Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:54:24 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/ Clippers Topbuzz Admin http://clippers.topbuzz.com/images//themes/clippers/images/clippers-topbuzz.jpg http://clippers.topbuzz.com/ topbuzzsports@gmail.com http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374040.html Tomorrow, a few fans will look in the morning paper and see that the Clippers beat the Warriors by a score of 124 -117 and think nothing of it. That is until you find out the story behind the win. Defense is still what makes good teams great. In the first half our defense was somewhere is Nova Scotia. After being down 16 at the half, and looking completely out of the game, the Clippers, led by Baron Davis, came out for the 3rd quarter on a defensive mission. They outscored the Warriors 38 - 19 in the 3rd quarter to take the lead by 2 heading into the 4th. We were one rebound away from 4 players having a double double. Baron Davis had 13 points and 11 assists. But Blake Griffin had 16 points and 9 rebs, Camby 10 and 9, and Kaman 15 and 9. Had those 3 players grabbed one more rebound, we would have certainly broken the Clippers record for double doubles in a single game. It's obvious the Clippers are going to have a better bench than they have had.......maybe ever. They bench was effective tonight and Craig Smith, Sebastian Telfair, and Steve Novak didn't even play. Rasual Butler had 27 and Blake Griffin 15 off the bench. The Clips had 7 players in double figures with Eric Gordon leading the way among starters with 22. Eric played some point guard tonight while Baron was kicking back. Baron Davis has a favorite target for the "alley oop" pass, and that is DeAndre Jordan. But the most exciting pass of the night was an "alley oop" to Eric Gordon who went back door to the sky for a slam dunk. Blake Griffin is a perpetual motion machine. He has some deficiencies at the moment, but he is a rookie in his first games. He rushes things at times and is trying to hard instead of letting the plays come to him. Reminds you of Al Thorton as a rookie. But Blake reminds me more of the Mailman, Karl Malone. He will succeed by sheer determination. Anything that he perceives as being wrong with his game, he will work on it until it's fixed, just like Karl Malone did. He hustles harder than any player I have ever seen, and it's only preseason. Just wait! There has been much written in the last week about the potential of Stephen Curry. He doesn't surprise me. Before we landed the #1 pick in the Draft, I was lobbying for the Clippers to take Curry if they fell to the 4th or 5th pick. Why? I only saw one player in the draft who had the potential to lead the NBA in scoring. Curry! One thing that might hold him back is that he is on a team that has a lot of guys who like to shoot, so getting opportunities might not be all that easy. Curry will have to prove someday that he is better than Anthony Morrow. How could hundreds of scouts, dozens of draft day analysis boards, and the entire NBA all miss Morrow. He came begging for a job after being undrafted. Now he looks like he might be the greatest undrafted player ever to enter the NBA. He dropped 33 on Phoenix a couple of nights ago and 32 on the Clips tonight. How are you going to keep him out of the starting lineup? JamFan aka Don Allen Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:54:24 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374039.html October 2009 Tue 27 @ LA Lakers 7:30pm Wed 28 vs Phoenix 7:30pm Fri 30 @ Utah 6:00pm Sat 31 vs Dallas 7:30pm November 2009 Mon 02 vs Minnesota 7:30pm Fri 06 @ Golden State 7:30pm Sat 07 vs Memphis 7:30pm Mon 09 vs New Orleans 7:30pm Wed 11 vs Oklahoma City 7:30pm Fri 13 vs Toronto 7:30pm Sun 15 @ Oklahoma City 4:00pm Tue 17 @ New Orleans 5:00pm Wed 18 @ Memphis 5:00pm Fri 20 vs Denver 7:30pm Mon 23 vs Minnesota 7:30pm Wed 25 @ Indiana 4:00pm Fri 27 @ Detroit 5:00pm Sun 29 vs Memphis 12:30pm December 2009 Wed 02 vs Houston 7:30pm Sat 05 vs Indiana 7:30pm Tue 08 vs Orlando 7:30pm Sun 13 vs San Antonio 6:30pm Mon 14 vs Washington 7:30pm Wed 16 @ Minnesota 5:00pm Fri 18 @ New York 5:00pm Sat 19 @ Philadelphia 4:00pm Mon 21 @ San Antonio 5:30pm Tue 22 @ Houston 5:30pm Fri 25 @ Phoenix 5:00pm Sun 27 vs Boston 6:30pm Wed 30 @ Portland 7:00pm Thu 31 vs Philadelphia 6:30pm January 2010 Mon 04 vs Portland 7:30pm Wed 06 vs LA Lakers 7:30pm Sun 10 vs Miami 12:30pm Tue 12 @ Memphis 5:00pm Wed 13 @ New Orleans 5:00pm Fri 15 @ LA Lakers 7:30pm Sat 16 vs Cleveland 7:30pm Mon 18 vs New Jersey 12:30pm Wed 20 vs Chicago 7:30pm Thu 21 @ Denver 7:30pm Sun 24 @ Washington 10:00am Mon 25 @ Boston 4:30pm Wed 27 @ New Jersey 4:30pm Fri 29 @ Minnesota 5:00pm Sun 31 @ Cleveland 3:00pm February 2010 Tue 02 @ Chicago 5:00pm Wed 03 @ Atlanta 4:00pm Sat 06 vs San Antonio 7:30pm Tue 09 vs Utah 7:30pm Wed 10 @ Golden State 7:30pm Tue 16 @ Portland 7:00pm Wed 17 vs Atlanta 7:30pm Sat 20 vs Sacramento 7:30pm Mon 22 vs Charlotte 7:30pm Wed 24 vs Detroit 7:30pm Fri 26 @ Phoenix 7:30pm Sun 28 @ Sacramento 6:00pm March 2010 Mon 01 vs Utah 7:30pm Wed 03 vs Phoenix 7:30pm Fri 05 vs Oklahoma City 7:30pm Sat 06 @ Utah 6:00pm Tue 09 @ Orlando 4:00pm Wed 10 @ Miami 4:30pm Fri 12 @ Charlotte 4:00pm Sat 13 @ San Antonio 5:30pm Mon 15 vs New Orleans 7:30pm Wed 17 vs Milwaukee 7:30pm Sun 21 vs Sacramento 12:30pm Tue 23 @ Dallas 5:30pm Thu 25 @ Houston 5:30pm Sun 28 vs Golden State 6:30pm Tue 30 @ Milwaukee 5:00pm Wed 31 @ Toronto 4:00pm April 2010 Sat 03 @ Denver 6:00pm Sun 04 vs New York 6:30pm Wed 07 vs Portland 7:30pm Thu 08 @ Sacramento 7:00pm Sat 10 vs Golden State 7:30pm Mon 12 vs Dallas 7:30pm Wed 14 vs LA Lakers 7:30pm Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:44:30 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374037.html ALERT: THE CLIPPERS TRADED RECENTLY ACQUIRED QUENTIN RICHARDSON FOR SEBASTIAN TELFAIR, CRAIG SMITH, AND MARK MADSEN. THAT DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG. The Clippers have reported traded Zach Randolph and the remaining two years and 33 Mil remaining on his contract to the Memphis Grizzlies for former Clipper Quentin Richardson who has only one year remaining for 9 Mil. Q, who was drafted the Clippers, spent 4 years as a Clip to begin his NBA career. He will bring an outside scoring threat to a lineup that always seems to be in need of shooters. Averaging about 10PPG, Q shoots about the same percentage from the 3 as he does from the field. The move will free up cap space for the very lucrative free agency market after next season. But don't be surprised if the Clippers use it to improve this years roster if the right deal comes along. Trading Zach also ends the logjam of Bigs that the Clippers have and frees up minutes for their #1 draft pick, Blake Griffin, at power forward. