How to Annoy a Fan Base in 60 Easy Steps
From 1978 to 2011 the Clippers won 11 playoff games. The Warriors won 18.
From 1988 through 2008 (a nice round 20 years and a clean demarcation for both franchises since 2009 is the year of Blake Griffin and Steph Curry being drafted):
The Clippers high water mark for playoff success was winning 1 round before being knocked out in round 2 in 05-06. They made the playoffs only 4 times in that span. Their average conference finish was 11th, with 29.5 wins and a winning % of about .363
The Warriors in that same span averaged finishing 10th with 34 wins per season and a winning % of .425. They made it to the playoffs 6 times and advanced to the second round 3 times.
Individually in that run the only major awards the Clippers picked up was a MIP for Bobby Simmons and Exec of the Year for Elgin Baylor both at the tail end of the span.
The Warriors counter with Mitch Richmond and Chris Webber winning Rookie of the Year, Gilbert Arenas and Monta Ellis each picking up MIP, Don Nelson being named Coach of the Year, and a pair of dunk contest wins for Jason Richardson.
At the draft the Clippers were the picture of ineptitude. In 88 they drafted Danny Manning, who looked good before he got hurt. But from then on they flamed out far more often than not. They picked 1st rounders that amounted to <=5.0 career VORP 20 times in 25 selections (and of the 5 to beat that mark, one was Tyson Chandler who they almost immediately traded away in the Elton Brand deal, which I grant was a net positive for them. The others were Antonio McDyess, Lamar Odom, Quentin Richardson, and Eric Gordon.). They picked zero-or-negative VORP 1st rounders 14 times. And all this while picking inside the top 10 a total of 13 times. They had a run where their 1sts were: Danny Ferry, Bo Kimble, Loy Vaught, LaRon Ellis, Randy Woods, Elmore Spencer, Terry Dehere, Lamond Murray, Greg Minor, Antonio McDyess, Lorenzen Wright, Maurice Taylor, Michael Olowokandi, Brian and Brian Skinner. Tell me that group has more than 1 or 2 names with positive memories of their careers. Especially besides McDyess.
The Warriors had 23 1sts in that same period and they hit the 5-or worse VORP mark just 11 times. They had <=0 guys 8 times. And they managed to pick multiple really solid star or near-star players like Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway, Penny Hardaway (immediately traded for Chris Webber), Latrell Spreewell, Vince Carter (immediately traded for Antawn Jamison), and Jason Richardson over that run. Plus Gilbert Arenas and Monta Ellis if you want to count 2nd rounders (the clippers have nobody of real note out of the 2nd round until DeAndre Jordan in 08.). And this was on 9 top-10 picks vs the Clippers' 13.
Sports Illustrated in 2000 named the Clippers the worst franchise in professional sports. And for good reason. They sucked at drafting, they sucked at winning, they sucked at getting to the playoffs, and they sucked at winning in the playoffs. So, yeah you can say the Warriors had only 7 more playoff wins in their pre-brekaout history than the Clippers did, but at their absolute nadir they were a worse team in every conceivable way.
plus at least the Warriors have their history from Philadelphia with Wilt including the most dominant single game performance in sports history. The Clippers have... being a tire fire in Buffalo in spite of Bob McAdoo and then being a tire fire briefly in San Diego.