIME?

We all remember Griffin limping around last year as the Clippers beat Memphis in seven games before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in a four-game sweep. It didn’t take a doctor to understand Griffin was playing at less than 80 percent capacity, and that is pushing it. This year he goes into the playoffs as healthy as can be, and presumably ready to another step on his way to stardom. Standing in his way are the physical, aggressive Grizzlies, who like to muck games up and take opponents out of their game. Griffin has made strides keeping his emotions in check this year; especially when it comes to his issues with the physical liberties opponents take on him and what he perceives as indifference from the referees. That maturity will be tested big time against the Grizzlies, who will try to get into his head. If he can rise above it he and the Clippers should be fine. If not, the edge goes to Memphis.

By Vincent Bonsignore

Vincent.bonsignore@dailynews.com

Twitter.com/@DailyNewsVinny

The last straw for the Clippers came in a home loss to Indiana nine days ago. April Fool’s, to be exact.

It was the Clippers third straight loss to finish a near month-long stretch in which they had muddled about no better than a .500 team.

Everything they’d built during the best regular-season in club history was on the verge of collapse. Home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, any sort of momentum heading in the postseason – all of it was slipping right through their fingers.

Worse, there was speculation their best two players – Blake Griffin and Chris Paul – were at odds.

It was a crossroads, to be sure.

And Paul and Griffin both sensed it, which is why they decided to sit down and talk to each other.

The gist of the conversation being the Clippers fate rested on their shoulders, and that their actions from that point on would set the tone for the entire team.

“We talked about how we always need to be on the same page. We always need to be communicating,” Griffin said. “Even if we might not have a good offensive game we can still contribute defensively and by passing the ball and in how we talk and how we lead during timeouts. Things like that, we can always do well. We always have control over those things.”

Paul agreed.

“It definitely starts with me and Blake,” Paul said “On the offensive end and the defensive end. When me and him are on the same page everyone else has no choice but to fall in line. Me and Blake realize we have to bring the energy every night and everyone else will feed off on it.”

The Clippers have won three straight games since the meeting, their defense picking up and their offense playing smoother and at a more up tempo pace in the process.

And at the perfect time, with four games remaining and a chance to grab home-court advantage from the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.

“We said enough is enough,” Paul said. “We were tired of losing and we didn’t want to back into the playoffs and we realized we controlled that. Not the coaches, not the media not anyone else. And we decided to pick it up.”

The key being, win or lose the Clippers want it to be on their terms.

“If we lose it can never be for a lack of effort,” Griffin said. “It has to be because the other team played better than us and that has to be our focus. To play with a lot of intensity and pace.”

The Clippers have done that the last three games.

Now they hope it continues.

By Vincent Bonsignore

Vincent.Bonsignore@dailynews.com

Twitter.com/@DailyNewsVinny

No one needs to tell Chauncey Billups how important the next eight days are to the Clippers. With five games to play in that span – including Wednesday’s home game against Minnesota – and the Clippers still in a fight with Memphis and Denver in the Western Conference playoff race they’ve reached a critical stage of the regular season.

Billups knows that, and he understands the difference he can make when he’s on the floor with the Clippers.

On the other hand, the aggravated right groin strain he suffered March 27 against New Orleans still isn’t quite right, and with the Clippers eyeing a long playoff run he knows he needs to be as healthy as possible when the postseason opens in 10 days.

Which is why he reluctantly didn’t suit up against the Timberwolves Wednesday and why he still won’t pinpoint a definite return, other than to say he’ll be ready when the Clippers open their first-round playoff series.

“Oh yeah,” Billups said. “I’ll be back before then.”

But until he’s certain he won’t aggravate the injury again and jeopardize his availability for the postseason, Billups won’t push it.

“We’re just taking it day by day, testing it, pushing it,” said Billups, who missed his sixth straight game.