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:31:29 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374036.html Monday, July 13 Thomas & Mack 5:30 PM LA Lakers vs. LA Clippers Tuesday, July 14 COX Pavilion 7:30 PM LA Clippers vs. New Orleans Wednesday, July 15 Thomas & Mack 7:30 PM LA Clippers vs. Memphis Saturday, July 18 Thomas & Mack 5:30 PM LA Clippers vs. Washington Sunday, July 19 Thomas & Mack 7:30 PM LA Clippers vs. Phoenix Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:47:11 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374035.html Blake Griffin is everything you would want in a #1 pick in the draft. He is everybody's college basketball player of the year. He is the #1 pick on every single mock draft in the nation. His work ethic off the court will shame his team mates into working out harder. His effort on the court will urge his team mates to put out harder as well. His accomplishments while playing will make others want to rise to a higher level. His character will shine. He will eventually lead this team. Yes, it will be Blake Griffin's team. So where does Blake Griffin fall short? Well, he is not King James. At least not yet. So why will the Clippers not be inticed to trade this valuable asset? Certainly there will be tempting offers by a lot of teams in the league that look at the Clippers as chumps to be played. But Mike Dunleavy has gotten the better of other teams in recent trades. Certainly, proclaiming to the world that they will indeed draft Blake puts them in the best possible bargaining position. Let the games begin. One team that I feel will try the hardest to land Blake from the Clippers is Oklahoma. Blake is a home town boy that will keep their arena sold out for years to come. They can offer the Clippers a package that would include their third pick and the rights to either Hasheem Thabeet or Ricky Rubio, along with the 25th pick that could turn into someone like UCLA's Darren Collison and Jrue Holliday. Throw in Darren's old team mate Russell Westbrook and this becomes a package that would be hard to turn down. So why would the Clippers not jump on that sort of trade package? Certainly that trade would make the Clippers stronger and deeper on the bench. If they drafted Thabeet they could easily trade Kaman for an All Star. If they drafted Rubio they could trade Baron for Corey Maggette or pluck a gem from the Dallas roster, making the team even stronger still. Certainly, this will eventually lead to more wins, more tickets sales, and a trip to the playoffs. So, why not? Well, Blake Griffin instantly sells a ton of tickets, right now. Blake, also allows the Clippers to trade Kaman for an All Star anyway. Blake Griffin could easily turn into their franchise player, become an All Star, or the best player in the NBA. Only time will tell. Blake Griffin certainly will be a star and a fan favorite. He will be the reason fans buy tickets to see the Clippers play in other arenas around the league. He gives the Clippers instant credibility........ if they start winning. That's the reason they will keep him. But this is the Clippers, of course. And we need for Mike Dunleavy to keep a cool head. But look at it this way. The Clippers are in a really good position whether or not they pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade. The draft is only about one month away. What do you think the Clippers will do? JamFan Thu, 21 May 2009 11:13:34 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374034.html Sorry- didn't realize these blogs don't have HTML coding- here's the link to the article. http://clippers.topbuzz.com/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-2806.html#38901 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:00:09 -0500 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374033.html Becoming a Clippers fan, is usually love at first sight. If you felt suddenly drawn to the team, as i did, consider yourself someone who's naturally drawn to underdogs. An individual, and not someone TRYING to be an individual. There's a big difference between supporting the Clippers for one game and being a Clippers fan. It quickly becomes a lifestyle. You enter a seemingly vicious cycle of going to sports stores and asking for Clipper jerseys and getting a blank stare from the workers in return. A requirement is a high tolerance for heartache, and an uncanny ability to look on the bright side. A true Clipper fan will be an expert in keeping hope alive. Down by 20 in the 4th with 2 minutes left? No problem, all we need is 7 threes in a row and some missed free-throws and we're right back in this. Every year that the Clippers amount to nothing, makes the year they amount to something, a little bit sweeter. The Clippers play for everyone who has little to look forward to. Everyone who's been forgotten, left for dead, and often times leads a difficult life. It's a team that doesn't end the year with simply a win/loss record but builds on a character that has accumulated for years. Built on 8-second violations, fingers crossed on draft day, game winning shots, players who have come and gone, Reggie Evans, players who we let slip from our fingers and talented rookies to look forward to. As a fan, all situations, no matter how broken, are fixable. I live in the Bay Area and I remember a year when the Clippers had only 2 nationally televised games that i could watch. One on ESPN, and one on Telemundo. I watched that crappy game vs the Sonics on Telemundo and enjoyed every second of it, even though i couldn't understand a word coming from the announcers. The people on this forum are all here because they care about the Clippers. Otherwise nobody would have signed up. We all want them to succeed and whoever has kept this ship going and not quit on the team, fully understands how sweet victory will taste when the Clippers finally get that ring. It could be this year, it could be next year, it could be 10 years from now; but whenever it comes we'll be waiting. I don't know if this is completely accurate or even applies to most people on this forum, but holler at me if it does. And feel free to add to whatever you feel personifies a Clipper fan. Sun, 7 Dec 2008 05:18:45 -0500 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374032.html What a fun game to attend, guys. Baron Davis shakes and bakes Dwayne Wade with a double crossover, runs in the paint and dishes it out to Zach Randolph for 3... BINGO! Will we hear that often? Perhaps not.. But it was awesome anyways! Zach Randolph played a solid game, with that 3 and the possession right before it (when Baron dished it to him and he got the foul and the bucket) were his biggest plays. His face up jumper looked great too. Randolph is a huge threat, and it's awesome to finally see another face up jump shooter since "what's his face". Also, anyone can read the stats and see he had 6 offensive rebounds, but WOW! I love having a "garbage man" like that, to clean up all the boards and score when we miss easy shots. If this was any game 2 weeks ago, I would be yanking my hairs off watching the Clippers miss shots they should be making. At least this way when they do, Z-Bo is down there to clean it up. The main thing about this game that stood out when I was at the game, MISSED FREE THROWS. Every missed free throw lead to a huge groan from the crowd, because just like me, they were all noticing it. Free throws are