In their effort to acquire a center corps composed exclusively of former Denver Nuggets, the Clippers acquired 7-foot-1 Senegalese center Cheikh Samb from Denver on Monday for a conditional second-round draft pick.

Samb was drafted by the Lakers in the second round of the 2006 Draft — 17 picks after Paul Davis.  He was immediately traded to Detroit, from whom he was loaned back to WTC Cornellá, his former team in Spain.

He played in four games for Detroit last season before being sent to the D-League.  He was the forgotten piece in the Billups-Iverson deal back in November.  He’s been with Colorado 14ers, where he’s averaged 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.8 blocks in 25 minutes/game.

So far as my previous conclusion about DeAndre Jordan benefiting from the day’s transactions…you can nix that.

UPDATE: Ramona Shelburne has a good summary of the transactions, and the monetary and contractual considerations behind them here and here.

The Clippers today waived forward Paul Davis and newly-signed guard Fred Jones.

Davis was the Clippers’ second round pick in the 2006 Draft.  He played in 27 games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game this season.  Davis had a career night against Sacramento just a week ago, scoring 18 points.

Jones joined the team as a free agent last week.  He averaged 8.3 ppg in four losses to Dallas, Sacramento, Philadelphia, and Phoenix.  He left yesterday’s loss against Detroit early in the first quarter with a sprained right foot.

We have to assume this move is a precursor to something else.  The immediate beneficiary?  DeAndre Jordan, who saw 18 minutes in yesterday’s game.

After today’s game, Mike Dunleavy offers an interesting comment to the Los Angeles Times‘ Broderick Perkins:

“When guys get injured, typically you have agents that are going to tell them, ‘There’s no reason to hurry back. Make sure you’re 110% healthy before you come back,’ ” said Dunleavy, also the team’s general manager. “I think that’s one of the things you have to try and guard against. We don’t ever want anybody coming back that has a chance of injuring themselves.”

The quote is a little oblique.  What is antecedent to which “that’s one of the things” refers?  Is Dunleavy suggesting that agents urge their clients to return from injuries on a slower timetable than necessary?  Is “[w]e don’t ever want anybody coming back that has a chance of injuring themselves” a qualifier to soften the suggestion, or the thing we have to guard against?

Perkins has this injury update at the foot of the article:

Brian Skinner played with a leg bruise, Hart had an MRI exam Saturday that was negative and Randolph won’t make the three-game trip that starts Tuesday in Dallas and could be out another two weeks.

Dunleavy says Kaman will get another MRI exam in 1 1/2 weeks, meaning the center will be out at least another two weeks.

Asked when he might return, Baron Davis said, “hopefully within the next couple of weeks.”

Whatever the case, the Clippers will be shopping for another point guard for the upcoming trip.

It seems ridiculous to sanctify grown men for doing their jobs, but the Clippers’ few remaining healthy bodies play a gutsy game this afternoon.  “Clippers Point Guard” is now the NBA’s equivalent of “Spinal Tap Drummer.”  Today’s spontaneous combustion?  Fred Jones — today’s starter at PG — who follows Mike Taylor, Baron Davis, and Jason Hart to the shelf when he limps off the court less than three minutes into the game with a sprained right foot.

Jones’ departure leaves Mardy Collins as the ranking Clippers point guard.  Despite a woeful 1-7 afternoon from the field, Collins finishes with 12 assists, though he has trouble facilitating much of anything in the second half.  There isn’t a logical defensive matchup for Collins, and once it becomes clear that only Eric Gordon has the capacity to contain the Pistons’ penetrators, Mike Dunleavy makes the wise decision to go to a zone for much the remainder of the game.  The Clippers pay for it somewhat on the offensive glass, where the Pistons pick up 15 rebounds for second chance opportunities. On balance, though, I’m not sure Dunleavy has a choice against Iverson and Stuckey, not to mention Tayshaun Prince, who is much more dangerous as a slasher than from beyond the arc.

Eric Gordon’s 31 points are impressive, but even more so because he operates as the Clippers’ clear first option today offensively.  Of EJ’s 26 possessions, 14 result in points [9 FGMs, 5 pairs of FTA], 12 in misses for a true shooting percentage of 59%.  Did you know that Gordon is 3rd in the league among starting shooting guards in that category, behind only Ray Allen and Roger Mason?

