Editor’s Note: This article is a guest post of Ron – lead editor of Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues blog. For more NBA insights, you can follow on Twitter via @NBAFantasyInfo or like his page on Facebook. You can also get updates via Google+.

The most interesting and close first round matchup in the Western Conference but also the toughest one to officiate is the one between the third – seeded Los Angeles Clippers and the sixth – seeded Golden State Warriors. The two teams won two games apiece during the regular season and they were really close to each other.

Due to the recent injury of the Warriors’ starting center, Andrew Bogut, who has been ruled out indefinitely, the Clips hold the slight advantage inside. David Lee, Draymond Green and Jermaine O’Neal will have to play big in order to try and contain Blake Griffin and also keep DeAndre Jordan away from the offensive glass. This might turn out to be a very intense and physical game, much like the regular season series were between the two teams.

The key for Golden State will be the performance of the Splash Brothers. When the two of them start banging threes, the Warriors can be almost unstoppable on offense. However, if the Clippers do a good job defending pick and roll situations against Steph Curry and also close down Thompson, the Clips could seal the ticket to the Western Semis sooner than later. Thankfully for LA, Doc Rivers is a mastermind when it comes to defensive schemes and we should expect the Clips to be very intense when it comes to closing down on the perimeter shooters.

Chris Paul led the scoring during the four – game series during the regular season, with 28 points per contest but Blake Griffin will be the player to watch in these series. Griffin has been playing exceptionally well during the entire season. Although BG is still having an issue controlling his emotions and sometimes reacts badly when he is fouled hard, with no Bogut in the middle, the highflying megastar should be dominant.

The Los Angeles Clippers are the favorites in this matchup. They do have their entire arsenal up and running, with J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Danny Granger all back and healthy. In fact, if the Warriors get some victories, they will have their shooting stroke from beyond the arc to thank, most probably. However, it will be extremely difficult for the Dubs to contain the league’s best offense and beat them in a seven game series, especially now that the Clips have the home court advantage.

The Golden State Warriors will have to play small now or at least smaller than initially expected. It’s still unclear if this lineup will benefit them or further increase the Clips’ chances to get the ticket to the next round. From as it now seems, the Dubs will need to over perform while at the same time the Clips might need to melt down to lose this series.

LA is one of the strongest favorites for the title in the West. On the other hand, the Warriors are considered as one of the strongest underdogs in the entire NBA. However, health has always been an issue for the Dubs and this Andrew Bogut injury may now haunt their chances for the transcendence.