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So you want to trade for a superstar? Sounds easy enough, right? Cultivate some young talent, acquire a few draft picks, hang on to valuable expiring contracts and wait for a small-market team to get realistic about their chances of keeping a superstar like Chris Paul, then pounce at the right moment.

After the impact Paul has had on the team It feels kind of like a million years ago that Clippers GM Neil Olshey choreographed the team's blockbuster trade back in December. Actually, it feels long enough ago that many have forgotten just how hard it was to pull that trade off.

But as we approach awards season in the NBA, it's time to revisit that trade and the other moves Olshey made this year that have completely revamped the team's roster and culture.

"Most people don't realize just how difficult it is to acquire a franchise player through a trade," Clippers president Andy Roeser told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "Neil was able to do that and set us on our way to where we are now.

"There's several guys who stand out this year. David Morway in Indiana has done a nice job putting that team together. But I think we did a nice job upgrading our team. And it goes beyond just the Chris Paul trade. Neil put together an entire roster virtually overnight. I can't think of anyone more deserving."

Whether Olshey's body of work will beat out Morway in Indiana, Spurs president RC Buford, Memphis GM Chris Wallace, Knicks GM Glen Grunwald or any of the other leading contenders for the award is debatable. There are some voters who will probably dismiss Olshey because the Clippers virtually became the Hornets only trading partner after NBA commissioner David Stern, acting as owner of the Hornets, vetoed a trade with the Lakers.

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Clippers (31-21) vs. Dallas Mavericks (30-23) at American Airlines Arena, 5:30 p.m. PT

Five storylines to track:

1. Historic streak: After losing three games in three days last month, the Clippers have put together one of the franchise's best winning streaks since moving to Los Angeles in 1984. The Clippers won their fifth straight game last Saturday against the Utah Jazz, giving them their first five-game winnings streak since Nov. 2- Nov.12, 2006. If the Clippers can beat Dallas on Monday, it would give the Clippers their first six-game winning streak since March 18 – March 31, 1992. The longest winning streak in franchise history is 11 games from Nov. 3 – Nov. 23, 1974 when the Clippers were the Buffalo Braves. Since relocating to Los Angeles, the Clippers have had just three winning streaks of six-games or longer. If the Clippers beat Dallas they will also equal last season's victory total (32) in 29 fewer games.

2. Moving on up: The Clippers are now 10 games over .500 (31-21) following their win over the Jazz on Saturday. It's only the third time that the Clippers have been more than five games over .500 this many games into a season since moving to Los Angeles. They finished the season eight games over .500 in 1991-92 and 12 games over .500 in 2005-06. Those are the only two seasons in which the Clippers finished over .500 since moving to L.A. The Clippers recent 5-0 homestand helped them move up to fourth in the Western Conference and within a game and half of the Lakers. It was just the third time in franchise history that the Clippers had gone undefeated in a homestand of five games or more.

3. Surviving March: The Clippers survived a brutal stretch of playing 20 games in 31 days in March with an 11-9 record. The Clippers are the first team in 45 years since the Cincinnati Royals in Feb. 1967 to play 20 or more games in a single month. The Clippers salvaged their record in the month with a 5-0 homestand and the inspired play of Chris Paul, who had 26 points and six assists on Saturday against Utah. Paul had 185 total assists in March, establishing a new Clippers franchise record for assists in a calendar month, passing Norm Nixon’s 179 assists for the San Diego Clippers in November 1983.

4. Playoff push: After playing five games in ten days at home, the Clippers will now finish the season by playing nine of their last 14 games on the road starting in Dallas on Monday. The Clippers have improved on defense since their three game losing streak but their ability to score more easily after not reaching 100 points in nine straight games has been just as big a factor in their turnaround. This season, the Clippers are 19-3 when scoring over 100 points and 12-18 when scoring under the century mark. Hitting the 100 point mark on the road has become even more important for the Clippers who are 9-1 when scoring over 100 points but just 2-12 when scoring under 100 points.