That said, Billups practiced Tuesday with his teammates and continues to ratchet up his activity. His groin withstood the added work load, which included light scrimmaging, and he reported no issues by Wednesday evening.

The goal now is to carry that comfort level through another workout and another day of assessment.

At that point, a return is likely.

NEW YORK – Grant Hill was sitting on the bench, minding his own business, watching New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony going off on the Clippers just like everyone else at Madison Square Garden for most of Sunday afternoon.

Then Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro summoned Hill from the bench with 3:21 remaining in the third quarter – and with Anthony sitting on 38 points – and asked him to do something about it.

That’s a tall order for anyone, let alone a 40-year-old veteran like Hill, whose battled injury issues all year as he tries to establish a role with the Clippers.

Only Hill isn’t your regular 40-year-old, and as the Clippers discovered Sunday he still has enough savvy and guile to be a factor.

With Hill pulling out every trick in the book, he hounded, harassed and denied Anthony the remainder of the game. The result: Antony took just two more shots and scored only four more points as Hill and the Clippers got things under control in a 102-88 victory.

Afterward, his impressed teammates marveled at Hill’s contribution.

“I tell him all the time I will not be 40 years old and playing in this league,” Clippers guard Chris Paul said. “I wish I could but I can’t. And it just shows so much about Grant, just his heart and his determination and always staying ready.”

Hill understood the nearly impossible challenge of stopping Anthony, but he relied on past experiences and veteran guile to try and disrupt him as much as possible.

“You just try to do things to make it difficult and you have to have selective memory because he hits shots,” Hill said “You have to be able to move onto the next play. He’s a great player and I enjoy the challenge.”

It’s nothing unusual for Hill, whose spent his entire career typically drawing the opponent’s best scorer.

His teammates are well aware, having gone against him enough over the years to understand how many problems he creates. When Hill was in Phoenix he’d typically guard Paul. He did the same with Chauncey Billups as well.

“Steve Nash never guarded me. Grant Hill did,” Paul remembered, “And Chauncey told me when he was in Denver Grant did a great job on him.

“He’s just smart. He never rests. He’s just always bothering you and messing with you,” Paul continued. “He understands how you can’t give a guy – especially the best scorer in the league – a steady diet of the same defense.”

vincent.bonsignore@dailynews.com @DailyNewsVinny

By Vincent Bonsignore

MIAMI – Like it or not, Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe has 13 new coaches pulling him in all sorts of directions now that he’s been selected to participate in the Slam Dunk at the NBA All-Star game in Houston.

Bledsoe was officially added to the six-player field on Thursday night, and by Friday he pretty much heard from all 13 of his Clippers teammates, all of whom have some guidance on what he should do.

“Everybody’s trying to give me some advice,” Bledsoe said. “Everybody has some pretty good ideas so we’ll see how it goes.”

Some suggestions are better than others, of course.

For instance, one teammate suggested Bledsoe jump over Clipper Darrell, the team’s long-time, unofficial greatest fan.

That probably isn’t going to happen.

One player who won’t give much advice is Chauncey Billups, whose dunking days are pretty much behind him.

“I’ll leave that to the other guys,” Billups said, laughing. “But I’m interested in what he’s going to do.”

EVERYONE BACK, EVEN JAMAL CRAWFORD

By mid-day Friday it was becoming more clearer Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Blake Griffin would be cleared to play against the Heat, but there was still some concern Jamal Crawford would need more time to tend to his injured right shoulder.

By the time the team arrived at Miami’s American Airlines Arena, though, Crawford was feeling well enough to play after missing the last two games.

“The shoulder loosens up on him then it tightens up,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “He’s gonna give it a go tonight. I don’t know when he gets out there how he’ll feel, but he wants to get out there and play.”

The same was the case for Paul, Billups and Griffin as the Clippers finally had their entire roster together for the first time all year.

“There’s some limited minutes and restrictions (on guys) and we’re trying to figure it out because it’s a big list,” Del Negro said.

