A new NBA season is here, and our Neon Tommy NBA staff writers are here to break down the upstart Los Angeles Clippers’ 2012-13 campaign. The Clippers began the season winning two of their first three games, including wins over the Grizzlies and Lakers.  

1.) The Clippers are one of the deepest and most experienced squads in the league after acquiring several veterans in the offseason. What do you think of the Clippers’ offseason strategy in bringing in players, and which acquisition do you think will be the most valuable for the Clippers in 2012-13?

Evan Budrovich: The Clippers’ strategy this offseason was simple yet effective: Bring in role players to complement the superstar talent on this team. Jamal Crawford, Lamar Odom, Grant Hill, Willie Green, Ronny Turiaf and Ryan Hollins all address different weaknesses this team had last season. Although most of these players are past their prime, they can still add much-needed scoring to the Clippers’ bench. The most impactful player must be Crawford. If he can drain shots and spread the court, the Clippers will have the balance on the perimeter to complement Jordan and Griffin in the paint.  

Aaron Fischman: The Clippers had a productive offseason, in which they targeted players that best fit their needs. Granted, Jamal Crawford is a gunner, but he’s sure to provide instant offense off the bench. I’m most excited about the Clippers’ additions at the forward position, including Grant Hill, Odom and Matt Barnes. Either Hill or Odom will be the most valuable acquisition, because both players are glue guys. Hill is one of the smartest players in the NBA (along with Chris Paul), but Odom is more physically gifted at this stage of his career.  

Law Murray: Well, the Clippers had to sign somebody since half of their playoff team from last season were playing on expiring contracts. Sure they're experienced, but that's a nice way of saying they're quite old: they'll have eight players over 30 by the end of January. I'm not crazy about any of these guys, but Willie Green might be the best shooter they acquired, which is key because he essentially replaces Randy Foye.

Andrew Seah: Lamar Odom is the one that holds the most potential. Too often in last season's playoffs, DeAndre Jordan was relegated to the bench due to foul trouble and the Clippers had to rely on heavy minutes from Reggie Evans. Although he hustled on defense, Evans was similarly foul prone and did not provide the versatility and skillset that Odom offers. If Odom can recapture his form with the Lakers, he'll prove to be the Clippers’ most important signing.

Jamal Crawford is also important as he will bring instant scoring off the bench, a crucial skill to have on an offense that is susceptible to droughts when Chris Paul rides the pine.

2.) Chris Paul will be a free agent after this season. How important is he to this franchise, and how will he work in the backcourt with Chauncey Billups and Eric Bledsoe also on the roster?

Budrovich: Without Paul, the Clippers would never have landed the marquee talent that arrived over the last two years. Paul epitomizes the franchise by being the most important player to the Clippers’ escape from the years of Donald Sterling-induced losing. The issue that will present itself this season is how Paul and Bledsoe will mesh. Bledsoe is an explosive player that will see increased playing time; you just don’t want to bench Paul to play him. Billups and Paul are great teammates and friends so look for their roles to mesh quite well, just like last season before Billups’ injury.  

Fischman: It’s no exaggeration to say that Paul’s presence won the Clippers at least eight to 10 games last season. Paul is an incredibly smart player on the court. In addition to possessing incredible court vision and a knack for clutch shooting, he has a calming influence on his teammates. If the Clippers don’t do well enough to lure Paul into signing an extension, it will be a major setback for the team. Paul will coexist well with Billups and Bledsoe, because both Billups and Bledsoe have proven themselves capable of playing shooting guard.

Murray: The Clippers have only won one playoff series (in 2006) since moving to California in 1978. A 36-year-old Sam Cassell was the point guard on that 2006 squad. Paul is 10 years younger and miles better. The Clippers were 15-7 when Billups went down last year, and Paul has a special relationship with the 2004 Finals MVP. Bledsoe has outstanding athleticism and represents the only youth on the bench; he isn't a starting caliber player yet. 

Seah: This much is clear: the Clippers are not a contending team without Chris Paul. He is the main stilt that is propping up Vinny Del Negro's static, predictable offense. He brought credibility and relevancy to a Clippers franchise that was more renowned for its notorious owner, Donald Sterling.

Much like last season, a fresh and healthy Billups, together with Paul, will form an undersized backcourt tandem that is more than made up for by the guards’ playmaking and court vision. Bledsoe will spot limited minutes for the two, but he has shown that he deserves a more prominent role.

3.) Lamar Odom is back in L.A. after having the worst season of his career in Dallas last year. What should we reasonably expect from Odom after coming in an offseason trade?

Budrovich: During the preseason, Odom played relatively uninspired basketball, which leads to concern heading forward. Don’t expect Odom returning to his Sixth Man of the Year-numbers. The best-case scenario for the Clippers would be 10 points a night in about 25 minutes of action. Effectively, Lamar would play the role of all-purpose forward that Martin played last season. Cross your fingers Clippers fans, the book is wide open on Odom.

