The LA Clippers

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The LA Clippers 

Post#1 » by Don Draper » Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:55 pm

Big time sleeper.

Arguably the best interior defense in basketball.
An all-star caliber PG.
A bench that can score.
Al Thorton + 1 year.
I think the Clippers will win alot of games with their defense. Baron Davis might not have the best shot selection but he is still efficient and will be a big help to the stagnant offensive they ran last year. If they can stay healthy they will make the playoffs. Book it.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#2 » by Devilzsidewalk » Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:08 pm

Al Thornton is +1 year, but that makes him what now, like 26? He's good, but the knock on him around draft time is that he's old and his game close to it's ceiling.

I like the Clippers though as a potential sleeper if Baron Davis stays healthy and the bench shows up.

In the end, playoff sleeper yes, contender sleeper no.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#3 » by dockingsched » Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:11 pm

the IF they are healthy is probably the biggest IF in the entire league.

(sorry wiz, there is no IF about your injuries)
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#4 » by CITYOFANGELSX3 » Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:24 pm

That's great, maybe an 8th seed.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#5 » by That Nicka » Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:37 pm

Wont make the playoffs... Their offense will be too inefficient... Whats with all the Thornton hype? He's a 43% FG shooter....

PG: 43%
SG: 43% (Mobley); 43% (Davis)
SF: 43%
PF: 45%
C: 48%

Not to mention Davis is starting the season on the bench... Kaman and Camby are both injury prone... They may be 9 or 10, but the discrepancy between #8 and #9-10 will be rather large imo, considering I think that Dallas or Portland will be #8
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#6 » by Prophet_C » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:17 pm

I don't see them making the playoffs.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#7 » by HarlemHeat37 » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:20 pm

won't make the playoffs..

Baron Davis is arguably the most overrated player in the NBA, year in and year out..inconsistent, injury prone, and there is a chance that he won't even care..he's also a Hollywood-type IIRC, so the distraction factor is possible..

Camby is always overrated, as most people know..

Thornton, Eric Gordon, Mobley and Ricky Davis are all ball hogs..not good for your main swingmen at both the 2 and 3..

I don't have anything bad to say about Kaman, except I don't think he's enough to make up for everything else..
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#8 » by boogydown » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:27 pm

dcash4 wrote:the IF they are healthy is probably the biggest IF in the entire league.

(sorry wiz, there is no IF about your injuries)


Chicago? Could win 50, could win 33.....
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#9 » by Don Draper » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:29 pm

That Nicka wrote:Wont make the playoffs... Their offense will be too inefficient... Whats with all the Thornton hype? He's a 43% FG shooter....

PG: 43%
SG: 43% (Mobley); 43% (Davis)
SF: 43%
PF: 45%
C: 48%

You should actually watch games rather than listing shooting percentages. And if you think a teams shooting percentage determines how good they will be you are sadly mistaken. Despite baron Davis' shooting percentage his offensive rating was still 111 while having a USG% of 25%. That is pretty damn good.

The main reason their offense sucked because their PGs were garbage. Knight served as a decoy didn't really do much. Almost every play they ran consisted of an isolation for Maggette, an isolation for Thorton, or a post-up for Kaman. They ran almost no pick an roll and teams basically knew exactly where the ball was going on every possession. Gameplanning the Clippers wasn't that hard for opposing teams.

It would also have helped to have a real PF instead of Al Thorton and Tim Thomas.

As for Al Thorton, he will be much much better off the ball. As I said be before the Clippers offense relied heavily on 1-on-1 plays and this was for a team that was outmatched pretty much everynight. The result was Thorton taking too many fadeways, threes, and shots in traffic. Al Thorton playing off the ball, at his natural position, with the space created by Baron Davis should be much more lethal.

The Clippers are a better team than most people think.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#10 » by Don Draper » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:33 pm

How is Camby overrated? Didn't he get traded for a second rounder?

