| Not Even Your Brother's Clippers Authored by Dennis Silva II - August 12, 2008 - 11:49 am
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
A Melo Behind The SuperstarsCarmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
| |
In a conference of bullying titanics, the Clippers have, more or less, made themselves relevant, thanks to a few off-season moves that has remade the roster.
They finally have a lead point guard in free agent signee Baron Davis, who not only will make the training room more crowded but will provide inspiring play and leadership.
They acquired defensive stalwart Marcus Camby to somewhat lighten the loss of Elton Brand.
They signed guard Ricky Davis, who if he stays straight is a scoring perimeter player who can create his own shot off the dribble or pass.
They signed Jason Williams as backup – what did we say about Davis’ penchant for the training room? – and acquired sharpshooter Steve Novak.
This is a remodeled team, fresh off an underachieving 2007-08 year and two years removed from their last playoff appearance in 2005-06.
Since that stirring playoff run, the Clippers are 63-101 in the two seasons since.
But this year appears to be headed back in the right direction, starting with a challenging yet comfortable 2008-09 schedule as nine of their first 10 games are at home, with eight of those teams being playoff participants last year.
With Houston and Portland the lone Western Conference clubs who have done damage this offseason, the Clippers are making a move toward the playoffs in a time when many least expected it.
Dallas figures to slide. Add Golden State, Denver and possibly Phoenix to that list as well.
There is plenty of opportunity to sneak in and play more than 82 games, though it is mostly through the bottom half of the conference and in all likelihood means a quick exit in the first round.
But it’s a start. The Clippers have added speed, defense and scoring, and that’s never a bad thing.
Last season the Clippers were outscored by 7.3 points per game (101.1 to 93.8). They were outrebounded by 3.5 boards per game.
They were next-to-last in the NBA in scoring offense and field-goal percentage (43.6) and 19th in assists (21.1).
It will be difficult to repeat those poor numbers, even just by the lone acquisitions of Baron Davis (21.8 points per game, 7.6 assists per game, 4.7 rebounds per game in ’07-08) and Camby (9.1, 3.1, 13.1).
The Clippers have, in the process, also rebuilt their locker room with veterans such as Williams and Brian Skinner, while still maintaining an explosive balance of youth with rookies Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan, and second-year forward Al Thornton.
Both Gordon and Jordan can benefit from the experience and leadership of Baron Davis and Camby, and even Ricky if he’s learned how to mature and be a professional.
They’ve added players with playoff experience and know-how, something that hasn’t always been the case with Clipper veterans in the past.
Between Baron Davis, Camby and Williams resides 163 games of postseason experience, with Camby and Williams each boasting trips to the Finals.
Somewhere along the line, Clippers owner Donald Sterling decided he didn’t like playing second fiddle to the Lakers.
He finally dusted the cobwebs off his wallet and did something about it, and while, yes, Brand is no longer in the red and blue, this is still a Clippers squad that, at least on paper, appears deeper and more talented than those of the past.
Whether or not it amounts to anything will be seen. Baron Davis has a lengthy laundry list of injuries, Camby is only getting older and Ricky Davis and Williams have both had character issues in the past, though those seem to be of insignificance nowadays.
Still, it’s better to try than to not try at all. |