But the good news is, for one night at least everyone was available.

“Now we’ll just monitor it and see how it goes,” Del Negro said.

SO FAR SO GOOD ON NEW YORK

With the New York area getting hit with a major snow storm Friday and Saturday flights into the area being canceled, there was concern the Clippers game against the New York Knicks would be affected.

As of Friday, though, everything looked good on the Clippers end. They’ll travel to Newark, New Jersey Saturday, and seem hopeful the game will get it.

“Everything looks good,” Del Negro said.

TURIAF GETS HIS RING

Clippers forward Ronny Turiaf, who played with the Heat last year, was scheduled to get his 2012 NBA Championship ring during a pre-game ceremony.

“I’m happy for Ronny,” Billups said. “There was no greater feeling in my life than winning a championship.”

HEAT RUNNING A TEAMPATURE

A near team-wide flu bug ravaged the Miami Heat roster and nearly left them severely shorthanded Friday.

As it turns out, it was bad but not devastating.

While Ray Allen and Chris Bosh were sidelined, Dwyane Wade was able to play.

All three missed the Heat morning shoot around, and only Wade was able to feel good enough to suit up.

Vincent.bonsignore@DailyNews.com twitter.com@DailyNewsVinny

By Vincent Bonsignore

MIAMI – There is a first time for everything and for the Clippers Thursday that meant finally having their full roster available for a practice this year.

It took nearly half a season and it occurred 3,000 miles away from Los Angeles in Miami, but for the first time all year everyone on the team. shared the same floor, the same drills and in all but one case the same full-court scrimmage.

“All the way in February. That’s crazy,” Clippers guard Chauncey Billups said. “But it felt good getting those fouls and getting those juices flowing. It was fun.”

Blake Griffin agreed.

“It was kind of weird to have everyone out there,” Griffin said. “But it’s nice; it’s nice to have a full team.”

Billups has missed all but three games this year recovering from an Achilles tendon injury, Chris Paul has sat out the last eight with a bruised knee, Griffin the last two with a hamstring strain and Jamal Crawford sat out Wednesday’s game in Orlando with a shoulder injury.

And before them, Grant Hill was dealing with a knee injury earlier in the year.

Add it all together it equals an injury ravaged team that’s never had its entire roster available at any one given time.

That figures to change soon with Billups looking pretty good for tonight’s game against the Heat, Griffin feeling much better and considered a game-time decision and Paul and Crawford’s status being decided today as well.

The key is all four should be back sooner rather than later, and the Clippers are anxious to see what exactly they’re all about with a full roster.

“I think we all kind of know how good we can be,” Billups said.

Now they want to find out, and it looks like that day is near.

GRIFFIN BEING CAREFUL

Although Griffin practiced Thursday he didn’t participate in the full-court scrimmage session.

“But I did a lot of half-court stuff,” he said.

And felt good doing so.

The key now is how he feels when he wakes up today.

“I just want to make sure it’s not more sore than it is today,” he said.

If not, he could return against the Heat.

“Yes, there is a chance I’ll play.”

By Vincent Bonsignore

ORLANDO – You’ll have to excuse Clippers guard Chauncey Billups for feeling a bit skittish about walking into the Amway Center arena in Orlando on Wednesday.

“Back to the scene of the crime,” Billups said, his feet immersed in a bucket of ice as he sat under a basket following the Clippers morning shoot around here.

He was talking about suffering a season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury at Amway Center last year, not far; actually, from here he sat.

But it gets even eerier.

Billups injured the Achilles exactly a year to the day of his first visit back Wednesday.

“And what makes it even weirder is, we came from D.C. last year too,” Billups said, adding one more ominous connection.

So yeah, Billups felt a little weird Wednesday, although he made it a point to tell the Clippers equipment team to make sure they didn’t give him the same locker from last year as well.

That would have been too much.

