Agent Sam Porter tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress that the Clippers have signed the forward from the University of Vermont to a 2-year, partially guaranteed contract.
I like this deal for two reasons:
- The Clippers get a low-risk, heady, athletic ballplayer who makes good decisions, can defend the wing with a vengeance and play above the rim. In four summer league games with the Clips, Blakely averaged 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and a couple of steals in 23.3 minutes. He shot 65.5 percent from the floor.
- In Las Vegas, Blakely was on the radar of several teams in both the NBA and Europe as one of the better undrafted 4-year collegians at summer league. Though Blakely might never be an All-Star in the NBA, he’s the kind of player that the league’s craftier franchises always seem to unearth. Neil Olshey and Clippers director of scouting Gary Sacks deserve praise for locking him up with a partially-guaranteed contract. This demonstrates resourcefulness on the part of the organization — a good sign.
From the Burlington Free Press:
If Blakely makes the Clippers’ 15-man roster, he will receive the NBA’s minimum annual salary of $473,604, Porter said.
If he doesn’t make the Clippers, Porter said Blakely will still pocket the guaranteed portion of the contract and weigh three options: Try to sign with another team; play in the NBA’s Developmental League; or explore professional opportunities overseas.
Blakely did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
78 Responses
I like it. Another athletic guy who can fill the lanes.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
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.
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Bongstradamus Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Barons great as long as he doesnt shoot with more than 15 seconds on the clock.
Even better if he doesnt shoot at all and just passes
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RL Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Uh… Warren is not a PG,… just thought you should know.
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Josh Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
And he’s not very good right now. Bledsoe is vastly better.
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Dump Davis Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Too bad Warren isn’t a point guard. Well, I’m still intriqued a little by him because of the way he played with Griffin at Oklahoma. It’s not like I really expect much there, just intriqued by the possibility.
I also keep hoping some new point guard will show up that can actually play well. My preference is for Bledsoe to start and Davis to get dumped. Bledsoe is unproven, but Davis has spent the last two years proving he shouldn’t ever play for the Clippers again.
I agree Davis would be better if he would stop chucking up threes early in the shot clock (or any time), but that won’t happen. Can’t teach an Old Dog new tricks, and Davis is an old dog.
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Geo. Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 4:39 am
wow. are you serious????? you must really have something against bd to say all that. come on man baron is proven. i dont care how much hype there is on bledsoe. he could turn out just like cbass all hype but no show. and this is coming from probly the number 2 clipper fan in the league. right behind darrell
Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Better signing than brian cook. He seems like a good young guy to run with aminu, bledsoe and some of our other young prospects.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Better signing than brian cook. He seems like a good young guy to run with aminu, bledsoe and some of our other young prospects.
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SamMays Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Yeah, they’d make a hell of a summer league team… Oops…Guess they weren’t quite so good.
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clipafan4life Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
He showed some potential, if you combine aminu, bledsoe, blakely or warren with griffin and DJ you have youth that can outrun most backup squads in the nba. We got speed not saying we are gonna win much because we lack true scoring, hence why we needed a free agent scoring threat.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Nice pickup, but the Clips are still a 25-30 win team.
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Bestclipfan Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
I think 35-40 is more reasonable
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akram47 Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 11:35 am
I’ll say with Griffin healthy we are a +5 wins from last year.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
i’m glad there’s a healthy amount of negativity and low expectations. the past 2 preseasons i think clipper fans (myself included) had some unreal expectations with all the lineup changes and the fact that everyone hated mike dunleavy. i’m afraid with all the new players lineups coaches etc. it’s going to take a while to put everything together and by then it may be too late to keep baron’s interest. last year early he put together some good games before falling on where his wallet should have been. whatever happens i think real clipper fans just want to see a team that plays hard competes, moves the ball and doesn’t look like idiots. rebound, run, hit the open man, defend. if the clippers can do that i don’t care how many games they win.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Looks like the Bulls are going to say “thanks but no thanks” to T-Mac. We should pass on him as well; it doesn’t sound like he is very realistic about the role he can play.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
going
I like the roster going into training camp. Unlike the negative clipper fans or clipper haters,
I see a roster that is better than last years and ready for a playoff run. With that said if they don’t make the playoffs this year, I may stop buying my season seats. 26 years is a long time a a lot of money spent. I need results. Baron and the rest of the roster, put up or shut up. You can show me better than you can tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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TNT57 Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
26 years and THIS is the team that’s going to make or break it? Save some money because this team is going nowhere.
