After having a bittersweet 2011-2012 season the Los Angeles Clippers are no longer satisfied just making the playoffs. Though they accomplished much last season including winning a playoff series and winning game 7 on the road of that series only to be swept in the next round by the freight train that was the San Antonio Spurs. They have been busy this off-season trying to improve their roster which suffered several key injuries last season. They have actively pursued re-signing guard Chris Paul and have yet to be effective although forward Blake Griffin is set to sign his extension of an estimated 5-years 95 million dollars on the July 11th deadline. It has been rumored that Paul will wait until next season in order to sign a max deal worth approximately 108 million dollars.
The big headlines surrounding the Clippers have been in the
acquisition of Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks as well as re-signing
Chauncey Billups and signing free agent Jamal Crawford. The most intriguing of these players could be
Odom who was originally drafted by the Clippers before moving around to
championship contenders until having the worst statistical season of his entire
career for Dallas last season. Odom is
one of the biggest question marks in the entire NBA due to his lack of
consistency. At 6 foot 10 he can hit
long range shots and handle the ball making him at times virtually unguardable
although he is prone to having lapses of judgment in his playing ability. Odom tends to respond better when playing in
a sixth man position which will be convenient as Blake Griffin is undoubtedly
the starter. Billups proved to be a
solid contributor starting for the Clippers last season until suffering a
season-ending injury as he switched from his normal point guard position to a
shooting guard spot. He and Crawford
will likely split time as both are proven scorers with Crawford getting the
edge in that department.
With the Los Angeles Lakers recently acquiring veteran point
guard Steve Nash they have catapulted themselves once again into the
championship conversation. However, the
Clippers still have arguably the best point guard in the NBA with Chris Paul
and are not threatened by the newest Laker.
On paper the Clips have one of the best starting 5’s in the entire NBA
and can virtually match-up with every championship contender. High hopes have returned to the city of angels
for the Clippers as they are now nicknamed “lob city” due to the high volume of
alley-oop passes from Paul to big men Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan. Jordan was one of the bigger mysteries in this
years playoffs as he was recently signed to a lucrative contract although he
was on the bench for many of the Clippers playoff games. They need a more consistent performance from
the 7 foot 1 Jordan who has the potential to be one of the elite big men in the
NBA.
For more information, updates and unbeatable deals on Clippers tickets, visit www.AllArenaSeats.com today!
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