5. Close call: The Clippers have played in 20 games this season that have been decided by 5 points or less. After a tough stretch of blowing such games after Chauncey Billups was lost for the season the Clippers are now 11-9 in games decided by 5 points or less. The Clippers nine losses by five points or less is the fourth highest total in the NBA this season. Paul has been a huge factor in the Clippers’ ability to close out games. Paul is one of the league leaders in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging 5.8 points in the final period, fourth-most in the NBA.

LOS ANGELES -- Clippers guard Chris Paul lounged around his Bel-Air home on Saturday afternoon and thought back to the month of March that was.

By the time the Clippers finished their Saturday night game against the Utah Jazz, Paul thought, they would have played 20 games in 31 days, including nine on the road. None of the Clippers had ever gone through a month of basketball anywhere near that grueling since their AAU days.

He thought about it again as he walked into Staples Center and got prepared to play. He said he told injured teammate Chauncey Billups pregame that "you could tell this was No. 20."

The Clippers didn't play as if it were, though. Saturday's game was actually one of their better performances of the month, all things considered. They jumped out to an early lead and weathered a late-game storm when Paul exited briefly because of an injured elbow, finishing with a 105-96 win over the Jazz.

Contrast that with Friday night's game against the shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers, when the Clippers trailed in the final minute and relied on a game-winning drive from Paul to win it.

"It was just a solid game for us," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Last night we made enough plays to get the win, but tonight I thought we were in control of the game from the tip."

In getting the victory, the Clippers recorded their first five-game winning streak since Nov. 2-12, 2006, validating the tough month and giving the team some confidence heading into a difficult final month of the regular season.

"The road trip, coming back and playing however many back-to-backs it was and three straight, it was taxing," said Blake Griffin. "But we did a pretty decent job of holding our ground somewhat, and to finish it out with five straight is fantastic."

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LOS ANGELES -- Here's Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, guard Chris Paul and forward Blake Griffin talking to the media following the team's 103-86 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday at the Staples Center.

Del Negro said he was pleased with the team's overall activity on the floor but especially in the second half. He also talked about how tight the playoff race is with less than a month left in the regular season.



Paul talked about the Clippers controlling their own destiny and about Chauncey Billups' helpful presence on the bench at their home games. He joked that he's been asking Billups to come along with the team on road trips.



Griffin pointed out that that, yes, the Clippers lost three in a row last week, but they lost six in a row at times last season and nobody seemed to think it was that crazy. He said that's progress for the organization.

Clippers (26-18) vs. Indiana Pacers (25-18) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 4 p.m. PT

Five storylines to track:

1. Offensive offense: The Clippers once ranked in the top five in the NBA in points per game and assists per game but now rank 12th and 15th respectively in both categories after a brutal stretch of six games at home where they have failed to score more than 96 points. The Clippers lost three of their first four games during the home stand but finished with two wins. Even in those two four-point victories over Houston and Detroit, the Clippers averaged just 91.0 points on 40.5 percent shooting in those wins as Chris Paul made half of his 30 shots and totaled 42 points in both games.

2. Closing out: As much as the Clippers would like to put teams away early, the fact that they won back-to-back games and came from behind in the fourth quarter in both is significant. The Clippers had blown similarly close games time after time recently. Before beating the Rockets and Pistons at the end of their home stand, the Clippers were 8-9 in games decided by five points or less. The biggest difference in the fourth quarter and overtime in both games was the play of Paul, who scored 12 of his 23 in the final 2:42 of Saturday's 95-91 win over the Rockets, then had nine of his 19 in overtime Sunday in an 87-83 victory over the Pistons.

3. Consistency: The biggest problem for the Clippers since they lost Chauncey Billups for the season last month has been consistency. They are 11-11 since he went down and went 3-3 during their critical 6-game home stand last week. The Clippers’ back-to-back wins at the end of the home stand is their first back-to-back wins in over a month and they will try to win three straight on Tuesday against Indiana for the first time since January. The Clippers have completed 11 sets of back-to-back games this season, owning an 8-3 record in the first game and a 6-5 record in the second game. In the second game of back-to-backs, the Clippers have scored on average nearly 8 points fewer than in the first game. Teams playing back-to-back-to-back this season are 16-29 on the road and teams that played all three on the road as the Clippers will this week are 6-12.

