Don’t look now, but the Los Angeles Clippers are starting to build something pretty special out in Los Angeles. In recent years NBA fans have had the privilege of watching the Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder go from young upstart teams to legitimate playoff contenders, and LA’s other team is looking to soon join their ranks.

In their most recent move to better the team, the Clippers have re-signed forward, Rasual Butler. Butler’s deal is for only one season, but the Clippers’ decision to re-invest in him no doubt shows the athletic guard/forward that they respect what he brings to the court. While Butler did struggle to remain consistent last season, he still managed to start in 64 games and put up a solid 11.9 points per game.

Earlier this month, the Clippers came to an agreement with forward, Craig Smith, who averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in just over 16 minutes per game with the team last season. During his 2009-10 campaign in Los Angeles, Smith impressed many with his ability to remain a constant contributor despite the craziness surrounding him on and off the court. Regardless of whether he was brought in for five of fifteen minutes, he seemed to be able to put up the same efficient numbers.

Smith also provides the team with a solid insurance policy in the event one of the team’s bigs goes down. However, all indications point to last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Blake Griffin, coming back strong this season. Prior to his injury last year, Griffin was killing competition in summer league and giving Clippers fans all over a glimpse at the talent and skill that made him one of the most hyped college players in the last five years.

Griffin’s progress with the Clippers will be aided by veteran point guard, Baron Davis, and the team’s center, Chris Kaman. Both Davis and Kaman have been with the team through the good and the bad, and their leadership will no doubt help guide Griffin and the rest of the team’s youngsters through their first season together with everyone healthy.

Throughout this year’s summer league play, rookies Eric Bledsoe and Al-Farouq Aminu displayed glimpses of promise and potential. Bledsoe repeatedly showed that he could both score and move the ball effectively, with his only noticeable problem being an inability to cut down on his turnovers. Still, considering how young of a player he is, the carelessness with the ball can be easily fixed. Aminu, while talented, had sporadic moments of success and failure in summer league. He clearly has the athleticism and raw talent that Davis will be able to utilize in the open court, but he still needs to work on some of the finer points of his game like shooting and ball-handling.

Also key to the team’s success will be new head coach, Vinny Del Negro. Del Negro’s two-season reign with the Chicago Bulls ended with an 82-82 overall record, and two straight playoff appearances. One of the playoff appearances, in particular, was especially memorable because it was a seven-game thriller with the Boston Celtics. It was that year that the young Bulls went from a team on the come up, to a team that had arrived. Del Negro no doubt hopes to bring the same type of legitimacy and respectability to this year’s young Clipper team.

Every season, it feels as though while everyone is paying attention to the big dogs, a new team is rising from the ashes. A few years ago, it was the Portland Trail Blazers. Then it was the Thunder. Last season, the Milwaukee Bucks. Now, it’s the Clippers’ turn.

Fans of Los Angeles’ other team can look forward to a very interesting 2010-11 NBA season.