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Steve Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
LOLZ @ “ready for a playoff run”
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
LOUIS AMUNDSON is available and he’s 10 times better that COOK.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
How many people do we have so far in the roster? I counted 14.
Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Rasual Butler, Craig Smith, Al Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, Willie Warren, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Brian Cook, Marqus Blakely.
Am I missing anybody?
Prediction: 33-49 W/L, Kaman leave by February/March trade deadline, another year scratched off to “rebuilding”, more moaning about Clippers ownership next summer.
In the mean time, try to enjoy the season guys. GO CLIPPERS!
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Five O Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
every year i hear the same thing; trade kaman or kaman is gone. He is not going anywhere and why would they get rid of him? Who could they possibly get that is going to put up 19 pts and 8 boards a game? He is not pretty but a solid NBA center that most teams would like to have.
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JaySee Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
I’d rather have a defensive center who rebounds and blocks shots. Most importantly a center who comes to play every game. Kaman is not solid. Like I’ve said, offensive centers aren’t useful unless they’re dominant. Kaman is no Shaq or Olajuwon. Defense wins championships.
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eddie mack Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 7:44 am
amen to that
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Chris McD Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
1. We need to GET to a championship first. Then we can worry about our defense winning it if we get there.
2. Even Shaq isn’t Shaq anymore.
Kaman is a really good center. His numbers last year were very good. It’s sad when Clipper fans don’t realize how good he is. Maybe he needs to leave for people to realize it.
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J-Luggy Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
And who would that be??? Kwame plays defense and rebounds well. Look at the centers in the league. If they’re better than Kaman, they’re probably not available. If you followed a team that didn’t have a center, you’d know how badly some would love one as skilled as Kaman. Dallas has been searching for one for a decade and just now settled on an aging Chandler, who without a top point guard is not effective in the half-court.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I really hope Marqus makes the team. And if he does, with the other young guys on this team, there should be some sick highlight reel plays. I know that doesn’t make up for all the L’s but at least its something.
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Steve Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
It definitely doesn’t but you’re right it would be entertaining…
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Man I wish we had Marcus Camby.
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Cappy Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 12:03 am
+1
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akram47 Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 11:39 am
We should have been realistic about Lebron 2010 and just lock up free agents that we’re on the cut while teams were waiting. Front office new Lebron wasn’t coming when they requested Sterling to sell half the team than we’ll consider it.
PS what happened to the $4 million in the Marcus Camby deal?
PSS What happened to the Zach Randolph exception money?
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JaySee Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 12:31 am
I wish we had Brook Lopez.
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Tknow Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 9:39 am
i don’t know why people have so much love for marcus camby, all he did was care about his own stats. how many times did he take an ill advised 15ft shot? he could never finish on a drive because he would end up taking some off balanced, left handed lay-up! even when he had tremendous rebounding numbers, we would still lose the game! We have replaced marcus with blake (a great upgrade) please get over him! did he really improve the trailblazers?
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NRM Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Because MC was the Clippers’ D, a mentor to the youngins, and good backup (Im assuming BG would start) PF/C to BG and Kaman to have for the eventual injuries theyd sustain over the season. Having him come off the bench would make him less susceptible to injury as well. But yeah, he would have a few questionable shots too.
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Chris McD Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
He didn’t really improve the Blazers, but the Clippers’ defensive numbers changed significantly after he was gone.
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jmay Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
I think Camby was way overrated as a Clip. His blocks were always on defensive helps…often leaving his own man wide open. He was a very poor one on one defender. That said we got nothing for him. No Gooden, or outlaw…who both would have helped.
Kaman gets a bad rap. He’s a top 10 center in this league for sure…maybe even top 5.
My biggest fear is Gordon getting hurt on team USA and he is truly the glue that holds the team together. When he’s not there — big, big trouble,
Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Thanks KA, Someone to back up the front office from not spending the cap space on crap and making sensible decisions other than spending like women.
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TNT57 Reply:
July 29th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Are you a woman hater? Kind of a ugly comment dude.
