| 10 June 2009
Preseason Expectations
Preseason expectations for the Los Angeles Clippers? Angels were going to sing. Mountains were going to be moved. The spirits of Bob McAdoo and Loy Vaught were going to be able to rest easy. Donald Sterling was going to make money AND be successful. The Playoffs were coming! Redemption was coming! The new phone books were here! Sure, the Elton Brand self-jettison didn't quite work out the way that new point guard Baron Davis and coach Mike Dunleavy had hoped going into Day Two of the free agency period but the Clippers had added an all-star, helter-skelter point who could change the slow-paced Clippers into an up-tempo hybrid by bridging the gap between break-neck pace and taking advantage of your big men in the half court.
The late off-season addition of Marcus Camby added more legitimacy to this Clippers squad. They now had no reason to be out rebounded. They had a great safety valve at the end of a gambling perimeter defense. Everything on the surface looked as enticing as a young Hollywood actress fresh off some enhancement surgery. But what if the new pieces didn't mesh? What if the running game wasn't conducive to a half court guy like Chris Kaman? What if Baron Davis got lazy off his final big contract signing? What if rookie Eric Gordon was more Dajuan Wagner than Ben Gordon? What if Al Thornton truly had no place on the court other than scoring points when his team was down 20? The outlook of the Clippers in the summer of 2008 was completely bipolar.
Most realistic win total projection was anywhere from 35 to 48 wins.
What Happened This Season?Well, remember those questions about the team running and pieces not meshing? Yeah, those were completely legitimate questions. The first problem was that the Clippers didn't quite have the fight that people hoped they would. It appeared a lot of nights that the guys on the court expected to win because of who they were and when they went down early, they quit trying. Maybe that's unfair to those who actually gave their all on every play but that's how it appeared as a unit. Baron Davis instantly clashed with the much-maligned Mike Dunleavy because the coach refused to open up the offensive attack with his new point guard. He believed in running a series of stagnant isolation plays that were designed to give Al Thornton an inordinate amount of shots while simultaneously attempting to get long-time play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler to quit his profession.
Less than a month into the season, the Clippers traded away some unimportant long-term parts to bring in some offensive firepower in Zach Randolph. The often-malignant power forward was supposed to seamlessly fit into a team that already sported to very good big men and share the ball with guys like Baron Davis, Al Thornton and Eric Gordon. It didn't really work out and saddled them with a big contract over the next two seasons that seems immovable. The Clippers were riddled with feelings of hating their coach to go along with a ton of injuries. Chris Kaman missed 51 games, Randolph missed 31 games, and Marcus Camby didn't play in 20 games. Baron Davis also missed 17 games. The only silver lining came after New Year's Day when Eric Gordon started games, played a ton of minutes and led all rookies in scoring from that point on.
In terms of why the Clippers won just 19 games, they were literally the worst team in the NBA on offense. They ranked last in offensive rating with a pathetic 102.3. They were also a terrible defensive team. They ranked 27th in the NBA in defensive rating with 111.7. The team let down a fan base that was hoping to be proud of their organization once again. Instead of returning to a semblance of hope, it was the same old story with broken dreams, injuries, and 41 nights out of the season in which the fans openly hated their head coach. But I'm sure Donald Sterling made a lot of money, so that's all that matter. Right? Right?
Final Record: 19-63, 14th in Western Conference
Three Defining Moments
1. October 29th Loss to the Lakers on Opening Night
What better way to start off the new Baron Davis era in Clipperland than to begin the 2008-2009 NBA season at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. They were going to take on the defending Western Conference champions in order to stake their claim to the land under the Staples Center like Tom Cruise at the end of Far and Away. Unfortunately, they didn't even know how bad they were or how easily they would give. They shot horribly from the field, missed 17 of their 22 three-pointers and shot around 60% from the free throw line. They were down by as many as 40 points and eventually lost by 38 with a 117-79 drubbing. But here's the kicker - with 8:19 left in the second quarter, they were actually leading by one point. The Lakers used a 17-0 run to take the lead for good and used a 10-0 run and a 13-0 run, both in the third quarter, to ruin opening night for the "home team." Fans of the Clippers and NBA fans hopeful that this awful franchise would become a good kind of relevant prayed that this was just an aberration. Unfortunately, it was a sign of things to come.