Let’s take a look EJ’s 14 successful possessions, specifically how he creates the shot opportunities:

• [1st, 10:45]  Detroit starts with Allen Iverson on Gordon, but will rectify that later when Rodney Stuckey moves over to pick up EJ.   On the Clippers’ second possession of the game, Gordon and Camby run a high S/R.  Gordon splits the defenders en route to the hoop, but Amir Johnson gets his hands in to tip the ball out of bounds.  The Detroit back line seems almost surprised by Gordon’s penetration through much of the game.  Underneath, Thornton inbounds the ball to Skinner, with EJ stationed at the top of the arc.  EJ dives to the hoop, and Skinner times a good bounce pass to him at the foul line.  EJ gets the ball, takes a hard dribble with his left, then attacks the rim, successfully drawing the contact against Johnson.  There’s so much to like here:  Working off the ball to create the opportunity.  Going aggressively to the hole.  Not being afraid to draw the contact.  In short, it’s everything you want from your shooting guard off the dribble.   Gordon sinks the FTA. [3 points]
• [1st, 9:57]  Very next possession.  After the Clippers collect the rebound off an ill-advised, off-balanced Al Thornton jumper with :11 left on the shot clock, the Clippers reset with Jones up top.  Here, EJ starts on the left wing.  He then runs a baseline curl, rubbing Iverson off two screens — Brian Skinner on the near block, then Camby along the far sideline.  EJ spots up a couple feet inside the arc on the right side.  He catches, squares, and shoots.  Perfect.  If EJ can get a step on his defender running around low screens on a regular basis, then he’s going to have a very nice career.  [5 points]
• [1st, 4:59]  Mardy Collins picks Rodney Stuckey’s pocket, and EJ quickly fills the far lane in transition.  Collins leads him with a crisp cross-court pass that Gordon catches in motion just before the arc.  He still has to beat a lanky Tayshaun Prince to the rim.  As Eric takes off, he twists his shoulders about 90 degrees counterclockwise to protect his right-handed layup.  Very nice. [7 points]
• [1st, 3:39]  The Pistons get crossed-up defending a baseline inbounds play underneath the Clippers’ basket.  When Gordon and Camby converge then bounce out to the far and near wings respectively, Stuckey is under the impression that he and Kwame Brown are switching.  Brown thinks otherwise.  This leaves EJ open to spot up in the far corner beyond the arc. Thornton delivers EJ a good bounce pass.  [10 points]
• [2nd, 5:48] This is a straight push.  The Clippers grab the long Tayshaun Prince missed jumper.  Paul Davis gets it ahead to Gordon at halfcourt.  EJ quickly reads the Pistons defense, and sees that he has only a backpedaling Aaron Afflalo between him and the basket.  EJ shifts into high gear, going right at Afflalo, who continues to backpedal…but much faster.  Gordon changes speeds again, taking a little stutter-step before launching himself.  Afflalo mugs him, and Gordon sinks both FTAs.  Good recognition by Gordon: Sometimes the disparity is so high between the likelihood of obvious contact vs. the probability of getting off a clean layup that it’s not worth trying to achieve the latter when the former is so easy.  Gordon realizes that, and it pays off with two points just the same. [12 points]
• [2nd, 2:34] A strange set.  Gordon dribbles with it on the right side.  Camby comes up, but slips the screen.  When he does, Jason Maxiell elects to stay with him.  This leaves Iverson one-on-one against Gordon.  EJ has a clear path to his right, but he doesn’t explode to the rim.  Instead, he deliberately dribbles forward, with Iverson moving with him to his left.  When, at 10 feet, EJ sees that Maxiell is about to step up to help, he tosses up a running floater, which drops.  Not Eric’s prettiest shot of the afternoon, but when it’s working, it’s working. [14 points]
  