You guys are seriously on that piff. Camby is the main reason Denver made the playoffs.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#11 » by That Nicka » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:47 pm

OK... You keep saying they will be "better than expected"... What does that mean? Are you saying they will make the playoffs? Are you saying they will be #9 or 10? I think a lot more people would agree with the latter than the previous... But if thats true then no one is really under-estimating them

And I never said Baron was a bad player... but the Warriors did miss the playoffs last year didnt they? The bottom line is the Clippers as a whole are an inefficient ballclub and their going to have to have so much more possessions than their opponents just to be in the game considering their horrible percentages across the board... Granted, Thornton's should go up, as should Kaman... But Camby gives you little to nothing offensively and Mobley is declining... Davis has always been pretty inefficient so I'd hope that Gordon can come in a give an immediate impact because teams like the Lakers, Jazz, Hornets, Spurs, Mavs, Rockets and Suns execute way to efficiently to give Clippers anything but the slightest hope of making the playoffs... And I may have to venture to put the Blazers in that group as well... AND again Baron is starting the season injured.......
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#12 » by BubbaTee » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:50 pm

Devilzsidewalk wrote:Al Thornton is +1 year, but that makes him what now, like 26? He's good, but the knock on him around draft time is that he's old and his game close to it's ceiling.


There's always an adjustment period for any rookie, no matter how old. Look at how much better Scola looked in April vs November, or how much better Calderon was in his 2nd year.

The age thing means Thornton doesn't have much physical upside - he's not going to keep growing like a rookie Bynum a few years back - but that doesn't mean he can't raise his game. Of course, the same was said about Brandon Roy after he stayed 4 years. And they were right about the physical part - Roy hasn't grown 4 inches. But his game has definitely grown - in fact, a lot more than some of the teenagers who came out that year.

How many people thought they knew what Turkoglu's and Dunleavy's ceilings were going into last year? Those guys were older last October than Thornton is now.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#13 » by TheNewEra » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:54 pm

Nice to read we are getting some postive consideration in Clipper Nation. :D

Before last nights loss to the Phoenix Suns, the team was on a roll in knocking down their shots and espcially having guys either close out games or make combacks happen in the fourth quarter. There are always things to work on and hopefully we can see the results early.

Chemistry was a big knock on us during the offseason and from countless reports and interviews it seems the guys are coming together. The mentors are helping the young players stay focused and the young players are keeping the vets hungry and active. A surprise was in how Ricky Davis is showing maturity and has big brothered so-to-spreak PG Mike Taylor who is having a strong preseason showing.

Injuries are a factor and we had a scare off a report (which was false) of Baron Davis possibly missing some regular season games. All other injuries at the moment are minor and the staff are just playing it easy like other teams and letting the key stars or role players rest up until regular season.

Finally we are showing signs of strong in your face defense (which will keep Dunleavy and myself very happy all season). We have a team that knows how to make runs in a game at critical moments. With some improved practices to increase shooting percentages we should be in strong shape. Championship is a stretch at the moment but playoff hunt is far from out of the question.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#14 » by Don Draper » Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:08 pm

That Nicka wrote:OK... You keep saying they will be "better than expected"... What does that mean? Are you saying they will make the playoffs? Are you saying they will be #9 or 10? I think a lot more people would agree with the latter than the previous... But if thats true then no one is really under-estimating them

And I never said Baron was a bad player... but the Warriors did miss the playoffs last year didnt they? The bottom line is the Clippers as a whole are an inefficient ballclub and their going to have to have so much more possessions than their opponents just to be in the game considering their horrible percentages across the board... Granted, Thornton's should go up, as should Kaman... But Camby gives you little to nothing offensively and Mobley is declining... Davis has always been pretty inefficient so I'd hope that Gordon can come in a give an immediate impact because teams like the Lakers, Jazz, Hornets, Spurs, Mavs, Rockets and Suns execute way to efficiently to give Clippers anything but the slightest hope of making the playoffs... And I may have to venture to put the Blazers in that group as well... AND again Baron is starting the season injured.......