supposed to be easy points, hence the term "FREE throws". But I'm glad to see the Clippers went to the line frequently, I think Miami dodged a bullet when we were missing them all. As for the most exciting plays of the game- of course the Randolph plays to take the lead were breathtaking, and of course the end of the game was loud and the whole crowd stood up for maybe the last 3 minutes- but I think the one moment that stood out for me was the alley oop from Baron to Thornton. I need to find a way to contact Mike Dunleavy and let him know that NOTHING energizes these fans more than alley oops like that. I remember in the past few games where they've attempted them, the crowd has gotten more sparked from a MISSED alley oop than a MADE 2 pointer, haha! Because every other team in the league does them, Clipper Nation has been waiting for so long to see them. We have the personnel- I don't know why we don't see it more often. Anyone can say Baron Davis almost cost us the game. But would we be in it if it wasn't for him? He made some clutch shots, and some really clutch passes. One thing that really sucks for him is that most people don't notice his passing. His passing is what gets us the easy shots (that the shooter gets credit for all the time, and the shooter only... when it wouldn't be possible without Baron's pass). Remember, Baron caught the beautiful cut from Zach Randolph for the tie and the foul (he made the free throw afterwards to take the lead), and then he found him on the 3. Let's not forget the 3 he made in the clutch, and that amazing turnaround jumper. Now THAT was old school Baron, he has that bounce in his step again. So he looks like the old school Baron again, but maybe just a little off shooting-wise. Now let's talk cliche, the stuff all of you have already been talking about. Al Thornton took it to the hole today- he was aggressive and fixed everything that he did wrong the other day. He got to the free throw line very well and can do this EVERY game. Looks like he really does watch his videos. I'm sorry, but Gerald Wallace does not/will not have the work ethic of Thornton. You're forgetting, legitimately, Al Thornton was not even a basketball player. The first time he got on the court he had his hands in his pocket, uninterested. So he doesn't have the prototypical NBA player story (Little Joe got a basketball for his second birthday.. and would shoot it into the hamper every day to practice his basketball skills, or something along those lines haha). Big Al actually used to play football. He picked up basketball very late, until he got a growth spurt. Now what made him so good? His work ethic!! Being as athletic as he is helps took, but he spends hours and hours and hours in the gym, and like he said stays up till 4 am after almost every game watching the tape to see what he did wrong. I'm happy to say that this year, almost every bad game he's had, he's bounced back. So it looks like it's paying off. All in all, this was a good game, not a great game but a good game. The positives are that we didn't even have our starting center, Zach Randolph just got most fans' "seal of approval", and we didn't even need Gordon to play well (poor guy was in foul trouble then got injured, what a nightmare for him). I'm glad we won even though we missed so many free throws and almost gave it away at the end. But at 3-13, as long as it gives us a W, I'm fine with it. As it probably is with you guys, I'm sick of these moral victories. Let's get the real victories going!! Feel free to discuss any of my points- that's what the "reply" button is for! Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:40:56 -0500 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374031.html Say what you will about Zach, diss his defensive effort, question his intangibles, but there is only one other player in the NBA averaging better than his 22.5 PPG and 12.5 RPG, and that is Dwight Howard. He is hitting 82% from the line and is 13th best in the NBA with his efficiency rating of 22.9, which is better that Pau Gasol, Yao Ming, and one Kobe Bryant. In the words of one NBA scout, "If you haven't seen Zach Randolph play THIS SEASON, then you haven't seen him play." Now, he will be lacing them up for the Los Angeles Clippers. What makes Zach's progress this year even more unusual, is that he is doing it as a down low force making it big time in D'Antoni's run and gun, shoot first from the outside offense. Will Coach Dunleavy change his offense just to accomodate ZBo? Will the Clippers trade either Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby for another shooter? Will all 3 of our Bigs be able to coexist on the floor together? Will there be enough minutes to go around if they don't make another trade? Will Zach Randolph be able to put up the same numbers as a Clipper? Will Zach be able to replace Elton Brand? The saga begins tonight against the Denver Nuggets at the Staples arena. TV coverage on Fox Sports Net, check you local listings. This could be really fun to watch. Are you ready to rumble? JamFan Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:26:39 -0500 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374030.html I think it's time to stop pointing fingers at individuals. The only time we are allowed to point fingers is if we do it to the whole team. This wasn't Baron's fault- This wasn't Dunleavy's fault- This wasn't Kaman's fault- This wasn't Ricky Davis' fault- This wasn't Britney Spears' fault (we've been pointing fingers at random people, so why not) Dunleavy's last second plays aren't guaranteed, but who's are? Last second 3's are the hardest plays to run, especially if your confidence got deflated by a role player bombing a 3. (There was nothing wrong with the defense they played during that last play, give credit to the great Tim Duncan for setting a perfect screen for Roger Mason, who perhaps was a little lucky with the last second 3 as he is not known as a clutch performer.) The play was run bad by the players, not by the coach. It was a well designed play but credit the Spurs' defense and the fact that the Clippers took so wrong to run it, and ran it awkwardly. All that said, let's keep in mind Baron is still injured. (whether it says so or not, Baron is not Baron. He's not as bouncy as he usually is, he doesn't sprint the ball up anymore.. Barely jogs. And his shot hasn't looked so good.) But with streaky players like Davis, you keep shooting. People criticize Kobe for taking too many shots, and for taking ill advised shots, yet consider him the best player in the game. Had Baron not taken too many shots, we would criticize him for not stepping up and being a leader. Camby is still injured. Officially- I heard today from a source that they planned to limit him to 25 minutes. (He played 33). He's supposed to get some rest, and I think Baron needs some rest as well. Those aren't excuses, but just reasons why they're doing so bad. Just to keep everyone hopeful that Baron won't be this way for the whole season. The crowd was really bad, I was the only one cheering. There were two Spurs fans right next to me so I made sure I would yell alot of trash talk towards the Spurs the whole time. You don't know how much those fans irritated me, it was unreal. But the last few minutes of the game, the crowd was absolutely ballistic. Why couldn't they be like that for the whole game? The last 2 minutes of this game was what is supposed to be the real Clippers. Having a crowd backing you up, while you play motivated defense and offense. Here's the thing I think- Clippers home court is plagued right now. I think it's getting to their heads that the fans aren't cheering for them... I think a road trip is going to really help this team. I think hearing the opposing fans cheer against them will motivate them more than their own home crowd cheering against them. When your home crowd cheers against you, you get deflated. When the road crowd cheers against you, you play hard to make them shut up. I really think a road trip is what this club needs right now. Mark my words right now, I believe Clippers still have not got a LEGIT win. I think the one against the Mavs was either a fluke or just energy, but I think once they get a real win (because of their skill and teamwork) it's going to snowball. I'm calling it now- I'm on the optimistic side but I see a 10+ game win streak once we pick it up. Partly because of our team's talent, and partly because we will catch all the teams off guard like Portland did last year. As for the trade rumors with Randolph, let them die down. Kaman and Camby had 6 blocks between them. I think this duo is going to get better over time, and today I saw Camby's good passing rub off on Kaman (like how Gasol's good passing has rubbed off on Bynum). And similarly to that duo, they've had a bad start. Bynum and Gasol looked like a huge bust even against preseason competition. And yet pretty quickly they picked it up. Just wait- it's going to be great for those two. But that's not what killed us tonight, it was perimiter defense. It wasn't Kaman's fault Roger Mason had 21 points and the game winning 3. As for the people who think we need change, don't you think we had enough change already? Change is what has put us in the toilet. Change is what made us from a bad season team to an awful start to this season. We're not losing because our players aren't talented, we're losing because we changed so much of the team from last year that they're unfamiliar with each other. Last year's horrible team, against a GOOD western conference, started out better than this one. Not only has the west been weak this season beginning, but they've had many many injuries that we couldn't capitalize on. That alone should show you that talent is not our downside. So if trading and free agency made us horrible, why would we go back to it and try to change even more of this team? Even if you can argue that Zach Randolph is better than Kaman (which I wouldn't), you can argue that Baron is better than Brevin Knight (LOL), and we pulled that "trade" didn't we? Didn't make us better, yet. So we have to stay away from all trades and things that screwed us over, and look forward to a cohesive future. That's all I got for tonight, if you have any questions or comments feel free to argue with me. Tough loss tonight, I know alot of people are angry and want to vent, but I would appreciate respectful debates. Feel free to hit discuss and talk about it. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:59:19 -0500 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374029.html Keep your heads up Clipper Nation- I like what I see By TheCalmInsanity Time to take a good look at the Clip Ship. Who's still on board? All I can say is, LAND HO! To all those that jumped ship, drowning is the only option. No room for traitors and bandwagoners here, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Why, do you ask? Until now, all my write-ups have been from blind faith. It's all been "Hopefully, if this happens, hopefully if that happens". Well I was at the game tonight, and I must say, most Laker fans were absolutely shocked at what they saw. A close game, till the very last few minutes? From the team that they just blew out by 38? Especially during halftime of this game. I was walking around the halls of Staples center, smiling, with an instant replay of an amazing up and under left handed layup by Al Thornton, right in the face of Bynum, replaying over and over in my brain. Laker fans are all quiet. Most of them are just shocked. What is happening? First quarter. Camby gets his second foul of the game. At this point I'm thinking "It's going to be a long quarter." Surprisingly enough, the Clippers fight through it. Baron did not look even close to 100%, as one of my Laker fan friends pointed out he was slightly limping. He wasn't running fast breaks as he usually does, he was jogging very slowly. One of the plays, Ricky Davis and Cat Mobley were sprinting ahead while Baron was jogging it up.. He threw it ahead to them with a kind of "Go on without me" mentality. You can tell something is bothering him, he's not as explosive. My Laker fan said it best- Usually Baron is out there, jumping around, doing energetic crossovers and sprinting fast breaks. None of that Monday and today, of course because of his injury. Why am I optimistic? Lakers are the best team in the league right now- keep this in mind as you read. We fought HARD even when: Camby had 3 fouls in the first 6 minutes he played. Camby, Kaman, and Baron Davis were in foul trouble the whole game, all 3 had 5 fouls in the final quarter. Baron Davis is still injured. He's not himself yet. This is the first LEGIT game this Clipper starting 5 has EVER played (including preseason) No real break down like the other games- Until the last 5 minutes when we couldn't get a single foul. I'm sorry to blame the game on this, but the reffing was absolutely horrid. All this and I'm sitting amidst an absolutely shocked, quiet Laker crowd? How is this happening? The Clippers, my friends, are starting to shape up. Friday vs the Houston Rockets - expect a better game. Clippers still have yet to learn how to play team defense without committing as many fouls as they did tonight. Every game will be improvement, but tonight's game was actually very winnable, and I really believe Clippers should have won. I was VERY VERY frustrated that at the end of the game, when the refs screwed the Clippers over, the final score made it look like Clippers never kept it close, and just got blown out. If someone looks at the final score, they will never understand what really went on during this game. But have no fear- Our best is yet to come. Thanks for reading as usual guys. Thu, 6 Nov 2008 04:07:23 -0500 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374028.html I saw the future - It needs some work but looks good! TheCalmInsanity here, just gona write about my Staples Center experience. I'm going to write about all the positives, because I'm assuming all of you guys watched the game and observed the negatives. No worries guys, unlike the other games I really enjoyed this one. I was there and was in absolute and total shock when Baron walked on the court. Then Camby came on and I saw the power of our true starting 5. I didn't see it in full form because of injuries and rust, but I saw them working together, and it was like a combination of my dreams and NBA 2k9 LOL. Camby got a huge standing ovation when he entered, as expected. So did Baron of course. Kaman got a huge standing ovation when he hussled and jumped over the first row and fell. He played with so much heart tonight, even his defense. I noticed he was getting down really low and playing crazy energetic defense. Davis was very rusty, Camby was dictating the defense like a general, Kaman was a beast, and Al did great until they stopped using him. I think Al needs a bit more confidence... Something like what Gordon has. Where he just DEMANDS the ball. Al should have that mentality of "uhhh... I have 11 points. What the hell is up with that. Give me the freaking ball NOW". But I see him as being too nice of a guy.. Thornton wasn't a born scorer, he developed into one. He's such a freak athlete and so good at what he does that he developed the ability to score. Gordon is a born scorer. Every team he's been on he's been the #1 option and the offensive beast. So you can see, whenever he gets on he tries to get a 3 pointer or a few shots up. He demands the ball and is very aggressive. Thornton needs that! He needs to take over because he certainly can! I like what Camby brings, defensive veteran presence, but most of all, there's a few HUGE advantages. First of all- For the first time in a long time, I saw Kaman guarding a player all the way out at the 3 point line. And he did it on purpose- without being afraid, cause Camby was down there to make up for him. Another thing, there's a bunch of rebounds that Chris Kaman can reach, but get bobbled around... Sometimes cause of a bad angle, or a defender... But most of the time Camby was there to gobble up the ones that Kaman couldn't reach! And the other way around too. Everyone else looked great as well, they just looked a little confused because it's their first time! Kaman + Camby on defense was great, Camby looked a little shaky and rusty on defense but picked it up soon enough. Camby's offense was good, it's just they never ran anything for him. He took a jumper if he recieved one from the team (good passing that led to a open Camby jumper). I agree the coaching was bad but give it a few games. I view this game as a "kamikaze" game, where Dunleavy experimented with some lineups at the cost of winning the game or staying in the game. I felt like maybe he felt the need to try a few different lineups He tried quick lineups, he tried big lineups with Skinner, Camby, and Thomas, he tried a bunch of different lineups to see which 5 does what. Hopefully with the tape they can figure out exactly which 5 work good with each other and create many different combinations. I was hoping that Baron Davis would play at least a few minutes this game because I saw him warming up and having fun. And my hopes were satisfied. I'm very happy I just got to see the real Clippers. In the end remember this guys- We don't watch the Clippers for wins/losses. We watch the Clippers because we love the team. If we watched them only for wins/losses, how would we survive as Clipper fans? If wins were the only important thing for me I might as well become a Laker fan. I like to cheer my team on no matter what, and when the wins come they will make me feel better that I was there during the hard times. I get excited about watching Clipper games no matter what- win or lose! Even if we start winless for the whole first month, nothing can match that excited feeling I get that there's a Clipper game at night! Tue, 4 Nov 2008 16:06:32 -0500 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374027.html The season is set to open Tuesday, and as usual I have waited until just before the season to release my NBA Power Rankings after getting at least a chance to see how the different teams are sizing up during the preseason. So here goes. 1- Los Angeles Lakers - Andrew Bynum is the very big difference between last years roster and this year's team. Everyone is healthy. Ariza and Farmar are both much improved. Look for them both to be starters during the season. 2- Boston Celtics - They lost Posey but should have enough to make a repeat trip to the finals. 3- New Orleans Hornets - Chris Paul and company should improve even more. Having a great preseason, winning often, and the games aren't even close. 4- Houston Rockets - Had an enormous unbeaten run last year without Yao. With the addition of Ron Artest they should be a force in the west. 5- Detroit Pistons - Great defense, but can they find a way to score more. They are second worst in the league in scoring during preseason. 6- Utah Jazz - Coach always has these guys ready to play. 7- Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard is a beast. Young team on their way up. Winning by large margins. 8- San Antonio Spurs - A good team that is showing it's age but with the best coach in the NBA. Good won't be good enough. 9- Dallas Mavericks - Have enough to compete but not win the west. Good preseason but against a weak schedule. 10- Cleveland Cavaliers- Lebron James has something to prove. But his pride is only enough to make this a competitive team. He will be gone at the end of his contract. 11- Toronto Raptors- Jermaine ONeal will have to stay healthy and their guards will have to produce to hold this position. 12- Los Angeles Clippers- The new run and gun Clippers will become what the Suns used to be. Baron Davis lifts this team to a whole new level. Camby makes them a defensive team to watch. If they stay healthy they will move up. 7th seed possible in the playoffs. 13- Phoenix Suns- The run and gun Suns are done. Shaq is done. New coach, new system, old stars, means the sun has set on this team. Look for a youth movement to start the minute they figure out this is not going to work. 14- Portland Trailblazers- Young, talented unit with Greg Oden finally coming in to make a challenge for the 8th seed in the playoffs. 15- Denver Nuggets- What were they thinking. They have had a nice preseason but didn't replace what they lost from last seasons roster. 16- Philadelphia 76ers- Brand will help them be better, but he is not a leader on the floor nor a 4th quarter closer. Someone else is going to have step up and give this team an identity and lead this team to the playoffs. Dark Horse Bubble Team- New York Knicks- I do not like D'Antoni personally and I think he is a bad playoff coach because he loses his composure. But despite most of the old roster is back, he will make them better because his system works. 