2008-09 LA Clippers Preview
Sports Network | October 21, 2008
By signing Davis away from Golden State and pilfering Camby from the Denver Nuggets for a second-round pick, the Clippers hope to have offset Brand's contentious exit to Philadelphia and Maggette's trip up the coast to Oakland.
A Los Angeles native, Davis gives the Clippers a top-tier point guard that can take over a game at any time on the offensive end while Camby, the game's top shot blocker and an excellent rebounder, offers the ability to do the same at the defensive end.
Davis reportedly wanted to play with a legitimate low post threat like Brand but will now be running a team similar to the one he left.
2007-08 Results: 23-59, did not qualify for playoffs.
ADDITIONS: Marcus Camby (C) - Trade with Denver; Baron Davis (G) - Free Agent; Ricky Davis (F/G) - Free Agent; Jason Hart (G) - Trade with Utah; Steve Novak (F) - Trade with Houston; Brian Skinner (F) - Free Agent; Mike Taylor (G) - Trade with Portland.
SUBTRACTIONS: Elton Brand (F) - Signed with Philadelphia; Dan Dickau (G) - Signed with Golden State; Brevin Knight (G) - Traded to Utah; Corey Maggette (F) - Signed with Golden State; Josh Powell (F) - Waived and signed with LA Lakers; Smush Parker (G) - Signed with Denver; Reuben Patterson (F) - Signed with Denver; Quinton Ross (F) - Signed with Memphis; Shaun Livingston (G) - Signed with Miami.
RE-SIGNINGS: Paul Davis (C).
2008 DRAFT PICKS: 1. (7) Eric Gordon (G, Indiana); 2.(35) DeAndre Jordan (C, Texas A&M).
PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:
PG- Baron Davis SG- Cuttino Mobley SF- Al Thornton PF- Chris Kaman C- Marcus Camby
KEY RESERVES: Ricky Davis (G/F); Eric Gordon (G); Jason Hart (G); Paul Davis (C); DeAndre Jordan F/(C); Tim Thomas (F)
FRONTCOURT: Al Thornton, the team's first round pick last season, came through with a solid rookie campaign. The Florida State product averaged 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 79 games and showed a smooth stroke from the field. He should see increased playing time and figures heavily into the Clippers' future this season.
Chris Kaman registered 15.7 points and a team-best 12.7 rebounds in 56 games last year but figures to move over to make room for Camby. The presence of Kaman and Camby up front should turn the Clips into one of the league's best rebounding teams.
It's hard to understand why Denver put Camby in the Wal-Mart clearance aisle since shot blockers like him don't exactly grow on trees.
"I think Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman have the ability to put us in the top five for rebounding and shot blocking," Dunleavy said. "Marcus Camby is a great defender. He may be the best team defender in the game today. He's number one in the league in blocked shots and number two in the league in rebounding. He's a great passing big man who runs the floor and is a very high IQ player. He'll be able to lead our defense from the back line.
Between Kaman and Camby I see that playing out like it did for us three years ago when we went to a seventh game against the Phoenix Suns. That year we were in the top five of almost every defensive category in the league."
BACKCOURT: Cagy veteran Cuttino Mobley can still fill it up as a spot-up jump shooter from the outside but struggles if you force him to put the ball on the ground. Mobley also isn't much of a defender at this stage of his career and rarely facilitates offense for others.
Davis has always been a special player but has been dogged by health and effort issues over the years. When he's at full speed, few point guards in the game can have the type of impact Baron brings to the floor.
"Baron is bigger and stronger then most, yet can get where ever he wants on the court," Dunleavy said. "He plays an all around game. He excels in open court and half-court play. I think with our ability to defend and rebound he will get plenty of open court opportunities.
"In the Western Conference, there are so many great point guards. We now have one of them. I look at him as being a power forward in a point guard's body. He can take the ball coast-to-coast, shoot the three and post up. There is virtually nothing he can't do on the floor."
BENCH: Tim Thomas and free agent swingman Ricky Davis offer big time offense off the bench but lack consistency and haven't always been the best teammates over the years.
Rookie combo guard Eric Gordon should have a ball sitting under Davis' learning tree. A backcourt of Davis and Gordon at the same time could be one of the NBA's best in a year or two.
Rookie hybrid DeAndre Jordan is also an exciting prospect for Dunleavy while center Paul Davis is a banger who was improving nicely until his blew out his left knee.
"Eric Gordon is an excellent long-range shooter," Dunleavy said. "He proved himself at Indiana with his NBA three-point range. He has a great ability to get to the boards and get to the rim, finish and get fouled and I think he's going to be a very good defender in our league as well. I think Eric Gordon will be in the rotation from day one. I think DeAndre Jordan will play depending on how quickly he picks things up."
OUTLOOK: The plan was to team up Davis and Brand and get ready for the playoffs but Brand balked when Philly came calling, leaving Davis hanging out to dry.
With Davis running the show and Camby erasing perimeter defensive mistakes, you can certainly expect an improvement from 23 wins but without a consistent low post threat on the offensive end, the Clippers will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs.
