Live from Summer League, where centers are extinct

20 Jul 2012

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We’re live here at Summer League in Las Vegas to see if the Clippers can find a few players to invite to training camp. While there are a lot of nice talents at Summer League, finding a legitimate center may be tough due to positional scarcity.

Of the 452 players invited to the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, only 76 had the assigned possibility to play center in at least some capacity (16.8%). Of the 76 forward/centers, 41 were positionally designated exclusively as center (9%). Of course, teams fill spots based on their regular season roster needs, but even in summer league the waning of centers is in full effect.

In other news, it’s been reported that Willie Green has signed with the Clippers, but those reports have since been retracted. We’ll keep you posted on the potential reunion of Chris Paul and Willie Green as soon as we hear more.

Timmythetooth

Andrew can you check on Green’s defensive stats? Green would be a bit redundant but he shot the best shooting % from 3 last year in his career, a really impressive 44%. He made 50-113, so it wasn’t a small sample. He might be a bit redundant but for some reason I remember him as an able defender. He seems to fill the role that Belinelli would have filled. Apparently we are filling the end of the bench with a bunch of CP’s former teammates/friends. Obviously our biggest needs are still SF and C. I don’t buy Hollins doing a whole lot but hopefully DeAndre has a better year and plays heavier minutes.

Bummed I couldn’t make it out to LV this weekend, hope you guys are having fun.
AlAlekoff

How is 41 of 76 = 9%? You mean 9% of 452, but it’s so badly written, you can’t understand that at all!
- Timmythetooth
  
  Hey! He’s sipping mojitos in Vegas and still posting Clippers stuff. Relax.
andy

As a cp3 fan mostly and following him on league pass his entire career with the Hornets, I can easily say Willie Green would be a great addition to our lineup if we can get him for the minimum. Great locker room guy, plays his butt off, and it perfectly fine on the second unit.
- Clips4
  
  Problem is though that Bledsoe’s minutes would get cut even more.
  - Barrett
    
    play him at SF. I agree Bledsoe needs at least 15+ minutes.
    - Mark
      
      Bledsoe needs 30 minutes minimum. Did you watch the playoffs? He is a budding star.
      - Barrett
        
        I agree he is a budding star but I don’t see 30 fitting in when Chauncey is back.
  - Patrick
    
    I think he would get small minutes unless, someone gets injured/Billups isn’t ready by start of season. I doubt he will be taking bledsoe’s minutes.
JaySee

After watching the latest Clipper Summer League game I’ve come to the following conclusions.

1. Hilton Armstrong sucks. Hands of stone, overplays, can’t beat summer league centers.

2. Morrison is an end of the bench 3 point specialist. He can’t run, he can’t dribble, he can’t defend, he can’t create his own shot.

3. Terrico White will be picked up by an NBA team. I hope it’s the Clippers. He hits open 3s, super athletic, decent defense, and can run the break. He still needs to work on his aggressiveness and first step to take advantage of his freakish athleticism. He’s the anti-Griffin; he loves to shoot instead of use his freak athleticism to just dunk on people.
- andy
  
  I’ve watched alot of Hilton with the Hornets, yes he’s terrible and he’ll never belong on an NBA court, mainly for the reasons you point out, his hands are beyond bad.
Lasko

Thank you for the report JS. TW is a SG , how many signed the Clippers have now?
- JaySee
  
  Like I told Charlie Widdows, he’s the same size as the beloved Courtney Lee, except stronger. Same height, same wingspan, 15 more pounds of muscle. He’s a swingman that can play the 3 just like Courtney Lee and Nick Young.
Barrett

OK I’ve heard enough. Please sign Terrico White.
DLogan

The Kid Terrico White is 22 years old and he’s seeing limited mintues on the court for summer league and he’s coming off the bench and making an impact. I heard talk of teams like Chicago, Celts, Miami, Orlando, Grizz, Itlay, Brazil, etc are intrested in this kid… We need guys that can come off the bench and score and he’s shown us this. LA CLIPPERS FRONT SIGN HIM Before he leaves LAS VEGAS ….
DeMote DeAndre

The only *for certain good thing* to happen to the Clippers this off season is that the Soap Opera actor left before he could do any more damage here. He promptly started doing his damage to Portland when he got there by completely blowing the Trail blazers’ two high first round draft pick and by not picking Harrison Barnes, who likley will be the only all star out of this draft. Typical. Good riddance.

If Odom starts at center in place of DeAndre DeGiant DeSaster that will be a good thing, but the clueless Clipper brass seem likely to continue putting the Defensive Delusion out there and trying to trick the fans into thinking he’s a real center.

Losing the second string guard from the second worst team in the NBA is a good thing, but it’s so marginal that it doesn’t really count. Same with the guy they amnestied.

