| 30 Teams, 30 Days: L.A. Clippers Draft Preview (14th) Authored by Elliot Cole - June 13, 2007 - 3:00 pm
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Draft picks: 14th, 45th
What they do well
The Clippers have one of the stronger frontcourts in the NBA. Chris Kaman, Corey Maggette, and Elton Brand make for a potent trio as long as Maggette hangs around in Clipperland. Coach Mike Dunleavy makes a conscious effort to control tempo and utilize their frontcourt in a half court game while playing some stingy defense on the opposite end.
Dunleavy’s style helped put the Clippers at 9th in the NBA in PPG allowed, and 10th in opponent’s field goal percentage. They clog the lane well and tied Detroit for the league lead in shot blocks per a game, in no small part due to Brand and Kaman. If the players are able to run their sets at an efficient level, their defense should keep them in games. The only question is whether they have the ability to gut out the close ones they did in 2006, which can be the difference between a lottery team and a playoff team.
The club suffered an injury plagued 2006-2007 and went from surprise upstarts to the most disappointing team in the Western Conference. Key injuries to Sam Cassell and Shaun Livingston decimated the backcourt, and role players like Kaman never seemed to hit their stride. However, the majority of their roster is wholly intact from 2006, and the talent is still present. Maggette is potentially a 20 point per a game player when given the minutes, and Elton Brand is still in his prime after averaging 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds in what could be considered an “off year.”
Where they need improvement?
In a word: leadership. Unfortunately for the Clippers, however, you can’t draft a heart transplant. The team endured several stretches of unmotivated play and failed to regain the intensity that helped culminate towards their 2006 success. The Clips have a vacancy in the leadership department; Dunleavy hasn’t done much to motivate his team and the oft-injured Cassell is the only on court leader they have. Cassell, who only managed to play 24.3 minutes a game over 58 games for the team, is in the twilight years of his career, and the Clippers would be smart to focus on the point guard position. Shaun Livingston’s horrendous knee injury only complicated matters for the Clippers, who were forced to rely on Jason Hart and Daniel Ewing down the stretch.
Considering their injury problems (Chris Kaman and Tim Thomas also missed time), the biggest weakness of the Clippers may be their health. Building a strong bench should help the club regain their playoff position, but they may also need to rediscover the competitive fire that was absent from their 2007 campaign. At the 14 slot, they aren’t going to find a starter right off the bat, but they can find a savvy rotation player to bolster the backcourt and serve as insurance for Cassell and Livingston.
Who Should They Pick?
- Acie Law, Texas A&M:
Widely regarded as the best possible pick for the Clippers, and they’d be happy to have him. A point guard that thrives under pressure, can control tempo, and was the unquestioned leader of his college team sounds a lot like a current Clippers point guard who is on his last legs in L.A. Law would be a perfect fit, and aside from giving them valuable depth, he’ll provide heart and enthusiasm for a club lacking both.
- Arron Afflalo, UCLA
A bit of a reach to pick Afflalo this early, but the Clippers could lean towards an experienced, tournament tested backcourt player that could give them minutes at multiple positions. Throw in the fact that he played his college ball in L.A., and you can bet he’s on the Clippers’ radar. In a deep draft, no team wants to trade down, but Afflalo would be a good fit with his strong body and defensive abilities.
- Javaris Crittenton, Georgia Tech
A mature player, but doesn’t have all the nuances of the game down yet. That being said, he has tremendous upside, and if the Clippers are unsettled about the future of Livingston than Crittenton would be tough to pass up. He’s a tall point guard that can see over defenders and plays with passion. Already a solid defender, Dunleavy could help mold him into a special on ball defender. He won’t contribute right away unless they absolutely need him to, but could be a steal over time. Probably a top 10 pick if he waited to come out next year.
Picks Since 2000
The Clipper will always be haunted by the selection of the unproven Michael Olowakandi as the number one choice in 1998 (a risk that set the organization back about 5 years), and their picks have been mostly mundane, safe selections since. The only other notable risk was Livingston, who has shown flashes but has significant rehabilitation ahead of him. Their last first round pick, Yaroslav Korolev, is a down-the-road project.
2006
No selections
2005
Yaroslov Korelev, 12th
Daniel Ewing, 32nd
2004
Shaun Livingston, 4th
Lionel Chalmers, 33rd
2003
Chris Kaman, 6th
Sofoklis Schortsanities, 34th
2002
Chris Wilcox, 8th
Melvin Ely, 12th
Mario Kasun, 41st
2001
Tyson Chandler, 2nd (traded to Chicago)
2000
Darius Miles, 3rd
Kenyon Dooling, 10th
Quentin Richardson, 18th
Elliot Cole is a RealGM contributor and maintains www.thesilverandblack.blogspot.com, a San Antonio Spurs blog. He can be reached at elliot.cole@yahoo.com |
