Clippers sign Marqus Blakely

The only summer addition who intriques me at all is PG Willie Warren. The intrique is only because of how he played two years ago with Griffin at Oklahoma. Almost anything is better at point guard than Davis. So there’s some hope for overall improvement, at least there.

Bledsoe and Amino don’t seem to be much, at least for now.

My vague impression of Foye is that he was sub-par in Minnesota.

Butler and Smith will be like they were last season.

Marqus Blakely is a solid player and he will help the Clippers.

MB could be our Reggie Williams…and I am sure he can put similar numbers!
PLEASE GO AND SIGN TOLLIVER…THIS GUY COMPLETES THIS YOUNG TEAM AND WE CAN BE A SOLID PLAYOFF TEAM IN 2 YEARS TIME!

U guys are funny u have two guys in the backcourt who are good kaman and griffin nothing gonna get between them not to mention blake is a triple threat and eric gordon only gets better he was amazing at usa team and wats wrong with u guys baron davis taught steve nash so i would think he would teach eric bledsoe and make him into a great pg aminu he can use some work but i think he will be fine i will be the last one laughing when u see the clippers go again u all realize that the reason for clippers losing so much is donlad sterling who only cares about money and now that his clipper team is losing him money for the first time he doing evrything to get his money so that means making the clipper team better why u think he made a new workout gym and he fired dunleavy when he should have after the embrassing lost in 06 he wnats the clippers to finally win cuz he lost major contracts cuz clippers dont win games so expect the clippers face to be changed just because hes greedy so if they are not doing there jobs he gonna do somethin about now expect a differnet team next season i dont like sterling and hes not doing this for the clipper fans but hey it benefits those long awaited season ticket holders finally

I don’t understand all the griping about Kaman. I think he’s the best center in the Western conference. That’s mainly because most of the good big men in the west play power forward. No, he’s not a power center like Shaq or Howard, but with Blake Griffin likley to be a great power player at power forward, Kaman will be able to do a lot in his own way.

Some people think Bynum is a better center than Kaman, but I disagree. Bynum can’t do much except play big around the rim (dunks, blocks, rebounds). That’s something but it’s not enough. He is horrible at defense againt pick and rolls, and he picks up fouls fast. He’s similar to Deandre Jordan. I don’t think either Bynum or Jordan are ever going to live up to the expectations some people have for them. Kaman, on the other hand, has a very solid game in hias own way. That’s why he was an all-star last season.

Kaman, Griffin and Gordon — that’s a solid core. Everything else is very iffy, at best.

I really liked what I saw of Blakely’s game in summer league and am glad he is getting a shot. He looks like he might have been sold “short” his whole career. He clearly could have played at a bigger school. But he’s a 6’5″ forward with a 7’1 wingspan, so, he’ll play closer to 6’7″ or 6’8. He seems to be a heady guy who makes high percentage plays and plays hard. And he’s an underdog. I’m rooting for him.

Re: EJ.- He’s continuing to prove he is what we thought he was. Congrats on making it this far, and I think he’s a better player at this point than Curry. That’s not to say I don’t like Curry, but especially in terms of the physicality of the international game, it would not shock me to see him make the squad.

What I like about this team is that it’s full of guys like EJ who are hard workers and are easy to root for. Rhino is another one of those guys. It sure seems like Blake is the epitome thereof. Let’s hope Baron and Kaman take a lead from the kids and work to be the best they can.

TNT, First of all I’m not your brother. it depends on where you go for your info. I’ve seen several articles that have praised the clipper off season. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. You didn’t say how long you have been buying season seats. Keep your 100 bucks, maybe you can buy a nosebleed for a playoff game.

Marqus Blakely can defend. The Clips need defense first to change their losing ways and Blakely brings a desire to compete on every defensive possession. This mindset coupled with the 2010 Collegiate Slam Dunk Champions’ athleticism will translate into more wins. As an example of Blakely’s ability look at the Summer League block against the TrailBlazers (which preserved the win) where Blakely was the intended recipient of the intercepted inbounds pass to center court. He comes from nowhere to block the shot with his elbows.
In addition to being a shot blocker, he is a “steals” machine which leads to easy transition hoops and if you don’t know it, this guy can finish. This is critical for a team that struggles in the half court set. I feel he is also valuable in the half court due to his background. I’ve heard the pundits opine that his value is diminished because he is a post player that is not big enough to play the “4″ in the pros. It’s true that he was a low post scorer in college and will likely need to play the “3″ in the pros. Defensively, he is gifted enough to do it. However, this can be a huge advantage offensively when he is isolated on the post against the opposing “3″. If Del Negro can create some offensive sets to exploit this advantage, it gives the Clips more scoring punch. He is an excellent passer from the post as well.
Another reason he should make the team is that he is a gifted offensive rebounder. The Clips need put backs or garbage points and more attempts in general. He’s active, athletic, and has a nose for the ball. Even if he is not a polished jump shooter at this stage of his career ( I believe he will develop a solid mid-range game), he brings plenty to the table to help this franchise. The Clips were wise in giving him a partially gauranteed contract and should put him on the roster when the time comes.

Another example showing Blakely’s athleticism and versatility, Coach Lonergan used him at the point in their half court trap.