2. Zach Randolph Trade
On November 21st, the Clippers personnel decision maker, Mike Dunleavy (Hey! Isn't that the name of the coach too?), decided to help out Donnie Walsh's quest for 2010 cap room by taking on the cancerous big contract of Zach Randolph along with Mardy Collins for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas. . It was a move that reeked of desperation and incompetence. It overloaded a now crowded frontcourt with a guy who had never really gotten along with authority or teammates that didn't think he was the number one option. It was a move that was going to either, force a comical frontcourt of three post players and push Al Thornton towards the bench or it was going to create trade rumors for Chris Kaman, who all of a sudden seemed like a bad contract himself. The rumors of Kaman to Charlotte and other destinations immediately began and Zach Randolph put up the most meaningless 20-point, 10-rebound season of all time. It was a move that not only didn't help the team but also hurt them long-term.
3. April 15th Loss to the Thunder on Closing Night
Luckily for the Clippers fans, their favorite team was consistent all year long. They were never once confused with a good team and pretty much sucked from wire to wire. After a near 40-point loss at home to begin their season campaign, they finished off the 82-game schedule with a 41-point loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team was thoroughly booed by their home crowd as they decided to put up a decent fight in the first quarter before mailing in the final three. The Clippers were out rebounded by 17, out shot by 10% from the field, and had their free throw attempt total more than doubled by the Thunder. Eric Gordon got his points and the rest of the team seemed content with their 22 turnovers. OKC's bench scored 57 points and failed to top 85 for the 23rd time all season.
Player Recaps
- Alex Acker - Alex Acker only played in 18 games this season and was a factor/decent performer in only two of them. He's a guard that isn't so good at shooting the ball and probably would benefit from a life in the D-League or trying to play overseas. He can probab
ly work his butt off this summer and earn a 12th spot on an NBA roster that is desperate for a cheap option there. But I wouldn't expect people to start learning his name at any point in his lifetime.
- Marcus Camby - Once again, Marcus Camby came into a season as the fan favorite to be a difference-maker for his team and had to battle injuries instead. He missed double-digit games for the 11th time in his 13-year career. He led the team in rebounding and blocked shots and did a decent job of keeping the ball moving. He shot solid percentages from the field and the free throw line. But again, he couldn't stay healthy. He clocks in at just over $7 million in the final year of his contract this season and will probably end up being a valuable trade piece, rather than the difference-maker that we want to make him out to be.
- Mardy Collins - Do we actually know that this isn't Aaron McKie's close relative? Mardy seems to be the carbon copy of McKie's body type and playing style. They both went to Temple. They both probably won't be a good pro until they've spent a few years in the NBA, in which they can be categorized as a cagey veteran. Neither will be of particularly notable significance in the grand scheme of all things NBA but I'd be shocked if 1) they both don't have front office jobs in their second careers and 2) don't show up to the same family reunion every season.
- Baron Davis - So what do we make of the current state that is Baron Davis? He used to seem like a happy-go-lucky point guard that wanted to control who his coach is while jacking up three-pointers with the discrepancy of Jason Williams. Now he seems like a completely unhappy, bitter, point guard that wants to control his coach while jacking up ill-advised threes. It's hard for me to think that he doesn't care as some might infer from this past season. I still have been bowled away by the candor and feelings that he showed in this Bill Simmons article. But he has to find a way to either make it work in Dunleavy's system or find a way to force him out without having it tax the team for another 60-loss season. Working on his conditioning and shooting touch (37% this season) would be his best off-season tasks.
- Ricky Davis - Ricky Davis had the worst season of his career with just 6.4 points per game on 33.9% shooting and only played in 36 games due to Eric Gordon's emergence, injuries, and the fact that he's still Ricky Davis. He hits 30 years old this September but after the display he put on last year, he looks closer to 40. He has a player option for this coming season at around $2.5 million and will have to decide if his overall talents can outshine his terribly ineffective season. Will he gamble and go for a bigger paycheck despite very little money available and a down economy? I'd expect him to be the backup to Eric Gordon next season.
