Where To Now For The Clippers?

Now that the Clippers have tempted Baron Davis over to Hollywood, Los Angeles’ other team faces a brighter — though still uncertain — future.

Indeed, in the cut-throat West, the Diddy signing offers only the chance for the Clippers to join the phalanx of teams blocking the path to the finals. With their new volume-scoring point guard, the Clippers instantly become the eleventh team with a legitimate shot at a play-off seed. (The other ten? the Lakers, Phoenix, Golden State, the no doubt improved Blazers, Utah, the Rockets, potentially busted Denver, Dallas, San Antonio and New Orleans).

If the Clippers expect a play-off birth next season, they’ll have to assume the following is true:

Some of their fellow Westerners will return out of sorts:

The Warriors reeling from the obliteration of their backcourt (you think Monta Ellis can run the point solo?); the Nuggets stagnant, lazy, and useless; the Mavericks coming to terms with an upside-free collection of elderly ballers.

Baron can slot in without any difficulties:

Diddy’s arrival may allow the man with exploding knees, Shaun Livingston, to ease into his return… But Davis may also act as a source of resentment and mistrust; an ever-present manifestation of the Clippers’ lack of faith in Livingston’s healthy return.

But then, Livingston can spend each game weeping at the end of the bench and screaming ‘that should’ve been me!’ at every point guard he sees, and the Baron signing will still work well. Davis gives the Clippers a keen-eyed outside threat, stopping opponents from collapsing on Elton Brand in the post, and opening up the floor for the ridiculously improved Chris Kaman to roam around.

In addition, Davis is a more-than-capable floor manager, meaning more open looks for the potential-heavy Al Thornton and the lighter-potential’d Eric Gordon. (Corey Maggette would also lap up the floor space and dead-eye passes provided by Davis, but he’s expected to sign elsewhere).

And can stay healthy:

A fairly serious cause for concern, considering the 212 games he’s missed since the ‘01-’02 season — if you’re wondering, that’s 36% of his games. Lucky then that the Clippers got him for less than $13 million a season — any more, and the Clips may have ended up feeling like the Magic in the seven seasons after Grant Hill signed on Otis Smith’s dotted line.

Posted By: Anton