An NBA team’s media day isn’t unlike the first day of school. Although nothing of consequence happens, the two-hour photo shoot and schmoozefest mark the start of the NBA season. The official training camp roster is handed out like a syllabus. Players and beat writers who haven’t seen one another in months exchange hugs. And from this day on, each rostered player is the property of his NBA team. Voluntary workouts are now mandatory, and the real basketball course work begins.
A few observations from Staples Center:
Baron Davis looks fantastic, a shadow of his 2008 self. How did he get in such good shape over the summer?
“Crack,” Davis said in jest, before attributing his svelte physique to a summer regimen that had him either in the gym or in Asia — both sure-fire ways to drop LBs.
Nobody professes to be more excited about Davis’ conditioning than Mike Dunleavy. “At times last season I thought — because of conditioning — that he got tired and settled for too many 3-point shots,” Dunleavy said. “I’ve been in the gym with him and he’s worked all summer.”
Dunleavy recounted a playoff series he called while Baron was still with Charlotte. “Power forward/point guard” was how Dunleavy remembered describing Baron at the time, a nod to Baron’s ability to use size and strength to overpower smaller PGs.
Dunleavy and Davis might disagree about the extent to which a half-court offense requires structure, but that doesn’t mean that Davis isn’t a Dunleavy-kind-of-guard. If you quantify Davis’ offensive production during his best years in Golden State, he did most of his damage as a scorer from the left elbow, where he either backed opposing guards, exploded past mismatched defenders, or made eye-popping passes out of the double-team.
Skeptics will insist that temperament trumps all, and that a Baron Davis-Mike Dunleavy marriage is doomed to failure. But if each can cede between 10 possessions per game to the other guy’s way of doing things, the situation is workable, particularly now with Eric Gordon on the other wing, a couple of corner threats, and bigs who can run the floor.
Blake Griffin: Controlling the floor at Staples
(Photo by Kevin Arnovitz/Clipperblog) |
Blake Griffin didn’t offer the scrum of voice recorders anything you haven’t heard from him before, but it didn’t matter. His presence on the floor at Staples Center — whether he was signing mini-hardwood plaques, or greeting selected season ticket holders in the stands, or charming the photographers in front of the green screen chroma key — was infectious. Mike Dunleavy can’t stop kvelling about Griffin’s defensive instincts at Summer League (“He got the rotations!“), every executive and staffer in the organization loves working with him, and he has already established a real rapport with his veteran teammates. The Clippers will need more than a charm offensive to turn things around this season, but you can’t overstate just how much more mature Griffin seems than the median second or even third-year player in the league.
When asked how he’d respond if he were consigned to the second unit as the proverbial “energy guy off the bench,” Al Thornton took a long, long, long pause, as if he’d never considered the prospect that such a thing were even possible. Thornton is probably the most agreeable, chill, easy-going personality you’ll come into contact with in the Clippers’ locker room, but he’s still a competitor and the idea of not starting was greeted with consternation. A resigned sigh followed that lengthy pause and then, after a false start or two, Al, like a child being forced to apologize to his sibling, said that he’d accept the role if it were truly for “the betterment of the team.”
The last time we caught up with Chris Kaman in the spring, he was ripping the organization for the heavy turnover on the roster and talking about curses. Today, the longest-tenured Clipper confessed that he was frustrated in some part because he returned from injury out of shape. “I was overweight when I came back by about 10 or 12 pounds,” Kaman said. “That was on me. I had never been injured like that where I’d sat out that long. It’s not an excuse. It was just frustrating … I didn’t handle it the right way the way a professional should. I didn’t eat the right things. I didn’t take care of the right things and it reflected on me when I came back. I didn’t play that well.”
The Clippers open their preseason schedule Sunday evening in Oakland against Golden State.
20 Responses
Good to hear baron is in shape
[Reply]
Posted on September 28th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Baron cares again. The 09 season is officially on!!! The only position we have to worry about now is the 5. How are those guys going to split minutes? How well will Chris play with Baron? Will Camby play REAL defense this year? (Thank God he won’t have to play any more power forward…)
[Reply]
Posted on September 28th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Wait…but is Kaman back in shape?
[Reply]
Posted on September 28th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Little off topic but does anyone know where we can watch the preseason away games. Can’t wait till the 4th but don’t want to be stuck in my car listening on the radio.
[Reply]
Posted on September 28th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I like AT’s response. He still believes he can be a dominant player, so of course it’s going to be difficult to respond. It’s good to know he would accept being a 6th man, but if he can shine as a starter, let it be so.
[Reply]
Posted on September 28th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
The suspense is killing me. Wish the gsw game were being shown on tv-so we could see our new winning lineup.
[Reply]
Posted on September 28th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
KA, not much mention on kaman except for excuses last season.. Does he look ready to run or are things looking suspect?
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 7:41 am
no point in making any predictions about Kaman…..he has a LOT to prove and we’ll just have to wait and see.
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 9:05 am
And it begins. Blake sat out practice with a bruised left knee
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 11:03 am
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pumped for this season. With the roster finalized and preseason games coming up, the real fun can’t get here any quicker.
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 11:21 am
this is going to be an amazing season. Maybe we can make a trade for Raja Bell and really solidify our wing defense.
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Either Kaman doesnt have it in him to look muscular or he doesnt lift any weights ever.
He looks the same to me. Telfair looked in shape . I have some hope that Sebastian will continue to improve and bring a much needed touch to our 2 unit .
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
IT IS ON, TRUST ME
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
After all these years pulling for this team and alot of my friends telling me that i am crazy. I really do believe that this year things will be on. It sucks to have all the Laker fans at work and when the topic comes up i feel like i am in a corner alone. That needs to change.
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Very cool stuff…I wonder how this team would fare against our playoff team from a few years ago.
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Rasual is a better fit to the starting lineup….better shooter , willing passer, better defense. Cant wait for the season to start!!
[Reply]
Posted on September 29th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
[...] Notes From Clippers Media Day: Kevin Arnovitz from ClipperBlog.Com has notes from Clipper Media Day. One of the notes? He mentioned that Baron Davis is in great shape. Let’s all hope for the best for the Clips. [...]
Posted on September 30th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
thanks for the report. maybe baron can score some crack for ck.
[Reply]
Posted on September 30th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
my god im so excited
last year i remember you could stream the pre-season game anyone have any idea about this season ? or if they are going to be on TV?
[Reply]
Shawn H. Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Two preseason games will be televised: home games vs. Golden State (Oct. 12) and Portland (Oct. 23). If the Clippers beat Utah in the Staples Shootout on October 17th, then they would play the Lakers the next night, which will be on Fox Sports West.
[Reply]
Posted on October 1st, 2009 at 12:02 am
Add A Comment