10 of my top 16 teams are from the West, so what else is new. I think that New York ( yes, I am going out on a limb here) Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington have the best chance of making the playoffs in the East. Of my top teams in the West, Denver and Portland have the best chance of falling out of the playoff picture. So you don't like my picks? Think you can do better? Just hit the "discuss" button below and let me have it. Why not? JamFan Sun, 26 Oct 2008 22:28:29 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374026.html Training camp is underway at the new Clippers training facility. The Clippers will leave the facility the first time during camp for a scrimmage on Saturday at Camp Pendleton. Then it's on to the first games of the preseason. First up, the Los Angeles Lakers next Thurday, and it will be televised. This will be our first chance to see the newly rebuilt roster. Will Baron Davis fly high and fast to lead the break and the new quick strike offense? Will Al Thorton be a man among men? Will Eric Gordon be everything we hoped for when we made him a top first round pick? Will Ricky Davis be that instant offense we need off the bench? Will Marcus Camby be the defensive force he was in Denver? Will DeAndre Jordan surprise the world as the best second round pick ever? Will Brian Skinner's beard be the coolest thing we have ever seen? Will Chris Kaman cuss out the refs in German so they won't know what he is saying? All of these questions will be answered Thursday night so don't snooze on this one. 10/9/08 Los Angeles Lakers Lakers Save Mart Center Fresno, CA 7:00 PM 10/14/08 Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Ford Center 5:00 PM 10/15/08 Sacramento Kings Sacramento Spanos Center Stockton, CA 7:00 PM 10/18/08 Toronto Raptors Clippers STAPLES Center 4:30 PM 10/19/08 * FC Barcelona or Lakers FC Barcelona or Lakers STAPLES Center STAPLES Center 4:30 PM or 7:30 PM 10/21/08 Phoenix Suns Clippers STAPLES Center 7:30 PM 10/22/08 Portland Trail Blazers Clippers STAPLES Center 7:30 PM 10/24/08 Denver Nuggets Clippers STAPLES Center 7:30 PM Jamfan Sun, 5 Oct 2008 17:54:12 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374025.html ALERT - JASON WILLIAMS HAS REPORTEDLY RETIRED FROM THE NBA. THE CLIPPERS ARE NOW SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT. WILL IT BE A PG? When Chris Kaman returns home from the Olympics, somebody is going to have to introduce him to his new team. He is one of only 3 players who were Clippers two season ago. This is the largest full scale overhaul of a roster that I have ever seen. Enter Jason Williams aka White Chocolate. He certainly isn't the player everybody expected. In fact our entire bench is now made up of players we didn't expect. It has been the Clipper's tradition to not invest much in their bench. It has been a perennial weakness of the Clips. Not this year. I thought we would be down to signing young unproven role players who would work for peanuts. After drafting Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan they signed Baron Davis, and made the blockbuster trade to bring in Marcus Camby. They traded for Mike Taylor, Jason Hart and Steve Novak, while signing Ricky Davis and Brian Skinner. It's enough to make your head spin. Chris Kaman is going to come home and ask, who are all of these strangers? They are going to have to put name tags on everybody. Jason, 33, started his career in Sacramento and after a stop off in Memphis, he spent the last couple of seasons down in Miami. He has averaged 11 PPG and 6 APG over his career but has been more of a scorer that a shooter. He career shooting percentage is only 40% from the floor and 33% from the 3. It will be Coach Dunleavy's job to bring him in off the bench and convince him to focus on distributing the rock and only be an opportunistic shooter. In other words, only shoot from your best spots on the floor. It is suddenly very crowed at PG with Davis, Hart, Williams and Taylor already on board. I have a feeling that Hart or Taylor may play some SG. It's possible they would send Taylor back down to the D league. It also brings up the question, is Shaun Livingston done as a Clipper? One thing seem obvious to me. The old system of making roster moves by committee has never worked that well for the Clippers because you had the Coach, the GM, the Owner, the Prez, and the Chief Bean Counter all voting on the moves. This season I'm convinced they gave the entire job to Dunleavy and Dunleavy alone. If the Clips rock the NBA, Elgin will get consideration as GM of the Year. But this has Dunleavy's fingerprints all over it. JamFan Fri, 8 Aug 2008 03:06:46 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374024.html The Clippers Schedule for the 2008-2009 Season has been released! LA will open its season against its cross town rivals the Lakers in a home game on October 29th, a game that will be televised on ESPN. The next game will see Marcus Camby face off vs. his former team the Nuggets, and on November 21st the Clippers will try and take it to Elton Brand and his new Sixers team in Philadelphia. October Wed 29 vs LA Lakers 7:30pm Fri 31 vs Denver 7:30pm November Sat 01 @ Utah 6:00pm Mon 03 vs Utah 7:30pm Wed 05 @ LA Lakers 7:30pm Fri 07 vs Houston 7:30pm Sun 09 vs Dallas 12:30pm Wed 12 vs Sacramento 7:30pm Sat 15 vs Golden State 12:30pm Mon 17 vs San Antonio 7:30pm Wed 19 @ Oklahoma City 5:00pm Fri 21 @ Philadelphia 4:00pm Sat 22 @ New Jersey 4:30pm Mon 24 vs New Orleans 7:30pm Wed 26 vs Denver 7:30pm Sat 29 vs Miami 7:30pm December Tue 02 @ Dallas 5:30pm Wed 03 @ Houston 5:30pm Fri 05 @ Memphis 5:00pm Sat 06 @ Minnesota 5:00pm Mon 08 vs Orlando 7:30pm Fri 12 @ Portland 7:00pm Sat 13 vs Houston 7:30pm Tue 16 @ Oklahoma City 5:00pm Wed 17 @ Chicago 5:30pm Fri 19 @ Indiana 4:00pm Sat 20 @ Milwaukee 5:30pm Mon 22 vs Toronto 7:30pm Sun 28 vs Dallas 12:30pm Tue 30 @ Sacramento 7:00pm Wed 31 vs Philadelphia 6:30pm January Fri 02 @ Phoenix 6:00pm Sun 04 vs Detroit 12:30pm Tue 06 @ Dallas 5:30pm Thu 08 @ San Antonio 5:30pm Fri 09 @ New Orleans 5:00pm Sun 11 vs Phoenix 12:30pm Wed 14 vs Atlanta 7:30pm Sat 17 vs Milwaukee 7:30pm Mon 19 vs Minnesota 12:30pm Wed 21 vs LA Lakers 7:30pm Fri 23 vs Oklahoma City 7:30pm Sun 25 @ Golden State 6:00pm Mon 26 vs Portland 7:30pm Wed 28 vs Chicago 7:30pm Fri 30 @ Cleveland 4:30pm Sat 31 @ Washington 5:00pm February Mon 02 @ Miami 4:30pm Wed 04 @ Orlando 4:00pm Fri 06 @ Memphis 5:00pm Sat 07 @ Atlanta 4:00pm Mon 09 @ Charlotte 4:00pm Wed 11 vs New York 7:30pm Tue 17 @ Phoenix 6:00pm Wed 18 vs Phoenix 7:30pm Sun 22 @ Portland 3:00pm Mon 23 vs Golden State 7:30pm Wed 25 vs Boston 7:30pm Fri 27 @ Sacramento 7:00pm Sat 28 vs Charlotte 7:30pm March Mon 02 vs San Antonio 7:30pm Wed 04 vs Memphis 7:30pm Sat 07 vs Indiana 7:30pm Tue 10 vs Cleveland 7:30pm Sat 14 @ Denver 6:00pm Sun 15 vs New Jersey 6:30pm Tue 17 @ Golden State 7:30pm Wed 18 vs Washington 7:30pm Fri 20 @ Detroit 5:00pm Sun 22 @ Toronto 12:30pm Mon 23 @ Boston 4:30pm Wed 25 @ New York 4:30pm Fri 27 @ San Antonio 5:30pm Sat 28 @ Houston 5:30pm April Wed 01 vs New Orleans 7:30pm Sat 04 @ Denver 6:00pm Sun 05 @ LA Lakers 6:30pm Tue 07 vs Minnesota 7:30pm Fri 10 vs Sacramento 7:30pm Sat 11 vs Portland 7:30pm Mon 13 @ Utah 6:00pm Wed 15 vs Oklahoma City 7:30pm Thu, 7 Aug 2008 15:24:35 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374023.html When I first heard of this trade, I immediately thought of that rock song from the 90's, "Money for nothing, chicks for free." Steve Novak is money from the outside. To be adding this guy to our roster as our 13th player and giving up nothing to get him is a stroke of pure genius. 