The Clipperblogger Summit - Part Eight

by Steve Perrin on Jun 23, 2009 1:02 AM PDT in News

Here is the latest entry in the Clipperblogger Summit. I hope that you're enjoying this series of exchanges between myself and Kevin Arnovitz of Clipperblog. Nowhere else in the entire blogosphere do they serve such delicious, angst-y goodness.

The conversation so far: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven

To: Kevin Arnovitz
From: Steve Perrin
Date: June 23, 2009

When you point out to me that Baron Davis wasn't terrible last season - and yes, I know that his PER was near the league average, and that he was seventh in the league in assists at 7.7 per game - it only serves to distress me further. How is it possible that this team only managed to win 19 games? Eric Gordon was a revelation in his rookie season, Marcus Camby was top 3 in rebounding and in blocked shots, the roster is littered with talent. Even if the pieces didn't really fit together and there were loads of player-games-lost-to-injury - 19 wins? That's brutal.

Which does cause a blogger to want to put the players on the analysts couch. In an IM session with PhoenixStan from Bright Side of the Sun back in February, I floated a theory about Steve Nash in the wake of the Terry Porter imbroglio. I said, "When you're talking about pro athletes, the difference between the performance from a 'good soldier' carrying out the plan and a 'motivated warrior' who truly believes in the plan is night and day... and if he doesn't believe, he doesn't believe... you can't change the way he thinks."

The Clippers dug a very, very deep hole straight out of the gate last season, and with very few exceptions, they simply never played like 'motivated warriors' (and far too often not even like 'good soldiers'). There are a couple of arguments that people use to explain Baron's lackluster performance last season: (a) that he was content to be back in LA and was distracted by things other than basketball like producing movies; (b) that he got his long term contract and just mailed it in from there. I find both of these theories jejune. (Oooh, I've been waiting to use that word here.) I like your observation that once the basketball got hard he had plenty of other things to provide fulfillment - basketball doesn't define Baron Davis the way it does many other ballers. But having said that, I believe that Baron is a proud man, and he can't have been proud of his performance last season. Talk is cheap, but he went out on a limb with his "things are going to be different next year" letter to fans. Not to mention that every other aspect of his life - making movies, opening night clubs, hanging with celebrities - is a lot easier for an NBA all star than for an NBA albatross. As you've said before, it's a point guard driven league - if Baron can play next season with a chip on his shoulder, if the former GS Warrior can return as that 'motivated warrior', the team has a very real chance to be good. Of course it remains to be seen if the Clippers have a plan in which Baron can believe, but having Blake Griffin around won't hurt.

It also remains to be seen how the pieces fit together. Consider this: Baron Davis, 2 time all star; Eric Gordon, all star potential; Chris Kaman, all star worthy numbers for 40 games in 07-08; Al Thornton, first team all rookie 07-08; Marcus Camby, 06-07 DPOY; Zach Randolph, 20 points/10 rebounds per game; Blake Griffin, consensus first overall pick. That's a pretty astounding collection of talent on paper. So why did they only win 19 games last season? And why are expectations so low for this season?

Oh yeah. And why do we put ourselves through this year after year?

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Comments

amazing read

not sure why I’m coming across it only at Chapter 8.

Have to make up for it and go back from 1 to 7 now

congrats to both of you

http://sixers4guidos.wordpress.com/

by Ricky - Sixers4guidos on Jun 23, 2009 2:30 AM PDT reply actions

Last Season's Struggles

With BD, Mobley, Thornton, Kaman/Thomas, Camby – this starting lineup was one of the ugliest we’ve seen. In the first few games Baron was trying, he would be able to sustain the offense himself in bursts, but not for the long haul. The offense was missing a first option, and instead littered with complementary players.

So Dunleavy pulled the ZBO trade, we then had a pecking order set up on offense w/ Randolph as the default option and with the emergence of Eric Gordon. Of course by this time, the team didn’t have long before just about everyone gave up.

As far as next year is concerned, Al Thornton still worries me. If we could just be average at the 3, we have potential plus players at every other position, with a solid bench. AT has some great skills, but i’m worried he’ll never be able to put them all together in a way that consistently helps a team. And just think if he could improve his shooting, would he ever pass? He needs to become more efficient while passing more. Seems a lot to ask, and that’s not even mentioning defense or rebounding.

by ghost_ride on Jun 23, 2009 8:18 AM PDT reply actions

I agree with you

It’s hard to believe that we are bemoaning a small forward who dropped 17 ppg, but with Al, there is more than meets the eye. He is a siev on defense and a black hole on offense. Team basketball doesn’t come naturally for him. In an open system, his athleticism masks much of it, but in Dunleavy’s rigid “ball-control” scheme he is a fish out of water.

Ideally AT would come in off the bench and in “running” situations to put some points on the board. But the starting 3 should probably be someone who can pass, hit an open jumper and rotate on D.

Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)

by mikey p on Jun 23, 2009 8:42 AM PDT up reply actions

You guys could possibly be givnig Thornton too little credit.

“Black Hole” is a bit of an overstatment, don’t you think mikey?

I think I’m going to leave it that Thornton’s game needs a quick polish, but wouldnt call make a “Black Hole” remark. Afterall, we don’t need a Chad Ford Al Thornton do we? (:

Mike Smith on Eric Gordon: "The Clippers may have found their go to scorer."
On a second note, I want Novak back!

by JackduhSun on Jun 24, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Right on

One can only hope for improvement next year in the areas of cohesiveness and motivation, for they were the culprits for last year’s performance. But it is certainly discouraging how seemingly fragile is Baron Davis’s psyche – the guy folds at the first sign of trouble.

I do hope the coaching staff is looking to design a system that utilizes the talent on the roster, rather than forcing the roster conform to the system. But since that hasn’t happened in six years, I’d be crazy to expect such a thing.

Do not worry. (Matthew 6:27)

by mikey p on Jun 23, 2009 8:55 AM PDT reply actions

Well then,

why not get a coach that can maximize each players full potential? Dunleavy doesn’t maximize player’s potential, he thrives off of big scoring powerforwards while everybody else suffers unless your as smart as Sam-I-Am-Cassel.

Mike Smith on Eric Gordon: "The Clippers may have found their go to scorer."
On a second note, I want Novak back!

by JackduhSun on Jun 24, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions