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The Los Angeles Clippers 2007 - 2008 Season Preview:
The promise of the Los Angeles Clippers from 2006's playoff adventures didn't follow suit in the following 2007 season.

Elton Brand, the team's lone legitimate All-Star, was run down from participation with the USA Olympic basketball squad, losing momentum that was built from a strong 2005-2006 season. Shaun Livingston, the team's hope as the next Magic Johnson, suffered a catastrophic knee injury that has many in the NBA questioning his ability to ever play again. And Sam Cassell, the fearless, fire-filled point guard, is another year older after just a previous season where his 38 years showed somewhat miserably.

Not to mention the ever-disappointing Tim Thomas, whose career is largely known for his high salary and All-Star ability, but also his minimum output on the court. Center Chris Kaman was extended for $10 million per year for six more years after said 2006 season, but then proceeded to play as if he deserved a fraction of the amount.

To make matters worse, Brand heads into the 2007-08 season recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, which some athletes have had their careers stop because of.

For the Clippers to regain ground and begin (again) to compete for the Western Conference playoffs, there are a list of objectives:

First, Brand must come back full recovered from his foot injury. He is the reason the Los Angeles Clippers made a resurgence in the past year in the first place.

Second, Cassell must regain his spot as the starting point guard, but his minutes must be limited. One of the problems for him was that the team seemingly handed the young Livingston Cassell's starting position without mutual agreement. This incident chaffed against Cassell much of the season, especially since the Clippers were worlds better when Cassell started and played much of the minutes at the guard positions.

Third, small forward Corey Maggette must start and play significant minutes to provide solid scoring. The rift between coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. and Maggette made getting minutes hard to come by for Maggette, but the team needs him to play more than anything.

Next, starting shooting guard Cuttino Mobley and sometimes-starting small forward Quinton Ross must continue to be defensively solid on the perimeter. This applies more to Cat Mobley because of his size (6'4") and age (31), but Ross is outstanding both on the perimeter and in the paint; the key is for Dunleavy to keep Ross' minutes high for him to make a positive impact.

The last order of business is for Kaman and Thomas to play up to their potential. For Chris Kaman, who struggles with ADD, it's much more understandable, but it's a matter of him not wanting to let his disorder keep him mediocre (he was, in fact, a top-10 draft choice in 2003 with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony). For Thomas, he must not be content with being a physical specimen whose skill can allow him to merely play on the outside; his strengths are definitely built in his shooting, but at 6'10" and 240 lbs., exclusively draining three-pointers as the backup two-guard doesn't always fix the problems that the Clippers need.

If all or most of these variables are met, the Clippers are winners. If not, the NBA Draft Lottery awaits Los Angeles in May 2008.

The Los Angeles Clippers 2006 - 2007 Season Recap:
The offseason started off, as the team drafted center Paul Davis from Michigan State University in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, as the 34th overall pick. The pick was acquired by the Clippers by way of a 2004 trade with the Charlotte Bobcats for center/forward Melvin Ely. The team also drafted guard Guillermo Diaz from the University of Miami as the 52nd overall pick. While Davis signed with the team in July, Diaz was not signed, and decided to play overseas. However, the team still holds his draft rights. The Clippers did not have a pick in the 2006 Draft's first round.

Meanwhile in free agency, on July 13, 2006, the Clippers scored a major coup, by signing forward Tim Thomas away from divisional rival Phoenix, in a four-year, $24 million deal. That was to counter the deflection of forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the crosstown Los Angeles Lakers in a somewhat similar deal to what Thomas got from the Clippers, except Radmanovic signed for an extra year, but both players would make the same amount of money annually, which would be $6 million.

Also on July 13th, guard Sam Cassell (widely credited as the biggest reason for the Clippers' recent success) signed a two-year deal for $13 million dollars. Cassell stated in recent interviews that once he retires, which would be likely after this contract runs out, he would like to join the Clippers coaching staff under Mike Dunleavy, Sr. Also, on August 1st, the team signed veteran forward/center Aaron Williams (previously with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets) to an undisclosed deal. Williams played for Dunleavy with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1994-95 season.

To further their television commitment to their local fans, on August 11th, the Clippers and KTLA-TV announced a three-year contract extension, which would increase KTLA's annual 25-game commitment to 30 games a year, plus selected playoff games not airing exclusively on ABC or TNT. Just like during the last two seasons, KTLA will air all of its Staples Center-based Clippers telecasts in high definition. Until recently, they were the only local team to currently air its over-the-air broadcasts in HDTV; KCAL-TV aired its first HDTV Lakers broadcast on February 2, 2007, versus the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fifteen of the 30 annual KTLA telecasts air on KSWB-TV in San Diego, KTLA's sister station; although KTLA is already available on cable in the San Diego market.

The increased demand for Clippers games has also led to the scheduling of twelve true nationally-televised Clippers games on TNT and ESPN. The team will also have eight additional games on NBA TV; NBA TV normally uses the home team telecast's video feed and announcers, while using its own on-screen score and graphics, therefore, their presentations are not considered true, self-produced national broadcasts, such as the case with ESPN, TNT, and ABC. This brings the total of nationally-televised games to 20, the most ever in franchise history.

On September 7th, The Clippers announced a radio broadcast deal with KSPN-AM, the local ESPN Radio-operated outlet.

The team, though, did not fully perform to expectations, in comparison to the previous season. A lot of this has been attributed to lack of a team chemistry and injuries to several key players, including Cassell, Thomas, Livingston, and Chris Kaman. Players such as Luke Jackson, Alvin Williams, and Doug Christie were signed to 10-day contracts to help solidify the team's bench. Jackson and Alvin Williams only lasted through portions of the January schedule and each had limited playing time, while Christie signed with the team on January 31st. Christie was not retained, and was suspended on the final day of his second 10-day contract with the team, due to Christie's desire to not return to the team, because of the team's lack of on-court direction. Christie was released from the team on February 21st.

In one of most of the devastating injuries this season, guard Shaun Livingston severely dislocated his left knee in which he tore every ligament in his knee. [2]. This occurred with 8:10 left in the first quarter of a home game versus the Charlotte Bobcats on February 26, 2007 at Staples Center, as Livingston was driving to the basket, where he missed the lay-up, and came down awkwardly on his left knee. The extent of the injury was so severe, local news outlets such as KCBS-TV/KCAL-TV and KNBC-TV elected not to air the clip of Livingston's injury on their sports reports. According to the team's lead physican, Dr. Tony Daly, Livingston's prognosis for him to return to basketball activity from the point in time of his injury is eight months (which would put it at around the first week of the upcoming season) to a full calendar year [3]. The Clippers, which by many were expected to make the playoffs again after their surprise appearance the season before, finished the season 40-42, 2 games behind the 8th seeded Warriors. The Clippers recently announced that Corey Maggette would be going under surgery in his knee during the offseason.

It was reported on January 10, 2007 that the Los Angeles Clippers took some interest in relocating. Many cities are candidates, including Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Oklahoma City.

Also check out Los Angeles Clippers Elton Brand.