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Posted on July 27th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I think overall this has been an OK/Decent/almost solid off season… We’re still under the cap and if the right deal comes along I wouldn’t be surprised if we swung for something that would benefit our team. I was FOR McGrady but now that I saw his recent interview with the press after his workout with Chicago, I’m kind of glad we didn’t feel the urge or need to sign him. He’s at a point were he wants to prove HE still has it.. So his performance for us would have been basically to show off to other teams that he could still play… Sure he probably would have busted his ass, but more than likely for the wrong reasons… not to win but to get his stats up and work for a more serious contract from a different suitor. I think we’re good as we are just a back up center short. This year’s team is an upgrade over last years team just witth the addition of B Griffin alone. Even if we don’t make the play offs which seems to be the case at this point, it will give us a nice idea of what we have so far as a team. Then we can work with what he have and fill up some solid pieces to compliment our young players. We have a new coach for the next 3 years so he has some time to make his mark with our young guys and hopefully they will respond. We gotta stay positive about this, I think for once we have 3 solid pieces that are all under the age of 22 in Gordon, Griffin, and Bledsoe. Things are looking good and lets just hope that the veterans in this ball club can lead by example on and off the court. I really think in 2 to 3 years we can be regulars in the playoffs.. we’re going to have to spend money and it might take some first round exits but once we become playoff regulars it will help our chances at landing free agents… Right now the biggest turn off about our club is the lack of playoff appearances.. but as soon as we can get a jump on that by spending a little more money then we can move on up
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 12:31 am
TNT, I respectfully disagree. How long have you had season seats? Three first round picks and a nice group of vets will make a good mix. Del Negro will shake it up and we have two solid assistants. Talk to you again at the all star (Kamen) break!
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TNT57 Reply:
July 29th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
You guys are hysterical. I was reading the ESPN site and the guy said that the Clippers have assembled the 2008 TIMBERWOLVES with Foye, Gome and Smith. NICE JOB! SOLID! “Right now the biggest turnoff about our club is the lack of playoff appearances…” Lets see…think a bit here…why doesn’t a team make the playoffs? Maybe it’s because we DON’T HAVE ENOUGH GOOD PLAYERS! But we added Foye, Gomes, a D-league dude and…drum roll please…BRIAN COOK! Playoffs here we come!
George, put your money where your mouth is brother. 100bucks the Clippers don’t make the make the playoffs. BTW, the ESPN article commented on the decision to hire Vinnie saying Casey was a far superior choice. Lets face it, the Clippers couldn’t have had a worse off season if they’d just slept through it. In fact, I’ll argue doing nothing will bring the same results. 27 wins.
I said it before but just imagine you’re Blake Griffin and you’re working your ass off to get healthy and there’s all the excitement of free agency and the team stock piles cash and then they sign…BRIAN COOK! I’m surprised this poor kid didn’t hang himself right then and there. It’s a bad message. It’s a losing message.
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TNT57 Reply:
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Clipper history is littered with first round busts. KORALEV? KANDY-MAN? Being drafted in the first round means nothing if you don’t become an NBA star and Aminu doesn’t look close to that yet.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Hopefully Kaman won’t be option #1 with Dunleavy gone. If Kaman becomes option #3 or #4, the Clippers will be a different team.
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Pez Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 11:57 am
I agree…I’d rather have 06/07 Kaman and his ~16/13/3 than his ~19/9/1 from this last year. If it was playing w/ Brand that allowed him to amass nice center stats then hopefully Blake will have a similar effect.
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bdiddy Reply:
August 1st, 2010 at 11:35 am
I have to agree as well. Kim Hughes said Kaman isnt good enough to be the #1 option of a successful offense. Dont get me wrong he is a nice player, If he was just a little bit better passer out of the double teams and less turnover prone then I would reconsider
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 9:12 am
I believe that all the Clipper’s fans will be pleasantly surprised with what the team picked up by signing Marqus Blakely. I congratulate the Clipper’s management on their decision and foresight on a player that will pay dividends in a few years from now. Having followed Marqus’s entire career – game by game – I can say that there will be some great rewards soon to be seen.
Michael G.