4. Improved defense: While the Clippers’ offense has sputtered over the past week, their defense has improved. They haven’t allowed an opponent to score more than 97 points since March 9 and have held their last three opponents to 91 points or less. Against the Pistons on Sunday the Clippers held Detroit to an opponent season-low nine points in the fourth quarter. The Pistons only made three field goals and shot just 18.8 percent the field in the final quarter, both opponent season-lows for the Clippers. It was the first time in the history of the Clippers franchise that they forced overtime by holding their opponent to fewer than 10 points in the final period of regulation.

5. Young and restless: Nick Young made his debut for the Clippers on Sunday against the Pistons and scored 9 points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field in 29 minutes. Young was able to get to the free-throw line 8 times, hitting 7 from the charity stripe. Young found out he would make his debut just before shootaround and hadn’t yet learned the team’s playbook but was essentially told where to go on the court by Paul when he was in the game. “I felt good,” Young said. “I want to be a person they can rely on to be the ball in the basket and be a presence on defense.”

Clippers (25-18) vs. Detroit Pistons (16-28) at Staples Center, 12:30 p.m. PT

Five storylines to track:

1. Back-to-back: The Clippers play back-to-back afternoon games at Staples Center this weekend, and after beating the Houston Rockets on Saturday they will try to do something they haven’t done in a month: win consecutive games. The last time the Clippers won consecutive games was Feb. 15-16 against Washington and Portland. They haven’t won back-to-back games at home since January. This is the Clippers’ 11th set of back-to-back games this season; they own a 9-3 record in the first game and a 5-5 record in the second game. In the second game of back-to-backs, the Clippers have scored on average nearly 8 points fewer than in the first game.

2. Close call: After pulling out close games to start the season when they jumped out to a 19-9 record, the Clippers had fallen into a funk where they simply could not close out games. Since Chauncey Billups went down for the season, the Clippers were 9-11 and had lost nine of 14 games, and had an 8-8 record in games decided by five points or fewer. The Clippers were able to reverse that trend Saturday against the Rockets by coming back from six points down with less than three minutes left to win 95-91. “It was a grind out win for us,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “We had to make plays down the stretch and we didn’t shoot the ball particularly well which put a lot of pressure on us but Chris [Paul] made some big plays down the stretch.”

3. Young debut: After sitting out Saturday’s game, Nick Young could make his debut for the Clippers on Sunday. Young was traded to the Clippers on Thursday for a future second round pick and Brian Cook and figures to be an integral part of the team as they make a push for the playoffs. Young, who was averaging 16.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 32 starts this season for the Washington Wizards, has tried to pick up on the offense since arriving at Staples Center and talking with Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups before Saturday's game. “I want to be somebody that can take the pressure off Chris and Blake [Griffin],” Young said. “With me knocking down shots, the lane will open up.”

4. Billups on the bench: Chauncey Billups made his return to the Clippers' bench on Saturday and his impact was felt quickly in the locker room and on the sidelines. While Billups will not be able to play again this season, he sat alongside the coaches and spent much of the game talking to Paul, Eric Bledsoe and Mo Williams. Paul even credited Billups with helping him take over the game in the final three minutes to lead the Clippers to the win. “He told me, ‘C, we need you to score, we need you to be more offensive-minded’ and I needed that,” Paul said. “I usually call him after every game and we talk about what he saw. It’s one thing to talk to him after the game when you can’t change what happens but now he’s here at the game and can help us.”

5. Stop complaining: A good portion of the Clippers’ hour long closed door meeting on Thursday had to do with the team’s incessant need to complain to officials after virtually every call. It has caused the Clippers to lose points, patience and games. Against the Rockets on Saturday, the Clippers were better than they have been in the past and it may have helped them get a call or two their way as they came back from six points down with less than three minutes left. “If you just play, you'll get more calls," Clippers guard Randy Foye said. “If you don't complain, you'll get more calls.”

LOS ANGELES -- Nick Young has an extensive playlist on his iPod with artists ranging from Tupac to Drake but there was only one song Young wanted to hear as he sat on his three-hour flight from New Orleans to Los Angeles on Friday.

