This offseason, we at Gino's Jungle would like to think we have covered everything from A to Z when it comes to the Boston Celtics. With the regular season tip-off quickly approaching we decided it was time to take a look at the enemies. For the next five weeks we will be giving you the down low on all thirty teams in the NBA. We'll be doing this somewhat in conjunction with Celtics Blog's NBA team previews.
Team Name: Los Angeles Clippers
Last Year's Record: 29-53
What did they do this offseason?
Ahhh... It's time to look at "the other L.A team". This offseason the Clippers pinned all their hopes and dreams on landing LeBron James a big name free agent, and they came up empty-handed.
Instead of landing one of the big name free agents , the Clippers settled for a pair of run-of-the-mill players in Ryan Gomes and Randy Foye. Both of these guys are solid additions for the Clippers, but most Clippers fans would agree that overall the offseason was a huge disappointment.
The Clippers will also get their first "real" look at last year's first round draft pick Blake Griffin this season. If Griffin can play up to his potential he could be a huge addition to this Clippers roster.
What will they be good at? Bad at?
The Clippers are going to be a very talented team, it's just whether or not they can take advantage of that talent. Scoring points should NOT be difficult for this team. Baron Davis, Team USA member Eric Gordan, Blake Griffin, and Chris Kaman are all guys who can put up a ton of points on any given night. This may be one of those teams this season that puts up 120+ points on multiple occasions.
If the starters could play 48 minutes a game the Clippers could probably be competitive; however, they can't. Looking at the Clippers roster, they don't seem to be very deep once you look past the starters.
Vinny Del Negro will also find it difficult to find veteran leadership on this squad. Baron Davis isn't exactly a proven leader, and if you look past him the Clippers have one of the youngest rosters in the league. This could end up hurting them down the stretch.
What should we expect from the Clippers this season?
I'm truly a sucker for talent. When a team has talent, I usually look at that team as if everything is going to go right. That's how I'm going to look at the Clippers this upcoming season. If all goes right, the Clippers have the potential to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. Yes, the Western Conference is strong from 1-10. But, with a healthy Blake Griffin I think this team has what it takes to make the playoffs if they stay healthy.
The Expert's Take: (Steve Perrin from Clips Nation)
Assuming the team can stay relatively healthy (always a risky assumption, particularly where the Clippers are involved), I think they can play .500 ball. From a sheer talent standpoint, I think the near .500 basketball they played for the first 36 games was much more indicative than the .250 they played under Kim Hughes, after they'd given up. If the combination of Del Negro and Griffin can keep the team (most importantly veterans Davis and Kaman) playing hard through April, I think the talent is there to win more games than they lose.
Depth issues will probably keep them from being a playoff team. If one of the first round picks (Aminu or Bledsoe) or perhaps one of the new guys (Gomes or Foye) can far exceed expectations this season, that could change. Otherwise, I'd say the team is still a year or two away from the playoffs in the still very deep and competitive Western Conference.
Final Prediction: 45-37 (8th or 9th in Western Conference)
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