Which Clips will surprise this year?

[jazzfan1971]

Assuming a season of course.

Who do you see stepping up? Who might be stepping down? Anyone look to be ready to bust out?

[mkwest]

Blake Griffin works harder than anybody on this team and is one of the hardest workers in the NBA as a whole. I'm sure that he's added some nuances to his game. A focus of his over the offseason has been shooting. He's hard to gauge, because he improves on the fly. I would definitely expect him to be better, but I'm not sure to what extent. Nothing he does would be a surprise to me though.

Eric Gordon had his break season last year, but it was marred with injuries to his shoulder, wrist and hand (finger). If he stays healthy and the team shows improvement in the win column, then he may very well be considered for the All-Star team.

DeAndre Jordan will be entering the season with a new contract. He said that he was going to train with Olajuwon over the offseason, but there has been no confirmation as to whether it actually happened or not. I expect improvement his game, but there's no telling if it will be gradual or a leap.

Mo Williams and Chris Kaman are players that you pretty much know what they are capable of and what they can bring to the table if they are healthy. Mo was healthy by the time that he arrived to the Clippers, but should be more effective this season after becoming more familiar with his teammates. Last year was pretty much a waste for Kaman due to the injuries. If he stays healthy, he'll be productive from an individual standpoint. His chemistry with Blake should also improve over time. The team's leadership direction shifted from him and Baron to Gordon and Griffin, so Kaman has to adapt to the change while actually playing alongside of them as opposed to just watching from the sidelines.

Eric Bledsoe and Al-Farouq Aminu will both be entering their second seasons with the team. Bledsoe has been active over the summer and has participated in the Vegas league as well in various exhibitions (Kentucky, Melo league, etc.). His goals were to improve his shooting and to reduce his turnovers. Aminu started out last season shooting lights out from the perimeter, but came crashing back down to earth as the season grew on. Self-Confidence (in his game) was certainly his biggest issue, whereas Bledsoe is fine that area. We're desperately in need of production from the 3 spot. If Aminu can fill that void for us, then he'll have an excellent opportunity to take on a larger role.

[jazzfan1971]

Not a lot of Clipper posts, but, I'll take quality over quantity any day, and that is quality.

[mkwest]

Not a lot of Clipper posts, but, I'll take quality over quantity any day, and that is quality.

Thanks.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

I'm hoping that EJ and DJ really surprise me this season. I'm hoping that they will show a lot of improvement. What has me scared is that this lockout has lasted a long time and I hope that our players haven't lost their focus. It's only natural that they may slack a little bit at this point. I really don't want a lost season and I want everyone to come back strong.

[madmaxmedia]

I would say Bledsoe has the most room for potential improvement this season, since he has the physical tools for sure but would only by a college junior right now at Kentucky, and played off-guard in his one season there.

Blake will get better, but I doubt he would take a huge leap considering how good he already was last year.

[RiversideClips]

We need a PG & a #3, maybe Urkel will step up in at the 3. Don't ex[ect anything special out of our PG's

[og15]

Eric needs to stay healthy, that's basically it. The team was 28-28 with him playing last season. That's also with Kaman injured, and DeAndre still learning and getting his feet wet. If the starting lineup is set, and EJ is healthy, the Clippers are an over .500 team.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Gordon and Griffin will continue to grow, but I expect Eric Bledsoe to take biggest strides this year.