“Going Back to Cali,” Young said, referring to the Notorious B.I.G. song he basically had on loop. “I listened to that on my whole plane ride here.”

Young, who was traded to the Clippers from the Washington Wizards on Thursday for a future second-round draft pick and Brian Cook, found out about the trade when his mom called him on his cellphone and woke him up from a pregame nap in New Orleans.

“I guess my agent told my parents first so my mom called me,” Young said. “She called me screaming and I knew it had happened then. It was after the deadline so I thought I wasn’t going anywhere.”

As much as Young wanted to return to Los Angeles where he starred at Cleveland High in nearby Reseda and at USC, he simply wanted to get out of Washington. The Wizards had become one of the worst teams in the league after his rookie season and it was beginning drain on him on and off the court.

“We were going through turmoil and we were losing,” said Young, who was averaging 16.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 32 starts this season. “It was a tough situation. You could feel it in the air that something was going to happen. To be here in an atmosphere of winning is a different feeling. I have to adjust fast. In Washington we weren’t making the playoffs and I had to cancel some plans I already had for the off-season.”

“It was tough. Every other night we were in the ‘Not Top Ten’ and we were the laughing stock. It’s frustrating. It can cause tension between the players. We needed a new look.”

Young smiled when he talked about driving to Staples Center on Saturday for the first time as a member of the home team on Saturday, rather than on the team bus playing as a visitor.

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LOS ANGELES -- When Chauncey Billups walked into the Clippers' locker room Saturday morning, wearing a dark blue suit and a walking boot on his left foot, he barely had time to look at his locker before Chris Paul went up to him immediately started critiquing his wardrobe.

“Already,” Billups said with a smile as he put his crutches down. “I haven’t been back more than three minutes.”

As soon as word spread Billups had arrived, players walked in from the training room and film room to give him a hug and welcome him back.

It was the first time Billups had been back at Staples Center since Feb. 2 after he ruptured his left Achilles tendon Feb. 7 in Orlando. Since Billups left the team, the Clippers were 9-11 and had lost nine of their last 14 games. They had also faded down the stretch in close games with an 8-8 record in games decided by five points or fewer.

Just seeing Billups back brought a smile to every player and coach in a Clippers locker room devoid of smiles in recent weeks. Less than 48 hours earlier, the Clippers met for over an hour after an embarrassing 91-87 loss to the Phoenix Suns, who were playing without Steve Nash and Grant Hill.

“It was great having Chauncey back,” Paul said. “I wish he would take that boot off and stop playing and get out on the court. We could use him but he’s being selfish.”

Paul joked with Billups about taking his boot off and putting his uniform on as the two sat in front of their lockers, which are next to each other. The Clippers have hung Billups' uniform up in his locker for every game, home and away, since he was injured and Billups smiled when he saw his No. 1 hanging when he walked into the locker room on Saturday.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Billups said. “I would like to be walking in and putting on my jersey of course and going out there and fighting with the guys. On the flip side, it’s just really good to see the guys.”

Watching the Clippers on television from his home in Denver had been almost as hard on Billups as his current rehabilitation. He could see the team was lost without him and there was nothing he could do from his couch as his left foot was propped up on a pillow in his living room.

“It’s been tough,” Billups said. “It’s a helpless feeling. Even though I’ve been in contact with the guys the whole way, they’ve been more worried if I was getting better and I’ve been more worried about what’s going on with the team. At the same time it’s been a struggle to watch us be inconsistent night in and night out. ”

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Here's video from Chauncey Billups' first meeting with the media since tearing his Achilles tendon more than month ago in Orlando. The 35-year-old guard was in good spirits in his first visit to the Staples Center since Feb. 2.

He'll stay with the team on and off over the next two months while continuing to rehab the injury.

