Before the 2018-19 season even started, Los Angeles Clippers small forward Danilo Gallinari knew the team was going to make the playoffs despite what all the pundits were saying.

This season was the first year since 2011 the Clippers didn't have Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan on the roster, so many thought the team was going to struggle in the rugged Western Conference.

After the Clippers traded their best player, swingman Tobias Harris, at the February trade deadline, critics said Los Angeles would fall in the standings and miss the postseason. That didn't happen, though, as Doc Rivers did an excellent job this season. LA finished in the eighth spot in the West.

Gallinari says he and his teammates are “a little smarter” than the people who thought the Clippers would miss the playoffs:

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Gallinari had a sound season in 2018-19. The 30-year-old played in 68 games and averaged 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest while shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from beyond the arc and 90.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The Clippers take on the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 is on Saturday. No one is expecting LA to defeat the Warriors, but it's still cool to see the team in the postseason after everyone doubted them all season long.