Billups will not play again tonight – he’s missed all but three games this year coming back from the Achilles injury and a bout with tendinitis in his left foot – but he will go through a team workout Thursday in which he will play some full court with teammates and hopes to be back soon after.

“Tomorrow I’ll be able to compete, get up and down the floor and see how I feel,” Billups said.

Needless to say, it’s been frustrating for Billups watching the Clippers struggle without himself and Chris Paul recently. The Clippers take a three-game losing streak into the Magic game and have lost seven of their last nine.

“It’s hard because I know even if I played right now I could help,” Billups said.  “But I’m not quite ready. And I know we need a little (help) so it’s hard to sit out when we’re struggling.”

GRIFFIN OUT

Although Blake Griffin seemed to be moving around a little better on his strained left hamstring Wednesday morning, he will not play tonight against the Magic.

Griffin was scratched from Monday’s game in Washington D.C. moments before tip-off, but he hopes to return Friday when the Clippers play in Miami against the Heat.

vincent.bonsignore@dailynews.com twitter.com@DailyNewsVinny

Vincent.bonsignore@dailynews.com twitter.com@DailyNewsVinny

Prior to the Clippers loss to Washington Monday Lamar Odom offered his analysis on the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers the day before.

“Turnovers,” Odom said, referring to two critical 49ers miscues.

“Doesn’t matter what sport, what level or the stakes of the game,” Odom said. “If you don’t take care of the ball, it’s going to hurt you.”

He might as well have been talking about the Clippers and their recent 3-game losing skid.

Back-to-back losses to the Boston Celtics and Wizards were directly the result of the Clippers inability to secure the ball, specifically late in games when points and possessions are so critical.

Clean that aspect up and the Clippers could very well be looking at a winning streak.

As it is, it’s doomed them.

The Clippers turned it over 20 times against the Wizards Monday, including five over the final five minutes of a close game.

“I think our turnovers hurt us,” Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said. “Twenty’s too many against a team like this, especially with John (Wall) and how fast he is, getting down there and making plays. We really have to take care of the ball and value our possessions.”

But they’ve been preaching that same sermon for more than a week now, and with little improvement.

It doesn’t help starting point guard Chris Paul has been hurt and out of the lineup, an absence particularly felt late in games. But the Clippers have accentuated the issue with sheer carelessness.

“We just turned it over. Guys trying to do much and end up turning it over then they would get fast breaks, which end in an easy baskets,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “…We were trying to make plays we couldn’t make and ended up turning it over. It’s tough for us to close games out right now.”

NO WORD ON BLAKE:

The Clippers had the day off Tuesday in Orlando, with Griffin getting therapy on the left hamstring strain that kept him out of the loss to the Wizards.

He is listed as day to day, and his status for Wednesday’s game against the Magic will likely be determined at the team’s late-morning shootaround.

By Vincent Bonsignore

WASHINGTON D.C. – As if Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe doesn’t have enough on his hands trying to hold things down until Chris Paul returns from his knee injury – and that included playing all 24 minutes of the second half Sunday against the Celtics – now comes a report the Clippers have talked to the Celtics about a Bledsoe and Caron Butler trade for Kevin Garnett.

The timing of the report is odd considering Paul remains sidelined with a knee bruise, having missed eight straight games and 11 of the last 13, and Bledsoe is literally the only healthy point guard for the Clippers.

But with the trade deadline approaching Feb. 21, the Clippers in a bit of a tailspin and the Celtics contemplating blowing their roster up and going into full rebuild mold, it was almost inevitable.

Bledsoe insisted Monday before the Clippers played the Washington Wizards the trade talk is not interfering with his job focus.

“I’m just focused on the Washington Wizards,” Bledsoe said before Monday’s game in the nation’s capitol. “Just focused on the Wizards and trying to get back on a winning track.”

It was a clever way of downplaying the reports, but the reality is Bledsoe knows full well his name is out there in trade talks. To deal with it, he boils his focal point down to the most minimal level.