Clippers (24-18) vs. Houston Rockets (24-20) at Staples Center, 12:30 p.m. PT

Five storylines to track:

1. Freefalling: The Clippers’ fall from grace continues as the team has lost 9 of their last 14 games and is 9-11 since Chauncey Billups was lost for the season last month. They usually find themselves tied or in the lead in the fourth quarter before losing late as was the case Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns where they were up 12 points in the fourth quarter before losing 91-87. The Clippers are now 8-9 in games decided by five points or less and haven’t won back-to-back games in over a month. One of the few wins the Clippers did pull out late recently was against the Houston Rockets on March 4, where they won 105-103 on the road before losing back-to-back games to Minnesota and New Jersey.

2. Billups back: After returning home to Denver for surgery on his ruptured Achilles heel, Billups will return to Staples Center for the first time since Feb. 2 to be with the Clippers. He will continue his rehabilitation with the team and plans to be with the Clippers through the rest of the season. His presence could not have come at a better time. After the Clippers blew a 17-point lead to a Suns team playing without Steve Nash and Grant Hill, the Clippers met for over an hour after the game in the locker room about the direction of the team and the lack of urgency. The Clippers, who were one of the top five teams in the NBA before Billups' injury, will now look to the veteran point guard for leadership in the locker room and on the bench.

3. Welcome Young: Just before the end of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the Clippers made a deal to acquire Nick Young from Washington for a future second round pick and Brian Cook. Young will be at Staples Center for Saturday’s game against Houston but it is unknown if he will play. The plan is for Young to eventually start alongside Chris Paul in the backcourt and give the Clippers a 6-foot-7 scorer on the wing. The move would push Randy Foye, who had been starting in place of Billups, to the bench. The move will strengthen what had been a weak unit offensively outside of Mo Williams. Young might not help the Clippers’ porous defense but he is capable of hitting open three-pointers and at least making life more difficult for the bigger guards the Clippers couldn't match up with. Young is averaging 16.6 points per game this season in 32 starts.

4. Jordan’s decline: DeAndre Jordan finally played more than a couple seconds in the fourth quarter on Thursday for the first time since March 4. The results, however, didn’t change the outcome of the game as the Clippers shot 21.4 percent in the final period and 50 percent from the free-throw line and blew 12-point lead in the process. March has been a difficult month for Jordan who is only averaging 4.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. Thursday’s game against the Suns, however, was his best game since Feb. 28 as he finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots and played close to 8 minutes in the final period.

5. Butler’s rise: After a month-long scoring slump, Caron Butler has been shooting the ball better in the last two games. Butler has averaged 13.5 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds while shooting 50 percent (11-of-22) from the field and 75 percent (3-of-4) from long-range over the last two games. The Clippers need to get Butler going because when he scores over 13 points they are 16-8. The problem for Butler this season has been consistency. Against Minnesota on March 5, Butler failed to score for the first time in six years and went 0-of-6 from the field. One week later against the Golden State Warriors on March 12 he only scored 1 point and was again 0-of-6 from the field.

Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro and general manager Neil Olshey addressed the media about the team's deadline-day trade for Nick Young prior to Thursday's game against Phoenix. We posted video from Del Negro's press conference earlier; here is video from Olshey's, followed by selected quotes from both men's meeting with the media, with Del Negro's comments up first and Olshey's second.

(Del Negro, on how the deal came together in a last-second fashion) I wouldn't say it's last-second. It's something that Neil's been working on and we've been discussing, but it just kind of came together yesterday a little bit and moreso this morning, when the whole deal came together. Neil worked hard and got it organized and it was something that I supported and (team president) Andy (Roeser) supported and Mr. (Donald) Sterling supported. We just felt like it was the right thing to do right now. We gave up a second-round pick...It gets us a big two-guard.

(On his impressions of Young) He just gives us more size in the backcourt. He's a proven scorer in the league and he's explosive. He can take you inside or outside. How it's all going to come together with the chemistry of the team and everything, time will tell. But just to get a player of his caliber on the roster, is very positive and I'm looking forward to working with him. I think he will give us some help.

(On whether he'll start) Yeah. I don't know how it's all going to come together, the timing of it in terms of when and how. He's gotta learn the plays and that takes time, and there's not much practice time. We'll have to do that between games and just make it work as quick as possible. The chemistry of a team and rhythm of a team is very important, and I have a lot of confidence in all our guys. Randy (Foye)'s done a great job for us and Eric Bledsoe's coming into his own a little bit -- he's feeling better health-wise -- and he's getting more of an opportunity. Obviously we lost Chauncey (Billups), so we'll probably go back to more of that rotation with Nick.

