Getting Inside
Was it just barely two years ago when the Clippers were within grasp of going to the Western Conference finals? And who knows what could have happened if that had occurred.
The shambles of the 2007-2008 season make that glorious ride of 2005-2006 almost seem like a dream. Did it occur? Yes, it did but the Clippers this season resembled a train wreck.
Hope, probably false hope, was posed when star forward Elton Brand went down in August, with a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon. The talk at that point was that if the Clippers could play close to .500 basketball up to the All-Star break, Brand and his fellow rehabilitating teammate, Shaun Livingston, would return to lead a second-half season charge to the playoffs.
Pipe dreams, they turned out to be. Brand did not return until the final eight games of the season and Livingston did not play a game at all.
Every team in the Western Conference—that is headed for the playoffs—tweaked their rosters in one way or another to improve. Aside from rookie forward Al Thornton, the Clippers did not add any significant pieces—either in the off-season or before the trading deadline in February—to bolster the squad.
So, where do they go from here?
Certainly, the Clippers need to address the backcourt situation, particularly at point guard. Either they must somehow acquire an established veteran point guard—not a journeyman stopgap type—or they must draft a guard that can step in and play right away, like Deron Williams did for Utah and like Chris Paul did for New Orleans.
The Clippers also need to go shopping for a shooter. They will not be able to contend for a playoff berth next season, if they finish next-to-last in field-goal shooting percentage and three-point field-goal shooting percentage, like they did this year.
It is all but certain that the Clippers won’t trade the rights to their first-round draft pick, although a high lottery pick, combined with forward Corey Maggette in a sign-and-trade deal, would be enticing to some rival teams.
In all likelihood, the Clippers will stick to their status quo of drafting the player that they have rated highest on their board, return to training camp with the core group of Brand, Thornton and Chris Kaman, fill out the roster with returnees like Cuttino Mobley, Tim Thomas and Brevin Knight, and then add in others.
But unless some wholesale changes and improvements are made, the Clippers will be looking at another non-playoff season next year.
Season Highlight: Without a doubt it was the Clippers’ 4-0 season start that elicited what turned out to be false hope of competing for the playoffs. In retrospect, those victories turned out to be hollow because none of those four teams—Golden State, Seattle, Chicago or Indiana—ended up making the playoffs this year.
Turning Point: After a home win over a talented Denver Nuggets team, the Clippers’ record stood at 6-4. However, that subsequently was followed by a seven-game losing streak and the Clippers never reached the .500 mark again.
Notes, Quotes
• Sometime soon, at a place yet to be determined, and with individuals yet to be assembled, the Clippers will take a long and hard look at guard Shaun Livingston. Before the Clippers decide whether or not to tender Livingston a $5.8 million qualifying offer to retain his rights, they want to see him in a competitive five-on-five scrimmage.
Once touted to be the Clippers’ point guard of the future, the 22-year old Livingston is at a critical juncture of his career. He did not play a single game this season, because he was recuperating from a catastrophic left knee injury that occurred Feb. 26, 2007.
But, that was just the latest and by far, most serious injury that Livingston has suffered since bypassing college and jumping straight from high school to the NBA, in 2004.
In his rookie season, Livingston suffered first a dislocated knee cap and then after returning later in the season, suffered an injury to his shoulder.
Prior to training camp for his second season, Livingston was inactive due to an off-season back injury that was linked to his weight-training program.
It is paramount for the Clippers that Livingston return to be at least some facsimile of the player that he was projected to be when the organization selected him fourth overall in the 2004 draft. Otherwise, it would mark the second busted lottery pick in two seasons, the other being the selection of forward Yaroslav Korolev in 2005.
• Later than sooner, seems to be the prevailing tune as to when the Clippers’ long-awaited private practice site will open in nearby Playa Vista.
The building of the multi-million dollar facility was one of the promises made to Mike Dunleavy, when he became coach of the Clippers in 2003. Since then, there has been delay after delay, even after the ground breaking ceremony finally occurred April 7, 2007.
Dunleavy was told that the facility would be ready in time for the team to use after it returned from the fall training camp in Santa Barbara. Then he was told that it would be ready shortly after the new year. Next, Dunleavy was told that the opening would be in the spring.
Now, the word is the soonest it would be available is in June. Asked if it would be used to conduct workouts for prospect draft picks, Dunleavy said he didn’t think so.
The latest delay is believed to be for yet another alteration to the blueprint. An observation platform is to be constructed for view of the practice court.
With so much money, time and delay associated with the construction of the practice site, it is likely that the Clippers will not return to Santa Barbara, where they have conducted training camp the past four years. Instead, they will practice at their private practice facility.
That is, if it is ready in time.
Quote To Note: “Shane definitely should be the defensive player of the year. At least he should be on the all-defensive team. He’s the best one-on-one defender in the league.” —Clippers forward Elton Brand, discussing his former Duke teammate and current Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier.
Roster Report
Most Valuable Player: Forward Corey Maggette—With the near season-long absence of forward Elton Brand, Maggette became the Clippers’ primary offensive scoring source. He responded by posting 52 20-point scoring performances in the 70 games that he played.
Most Disappointing Player: Forward Tim Thomas—It was hoped that Thomas could have stepped in for the injured Brand and provide the Clippers with a stable presence at power forward. However, after beginning the season shooting over 50 percent from the field, Thomas’ performance took a nose dive.
Free Agent Focus: Unrestricted free agents: F/G Quinton Ross, G Smush Parker and G Dan Dickau. Out of that trio, the defensive-minded Ross still figures in the Clippers’ plans. Dickau was a stop-gap, due to the season-long unavailability of Shaun Livingston. Parker was a late-season pickup who did nothing to pique interest into bringing him back next season.
Restricted free agents: G Shaun Livingston, F/C Paul Davis, F Nick Fazekas, G/F Marcus Williams. In all likelihood, the Clippers will tender a contract offer to Livingston, to retain his rights. There is a strong possibility that they will do likewise with Davis. Livingston missed the entire season, recovering from a left knee injury. Davis suffered a season-ending right knee injury in December. Fazekas likely will receive a non-guaranteed contract offer, after his impressive play down the stretch of the season. Williams might get an invitation to join the summer-league team.
Player Notes:
• F Elton Brand plans to be in the best shape of his career next season, as he looks ahead to a stern summer training program. Brand is a member of the USA national basketball team but will skip the Summer Olympics in China to focus on preparing for the 2008-2009 season.
• F Corey Maggette has not changed his mind about opting out of the final year of his contract this summer. However, Maggette more than left the door open for the Clippers to negotiate a long-term contract extension with him. It is likely that the Clippers will explore sign-and-trade possibilities involving Maggette.
• G Cuttino Mobley will be back for his fourth season with the Clippers, unless they can package him in a trade. The stumbling block is the two years that Mobley still has remaining on his contract at more than $18 million.
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