Fischman: No one really knows…even Odom. Prior to last season, Odom experienced a pair of tragedies that caused him to consider early retirement. Later, there was a trade demand away from the Lakers. In Dallas, Odom had easily the worst season of his 13-year career. True, Odom may just be saying all the right things, but he genuinely appears to be motivated this season. He’s back in the city where the bulk of his pro career has been played. I’m expecting Odom to average nine to 11 points per game on 46-48 percent shooting along with between six and eight rebounds per night. 

Murray: Going into his 14th NBA season, Odom isn't the same guy he was when he entered the league. He's not in shape, and he's barely played with his new teammates. That being said, he's replacing Kenyon Martin, and if Odom has his head on straight, he offers a skill set that the Clippers didn't have from their big men last season. If he can stay healthy and focused, the Clippers are simply a better team.

Seah: Lamar Odom was not himself last season. He had several off-the-court issues that translated into general disinterest and lackadaisical play on the court. But let's not forget that he is only two seasons removed from an outstanding season with the Lakers where he won Sixth Man of the Year honors. 

Odom's best years came in Los Angeles and joining the Clippers is probably the best thing Odom himself could ask for. He may not reach the heights of two years ago, but he will be an important veteran presence and a significant upgrade in the Clippers’ big-man rotation. 

4.) Blake Griffin is an exciting, All-Star caliber player, but still has holes in his game. What has been the biggest challenge for Griffin in his first two years in the NBA, and do you expect any significant changes in his repertoire of skills this season?

Budrovich: The biggest challenge for Blake has been cementing his offensive post game. Griffin is an electric athlete who can out jump any big man in the league, but he consistently struggles to get open when double-teams come. During the offseason, Griffin worked with Bob Thate, a lifelong shooting coach who most recently worked with Jason Kidd. Thate believes Griffin will become an elite shooter by next season, so expect a much better shooting touch from the perimeter. His newfound shot has been successful already in the preseason. Expect him to see much more success from outside the paint, which will clear space for Griffin’s athleticism to shine brightest.  

Fischman: Griffin still has much to learn about playing defense at the professional level. All too often, he doesn’t even contest shots. I’d like to see a more aggressive Griffin on the defensive end, with his leaping ability not exclusively conserved for offensive purposes. With regard to free throws, Griffin needs to get rid of the hitch in his free-throw shooting stroke. If he can shoot free throws confidently, his percentage will climb back to a more reasonable level. The young power forward also needs to diversify his post game.

Murray: People really take Griffin for granted. If the dude stayed at Oklahoma all four years, he would be coming off of his rookie season. His real rookie season was lost due to a knee injury. Since then, he's shown toughness and maturity, not missing a single start in two years, and has become a 20-10 big man with better-than-advertised ball-handling and passing ability. Unfortunately, he still needs serious work on consistency with his shot, and needs to defend better. Don’t be confident that Griffin improves on that this year.

Seah: Just like every ridiculously athletic youngster who enters the NBA, Blake Griffin's Achilles heel is his lack of a reliable jump shot. Inside the paint, his superior athleticism enables him to finish consistently above and over his man. But beyond 15 feet, he poses as much of a threat as Joel Anthony does in the paint. 

Griffin has mentioned that he is coming into the season with an improved jumper, but one should be skeptical as Griffin said the same before the start of last season. Don't expect his game to alter too much, as he will continue to rely on a steady diet of lethal pick-and-rolls with his superstar point guard. 

5.) How do you think the Clippers will finish, and how far will they go in the playoffs?

Budrovich: The Clippers are a playoff team, plain and simple. With Paul, Bledsoe and Griffin leading the way the Clippers will most likely be a No. 4 or 5 seed similar to last season. If the Clippers want to advance deep into the West though, Paul and Jordan must develop an unheralded continuity and the bench must make big shots to spread the court. I see the Clippers reaching the second round of the playoffs but once again falling short to the elite teams in the West.

Fischman: My call is that the Clippers will finish with an approximate record of 52-30 and the third seed in the West. Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan should show significant improvement this season, as both have looked especially impressive during the preseason. Add Crawford, Willie Green and Chauncey Billups (expected to return in December) to a guard group already housing one of the best point guards in the league and an extremely speedy and athletic Bledsoe, and you’ve got the deepest guard unit in the league. The biggest improvement, however, is the added depth at the forward position now featuring Odom, Barnes and Hill.

Murray: After releasing the 2012-13 NBA Lightweight Report, I have the Clippers finishing second in the Pacific, fourth in the West, and eliminated in the first round by the Denver Nuggets.

Seah: The Clippers are a fascinating team this year. They clearly have more talent and experience compared to last year's squad, but are a highly unpredictable bunch. Odom could implode at any moment, Crawford could end up becoming a less-efficient(!) version of Nick Young, and the Griffin-Jordan frontcourt might once again prove insufficient defensively against the league's elite teams. 

Right now, they're more of outsiders looking in rather than real contenders. You can count on CP3's typical brilliance to guide them possibly into the Western Conference finals. But anything beyond that would be a reasonable stretch, given the incredibly talented teams in the West. 

 

 

Our other panel previewed the Los Angeles Lakers' season.