Burlington, Vermont
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era Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Thanx for the post brother we need all the help we can get. I never could figure out why some of these other teams always find that one diamond in the rough, but we never could. hopefully he is that one.. GO CLIPPERS
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Marqus Blakely is a solid player and he will help the Clippers.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 10:19 am
JaySee , I agree with your statement about the importance of a defensive-minded center. No, Kaman is not the next Bill Russell but he’s the least of the Clippers’ problems right now. The problem with the Clippers isn’t at center. It’s that there are few other good very good players.
Unless Neil Olshey pulls a rabbit from a hat before the season begins, this is a 25-30 win team. I don’t say this with the intent of bashing the Clippers. I simply don’t see where the team has improved itself over last season. Blake Griffin’s presence will win more games for the team, but Marcus Canby’s loss makes the team less effective.
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EricGordonsAnkleBrace Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 10:52 am
Who is Marcus Canby? Never heard of him.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 10:39 am
I believe that all the Clipper’s fans will be pleasantly surprised with what the team picked up by signing Marqus Blakely. I congratulate the Clipper’s management on their decision and foresight on a player that will pay dividends in a few years from now. Having followed Marqus’s entire career – game by game – I can say that there will be some great rewards soon to be seen.
Michael G.
Burlington, Vermont
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 10:44 am
On another note, Eric Gordon ( although not official ) will be making the next cut for team USA , and going to New York for the next round of practice.
I feel that between Kaman , BG in the paint and EG, Butler on the perimeter and BD penetrating , our Clippers have a nice mix going. Our bench is adequate with C.Smith, Gomes ,Foye ,Bledsoe ,DJ and Aminu.
I have hope that VDN figures how to get the most out of this group and we see a professional basketball team out there night after night.
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Pez Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Congrats to EJ! Outlasting Mayo and Tyreke Evans is great to see…
All the players on the redeem team seemed to benefit and came back much better all-around ballers after playing together…this experience can only help EJ.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 11:12 am
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!
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Tolliver would be great signing. But it appears that no free agent in big demand wants to play for the Clippers OR they’re simply not offering enough money. Don’t the Bulls or Knicks have the inside track on Tolliver?
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
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
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Slax Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Nice post but a reminder that commas and periods are your friend.
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Wil Reply:
July 29th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
What happened to grammar and punctuation? This teacher “sighs” with dismay.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Blakely shows good things in summer league sometimes better than Bledsoe, yes now the team looks like kindergarten (just kidding), that is why the addition of Rasual and the rhino gives experience, knowledge, I would like to see a trade BD for CP3, Cook out and I decent center as back up of CK, DeAndre is not a player that makes feel good coming out of the bench if CK is in foul trouble. So far the GM is playing a good game, selecting a good couch and his staff I believe will be do a good job with all the kids in the team, is a very interesting mix of talent, personalities, if Del Negro’s is able to conbine them I believe that we will have very interesting team, and less fan frustation.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
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.
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Bongstradamus Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
You realize that Kaman rarely dunks, blocks or rebounds right? Hes great at passing off his foot, at missing passes altogether and getting confused in a double team.
Kaman sucks at $11M a season. He is what he is, and he has a ton of game related baggage youve gotta accept at that price. The defense of this team fell apart in the second half of last season while Kaman was healthy. The reason? The lack of Marcus Camby, who, probably made Kaman look a lot better than he was because he was picking up Kaman’s slack on the defensive end.
The only reason he averaged near 20ppg last season was because he got 20 shots a game. It was all about numbers and Chris was dialing for dollars whenever he put the ball in the air.
He’s a liability, he slows us down in transition and at $11M a season we could get the same kind of production, be faster in transition and probably have better defense for about 1/10th the cost.
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J-Luggy Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Bongstradamus, lay down the pipe. Just because Kaman doesn’t dunk doesn’t mean he can’t play. He’s in the top 15 in the NBA in rebounds, blocks at a decent rate, but more importantly plays better on-ball defense than a lot of swat-specialists.
Is he better off taking 12-15 shots instead of 20? Yes, but last year, the Clippers didn’t have many options that were better. Camby can’t shoot. Baron shouldn’t shoot, and EJ won’t shoot enough. Hopefully, Butler regains his stroke. With Griffin in the post, Kaman can take better shots and be more efficient like he was with Brand. With Griffin, Aminu, Gordon and others, the Clippers will have enough runners on transition. Kaman gives them an option in the low post (one that can command a double) when the pace slows.