• [2nd, 1:37]  A Clippers fast break is ignited by a Marcus Camby blocked shot on the other end.  Collins picks up the ball and races upcourt.  We’ve seen how good EJ is at filling that right lane in transition.  Collins hits EJ with a good bounce pass just inside the arc.   EJ gobbles up the pass, elevates at the edge of the paint, then flushes with a two-handed slam.  In general, Eric Gordon makes terrific decisions in transition for a 20-year-old rookie.  Compare your confidence in Gordon on the break to, say, an Al Thornton, Cuttino Mobley, or Corey Maggette — the last two of whom were veterans with the Clips. [16 points]
• [2nd, 0:13] With :31.2 left in the half, Collins milks some clock.  Gordon is set up in the right corner guarded by Tayshaun Prince.  The ball is eventually worked around to EJ.  The instant it hits his hands, Eric decisively drives baseline with his right, beating Prince by a step.  Antonio McDyess’ help is late, and he fouls Gordon.  The trip to the line is a successful one. [18 points]
• [4th, 11:17] Gordon doesn’t score in the third quarter, when Detroit tightens the screws defensively.  Stuckey does a nice job running through screens and denying the Clippers the switch on the high S/R.  To start the 4th, Dunleavy goes with Gordon-Thornton-Novak-Camby-Jordan, which leaves EJ as the only ballhandler on the floor and Thornton, effectively, as the 2.   This is a stagnant set for the Clippers.  You can see DeAndre Jordan dive to the hole courtesy of an elbow screen from Novak. The Clippers’ rookie center leaps in the air for an alley-oop, but Gordon wisely resists lobbing the ball.  With nothing else materializing, Gordon tries to create with a left-handed drive up the gut of the lane.  He does so with the clear intent of drawing contact…and he does.  Another two from the line.  [20 points]
• [4th, 4:00]  Gordon scores all 11 of the Clippers’ points in the game’s final four minutes.  After a wacky play with multiple deflections, the Clippers inbound the ball beneath their own basket in the corner.  EJ runs past an elbow screen from Camby to receive the ball on the left wing. Eric dribbles to his right along the arc with Stuckey playing him close.  The two guards get tied up and the foul is called on Stuckey, his fifth.  The Clippers are in the penalty.  Two more at the line for EJ. [22 points]
• [4th, 2:59] Tayshaun Prince blocks Gordon’s layup on a coast-to-coast break.  Mardy Collins grabs the deflection and dribbles out to the perimeter to reset.  The Clippers trail by two.  The Pistons’ defense is scrambled, with Iverson left guarding Gordon on the left block.  Sometimes basketball can be serendipitous.   Gordon is that low only because his layup was blocked.  Iverson is guarding him only because Detroit never has a chance to set themselves defensively.  But Camby recognizes the mismatch and quickly feeds EJ in the post.  EJ takes a hard dribble with his left, and muscles his way past the much smaller Iverson to get himself an easy 5-footer.  Tie Game.  [24 points]
• [4th, 2:20] The Clippers are down two again after a pair of Prince FTs.  The Clippers isolate Gordon on the right side against Aaron Afflalo.  Camby gives Gordon a ball screen, and EJ turns the corner with a left-handed drive.  He’s beaten Afflalo, but now the entire defense converges on him in the paint.  Gordon won’t be deterred.  He goes up strongly, drawing the contact from Prince while still attempting a circus layup.  Another two from the line where he’s now 11 for 11 [26 points]
• [4th, 1:05]  A more dire situation with the Clippers down four.  Gordon doesn’t wait for the screen up top from Camby.  He takes Afflalo off the dribble and also has to contend with McDyess who stayed low when Camby moved up to set the screen.  Gordon drives anyway.  He fights his way to the glass for the layup, changing hands on his way up.  He’s mauled by McDyess in the process, a call he’ll get in a couple of years.  [28 points]
• [4th, 0:21.9] Clippers down by two with a little under :40 to go in the game.  Collins kicks it left to Gordon up top against Afflalo.  If EJ drives, he’ll have Novak in the left corner if Stuckey decides to collapse.  As Gordon drives left against Afflalo, Stuckey stays home, leaving Gordon with a one-on-one.   Camby lures Johnson far enough to the weak side to ensure that no Detroit big can help.  Gordon’s burst is strong and decisive.  When Afflalo makes contact inside of 8 feet, EJ absorbs it, squares as he’s in the air, and kisses the runner off the glass for the bucket.  He goes to the line where he finishes a perfect 12-12 day.  More important, the Clippers lead by one.  [31 points]

The goaltending call on Thornton to give the Pistons an 88-87 lead with 0:2.8 seconds remaining is the correct call.  If it’s any consolation, Iverson’s teardrop probably falls through the hoop if Thornton isn’t there to swat it away.  The most disappointing decision on the play is not Thornton’s block attempt, but Camby biting on Iverson’s shot-fake way beyond the arc.  Imagine if Camby stays back and guards the lane.  Does Iverson have that path?  Probably not.