6'10", shoots 42% from the 3, can play SF or SG. Yes SG. And the comparisons to Pike, who was the Clippers long range bomber of another era will be made over and over. Drafted by Houston in the second round out of Marquette, Novak really hasn't had a chance to play much because he was buried on the Rockets roster. When he was given a chance to play, he can really knock it down. In the playoffs last year he only averaged 7 minutes per game. But he shot 75% from the floor and 67% from the 3. Unbelievable! You think that his shooting prowess so early in his NBA career is a flook? He was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection ... One of three players to start in every game that season ... Led the team in minutes averaging 33.8 minutes per game ... Has a school record 354 career three pointers, passing Travis Diener for the top spot ... Recorded 1,567 career points passing Don Kojis (10th, 1,504) for the 10th spot all time ... Is the sixth player in the program history to have more then 1,500 points and 500 rebounds for his career ... Novak led the team at 97.4 percent free throw shooting ... He is one of six active NCAA Division I players during the 2005-06 season with over 300 career three pointers joining J.J. Reddick (Duke), Keekee Clark (St. Peters); Taquan Dean (Louisville); Justin Gray (Wake Forest) and Gerry McNamara (Syracuse) ... passed Ray Allen's single season 3-point record (63) with 70 dating back to the 1995-96 season ... Led the BIG EAST in 3-pointers made per game (3.90) and 3-point field goal percentage (46.7) ... ranked third in the nation in three pointers per game (3.9), sixth in the nation in three point percentage (46.7 percent) ... One of two players to score double figures in first six games ... Named Great Alaska Shootout Tournament MVP after recording 51 total points, including nine three pointers, and 18 rebounds ... was 6 of 10 from three-point range, tying the Shootout championship-game record for treys made against South Carolina (Nov. 26) ... Became Marquette's all-time free throws leader after making both of his attempts against Valparaiso (Dec. 7) ... Led Marquette with 14 points against Wisconsin (Dec. 10) for his eighth double digit scoring effort this season ... tallied his second 20-plus point performance this season, 14th for his career, with 22 against San Francisco (Dec. 17) ... matched his season high number of treys with six against San Francisco ... Set career highs in points (41) and rebounds (16) against no. 2 Connecticut (Jan. 3.) for his first career double double ... The 41 points was a record for most points by a player in his first BIG EAST game, breaking the record of 30 by Troy Murphy (Notre Dame, Dec. 8, 1998) and Allen Iverson (Georgetown, Dec. 7, 1994) This is without a doubt the deepest bench the Clippers have ever assembled, and we aren't even finished yet. After this trade, you have to wonder, what's next. A exchange of second round picks for............. JamFan Wed, 6 Aug 2008 10:08:51 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374022.html If you go to the Clippers.com website you can have some fun by submitting your idea for the Create a Caption contest. I submitted my best take, but I couldn't submit the first one that came to mind. "I just left the rest room and it was this big." http://www.nba.com/clippers/ Mon, 4 Aug 2008 10:19:01 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374021.html Brian Skinner, 32, returns to his roots in the NBA. He spent his first 3 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. Since then he has played for 6 different teams. The Clippers will the the 3rd team to bring Brian back to town after a departure. The Bucks had him in 03 and brought him back in 06. The Sixers had him in 02 and brought him back in 04. Never a star but always the reliable role player, he never wore out his welcome. He last played for the Clippers in 01 and after a long jouney through the NBA returns to where it all started. His career numbers are 5 PPG and 5 RPG in 18 minutes while shooting 50% from the floor. Unfortunately his free throw shooting percentage is barely above his field goal percentage. By waiving Josh Powell to make room for Brian, the Clippers gave up a young power forward with potential for a veteran who is a proven commodity. He will mostly back up Marcus Camby, but is capable of doing some duty a center if Jordan isn't ready to back up Kaman. He will add a defensive minded player to the roster. Last season he averaged 1.2 blocks in only 12 MPG. Welcome home, Brian. JamFan Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:35:34 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374020.html Say what you will about Ricky Davis, but Ricky adds instant offense to a team that has already beefed up with more outside shooters than we have had the luxury to have in past seasons. That sorely needed outside shooting will shine with the likes of Baron Davis, Eric Gordan, Jason Hart, Mike Taylor and now Ricky Davis who are all ready to let the bombs fly. In the past, we were relying mostly on Cat Mobley to do all the work. Now, we will be able to keep 2 or 3 deep threats on the floor at all times. If there is one thing that your Bigs on the front line like more than anything is the outside shooters spreading the floor making there work so much easier down low. Teams will be unable to sag and will have further to travel to double team our low post threats. Moreover, a spread defense allows Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, and Al Thorton, to drive the lane and either score or kick it out again to shooters waiting on the wings. Ricky Davis, despite being a head case a times, has been a good team mate according the guys he has played with. The 28 year old Davis has scored in double figures that last 9 seasons in a row while shooting a lofty 45% from the field, mostly from the outside. Last season in 31 minutes he had 14PPG. 4 RPG, and 3 APG while shooting 44% from the field and 40% from the 3. In the 3 seasons he was given 40 minutes per game, he averaged 19-20 PPG. To be able to get Ricky Davis on our roster basically with our left over money is quite a feat for the Clippers front office. This off season they literally have fixed the two biggest problems the Clippers have always had, a lack of outside shooting and depth in the roster. This year when we go to our bench, Clippers fans will barely notice a drop off in play and effectiveness. If you want to know more about Ricky Davis, you can go to his website. http://www.rickydavis31.com/ JamFan Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:49:21 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374019.html Jason Hart will not find his old Jersey #1 waiting for him when he returns because it is now occupied by Baron Davis. However, in another nifty trade by the Clippers, Jason Hart has been brought back home to the Clippers in exchange for Brevin Knight who was not