LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (23-59)
Baron Davis ready to take the Clippers to the top.
[Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images]
There was perhaps no bigger story in the NBA this offseason than Elton Brand spurning the Clippers for the Philadelpha 76ers. Newly signed free agent and hometown hero Baron Davis and Brand would’ve given the Clippers one of the most dynamic 1-2 punches in the league. But with Brand in Philly, that’s obviously not happening. They made up for it as best they could, however, by trading for Marcus Camby by giving up nothing. And I mean nothing. All the Clippers gave the Nuggets was the OPTION to SWAP SECOND ROUND PICKS with them in 2010. Talk about a steal. So the other team in LA did pretty good after their drama-filled offseason.
Here’s what a healthy Baron Davis can bring to the table.
Face of the Franchise: Baron Davis. With Brand now out of the picture it is without question Davis. The Clippers are paying B-Diddy $65 million over five years to be their best player and lead them to the elusive NBA title Brand could not. Quite a hefty price for a player who played his first full season in six years last year. Despite his injury-riddled past, he is still the most athletic point guard in the NBA, a triple double threat every time he hits the floor, and one of my favorite players to watch in the league. But the question will always remain if he will stay healthy. If he can (and I guess him being on Jenny Craig is a start…), maybe Los Angeles fans will be flying Clippers flags in June.
Send Him Away: Cuttino Mobley. I was never too enthralled by Mobley’s game. He is a shoot-first shooting guard with below average size. He can put the ball in the hoop at a decent clip but I always thought he’d be better suited coming off the bench. A better version of Eddie House I guess. Mobley is starting to get up there in age and he makes a lot of money so it’d be tough to get rid of him. He does play with a lot of heart though and with former Indiana guard Eric Gordon waiting, it’s only a matter of time before Mobley does get traded. Probably next year in the last year of his contract.
This too.
Impact Newcomer: Baron Davis. See Face of the Franchise.
X-Factor: Marcus Camby. He’ll be counted on to fill Brand’s shoes and that’s no easy task. While Camby is an upgrade defensively, there is no way he will ever match Brand’s offensive output. Teamed with Chris Kaman, the former Defensive Player of the Year gives LA a formidable frontline along with rising star Al Thornton. But it will be imperative for Camby to maintain his status as one of the elite interior defenders and rebounders (and stay healthy) in the NBA in order for these Clippers to make the playoffs.
Forecast: Mid Lottery. The 2008-2009 Los Angeles Clippers actually have a pretty good roster in my eyes. They have a nice mix of young players and veterans with a decent bench. Thornton had a superb rookie year but needs to improve his consistency on a game-to-game basis. DeAndre Jordan is an extremely raw prospect but is an athletic 7-footer with a ton of potential and as they say, you can’t teach size. I am not sure how Eric Gordon will pan out, however. He was a scoring machine the first half of his only year of college, but his percentages dropped significantly afterwards. This could have been due to various injuries (though his shot selection is terrible and he has to improve that) he had but that just raises another red flag. He doesn’t look like he is in the best shape and his athleticism is surprising. Gordon eerily reminds me of Baron Davis, body-wise, and as I mentioned before, he has not had the most healthy career. I hope for Gordon’s sake, that I am wrong. But health is the main cause for concern I have for this team and I just believe there are too many injury risks on this team for them to make the playoffs.
Posted by david im 