1) Baron Davis has been efficient for 2 years. Just because a player shoots 43% doesn't mean he is inefficient. His eFG% is around 48% which is not bad at all. If his FG% is the only reason why you think his is inefficient you are mistaken.

2) The Rockets and the Spurs were middle of the road offensive teams last year. Both of these teams were good because they had smothering defenses. The Clippers defense might not be as good but I predict at least top 10.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#15 » by Mufasa » Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:57 pm

Injury prone, crap bench, lots of players who don't lead to great chemistry

Ricky Davis is also on their team

Their only real chance is if Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Golden State all collapse, and Portland is still too young.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#16 » by Don Draper » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:01 pm

Denver?
Golden State?

Right...
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#17 » by BubbaTee » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:05 pm

Can someone point out a post-Cleveland instance where Ricky Davis has disrupted the chemistry of his team?

Because last year I saw a guy who was still out there on the job for 35+ minutes a night on a garbage team where every other legitimate player - and the COACH - were already on summer vacation.

Oh wait - he must have just been chasing numbers so he could cash in with the giant sub-Vujacic-level contract he got this summer.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#18 » by That Nicka » Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:58 pm

obinna wrote:1) Baron Davis has been efficient for 2 years. Just because a player shoots 43% doesn't mean he is inefficient. His eFG% is around 48% which is not bad at all. If his FG% is the only reason why you think his is inefficient you are mistaken.

2) The Rockets and the Spurs were middle of the road offensive teams last year. Both of these teams were good because they had smothering defenses. The Clippers defense might not be as good but I predict at least top 10.


Again I never said Baron was a bad player, I believe him to be the #4 or 5 PG in the L... That said he has games where he goes into total chuck mode despite his jumper being off..> I dont think anyone will argue against that -- when your starting PG is shooting 43% from the field and 70% from the stripe, he is bound to have some bad games...

Also you still havent said why they will be "better than we are giving them credit for".... If you think they will be #9 or 10, like I think most of us are, then we are not under-rating them.... So do you think they will be higher than that?
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#19 » by Don Draper » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:27 am

That Nicka wrote:
obinna wrote:1) Baron Davis has been efficient for 2 years. Just because a player shoots 43% doesn't mean he is inefficient. His eFG% is around 48% which is not bad at all. If his FG% is the only reason why you think his is inefficient you are mistaken.

2) The Rockets and the Spurs were middle of the road offensive teams last year. Both of these teams were good because they had smothering defenses. The Clippers defense might not be as good but I predict at least top 10.


Again I never said Baron was a bad player, I believe him to be the #4 or 5 PG in the L... That said he has games where he goes into total chuck mode despite his jumper being off..> I dont think anyone will argue against that -- when your starting PG is shooting 43% from the field and 70% from the stripe, he is bound to have some bad games...

Also you still havent said why they will be "better than we are giving them credit for".... If you think they will be #9 or 10, like I think most of us are, then we are not under-rating them.... So do you think they will be higher than that?


Barring injury they should make the playoffs. I think they are better than Denver, GS, and Portland and they could possibly surpass Dallas. Like I said before getting a playmaker like Baron Davis and having the ability to defend and rebound at a high level will do wonders for their team.
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Re: The LA Clippers 

Post#20 » by TonyMontana » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:13 am

obinna, I know me and you have had our differences in the past and I think were both over it, at least I know I am, but Braha............. The Clippers seriously suck and I dont mean to be mean or rude or disrespectful but there is nothing good about the Clippers or anything ever good comes out of the the Clippers.
Barons not there because he loves LA or the Clippers, Barons there cause he wanted the money and his a hometown kid.
Camby, Camby is a has been and he really didnt want to play for the Clippers and he was pissed that he was traded to the Clippers.
Thats all Brah and please dont take my post personal. Its not directed to you or this thread, its directed strictly to the Clippers.
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