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Clippers’ offseason improvement list

May 09, 2013
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by Jovan Buha




Over at ESPN Los Angeles, I wrote about the Clippers’ offseason and some of the issues they need to address. Here’s a quick excerpt:

Big man with shooting range

One of the biggest problems for the Clippers offensively this season was that besides Griffin — who’s at his best when operating down on the low block — they didn’t have a big man that could space the floor and stretch opposing defenses out with his shooting.

Odom was supposed to fill that role, but his shooting stroke deserted him for the second straight season. He shot 39.9 percent from the floor and 20.0 percent from the beyond the arc, figures that ranked as the second worst of his career.

Meanwhile, Jordan, Turiaf and Hollins combined to make 9 shots beyond 10 feet all season. Defenses often ignored the latter two and only paid attention to Jordan because of the ever-looming threat of a lob from Paul.

No matter who he played with, Griffin was always paired with an offensive non-factor, forcing him to single-handedly carry the interior-scoring burden. After he sprained his ankle before Game 5 of the 2013 postseason, no one else stepped up — the remaining big men combined to average just 15 points per game over the final two games of the series.

With the Clippers on a strict budget, and floor-spacing big men a hot commodity, it’s unlikely they find a guy without severe flaws (especially defensively). Regardless, finding a shooting big man who can play with Griffin for 10-15 minutes a night will spruce up the Clippers’ offense.

Potential fits: Earl Clark, Antawn Jamison, Dante Cunningham (Team Option), Anthony Tolliver, Jon Leuer (Restricted Free Agent)

Read the full post here.

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Jovan Buha

Senior Contributor at ClipperBlog
Jovan Buha is a staff writer and Digital Content Programmer at FOX Sports. He also contributes to ESPN Los Angeles’ Clippers and Lakers coverage. Jovan graduated from USC with a degree in Print & Digital Journalism and a minor in Sports Media Studies in 2014.
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  • Baron

    They should have gotten that big man with shooting ability before the trade deadline……….they would still be playing!!!!!!

  • Clipper Derrick

    I like Anthony Tolliver. He could probably be gotten on the cheap too.

  • http://twitter.com/apostol74131889 apostolos

    Find a way to trade for Erick Murphy in the 2nd round(Florida), arguably the best shooting big man in the draft.

  • Jake

    This was an informative article. Improving the Clippers is going to be even more difficult than I thought yesterday. The main reason is where it said Larry Coonsdid a cap space analysis of the Clippers and the result was they will have $5-7 million dollars to spend and they’ll have to spread that over 4-6 players. Barnes would be one of those 4-6. Realistically, if that’s what the Clippers do, then the team is not going to improve at all but will get worse.

    So obviously the only way they can improve is to move out Butler and Jordan to teams that have enough cap space to take on their contracts without having to give the Clippers back a player who is making at least 75% of their salary. If the Clippers can ship Jordan and Butler out to teams with enough cap space to just absorb their salaries, then the Clippers will have enough cap room to sign a great player.

    As I understand it, these teams likely will have enough cap space to do that (in this order, starting with the most cap space):
    Utah, Cleveland, Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Dallas, New Orleans, Toronto, Minnesota, Sacramento and Orlando.

    Most of those are bad teams that no good free agent will go to. That’s the kind of team that could be open to taking Jordan and Butler for a second round draft pick.

    That seems to be the only way the Clippers can improve.

    • Bongstradamus

      You should be able to trade DJ alone for a first round pick. Especially in this draft.

      My target would be Portland for their projected 9th pick. DJ to Portland for rights to pick #9 (assuming that pick is Shabazz Mohammad as projected in the mock draft)

      Portland desperately needs a center and Olshey is their GM. He wrote up DJs current contract. He would see value in that proposition as many teams want to move out of this particular draft.

      I like DJ, but if we’re not going to play him or utilize him we need to flip that contract for some value. If we are going to play him and utilize him under a new coach, then we keep him and see where his value is next summer.

  • FD

    The Clippers season ended before it started because of this and VDN didn’t even know who to play. Odom plays most of the year and then Turiaf and Hollins were playing a lot in the playoffs. Then the last game those 2 were benched.

    I think it’s mostly on the defensive end though, positioning and rebounding where the Clippers are hurting.

    • Clipsy Hustle

      Spot on.

  • Bongstradamus

    It wouldn’t have mattered. The big men outside of Blake never got touches to begin with.