Other than that, there’s not even anything that went on that *might be good*. Signing a 40 year old forward who’s three point shooting percentage dropped drastically last season isn’t anything good. Either is signing a 36 year old point guard who’s coming off of a ruptured achilles. And either is signing a gunner off the bench whose shooting percentages also have dropped way off.

They lost some valuable players from last season: Mo Williams, Randy Foye, Kenyon Martin, Reggie Evans. If Odom doesn’t start at center, I really don’t see how the Clippers are improved. They certainly aren’t as improved as the Mavericks and Lakers.
- denote demote
  
  You’re so fucking retarded. Please stop posting
DeMote DeAndre

Here’s a big difference in the new team and last years team.

Last season both Mo Williams and Randy Foye shot a lot of threes and they both did so at about a 40% completion rate.

For this coming season’s team, they’ve been replaced by Jamaal Crawford, who last season shot 30% from three land, and Grant Hill shonlast season shot 27% in threes.
DeMote DeAndre

Greg Stiemsma signed with Minnesota for $3million. I’ve never heard of the guy, but apparently he’s a center.

Most of the available centers have landed with teams. Maybe this scarcity gives DeAndre Jordan some trade value, at least for teams that can still get themselves to pipedream about his potential.

Orlando’s options for trading Howard seem to be less than they recently were, so there’s still a chance that the Clippers can work a deal for him.

It’s there best chance to keep Chris Paul. The way the clippers look now, they won’t get homecourt in the playoffs. The Thunder, The Spurs, the Lakers and the Mavericks seem to be the four best. Then there’s Memphis maybe even Golden State, now that they have Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes to go along with Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, and also Jarrett Jack and David Lee.

If the Clippers don’t get homecourt in the first round, Chris Paul will leave, probably for the New York Knicks.
- http://youngelikim.wordpress.com/ Young Eli
  
  By the looks of your comments, I believe you have very poor IQ about the game of basketball.
  First off, Olshey drafted two solid players who look to be the pieces that’ll fit with LaMarcus Albridge. Damian Lillard reminds me of a doppleganger of Russell Westbrook while Meyers Leonard will be a solid 12 – 10 player. Compliment that with second round pick Will Barton whose speed and lane penetration will give the team much depth on the bench. Harrison Barnes is bound to be a star, but there are better players that are emerging.
  
  Second, DJ is not that good, but he’s not a scrub. Starting Lamar Odom is never a good idea since he will get abused by the bigger centers in this league. DJ has been working out and training this entire offseason so we may see an improved product.
  
  Btw I like our signings. Hill is old and is coming off his career worst, but I can see his effectiveness in playing off the bench. Jamal Crawford didn’t mesh with Portland period. He’ll revive in LAC. Chauncey Billups was signed due to the urging of Chris Paul. I take his word that Mr. Big Shot will be useful in our playoff run.
- http://barmapla.com FD
  
  The one thing you don’t take into account is that Griffin, Bledsoe and yes even Jordan are all a year older. They should all be better than last year. The shooting guards maybe a wash, but CP3 is getting players he knows how to play with. He might know how to bring out the best in those players. Plus it makes CP3 happy and might make him want to stay. So getting rid of Olshey is really a good thing.
  
  Also, if KMart and Evans can play center in the 4th, I’m sure Odom can. I’d take Odom over those 2 anyway. I think considering the options that Olshey left the Clippers with, the Clippers are doing great.
  
  And you’re not going to be able to trade DeAndre unless you start him and get him some stats. I can’t imagine any team trading for him right now.
- timmythetooth
  
  Hahaha, Dallas is a top 4 team. I stopped reading after I read that. Hahaha.
- Clipper Derrick
  
  If you don’t know who Greg Stiemsma, then you don’t know enough about basketball to comment like you have been. I agree with a person above, your BBall IQ is extremely low.
DeMote DeAndre

I agree Bledsoe could emerge as a really good player and could really help the team.

If Griffin and Paul stay uninjured through the whole season, that also will be a big plus.

But as far as the additions go, not much there.
benwah_benyameen

Hopefully Vinny will not be fooled by Adam Morrison. I was at the game saturday and there are 2 things Morrison does well; catch and shoot. If you ask him to do anything else you will be severely disappointed. He cannot guard anyone. He makes Steve Novak look like LeBron James on defense. He can only rebound balls that fall directly in front of him. He doesn’t even understand basic concepts of pick and roll defense. He looks like he is stoned and maybe that is why he is 2 steps slower than anyone on the court including the refs.
Benoit Benjamin

More like the NBA where Centers are extinct. Guys like DJ and McGee are vastly overpaid. Howard is considered the best center in today’s NBA..oh boy times have changed. I miss real Centers.

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