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Clippers (23-17) vs. Atlanta Hawks (24-18) at Staples Center, 7:30 p.m. PT

Five storylines to track:

1. Same old story: Late game collapses have become a tired trend for the Clippers and one they simply have not been able to reverse no matter how many times they talk about it after losing close games. They are now 4-8 in their last 12 games and have been tied or in the lead in nearly every one of those contests. They are 8-8 in games decided by 5 points or less and 8-10 since losing Chauncey Billups for the season last month. They are a team that simply looks lost down the stretch at the end of games and the confidence they once had late in close games has completely disappeared.

2. Bad streaks: The Clippers haven’t lost three straight games this season and haven’t lost four straight at home in two years. Both streaks are in play as the Clippers play the Hawks Wednesday night and try to break out of a funk they’ve been in for over a month now. From Jan. 1-Feb.16, the Clippers didn’t lose back-to-back games and won consecutive games on six occasions, including a four-game winning streak and two three-game winning streaks. Since Feb. 18, however, the Clippers have failed to win back-to-back games and have lost consecutive games three times. “I can't stand to lose. It's not acceptable," Chris Paul said Monday. “We talked about it after the game; that everybody has got to do their part. We're going to watch film and figure it out.”

3. Jordan problems: DeAndre Jordan smiled when he was asked about his offensive struggles this week, saying that he always struggles offensively but the month of March has been particularly bad for the Clippers’ center. He’s been averaging 3.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in March and has rarely seen the court in the fourth quarter. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said Jordan's energy level has been an issue but is hopeful his 13 rebounds against Boston, his most since February, will help get him back on track. “I thought he was very active. He probably should have played more,” Del Negro said Monday. “When [Boston] went small in the second half it was hard because we were struggling to score. But I did like DeAndre’s activity and his energy was very good. That’s what we need from him every night.”

4. Trade deadline: Wednesday night’s game against Atlanta is the last game before Thursday’s trade deadline and while the Clippers say they are content with the roster they currently have, Del Negro and Clippers gernal manager Neil Olshey said they will not hesitate to make a move that will improve the team. The most likely players to be included in a deal would be point guard Eric Bledsoe, a future first-round pick and the expiring contracts of Randy Foye and/or Brian Cook. Such a package could net the Clippers a veteran shooting guard to replace Billups such Boston's Ray Allen, Portland's Jamal Crawford or Washington's Nick Young but no deal seems imminent at the moment.

5. Billups back: Since he was lost for the season last month with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Chauncey Billups’ jersey has hung in the Clippers’ locker room on game days, home and away. Billups will actually be sitting his locker room this week as he is expected to return to the team Wednesday and be on the sideline for the game against Atlanta as he continues his rehab in Los Angeles. While he will not be able to play again this season, just his presence in the locker room and on the bench could help the Clippers as they try to break out of the funk they’ve been in since Billups left. “Hopefully he can help cheer us on when he's here,” Paul said. “I hope he can help.”

SAN ANTONIO -- As Mo Williams scarfed down chicken fingers after the Clippers' 120-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center, he explained how the touch of the ball in his hands early in a game helps him shoot the ball late. There's an acclimation process for a shooter that enables him to hit 7-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc en route to a season-high 33 points, particularly in a half-court offense that favors improvisation.

“The most difficult thing to do in this game is to call things on the fly,” Williams said. “It was nothing that came from the sidelines. It was just basically, ‘I just hit a 3, okay, let's get you another 3. That's what we're going to do.’ It was kind of like an eye contact.”

In many respects, Williams is the Clippers' totem. There isn't so much a reason as a rhythm to his game. He doesn't offer the Clippers much on the defensive side of the ball, and his role on the team is more fuzzy than defined. But give him enough space on the offensive end of the floor and he'll occasionally win you a basketball game.

