Highs and Lows: L.A. Clippers
Baron Davis (photo. Tim Tadder)NBA training camps start up in a few weeks. In the meantime, we’re going team-by-team, from 1 to 30, exploring what each team’s ceiling is for the upcoming season and where their basement is. In other words, what are the realistic best-case and worst-case scenarios for each squad?
Additions: PG Baron Davis, C Marcus Camby, SG Eric Gordon, SG/SF Ricky Davis, PG Jason Williams, PG Jason Hart, C DeAndre Jordan, C/PF Brian Skinner, PF Steve Novak.
Losses: PF Elton Brand, SF Corey Maggette, SF Quinton Ross, PG Brevin Knight, PG Shaun Livingston, C/PF Josh Powell.
Ceiling: 7th-8th seed in the West.
Baron Davis has been here before, running the point on an underdog team with some exciting finishers on the wings (Gordon, Thornton, Buckets), some good spot-up shooters (Cat Mobley, Novak, Gordon, Tim Thomas) and a quality shot-blocker in the middle (Camby). The ‘08-09 Clippers are built much like the ‘06-07 Warriors, only that team didn’t also have a potential 17-and-10 center in Chris Kaman. With Camby and Kaman patrolling the middle and Thornton continuing to progress after a stellar rookie year, the Clips have the talent to win 45 or possibly 50 games if they stay mostly healthy and everyone plays their roles. Developing some chemistry and cohesion quickly with so many new faces is crucial; with the West being so deep, there isn’t any margin for error.
Basement: Another disaster of a season.
Optimism and roster makeovers aside, it’s still the Clippers. Even when notoriously-cheap owner Donald Sterling is spending money and notoriously-shaky GM Elgin Baylor is making good moves on paper, this franchise just seems snake-bitten. And when you really examine this year’s roster, they might as well be holding a meaty arm out there, just tempting fate. Baron and Camby are famously injury-prone, Kaman only played 56 games last year, Jason Williams’ knees are creaky, and even Gordon kind of broke down in the latter stages of his only collegiate season. Tim Thomas isn’t in a contract year, which means he’s not scheduled to play like he cares until next season. And Ricky Davis is a career loser whose resume we’ve been over. This is a high-risk, high-reward roster, and the Clippers organization doesn’t have a good track record of lucrative gambling results.
‘08-09 NBA preview archives
9/10 — Orlando Magic
September 11th, 2008 at 10:18 am
shake&bake says:
I’m predicting the Clip-Show to get 7th in the West, right at the top of the ceiling that Dime gave them. Even if they’re not, they should be fun to watch. Boom!
September 11th, 2008 at 10:29 am
loot says:
its strange. im a longtime clippers fan and i grew to love their losing ways somehow. this team is so different. i liked maggette, im a big fan of brand, liked shaun too. they’re gone now.
ive always been a fan of bdavis, i like thornton and kaman looks legit. this team has a lot of talent, but is injury prone and somehow the pieces dont look to fit together. we’ll see….
September 11th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Sam I Am says:
Clearly they MIGHT snatch up 8th…and that’s with help.
This team sucks, too old and too hurt
cuz if they are the 8th or th 7th who rounds out your bottom 5-8 ??
September 11th, 2008 at 10:38 am
chiaki says:
i thought they’ll have a chance for a playoff spot when they signed Dizzle.. but the minute they signed ricky buckets, i was looking forward for the clips to be on the 2009 lottery..
September 11th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Mr. Irrelevant says:
It’s a new team and a new year. I’m talking Playoffs, son!!
September 11th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Jim says:
Big day in Jim land, passed the bar despite spending all my time reading these comments.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:17 am
hahns says:
losing elton brand is huge…but this squad looks like it can be really hard to stop if they get hot. gordon boom thornton are all going to be real potent offensively..but they dont have a consistent guy like brand. thats going to be the difference. this team isnt going to make the playoffs. 10th seed.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:17 am
hahns says:
btw, congrats jim
September 11th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Sam I Am says:
lol for a second i thought JIM passed by a bar…didn’t know you passed the exam.
Congrats
September 11th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Jim says:
Sam, you know that would be a big day, too.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Jim says:
…if I weren’t a teetotaler.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Sam I Am says:
me too…been on the Wagon for ummmmm 6 years
September 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Sam I Am says:
OMG it’s sooo slow at work today.
I got the West looking like -
1. LA Lakers 5. Utah Jazz
2. New Orleans Hornets 6. San Antonio
3. Portland Traiblazers 7. Phoenix Suns
4. Houston Rockets 8. OKC Thunder (LOL) SIKE
9. LA Clippers
September 11th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
justice says:
Wow portland over the rockets sam? really..no dallas..that’s a big statement if it happens..can’t wait till training camp
September 11th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Meica says:
Even after losing Elton Brand, this team is definitely better than last season. It would be nice, just once, for the Clips to do better than mediocre.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
analord says:
i don’t see the clips getting any higher than maybe the 8th seed out west.
this team dose have the makeup of a fun team to watch though.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Amos Leak says:
I see the clippers being a suprise this year..people don’t expect good things from them..but I do..for some reason..it’s a gut check feeling!…I know they’re team has players that are never healthy..but if they stay healthy..i got a good feeling!
September 11th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Three Stacks says:
Baron, Kaman, and Camby, even Eric Gordon have all been kinda injury prone over their careers…which means there’s a distinct possibly the Clippers might have a starting 5 including Jason Williams, Ricky Davis, and Brian Skinner for more than a few games.
Good luck with that 7th seed.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
DellCurryFan says:
If they can all stay healthy which is a HUGE if they can go anywhere from the 6th-8th seed in the west and maybe even pull off a first round upset
September 11th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
giacomo says:
clips at 7?? even 8??
nah i just dont see it.. at best they have managed to steady the ship and are as good as last year, but they are not better. full stop.
i cant see how anyone could say that with what they have they will leapfrog the nugs, mavs, and blazers, even g-state could give them a run in the playoff race if monta ellis comes back as good as last season, and marcus williams decides to lay off the twinkies
everyone in the west is improving, and its at the stage where even with 50 wins you arnt guaranteed a playoff spot, i think this squad will be overacheiving with 45..
just my 2 cents
September 12th, 2008 at 12:12 am
fLaVa says:
lets get an over/under bet on how many games Bdiddy, Kaman, Camby, Thornton and Gordan plays together this season?
10 games sounds about right!
September 12th, 2008 at 12:13 am
fLaVa says:
gimme under!
September 15th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
SlimGp says:
I like this team because of the veteran leadership and playoff experience. They have talent at all 5 positions and if one player goes down someone can step in. I would not be suprised if they were a 4 or 5 seed. They can play an up-tempo game and have some grit on the boards. Just have to stay healthy.