Chauncey Billups says he isn't scared of the Lakers

"I fear no man!" (Getty Images)

Things in Los Angeles were just getting interesting.

The Lakers beat out the Clippers for the division title, again, last season but the Clippers finished right behind them in fourth place in the West. They both advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. The Clippers had youth and momentum on their side. There was starting to be a real rivalry between the two teams, which fans and the media loved.

And then the Lakers got Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.

So there's a bit of a gap there. But don't talk to the Clippers about it, especially not Chauncey Billups. From the Detroit Free Press:

“They are trying to stack the deck over there, but I tell you what - I'm very pleased with my team and what we've been able to do and I will just say this - don't nobody scare me, man,” said the former Piston with a chuckle.

via Ex-Pistons guard Chauncey Billups' rehab going well, won't back down from Lakers | Detroit Pistons | Detroit Free Press | freep.com.

The obvious response is "What else is he going to say?" It's not like he can come out and be like "Well, we're going to get killed, because how do you possibly stop that team?"

But the attitude has been seen from everyone in the Clippers. They're very much up for a fight. It's just not likely that they have the guns to keep up. The phrase "stack the deck" is also an interesting choice by Billups. Billups expects to be ready for the season opener as he continued to rehab from his Achilles tendon injury he suffered last February.