Los Angeles Clippers 2006 preview

Sam I Am At It Again
Power Ranking: No. 19
Projected Record: 39-43 (2-game improvement)
Projected Finish: 5th in Pacific Division, 12th in Western Conference
Current Record: 10-5, 1st in Pacific Division, 2nd in Western Conference

Statistical Leaders
Scoring: Elton Brand (23.7), Corey Maggette (22.3), Sam Cassell (16.3)
Rebounds: Brand (10.7), Chris Kaman (7.3)
Assists: Cassell (7.4)
Defense: Brand (2.7 blocks), Cassell (1.1 steals)

Offseason Grade: C+
Drafted (Grade: D)
1. (12) Yaroslav Korolev, SF, Russia
2. (32) Daniel Ewing, PG, Duke

Signed (Grade: B)
Cuttino Mobley, SG, Sacramento
Walter McCarty, SF, Phoenix
Zeljko Rebraca, C, (Re-signed)
Boniface N'dong, C
James Singleton, SF
Howard Eisley, PG, Utah

Acquired (Grade: B)
Sam Cassell, PG, Minnesota

Lost
Bobby Simmons, SG/SF, Milwaukee
Marko Jaric, PG/SG, Minnesota
Kerry Kittles, SG (Waived)
Rick Brunson, PG, Seattle
Mikki Moore, C, Seattle
Lionel Chalmers, PG, Minnesota
Mamadou N'Diaye, C (Waived)

2006 Free Agents: Cassell, Chris Wilcox (Restricted), Walter McCarty, Howard Eisley, Boniface N'Dong
2006 Salary Cap Space: About $100,000 under the $49.5 million cap.
Projected 2006 No. 1 Pick: None (Pick belongs to New Jersey; will receive Minnesota's No. 1 pick if not in Lottery)

Top Trade Chip: Chris Wilcox. There's no moving Elton Brand off his lofty perch and that means Wilcox will never realize his potential while with the Clippers. Still, plenty of teams will line up for a shot at molding Wilcox into a beast so L.A. should move now to get something for him before he leaves via free agency.
Move We'd Make: One thing the Clippers clearly lack is depth -- something Zoran Planinic and Antoine Wright would solve upon arriving from New Jersey. The Nets, meanwhile, get a much-needed body up front in the Kenyon Martin-esque Wilcox.

What's Working
Stat: Is it clear the road to respectability begins with defense? After the Bulls emerged from the cellar thanks to the League's stingiest defense, the Clippers are emulating that blueprint, holding opponents to an NBA-best 41.3% shooting.
Player: Stop us if you've heard this one before: Sam Cassell gets kicked to the curb, winds up in a new uniform and promptly sparks a stalled team to new heights. And for his efforts, someone else gets the accolades.

Elton Brand has enjoyed a spectacular season -- earning Player of the Month honors for November -- but how is he the MVP when the Clippers have wallowed in mediocrity on his watch for the last few seasons? It's Cassell's crafty management of the offense and ability to get to the line when the Clippers hit the doldrums that's driven the team's emergence.
Strategy: Feeding Brand in the post ... we know, big revelation. But the secret weapon the Clippers employ in addition to Cassell is Chris Kaman in the high post. Kaman is still young and thus prone to rushing things, but he's displayed a vision and passing touch quite similar to Brad Miller. The ability to get Brand the ball from a variety of points on the floor and from several players makes L.A. a tough team to defend, even when its intentions are so obvious.

What's Not Working
Stat: A team without much depth needs to avoid foul trouble. L.A. is as thin as they come, yet the team doesn't avoid the whistle very well with a 7th-highest 25.3 personal fouls per game.
Player: The numbers have begun to creep a bit in the right direction, but Kaman still looks very much like the odd man out on a team that added two notorious shoot-first, think-later guards in Cassell and Cuttino Mobley. Kaman needs to be more demonstrative, but he also needs to be fed better by L.A.'s ballhandlers who better recognize the rare offensive talent in the big man.
Strategy: Since the team's depth is such an issue, Mike Dunleavy has toyed with mass substitutions to get all his top guys a breather at the same time and hope his reserves keep their heads above water. That's playing with fire.

A more prudent move would be to bring Corey Maggette off the bench, even if Maggette goes kicking and screaming. The Clippers employ too many finesse guys at one time -- all prefer shooting from outside, none crash the glass or dive for loose balls.

One guy who does is James Singleton. The rookie has proven to be an energy guy of the highest order, with a nose for the ball and the capability of being a lock-down defender. Starting Singleton will bring a new vibe to the starting five while seriously fortifying the bench with Maggette capable of coming in and lighting up the scoreboard in short order.

Los Angeles Clippers Depth Chart