FanHouse Preview: Clippers

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

A season ago, the Clippers began the year with a renewed sense of optimism. After losing team staples Elton Brand and Corey Maggette to free agency, the club didn't stand pat -- they went out and got some pieces they hoped would make them better.

Well, things didn't exactly work put as planed. Injuries derailed things fairly quickly, and instead of Baron Davis being the one to revive the franchise, he was merely a bystander who watched the team post its worst won-loss record in nine years.

There was a bright side to last year's debacle, however, as it landed the Clippers the number one overall pick in the draft, which they used to select Blake Griffin. With a healthy group to start the season, and some smart tweaks to the roster, L.A. once again has reason to be cautiously optimistic.

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Besides the prospect of having the team's key players remain injury free, there is the rejuvenated Baron Davis, who has something to prove this season. Not only was he back to his usual self of missing time with injuries -- he played all 82 games just once in the past eight seasons, and never more than 67 during that span -- but when he did play, he was off.

Davis shot a career-low 37 percent from the field, and with an assist average of under eight per game along with three turnovers a night, well, let's just say when he was able to go, he really wasn't helping much.

But Davis is the kind of player who seems to be better with a chip on his shoulder, so with last season to refer back to for motivation, that could end up being a positive for the Clips this time around.

Besides the addition of Griffin, the team picked up an athletic three in Rasual Butler, and a serviceable backup point guard in Sebastian Telfair. Getting Chris Kaman back will be a huge help too, and might give coach Dunleavy the chance to finally use the talented frontcourt lineup of Kaman, Marcus Camby, and Griffin or Al Thornton that he dreamed of last year -- only with Griffin taking the place of the since-departed Zach Randolph, it's now no longer a nightmare for the other four guys on the floor.

Speaking of Randolph, the team was able to rid itself of the productive but selfish player, thanks to the head-scratching willingness of the Memphis Grizzlies to take on his bad contract. When you Google the phrase "addition by subtraction," a picture of Randolph should really be the first result.

A lot of talk of improvement, and we haven't even mentioned Eric Gordon yet. Gordon had an amazing rookie season, one where he started 65 games and ended up leading the team in total points. There's no reason to think he won't improve, especially if Davis can stay healthy and motivated.

Your 2009-10 L.A. Clippers: cautiously optimistic. That's a reasonable slogan for a team that, if things go their way, could certainly post a respectable record. Or even, dare I say, compete for a playoff spot.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 19-63. Finished 4th in the Pacific Division, and 14th in the Western Conference.

Offense: 102.3 points per 100 possessions, 30th in the NBA. 27th in shooting, 23rd in turnover rate, 23rd in offensive rebounding, 27th in free throw rate.

Defense: 111.7 points per 100 possessions, 27th in the NBA. 24th in shooting defense, 24th in opponent turnover rate, 27th in defensive rebounding, 17th in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Zach Randolph technically led the team in scoring with 20.3 points per game, but he appeared in only 39 of them. The true leaders were Al Thornton and Eric Gordon, who averaged 16.8 and 16.1 respectively, while appearing in 71 and 78 of the team's 82 games. Baron Davis was the predictable assist leader with 7.7 per game, and Marcus Camby was the man on the defensive side, with team-leading averages of 11.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Ziller's post on Clippers guard Eric Gordon.

He has been compared to Mitch Richmond -- a physical slasher who can bomb from across oceans. Gordon's a surprisingly athletic player given his college reputation and deceiving physique. But, of course, while Richmond was surprisingly athletic, everyone remembers him for his jumper. His deadly, filthy jumper.

And that's Gordon. When he pulls up from 28 feet, it looks perfect. Every time.

See Ziller's full post on Gordon.

Fantasy Sleeper

FanHouse's Tom Lorenzo previews one fantasy sleeper to watch from each team. Here's a preview of his post on Clippers center DeAndre Jordan.

Second-year Clipper DeAndre Jordan is, if anything, a big man. At 6-11, 250 pounds he has an intimidating frame with a monstrous wingspan (7-6). Last season he stepped in when Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby both went down with injuries. As a starter he averaged 7.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks on 67.8 percent shooting from the floor. Granted he started in just 13 games last season, but it's pretty apparent that should either Marcus Camby, Blake Griffin or Chris Kaman go down with an injury, Jordan will be the first guy called upon to fill the void.

See Lorenzo's full post on Jordan.

Offseason Tracker

IN: Blake Griffin (draft), Craig Smith (trade), Mark Madsen (trade), Sebastian Telfair (trade), Rasual Butler (trade).

OUT: Zach Randolph (trade), Quentin Richardson (trade), Mark Madsen (waived).