| Clippers Youngsters Getting Heavy Minutes Authored by Brian Reynolds - January 2, 2009 - 1:59 am
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A Melo Behind The SuperstarsCarmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
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Despite dropping their fifth consecutive game and falling 10.5 games behind Phoenix and to the eighth seed in the Western Conference, the Clippers have a lot to look forward to in 2009 and beyond.
Gordon, the seventh pick of last year's draft, played 43 minutes Wednesday night when the Philadelphia 76ers (13-18) beat the Clippers (8-23) 90-82 in 2008's last NBA game. He finished with 21 points on 7-16 shooting. On Tuesday night, Gordon played 38 minutes and scored a team high 24 points in Sacramento. He is now averaging 10.4 points per game (ppg).
Al Thornton, the 14th pick out of Florida State in 2007 is averaging close to 38 minutes a game this year. He trails only Zach Randolph (23.1 ppg) and Baron Davis (17.3 ppg) in scoring with 16.6 ppg and pulls down 4.9 rebounds a game.
Both Gordon and Thornton have avoided the rookie and sophomore turnover tendencies, each averaging less than two a game. The reliable youngsters are also the only two Clippers to appear in all 31 of the team's games this season.
As a perennial lottery team, the Clippers have had many chances to strike gold but have yet to do so. In 2004, they passed on Devin Harris and took the high-school phenom Shaun Livingston whose career was thwarted by a devastating knee injury. Livingston is attempting a comeback in Miami where he signed a two-year deal in October. In 1998, the Clippers landed the number one pick of the draft and used it to take Michael Olowokandi "The Kandi Man". In making that selection, they passed on Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce. Olowokandi has never officially retired and is currently a free agent.
With Gordon and Thornton however, the future seems bright. They are high-energy guys who can score and defend. All they have to do is learn how to win – no easy task in the NBA.
While this season may seem like a lost cause for the Clippers, don't sleep on them in coming years. If they can keep the core together, there is a lot to be excited about in L.A.'s "other team." Plus, it's looking more and more likely that the Clippers will be players in the NBA Draft Lottery. The potential addition of Blake Griffin or another blue chip prospect would give the team an exciting young core to offset Elton Brand's departure, which doesn't seem so bad in light of the new 76er's recent shoulder injury.
Brian Reynolds is a contributing writer from Emory University and can be reached at Brian.matthew.reynolds@gmail.com |