adding much to the Clippers horizon. Jason brings an exciting brand of PG play along with his ability to score. He has a funny looking front loaded jump shot that is actually very effective because he shot 43% from the field last time he was in LA while averaging 9 PPG. He also averaged 4 asists, and 1.8 steals in 32 MPG. He shot 89% from the free throw line. He will be penciled in as the primary backup at PG, but also has the ability to carry the team if Baron were to go down to injury. Most importantly, Jason Hart wants to the be a Clipper, so the fans will greet him with open arms. Good Deal. Jamfan Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:07:15 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374018.html Two years ago the Golden State Warriors found Kelenna Azubuike toiling down in the D League. It's not that he was hiding or anything. He was ripping up that league averaging 22 points per game and dominating. In the two years with the warriors he has played consistantly, shot the ball for a good percentage, and showed flashes of absolute brilliance, especially when he got enough minutes. But the Warriors have so many wing players there were not enough minutes to go around. The glut of wing players at Golden State is exactly what the Clippers are counting on as they sign AZ to an offer sheet reportedly for 9 Mil over 3 years. The price is not to high for a guy with the potential that AZ displays, so it is that glut that the Clippers hope will keep the Warriors from matching. Kelenna's numbers projected over 40 minutes are 16 PPG and 6 RPG while shooting 45% form the field and 40% from the 3. Last November he dropped 33 points on the Clippers and they apparently have never forgotten about it. The Warriors also drafted another wing player in the first round and they signed Corey Maggette away from the Clippers at 10 Mil per year. Add to that the Lakers did not match their offer to Ronny Turiaf for 4 Mil per year, and you have a situation where the Clippers just might get lucky. As it turns out, the Warrior have indeed matched the Clippers offer and he will remain at Golden State. JamFan Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:52:21 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374017.html Many had thought that the Los Angeles Clippers would use their cap space wisely and make an offer for one of the best free agent power forward available in the NBA to replace Elton Brand. The problem is that they got caught in a year when all of the top PF's were all restricted, limiting their chances of getting their first, second, or even their third choice. So the option was to go after a veteran power forward and rent his services for one or two years and go after a new target in a year when their chances of landing the right player are improved. The Clippers first target was New York's Zach Randolph. They made an offer of a second round pick for Randolph but were rebuffed. Randolph's contract was for 3 years at 14 Mil per year, but his numbers were a lofty 18 and 10. They tried again, offering only a second round pick, and picked up 34 year old veteran center Marcus Camby from Denver. The often injured Camby is a career long double double machine. But his specialty is not scoring but rather rebounds, defense, and blocked shots. At 34, Camby reached his career high in rebounds with 13 per game last season. That feat was punctuated by only scoring 3 points per game while still averaging 10 rebounds during the playoffs. Still, his contract only calls for 8 Mil next year and 7.6 Mil in it's final year, so he becomes a short term rental for a year or two. The confusing thing for Clipper fans is that Camby is a center, or at least that is the postition he has always played. He seems athletic enough to make the transition to power forward, but he may be to one dimensional on offense. Hopefully his strengths on the defensive end and rebounding will make up for it. The Clippers gave up no assets to get Marcus Camby, and have left themselves with enough cap space to more adequately round out their roster and make sure their bench is deep. They also still have to ability to trade the contracts of Cat Mobles and or Tim Thomas to bring in another player, so they just might not be finished yet. JamFan Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:35:27 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374016.html The Clippers had their news conference today to introduce the newest member the Clippers and the biggest free agent signing in Clipper history. Baron seemed to be very happy to be on board and the Clippers management seemed very estatic to have him in the fold as well. With the events of the past week, could you imagine where the Clippers would be at the moment if Baron had not decided to honor his committment. Baron is a man of his word, he is a man of honor, and he is our hometown hero. Baron was raised in Los Angeles, went to high school at Crossroads in Santa Monica, was a legend at UCLA, and now he gets to come home a finish career where it all started. As one of the best point guards in the league, he will now lead a team that will rely more on young players than ever before. Cat Mobley, Tim Thomas, and Chris Kaman will make up the vets who will see a lot of playing time. Baron will have to mentor such young newcomers like Eric Gordon, Al Thorton, DeAndre Jordan, and Mike Taylor. With about 13 Mil in cap space left, the Clippers are not finished. They will do everything they can to bring in another free agent, probably at the power forward position. This will be a tricky job because the top 3 players available who could play for us at power forward, Josh Smith, Omeka Okafor, and Andris Biedrins, are all restricted. JamFan Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:08:20 -0400 http://clippers.topbuzz.com/a-453374015.html Some analyst say that he is the most athletic player in the NBA. Some say he is to small to be a PF. But at 6'9" he is an inch taller than Elton Brand with a wingspan that is equally as long . He would make an excellent high fly act to compliment Al Thorton who would be on the opposite side of the floor. Surprisingly, Josh Smith was already in LA on Tuesday, long before it was officially announced that Elton Brand was heading to Philly. He is scheduled to meet with the Clippers management on Wednesday. Will they take a chance and give him the same offer that that they gave Brand? Will Atlanta match the offer? Can they somehow front load the offer so that Atlanta would be reluctant to match? Are they willing to lose a week of negotiating time needed to work with other free agents while Atlanta is making up their mind? At age 22, Josh Smith just might be worth the wait. He is 2nd in the NBA in blocked shots and was 7th in steals during the playoffs. He carried Atlanta to a 7th game against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. He went for 17PPG and 8RPG last season and his numbers have been climbing every year. He is both an offensive and defensive presence that could rock our world for many years to come. Wed, 9 Jul 2008 10:21:44 -0400