- Eric Gordon - Speaking of EG, what a season it was for the 20-year old rookie. Gordon got off to an extremely slow start by averaging fewer than eight points per game in the first month of his NBA career. But once the New Year started, he took off and became a scoring machine with an average of 20.7 points per contest. He made 131 three-pointers as a rookie, shot a very respectable 45% from the field and a fantastic 85% from the free throw line. But he's in a bit of a precarious situation with his place in the NBA. Is he a viable starting shooting guard for a playoff-level team or is he more in the mold of a guy like Ben Gordon or Randy Foye? His defense will be a key and with a defensive rating of 115 last season, he'll need to greatly improve his effectiveness in stopping other shooting guards.
- Fred Jones - Fred Jones was a late pickup for the Clippers who actually played really well, considering the conditions and environment. He was asked to play out of position quite often and had to run the offense, instead of being in his more familiar position of playing off the ball. Jones averaged 3.6 assists per game and started 21 games for Mike Dunleavy. He's still too short to be an effective shooting guard with his skill set and as his athleticism diminishes, so will his opportunities to stay on an NBA roster. But if he can play like a smart veteran as he displayed last season, he should have a long career in the mold of an Alvin Williams-type of player.
- DeAndre Jordan - DeAndre Jordan was anywhere from a mid-lottery pick to early-ish second round as a draft prospect. He had the size and athleticism to entice everybody but was missing a certain level of skill and focus. In his first season in the league he put up Per 36-Minute averages of 10.6 points and 11.2 rebounds. He shot a very high percentage from the floor (over 60%) but was extremely lacking on defense. He remains to be a project that will have loads of ups and downs. He's going against an array of skilled big men in practice everyday, which should help his growth. But the questions still remain as to whether or not he can be a legit starting center in this league. After all, he did give up a large number of the points in Andrew Bynum's 42-point performance.
- Chris Kaman - Chris Kaman may be the Anna Paquin of NBA Players. He's sort of enticing but you're not sure if it's because of what he can do or because of his odd looks. You definitely wouldn't want them to earn eight figures but if you can get them for 60 cents on the dollar, you'd easily take it. You're never going to get consistency year to year but occasionally they'll give you something great like a performance in Finding Forrester or a series like True Blood. So what do you do with him if you're the Clippers? I think if you can deal him for cap relief and a decent return, you do it. He's simply not going to be a guaranteed good double-double every season. His health is the key and he's only healthy 50% of the time.
- Steve Novak - Steve Novak is like the poor man's Robert Horry. Extremely poor man. Dangerously poor man. But he's a really good shooter that is wasted on a team like this. Can you imagine what a team like Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, or San Antonio could have done with Novak this year? He's a gunner off the bench that doesn't try to do too much. He made over 100 threes last season in just 16 minutes per game. He's the new era of Matt Bullard and Pete Chilcutt only with a better option at winning games. He's going to be a valuable free agent this summer.
- Zach Randolph - I don't really want to get into what he is. You know what he is. He's a headache with a great step back jumper. He's a lock for 20-10 but it won't get you anywhere. And he's about $33 million over the next two seasons. Good luck unloading him, Mr. Sterling.
- Brian Skinner - Brian Skinner is either entering late in his career Tony Massenburg territory or his prime. I'd probably lean towards Mr. Massenburg. He's good for a few minutes of defense and some solid rebounding. I'd love him as my fourth or fifth big man. And he can be had this summer for the veteran's minimum.
- Mike Taylor - Welcome to this year's Ronnie Price, only taller. In the first 59 games of the season, Mike scored double figures just twice. But in his last 23, he finished the season strong with 10 games of 10 points or more. Mike showed some great athleticism and a decent handle on the ball. He played well alongside Baron Davis and proved that he can be pretty versatile. He's locked up for a couple of seasons so perhaps he'll be able to learn a couple of things from Baron. If he fixes his outside shot, he could be very valuable and sought-after.
- Al Thornton - So he can't rebound, defend, shoot the three with any consistency or competency, or pass the ball but he can score like crazy. His scoring isn't terribly efficient but it is voluminous. He's basically Glenn Robinson lite, only you didn't have to waste a number one pick on him when Gra
nt Hill and Jason Kidd were waiting in the Green Room. But Thornton could be much more. If he were able to utilize his length and attack the boards, he'd be the next hot thing. Unfortunately, he's already 25 and probably a year or two away from being as good as he'll ever be. If he can add a three-point shot, he'll get to 20 points per game, easily.
