Los Angeles Clippers
Coach: Mike Dunleavy, 4th Season (112 – 134)
General Manager: Don Baylor
’05-’06 Record: 47-35, 2nd Pacific Division
Postseason: eliminated in Western Conference Semi-finals; Lost to PHX (4-3)
Projected Starting Lineup (’05-’06 Stats)
PG – Sam Cassell (17.2 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 6.3 apg.)
SG – Cuttino Mobley (14.8 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.0 apg.)
SF – Corey Maggette (17.8 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 2.1 apg.)
PF – Elton Brand (24.7 ppg., 10.0 rpg., 2.6 apg.)
C – Chris Kaman (11.9 ppg., 9.6 rpg., 1.0 apg.)
Key Additions: SF Tim Thomas (UFA – PHX); PF Aaron Williams (UFA – NO)
Key Subtractions: PF Vladimir Radmanovic (UFA – LAL); C Walter McCarty (UFA)
2006 NBA Draft
Round 1 – N/A
Round 2 – C Paul Davis (34th overall), Michigan State University; PG Guillermo Diaz (52nd overall), University of Miami (FLA)
Positional Breakdowns
Guards
Normally I don’t believe that one player can really make that much of a difference, but in the case of Sam Cassell I’m wiling to admit that isn’t true. Cassell came into the Clipper organization and was immediately hit with high expectations and tough situations. Well, not only did he meet those expectations, the Clippers as a unit exceeded them thoroughly. Cassell took the Los Angeles Clippers and made them the best team in Southern California, much to the displeasure of the Lakers. All Cassell did was bring an attitude of confidence and championship form that they’ve never seen before. As it began to rub off on his teammates, the Clippers as a whole began to take his attitude. Cassell has the ability to put up big shots no matter the situation and not hesitate when doing so, most likely because he’ll probably hit it. Cassell runs the offense, from the time he gets the ball to the set play to the execution, he’s the true meaning of a general on the field. He knows the plays and knows not only what he needs to do but what all of his other teammates need to do. He’s not going to be too selfish offensively and would prefer to get his teammates some action. That is key for a young team that is developing. This season, Cassell will have to take a bigger role in working with Shaun Livingston and helping him learn the position.
Cuttino Mobley has been a solid shooting guard for most of his NBA career and he’s proven that he is valuable for any team with his play last season. For the upcoming season Mobley must become more aggressive. He isn’t one of the top scoring options for this team, but they’ll need him to contribute a little more on that side. Already in the preseason Mobley has been shooting lights out and shown the aggression that they want him to have. For their run last year, Mobley was a key member of the team, but was lost sometimes because of the lack of aggressiveness and not having too much success on defense. There were times in the postseason when they had Quentin Ross in there because he was better for them defensively.
The Clippers have a number of options to go to when the need to go to the bench. If they need defense or a stopper, then they can go to Ross to come in and fill that role. He can even give you a little bit offensively, but you really won’t be able to get too much from him in that category. He does work hard and gives them good energy when he’s in the floor. They can bring in Shaun Livingston for another ball-handler and some scoring from the bench. He’s improved his perimeter shooting and if his decision-making has improved as well then he should be ready to shoulder more responsibility, including playing alongside Sam Cassell and giving Cassell the ability to be more offensive for them. Daniel Ewing could see some time as insurance.
Forwards
Hopefully Corey Maggette has fully recovered from the cornucopia of injuries that plagued him last season and can contribute once again. I have my questions whether or not he’s good as a starter in the NBA or if he’s best served off the bench as a sixth-man. His number one job in the game is very simple: score. They don’t really expect him to contribute much else to the team, although he’s got the capability to do so. One thing that bothers me is that Maggette has the talent to become better defensively, but either his focus isn’t there or the team hasn’t emphasized focus on the area. Whatever the case may be, Maggette’s role will be purely offensive, whether or not he settles into the starting lineup or if he is relegated to come off the bench. His ability to get on the court more or to even secure that starting job will depend on whether or not he plays solid defense and if he can stay in the game when he’s off his game offensively.