And I hate to tell you this, but any decent center is going to get a lot of money. $11 million isn’t a ton of money for a true center of Kaman’s skill.
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Bongstradamus Reply:
July 29th, 2010 at 10:03 am
You see skill. I see liability. You want to keep defending, fine. His weaknesses are obvious to anyone who watches a game.
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clipafan4life Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Bynum is a joke, Its just like Shaq was, always fouling, traveling, camping in the paint for 10 seconds guarding no one. The Lakers have no problem getting Bynum to look fantastic because he is a Giant that doesn’t need skill to hack people and grab boards. Bynum on the clippers wouldn’t get minutes because he would foul out in 5 minutes of be pulled for traveling every touch he got.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Condolences to the family of Lorenzen Wright, former Clipper, on such a tragic day.
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Slax Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Crazy, crazy what happened to him but so far no one knows if its foul play. I was wondering if someone was going to remember him.
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TNT57 Reply:
July 29th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Usually when you’re found laying in field with multiple gun shot wounds it’s foul play. I mean, I’m not a detective but that’s my wild guess. BTW, this has officially become the most unintentionally funny blog ever. Keep it up guys.
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Slax Reply:
July 31st, 2010 at 10:36 am
Ugh did you not notice the gap of 24 hrs between our posts? At the time he had just been found.
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TNT57 Reply:
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:27 pm
I believe he had the bullet holds in him when he was first found, but you might be right. Sorry.
Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
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.
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Posted on July 28th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
“The object is to win the game!” I keep hearing about “good guys’ and ‘easy to root for’ and I say…bullshit! I’ve never had dinner or even an extended conversation with any NBA players so the idea of friendship with any of them is nonexistent. You know whose a ‘good guy’? KOBE. LEBRON. DURANT. MELO. Those guys are easy to root for, not a bunch of players who continue to crumble in the 4th quarter of games like the Clippers did last year. That’s not easy to root for, not easy at all. This is exactly my point about not demanding or expecting a winner. Some of you guys talk like you hang out with these players and you don’t. Lets see how ‘easy’ it is around the end of May when the Clips are 20 games out of first or worst. I wish with all my heart that it’ll be different and I’d have to eat my words…but I won’t. Lets be honest, for this team to even sniff the 8th spot they would have to go the entire season without any injuries. It won’t happen. And if Blake or Eric or both are out for any extended time…well I hate to even imagine what that will look like. It’s too late to do anything now but wait and watch. I have a feeling it’s going to be many thing but ‘easy’ isn’t one of them.
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Posted on July 29th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
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.
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TNT57 Reply:
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Aren’t we all brothers, George? I like to think so. My seats were in sec 101 center court. I had them for 5 seasons. Really great seats. I sat right in front of that glass wall with lots of leg room. If the Clippers make the playoffs I’ll buy you a seat. Nobody ever answers this one. How was this a good summer for the team besides Sterling saving tons of money? Don’t be so touchy Amigo. You are my Amigo, aren’t you?
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clipper george Reply:
August 7th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Estamos hermanos y amigos. This year I’m splitting my seats “con otro amigo” in section 101 row 7,center court. Looks like we’re in the same “hood”. Still think it’s wait and see. Guess I’m still the glass half full guy!
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Posted on July 31st, 2010 at 9:35 am
Clipper George, I don’t know anybody other than Clipper fans and Clipper employees that believe that the Clippers strengthened themselves in the FA Draft. I have however, heard people associated with the media and the NBA say that the Clippers had a good draft.
OK–so the Clippers have potential…………again and again and again.
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Posted on August 1st, 2010 at 1:59 pm
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.
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Posted on August 9th, 2010 at 6:21 am
There were times when marqus would play center at vermont because he is an A+ shot blocker, dunker, rebounder, and he’d work the back to the basket move against a guy 3-4 inches taller than him and nail the shot using his freakish wingspan antawn jamison style and then 30 seconds later he was playing defense in the full court on the fast break against the opposing teams best player regardless of position or size. I am so proud to have personally witnessed all of his career at UVM as a student/fan. Marqus could probably make an immediate positive impact on any team in the NBA.
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Posted on August 13th, 2010 at 12:03 am
Another example showing Blakely’s athleticism and versatility, Coach Lonergan used him at the point in their half court trap.
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Posted on August 30th, 2010 at 8:24 am
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