For the final 0:02.8, Michael Curry sticks Prince on Gordon up top.  Gordon drives left.  Stuckey, who was guarding Collins on the inbound, doesn’t think twice about leaving Collins on the perimeter to help.  Gordon elevates just beyond the elbow for an off-balanced jumper.  The ball hits off the iron, and the Clips lose by one.

Gordon finishes with a career-high 31, and greater than 20 points for the 7th time this season.   He’s entering rarefied air among Clipper rookies.  The team hasn’t had a home-grown product arrive so far, so quickly since Lamar Odom’s rookie season in 1999-2000.

Game 33

12:30p PT

KTLA 5

830 AM

When Jason Hart leaves the game in the first half with elbow tendinitis, Fred Jones – a player who wasn’t in the league a week ago – becomes the Clippers’ first-string point guard.   Jones doesn’t play poorly, finishing with a +9 on the night, as the Clippers hang around against a healthy, talented Phoenix team.

Where is Baron Davis?  A report that Baron would sit out the game with a bruised tailbone trickles out of Phoenix about ten minutes before tip-off.  The way Baron has been shooting the ball during his first ten weeks as a Clipper, I’m willing to accept that he’s hurt.   The unanswerable question, of course, is how many of the other 29 starting point guards in the league would be playing in Baron’s condition?

In no basketball universe is Fred Jones a natural point guard.  You can observe his limitations at [3rd, 3:38], and [4th, 10:12] when he telegraphs a couple of bad passes in halfcourt sets that Matt Barnes and Leandro Barbosa poke away in the lanes for Phoenix fast breaks.  But Jones has a good dribble game and isn’t afraid to draw contact on a drive for a trip to the line [3rd, 3:05; 3rd, 1:56].  Jones isn’t the defender Hart is, but Jason Richardson doesn’t kill him and he doesn’t make any brutal mistakes.

The game isn’t shown over-the-air or on cable in Los Angeles, so I pick up the Phoenix broadcast with Tom Leander and Scott Williams.  It’s always interesting to hear the opposing crew.  Early on, Leander speaks glowingly of Eric Gordon’s skill set.  He cites a pregame conversation with Mike Smith, during which the Clippers’ color commentator tells Leander there isn’t anything on the floor that Gordon doesn’t do well.  Leander and Williams also spend time on the Clippers’ train wreck narrative — the unending injuries, the Davis-Dunleavy flap, Ricky Davis, etc.  Leander does a good job breaking down a set at [1st, 6:15] when Marcus Camby calls for a lob after he gets baseline position in a mismatch against Grant Hill.  Instead of finding Camby, Hart swings it weak side along the perimeter to Eric Gordon.  A frustrated Marcus Camby, who was wide open having spun off Hill, throws his arms in the air in disgust — and Marcus has every right to be pissed.  Leander notes it as a talisman for the Clippers’ season.

Whatever annoyance Marcus might convey at Hart, the Clippers’ center is an absolute professional tonight.  Marcus racks up 23 rebounds — 11 of them on the offensive glass — to go along with 19 points.  Four of his seven FGMs come on tips or offensive boards.  He repeatedly finds himself on his ass diving and scraping for what little is offered to his impoverished team.  When this one is over, there are only seven bodies left standing for the Clippers in addition to Marcus.  Each of them — Thornton, EJ, Novak, Collins, Jones, Skinner, and Paul Davis — could’ve phoned it in.  None of them do.

Eric Gordon looks more like a pro with each outing. Tonight he scores 21 points on 65% TS, has three shots blocked [two of which will be called as fouls once he logs 200 games], and turns the ball over three times.  EJ gets a great deuce at [4th, 3:53...garbage time, I know] when he starts in the right corner, runs the baseline, then flashes up to the left elbow, rubbing Jason Richardson by a Brian Skinner back screen.  As he turns the corner around Skinner, EJ collects the ball from Jones, stop, and pops a high-arching jumper over Shaquille O’Neal.  It’s vintage Rip Hamilton.  And Rip Hamilton in the body of Eric Gordon sounds pretty good in the morass of an 8-24 season.  We’ll worry about his Crawfordian rebounding rate later.