Having an MVP candidate anywhere on the court is always a good thing for any team. Having an MVP candidate like Elton Brand makes it that much better for the Clippers, and he does it in many different ways. The effectiveness of Brand is evident even before they get onto the court for a game, because Brand is a natural leader and the Clippers seem to resonate to him. He works extremely hard and is always working to improve in all aspects of the game. You can count on him to give you 20 points and 10 rebounds a game almost every time you get on the court. Most importantly, he’s got the kind of attitude you want from a guy that is going to be the leader and the star of the team. With that kind of drive, he’ll only motivate the players around him and make them strive to be better themselves. He can play strong inside or even take a step or two backwards and elevate over defenders. Brand is also a good interior defender, something that people tend to overlook because of his offense. If there’s anything to nit-pick about, it’s his aggressiveness. He needs to be more assertive when it comes to scoring because the team has lapses on offense.
The Clippers have made strides to get better off the bench. They went and plucked Tim Thomas from the Suns. The Clippers are hoping that he can provide them with the same offensive presence that he gave the Suns last year heading to the end of the season and in the playoffs. Thomas can hit big shots fairly consistently when he’s feeling it, but he can be on and off at times as well. When he’s off, he can be pretty abysmal. Meanwhile, they also got some strength underneath with Aaron Williams coming over from New Orleans. He’ll provide strong play in the paint and a strong inside rebounding presence. A factor to look out for is James Singleton, another strong guy who can rebound. The Clippers were looking to get tougher inside and have seemingly accomplished that goal with the acquisitions and the emphasis on Brand to improve in those areas.
Centers
What many people outside of California didn’t know prior to last season is that Chris Kaman can ball. Well, with his performance last season and with the big playoff push he made, the country is aware of the emergence of Kaman as an elite center in the Western Conference, and maybe even the NBA. Kaman is a hard-worker, he comes from the mold of centers like David Robinson in the fact that he’s all about the effort inside. People don’t see that Kaman is deceptively quick and is more agile than his appearance would give away. He can score, too. Something that many people don’t give him enough credit for is the fact that he can put points on the board and force defenses to play him honestly, something that helps out Brand and Cassell and the other offensive players. Kaman would have to prove that he can keep pace with the uptempo game. Most people believe that he can, and I am inclined to agree.
Aaron Williams will probably see some time as the backup center for the Clippers along with some forward duties. Zeljko Rebraca still hasn’t been on the floor for them this season, so it’s too early to count on him for anything at the beginning of the season. So with Williams, the Clippers will get someone strong enough to play with the bigger men and will rebound and hopefully start the transition game.
Team Overview
It’s hard to imagine that the playoffs won’t be good enough for the Clippers in 2006-2007, but that really is the case. They were a game away from making it to the Conference Finals and have the talent in place to make that same kind of run. The teams in the West below them have improved a little bit, and Phoenix still remains the class of the division, but the Clippers are aiming high and could reap the benefits come April, May, and possibly June. The Nuggets proved to be little challenge and the Suns were tough and legged it out, but the Clippers showed in that 7 game series that they had more than enough to take it all the way.
This new season brings new hope that the Clippers will further alleviate the pain and suffering of its fan base. As unrealistic and unreal as it seems, they have a very loyal and devoted fan base that has been pining for them to win for a long time, having to sit by and watch the Lakers rule the area. No more, because this season the NBA is ready for the Clippers to take another step forward. You have realize that the Clippers only have a few years to really make this run unless they can sustain the level of talent they have. The NBA is fickle like that, and with Cassell running up there in years they could be hard-pressed for time. They will most likely remain status quo; although I could see them making a couple of jumps should the top teams (Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix) struggle early with some of the changes they’ve made.
Predictions
Record: 47-35
Leading Scorer: Elton Brand
MVP: Elton Brand
Postseason: eliminated in Western Conference Finals
