Alright, I'm going to have to do an abbreviated Clippers preview, too. Apologies to the legions of LA Clippers fans that were eagerly awaiting my opinion on their team.
Basically, they still have Baron, which could either be what drags them down or propels them to a playoff spot. Who the fuck knows. They got Bassy to back him up, so there's a guy who will bring stability...oh. Well, alright. At the '2' they'll trot out Eric Gordon, a sort of throw back shooting guard who basically just scores. But he's efficient, and he looks to be a good shout to have a big season. They traded for Rasual Butler to back him up, which is a sort of nice move. Al Thornton will start at small forward, and he brings great athleticism, but not a whole lot in terms of skills. They'll probably be looking to rely on him a little less this season, as he's not the most efficient player in the world. But not bad, as long as he's a role player, as that athleticism can certainly be very important. At power forward, they got some new guy. Blake Griffin, as he's apparently known, has been getting rave reviews from everyone, including most recently Greg Popovich, and who am I to argue with that? He's a very athletic 4 who looks like he'll be able to handle the physical aspect of the league very well, and he's also got a great motor and some decent technique. Don't expect him to be Dwight Howard right out the gate, but he ought to be pretty damn good. At center, they have Chris Kaman, who seems to be sort of forgotten. When healthy, Kaman can be a pretty nice center, and in the past has shown the ability to be a guy that can average a double double. Don't expect that with Camby around to grab decent minutes, but look for Kaman to be somewhat resurgent, and be part of what ought to be a very nice frontcourt. The aforementioned Camby is still pretty decent at what he does, and as long as the Clippers really only expect him to grab boards and block shots, he ought to do well. The reduced role could be a good thing, in terms of keeping him healthy.
Overall, the Clippers have the makings of a nice team now, but certainly it's a squad that is likely to build around Griffin in the future and hope to improve. Right now, I think they have an outside shot at the playoffs, but I'd be surprised if they're consistent enough to pull it off. Clippers fans ought to be happy to have the return of something resembling hope. Oh, and if the Clippers were a hip hop act, they'd totally be...I don't know, Wale? I'll go with Wale. Because I'ma compare the buzz around the two. So there you go.
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