| Auditing The Clippers 2007-08 Season Authored by Christopher Reina - May 16, 2008 - 6:38 pm
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They had a per game FIC (Floor Impact Counter) differential of -11.6, which was a 14.2 drop from the 06-07 season when they went 40-42 and narrowly missed the playoffs.
Chris Kaman and Corey Maggette had good seasons but there was little else to celebrate during Elton Brand's absence. Sam Cassell forced his way to Boston and Shaun Livingston missed the entire season.
Player: Overall Rank, Season FIC, Per 40 FIC, Reina Value
- Chris Kaman 54 870 16.7 +16%
Kaman truly had a career season and managed to shake off claims from last year that he didn't merit his five-year, $52.5 million. Kaman signed that extension on the eve of 06-07 season and subsequently posted a per 40 FIC of 11.5, which was a startling drop from his 13.1 during the Clippers' 05-06 playoff season.
His shooting percentage rose from 45.1% to 48.3%, as he became a much-improved jump shooter, but his mark was still off from that 05-06 season when he shot 52.3%.
But the biggest reason for the Crazy Clown's surge likely will be temporary as he went from grabbing 10.8 rebounds per 40 minutes to 13.7 rebounds, a discrepancy that can be largely attributed to the Brand absence.
The rebound from his poor 06-07 is legit, but the return of Brand will unquestionably temper his production.
- Corey Maggette: 64th, 824, 13.2, +28%
Maggette had one of the best seasons in his career as he developed a more dependable perimeter game, shooting 38.4% from beyond the arc. The Clippers were 8.1 points per 100 possessions better when he was on the floor and his ability to create his own offense will be very attractive this summer.
- Cuttino Mobley: 119th, 591, 8.7, -33%
Not surprising for an aging spot-up shooter, Mobley relied more on his jumper and got into the lane less than ever before in his career.
Mobley had per 40 FIC's of 8.6, 9.4, 10.5 in 06-07, 05-06 and 04-05 respectively, so he's still the same Cat for all intents and purposes. He still is a deadly streaky shooter even though he shot just 34.9% from beyond the arc.
- Tim Thomas: 151st, 500, 10.3, -23%
I don't think there is a more open book in the NBA than Tim Thomas and he's the same apathetic player he's always been.
- Al Thornton: 152nd, 499, 9.3, +162%
Thornton had one of the better seasons in the entire rookie class, playing significant quality minutes. January and February were his best months and he has shown himself to be an effective rebounder, but needs to become a more efficient scorer. He is famously older than many guys who have already been in the league a number of years, so a bad rookie season for Thornton would have been tantamount to a death sentence for his career.
- Brevin Knight: 169th, 453, 10.8, +143%
Knight was the effective low-mistake stop-gap he was expected to be when the Clippers signed him.
- Josh Powell: 228th, 315, 10.3, +210%
Powell finally received sizable mints and proved himself to be a capable back-up power forward, rebounding well and shooting 46.0% from the field with an increase coming when he played consistently. He continues to be mistake prone, but more seasoning should naturally reduce that.
- Dan Dickau: 243rd, 270, 10.4, +191%
Dickau saw more floor time since he was a 31 minute a night starter for the Hornets, but shot just 33.3% from 3-point territory. He isn't the lights out in-game shooter the Hawks hoped he'd become when he was taken in the first round of the '02 draft.
- Quinton Ross: 248th, 248, 6.6, +158%
Ross' 46.7% in 06-07 turned out to be an aberration, as his percentage dropped back to 39.1%. He is a cheap shooting guard, but he's started an average of 44 games in each of the past three seasons, which is entirely too frequent
- Nick Fazekas: 315th, 117, 17.4, +776%
After having a cup of coffee with the Mavericks, Fazekas was pretty awesome during his 22 games with the Clippers, shooting 57.1% from the floor and rebounding at a very impressive rate.
- Elton Brand: 330th, 97, 14.2, -94%
Brand needlessly came back for eight games at the end of the season and he looked healthy and effective. He will turn 30 at the end of the 08-09 season, but I expect him to continue being one of the best fours in the game for another five seasons due to how purely skilled he is and because his game is not predicated on athleticism.
- Smush Parker: 331st, 96, 6.5, +479%
Parker returned to the Staples Center after a brief stint with the Heat. He shot just 36.2% from the field and had a 1.9 assist/turnover ratio, neither of which are acceptable for a quality point guard.
- Paul Davis: 382th, 40, 8.1, +0%
Davis appeared in just 22 games and shot an awful 36.9% from the floor.
How The Clippers Were Acquired
- Davis, Livingston, Kaman and Thornton were draft selections.
- Dickau, Fazekas, Knight, Mobley, Parker, Powell, Ross, Thomas, Williams were free agent signings.
- Brand and Maggette were acquired via trades.
- Christopher Reina is the executive editor of RealGM and the creator of The Reina Value which determines the value of players in relation to their contract. |
