Shaping the Clippers

Who thought that my second post would be about the NBA's perennial cellar dwellars?

Well, quietly, they've put together quite an interesting roster. It has happened quietly because many would argue that their acquisitions are way past their prime.

The problem? They lost their two best players in Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. However, they've replaced the two stars with not two but four veteran leaders.

Baron Davis will clearly be Clipperville's new superstar, and we would have all loved to see the Clippers become a contender behind Davis and Brand. But, Brand bolted to Philly, fed up with the organization, and really, who can blame him?

Then, though, the Clippers acquired Camby in a Denver salary dump which suddenly replaced the gaping hole down low and gave LA a formidable Camby-Kaman front line.

Then, the two most recent pick-ups add to the intrigue. First, the Clips grabbed veteran Ricky Davis from the Miami Heat, bringing a slasher and scoring threat to the lineup. Davis averages over 14 ppg for his career, and there's no reason why he can't get that playing on the wing alongside Baron in LA. Watching his numbers carefully as a fantasy player, Ricky is one of the most underrated players in the league, in my opinion.

Finally, on Thursday, the Clippers nabbed veteran Jason Williams also from the Heat. I've always liked Williams, as he brings energy and enthusiasm to the court, albeit with a bit of a wild streak. Backing up Baron Davis, though, Williams could bring in a nice spark off the bench, or play point guard to Baron's shooting guard in a smaller lineup.

Add this to the young nucleus of Kaman and Al Thornton, as well as veteran Clippers Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, and the team doesn't sound so bad.

The Clippers always manage to screw it up, though, and there's no question that with so many newcomers on board, chemistry will be an issue. Either way, I'm looking forward to the Davis-Davis backcourt combo as well as the Kaman-Camby twin tower duo down low. It'll be fun to watch.