The victory was a milestone for the organization -- the Clippers' first in San Antonio since Jan. 31, 2002, when Michael Olowokandi went for 20 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots -- but like many others it was a triumph of anarchy over order. “Only two of the nine plays that ended in 3-pointers were set plays for us,” Williams said -- a fact Chris Paul independently confirmed on the other side of the locker room as the Clippers prepared to pack up and return home to Los Angeles after a 3-3 road trip.

Should the Clippers take comfort in their ability to manufacture points out of chaos? That apart from an occasional flare screen from Blake Griffin along the perimeter or a pick from Reggie Evans at the top of the floor, most of the combined 69 points from Williams and Paul on Friday were the product of bedlam?

“Identity” is one of those buzz words you hear repeatedly out of the mouths of NBA coaches and players, but you rarely hear it from Vinny Del Negro or any member of the Clippers' core. The Clippers battle, fight and work, but try to define who they are as a basketball team and you're at a loss for words.

That's not necessarily a problem, especially if you believe that a team's character and distinctiveness reveal themselves over time. There's a lot working in the Clippers' favor as they return home for a six-game homestand. They're currently ranked third in the Western Conference standings and have beaten each of the other seven teams who'd qualify for the playoffs if the postseason began today.

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Clippers (21-13) vs. Houston Rockets (21-16) at Toyota Center, 6 p.m. PT

Five storylines to track:

1. Breaking bad: Before the Clippers left Los Angeles for their six-game road trip, they dismissed any notion that they had gotten into a rut when it came to closing out games late. After finding ways to pull out close games earlier in the season, the Clippers had seen late leads vanish against San Antonio, Golden State and Minnesota. “If this happens in Sacramento and the next game, then I have something to worry about,” Clippers guard Chris Paul said. “It's something that can be corrected. ... I'm not panicking.” Well, it didn’t happen against Sacramento, but it did happen against Phoenix and now the Clippers have lost four of their last six games and are 6-6 since losing Chauncey Billups for the season last month. If the Clippers don’t turn things around against Houston on Sunday, there will be plenty for Paul and his teammates to be worried about at the midway point of their 10-day road trip.

2. Bench rising: After getting outscored by the Timberwolves’ bench 72-11 on Thursday, the Clippers’ much-maligned bench has stepped up their production in the last two games. The Clippers bench, which is averaging 22.9 points this season, scored 32 points against Phoenix and 41 points against Sacramento. The biggest difference has been the increased output from Clippers forward Kenyon Martin, who is shooting 61.1 percent from the field and averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the last two games. Clippers guard Mo Williams, who is a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, is averaging 15.5 points and 4.0 assists over the last two games while shooting 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from beyond the arc and 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from the field.

3. Second-half switch: Although the Clippers have failed to close out games recently, the reason they have even been in most of their games has been the play of Paul in the second half. In the last seven games, Paul has scored 59.1 percent of his points in the second half. During that span he has scored 94 of his 159 points in the final 24 minutes of the game. Paul scored a season-high 36 points at the beginning of this stretch against Portland and scored 12 of his 16 points against Phoenix on Friday in the last two quarters. Paul says he likes to get his teammates involved in the first half, but he may have to spread his scoring out more evenly so the Clippers don’t have to rely on him so much late in games.

4. Butler’s not doing it: In the Clippers' last seven games Caron Butler's production has dropped off considerably from his form earlier in the season. He is averaging just 8.1 points per game during that stretch while shooting 32.3 percent (23-of-71 FG) from the field and 11.7 percent (2-of-17) from beyond the arc. Not coincidentally, the Clippers are 3-4 in their last seven games. Butler had averaged 15.3 points through his first 25 games with the Clippers while shooting 44 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3-point range and hit double-figures in 22 of those 25 games. Since Billups was lost for the season last month, however, Butler simply hasn’t been the same. He no longer gets the same open looks on the weakside he did when Billups was penetrating the gaps and causing defenses to respect him.