Fan/Blogger Recap
from Kevin Arnovitz, Clippers Blog
"Most teams that win fewer than a quarter of their games exist in a state that sports fans refer to as "rebuilding mode." These franchises sacrifice wins in the near term in order to achieve success down the road. The 2008-09 Los Angeles Clippers were a team of unique distinction. At 19-63, they had their worst season since the Clinton Administration, yet somehow managed to dampen their future prospects by saddling themselves with lengthy, expensive contracts to underachieving veterans.
Point guard Baron Davis, brought home to Los Angeles as the new face of the franchise, suffered a precipitous falloff. Davis compiled the worst true shooting percentage in the NBA among players averaging 30 minutes per game. Head coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy moved a couple of 2010 expiring contracts to acquire power forward Zach Randolph and his hefty contract -- a transaction that never paid for itself in wins and will compromise the team's ability to rebuild on the fly. Meanwhile, center Chris Kaman spent most of the season on the sideline with a foot injury, and second-year scorer Al Thornton plateaued. Worst of all, Dunleavy -- widely known as a defensive-minded coach -- assembled a squad that finished 26th in Defensive Efficiency. About the only bright spot for the Clippers was rookie shooting guard, Eric Gordon, who emerged as a efficient scorer both from long range and off the dribble.
For most of the season, Dunleavy insisted that a healthy version of his Clippers roster could win. Though luck may have dealt the Clippers a losing hand in 2008-09, there's conclusive evidence that the problems run far deeper than injuries -- issues that may be irreparable given the contractual burdens weighing down the spreadsheet."
Coaching Situation - Mike Dunleavy, three seasons left
How many Clippers fans that are reading this just got thoroughly depressed when they read that Dunleavy has three years left and then simultaneously remembered that Donald Sterling won't fire him with years and money left on the hook? Yep, Mike Dunleavy isn't going anywhere anytime soon unless the players lead a revolt to steal the conch or Donald Sterling finds a loophole in the contract that saves him money by firing him. With the number one pick on the horizon and with that, a potential Amare Stoudemire clone, it would behoove Mikey to open up the offense and allow this team to run more. They don't have to turn into seven-minute abs or seven seconds or less by any means. But allowing this team to run would allow the first overall pick to capitalize on his athleticism and keep the razors off of Baron Davis' wrists. It would also allow the fans to have a little fun, instead of them waiting for the moment when it all falls apart, early in the first half.
Roster Heading Into Off-Season
The Clippers officially has nine players under contract and they have one player with a player option for next season. The roster breakdown is:
PG: Baron Davis, Mike Taylor
SG: Eric Gordon, Ricky Davis (PO), Mardy Collins
SF: Al Thornton
PF: Zach Randolph
C: Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, DeAndre Jordan
With close to $60 million already committed in contracts for this coming season, the Clippers are pretty much set with what they have. They have their starting lineup completely set with either Blake Griffin (the eventual first pick) or Zach Randolph (assuming they can't move his contract) at the power forward spot and Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby slotted into the center rotation. Eric Gordon's 16 points per game will fit in nicely with Al Thornton's 16 points per game at the two perimeter spots for the entire season and Baron Davis will be asked to run the show. They have the majority of their regular rotation carved out and just have to fill in their roster with role players.
They definitely need a shooter or two off the bench at the wing positions. The most likely and gettable for cheap shooters on the free agent market are Kareem Rush, Keith Bogans, and Luther Head. Luther Head is your best bet because he'll be cheap after a terrible season and Keith Bogans is probably just out of their price range. Kareem Rush would be more of a team filler than someone who could actually contribute. Sterling won't be willing to throw the mid-level exception around unless they can convince someone like Ron Artest to come to the Staples Center for well-below market value.
Final Grade/Analysis: F+
I almost want to give this team an incomplete for last season because I'm not sure that we actually saw what they're capable of. I feel like until Mike Dunleavy is trying to coach to this team's strengths rather than to his own warped reality of what should be done this team will always be incomplete worthy. There is some excitement growing for next season with Blake Griffin joining the team. Trying to maximize his potential is not usual franchise policy but it's thought by many that he could be far too good to screw up. They said the same things about Lamar Odom and Danny Manning. They were wrong about them. It will be up to Baron Davis and Mike Dunleavy to get along to keep Blake Griffin from suffering the same feat.
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