It’s all he can do.

“It’s what I can control,” Bledsoe said. “So I’ll focus on the Wizard’s and trying to get back on the winning track.”

Vincent.bonsignore@dailynews.com twitter.com@DailyNewsVinny

Kevin Garnett, #5 of the Boston Celtics, shoots a jumper in front of Caron Butler, #5 of the Los Angeles Clippers, during a 106-77 Clipper win — the team’s 15th straight — at Staples Center on Dec. 27, 2012. The Clippers are said to be interested in a trade for Garnett that would include sending Butler to Boston. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The convergence of events leading up to the Clippers visit to Boston to play the Celtics Sunday essentially made it inevitable trade rumors would begin circulating between the two teams.

On one hand you have a Clippers club stumbling through their biggest skid of the season – after Sunday’s loss to Boston they’ve dropped six of eight games – while sliding down the Western Conference leader board.

On the other, the aging, expensive Celtics recently lost point guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending knee injury, sending an already unbalanced season sideways.

With the Clippers potentially looking for help to get back on track, the Celtics contemplating blowing their roster up and going into full rebuild mode and the trade deadline approaching Feb. 21, the game of connect the dots is in full swing.

Which led to the report that surfaced Sunday in the Sporting News indicating the Clippers had inquired about Celtics’ forward Kevin Garnett.

According to the story, the Clippers are dangling point guard Eric Bledsoe and forward Caron Butler for the 37-year-old KG, who has two more years on his contract beyond this season worth $23 million.

From a money standpoint, the deal works under the salary cap rules as the combination of Bledsoe and Butler’s contracts line up accordingly to KG’s number.

From a practical standpoint, there are some holes.

First and foremost Garnett has a no-trade clause and can veto any deal. And while the thought of playing for a championship contender is enticing, is it enough to uproot his family and move across the country halfway through the season?

Secondly, even if the Celtics were serious about throwing in the towel on the Garnett/Paul Pierce era – and their four-game win streak without Rondo has people in Boston re-thinking that idea – would Bledsoe and Butler represent fair value for Garnett?

You have to believe the Celtics could do better than that package if they made KG available.

Both factors weigh heavily against Garnett moving west.

Meanwhile, from the Clippers perspective adding Garnett would obviously be an upgrade to the frontcourt.

But it comes with some risk.

With the Clippers, the bulk of Garnett’s minutes would come at center as he technically plays the same position as Blake Griffin.

That means center DeAndre Jordan would go to the bench, and that represents a serious no-confidence vote from the Clippers to their young big man and a devastating blow to Jordan’s psyche.While Jordan’s minutes have been dwindling recently, the Clippers would risk losing him altogether by benching him

And that’s something they must take into account.

In addition, considering Chris Paul’s health status – he’s missed seven straight games with a knee injury and 10 out of the last 12 – how practical is it for the Clippers to move Bledsoe, one of the more capable back-up point guards in the league?

Anyone who saw Paul limp through the playoffs last year understands keeping him healthy for an entire year is a challenge. He’s one of the all-time great competitors in the NBA, but at 6-foot, 175-pounds he’s particularly susceptible to wear and tear.

And finally, does it make sense for the Clippers to take on the two years; $23 million remaining on Garnett’s contract after this season considering it will take him beyond his 40^th birthday?

That doesn’t seem logical to me.

Not saying the Clippers aren’t open to improving their roster at the deadline, because they are.

And while they remain tight-lipped about their deadline plans, all indications point to a level of interest in exploring ways to advance the roster.

But this trade seems unlikely.

At this point their best option is patience and waiting for Paul and Chauncey Billups to return.

When they do, the Clippers will have the deepest roster in the NBA. And as their 17-game win streak in December proved, when they have their best players available they are one of the best teams in the NBA.

It might not be the most exciting plan, but it is the most prudent.

Vincent.bonsignore@DailyNews.com twitter.com@DailyNewsVinny