5. A thin line: One of the biggest reasons the Clippers have struggled to score in their last two games is they have struggled just to get to the free-throw line. Against Sacramento and Phoenix, the Clippers shot a combined 17 free throws. Just as surprising as that number, however, is that the Clippers, normally a poor free-throw shooting team, hit 16 of those free throws (94.1 percent). The bigger problem is that the Clippers’ opponents have shot 35 more free throws than them during this stretch. Since the 1985-86 season, the Clippers have attempted nine or fewer foul shots in a game just 15 times, and never before in back-to-back games. The Clippers are 1-14 when shooting under 10 free throws, with their lone win coming against Sacramento on Thursday.

Chauncey Billups’ jersey still hangs in the Los Angeles Clippers’ locker room. It is put up before every home game and road game as if Billups will still suit up and be in the starting lineup.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, Billups isn’t walking through their locker room door anytime soon.

Billups was lost for the season last month with a torn left Achilles tendon and his impact on this young team is beginning to be felt more and more with every late game loss the Clippers suffer.

There are a myriad of reasons why the Clippers lost to the Phoenix Suns 81-78 Friday night, their fourth loss in their last six games.

Maybe it was because it was the Clippers' second game of a back-to-back on the road, maybe it was because the Clippers’ starters could never find their shot or maybe it was because the Suns, one of the league’s worst rebounding teams, out rebounded the Clippers, one of the league’s best on the boards.

Whatever the reasons may be the loss was yet another example of how much the Clippers miss Billups’ leadership, calming presence and experience down the stretch in close games.

The Clippers are now 6-6 without Billups after starting the season 15-7 with him in the starting lineup.

Billups’ impact on this team went far beyond the 14.9 points and 4.0 assists he was averaging. If we just look at the numbers, Randy Foye, who is now starting in place of Billups, has done an admirable job. He is averaging 8.7 points and 2.4 assists this season although he scored just 2 points on 1-of-8 shooting against the Suns.

Billups created opportunities for his teammates, drew fouls and put opponents in the penalty early and was the best free throw shooter on a team without many good players from the charity stripe. No one has felt his loss more than Caron Butler, who no longer gets the same open looks on the weakside he did when Billups was penetrating the gaps and causing defenses to respect him. That’s simply something Foye does not provide.

So not only have the Clippers lost Billups, but Butler is no longer the player he once was with Billups in the lineup. Butler was 4-of-13 for 9 points and 8 rebounds Thursday night. Coming into this six-game road trip he had shot only 31.5% from the field (12-of-38) in his last four games and had only made 1-of-14 from beyond the arc.

Perhaps the biggest area where Billups’ loss is felt is in the fourth quarter during close games. Those were situations where the Clippers found a way to win with Billups on the court. They had snapped long franchise losing streaks against the Nuggets, Jazz and Magic on the road and had beaten the likes of the Thunder, Heat, Lakers and Mavericks at home with Billups on the floor.

Without Billups, the Clippers have blown close games late in four of their last six losses to the Spurs, Warriors, Timberwolves and Suns. The Spurs loss was the most heartbreaking but it was also the only one of the four against a team that will likely make the playoffs.

There’s nothing the Clippers can do with their current roster to fill the void left by Billups, who plans to return to Los Angeles later this month to continue his rehab and be around the team. They were unable to sign J.R. Smith as a free agent last month and instead signed veteran Bobby Simmons, who scored his first points in the NBA since 2009 on Thursday. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro will not move Mo Williams, who is averaging 13.5 points and 3.4 assists, to the starting lineup since that would leave them with no consistent production off the bench.

Maybe 12 games isn’t the greatest sample size but after a .500 record without Billups and a recent inability to close out games late, it might be time for the Clippers general manager Neil Olshey to seriously pursue a deal for a player that will make the Clippers a more serious contender down the stretch and into the postseason.

Players like the Boston Celtics’ Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, who have been rumored as possible Clippers targets, may not be young and will cost the team assets they would rather keep but the Clippers are not in a position to think long-term with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin essentially giving the Clippers two years to prove they are a championship team before they can jump ship.

The Clippers looked like a championship team at the beginning of the season when Billups was hitting big shots and providing some championship experience on the floor. Now that he is gone, and seeing how the team has done in his absence it may be time for the Clippers to find a similar player before the trade deadline if they want to be playing well into the summer this year.