    DJ averaged 6 shot attempts per game. Mainly lobs and putbacks.

    Odom averaged 4.5.

    Maybe we actually need to run some plays for DJ, assuming hes allowed to get on the floor. He averaged the lowest minutes played since 2009.

    • Clipsy Hustle

      No more excuses. Dudes a liability.

      • Bongstradamus

        64% career field goal percentage. 64% in 2012-2013 .

        We need to run actual plays for him. Not just let him live off a single lob or the putbacks he can muster. Its hard to say hes not contributing to the offense when hes not even given the chance.

        If you asked a bunch of math students if they’d rather give 20 shots to a guy shooting 64% or 20 shots to a guy shooting 46%, who do you think they’d choose?

        We need to play and develop him. He needs more shots.

    • JaySee

      During the first half of the season DJ got 2-3 post up feed plays called for him in the 1st quarter. Then they disappeared. DJ’s hook is decent. With a drop step he’d be a viable low post option.

  • dooder

    Odom was a gamble. That failed. Crawford and CP hog the ball on offense. Then many times? Are a liability on defense. Agree with almost all your analysis Jovan. This team needs more grit and less flash. BG in addition to his scoring duties? Is the only Physical presence. Too much to ask!! Move DJ to SF LOL…IM NOT JOKING. Go get a true Big man. DO IT NOW…

    • FD

      I wouldn’t call Odom a failure. I think he did what he was supposed to do. I’m not sure why VDN used him much more in the regular season than in the playoffs though. He is really just supposed to be a backup center and not quit.

  • Matt

    How about Jeff Withey of Kansas in R1 of the draft? Can protect the rim and has a nice 15 ft jumper.

    • http://twitter.com/apostol74131889 apostolos

      Maybe, I think he’s to slow for the NBA though could end up like another Jeff Foster(Pacers) though. Plus I think he’ll be gone by the time the Clippers have their 1st round pick.

  • Patrick

    Andrew Bynum anyone?

    • Bongstradamus

      Why? He hates basketball. It’s just his job.

      • Patrick

        Would you rather bet on deandre or Bynum to be the man in the middle. It is a close call but I’d go with Bynum. The contracts of the two will probably end up being similar except Bynum’s might be a tad cheaper.

        Although I totally see why the Clippers shouldn’t do it, I just think its one of those risky moves that you kind of have to take to be able to make a championship team.

        • Bongstradamus

          I know DeAndre will suit up and wants to play. He also gets along with the guys in the locker room.

          I can’t say the same for Bynum. Sure, he’s got talent, but its pretty well documented he has no passion at all for basketball. I dont want a guy who isn’t hungry to win.

          • Clips4

            That and 82 games of DJ is worth infinitely more than 50 games at most with Bynum.

            • Patrick

              I’d rather have 50 games of Bynum as long as he played in the playoffs as well.

    • ClipsGForce

      No Ex-Lakers. Stop it!

  • http://www.facebook.com/kels.dayton.1 Kels Dayton

    Great article by RoundballDaily.com on who the Clippers should take in the draft: http://roundballdaily.com/2013/05/15/16510/

  • http://www.facebook.com/kels.dayton.1 Kels Dayton

    Great article by RoundballDaily.com on who the Clippers should take in the draft: http://roundballdaily.com/2013/05/15/16510/

  • namzug

    what about speights?

  • Met

    Not one of the players above will move the needle. If you can’t LEGITIMATELY fill a hole, don’t waste effort and other opportunities in an attempt to do so. Instead, capitalize on your strengths. Though I believe Griffin’s overall game has improved technically year after year. His hunger has clearly dimished. He is still hungry, just not as hungry and not as hungry as often as he was coming into the league. I don’t blame him for the commercials and public stuff. Not at all. He is a standout person and player …. but to say he is really STEPPING UP to take the bull by the horns and turn this team into a winner would be pure nonsense. … I think his workout regiment is above and beyond, but IN GAME hunger is really not what it was his first few years OR in college. I don’t personally think he is INTO the flash. I think he wants to WIN. But it is easy to be a front runner in this league. SO easy, that he needs to be a little careful. PAUL is the opposite of a front runner and hopefully, Griffin will continue to look up to and learn from him. He DEFINITELY has it in him and on occasion has proven it. I would just like to see MORE grit late in games and less of the HERO playing through injuries then costing the team in future games.

  • Snyderberry

    Trey Thompkins?


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