Los Angeles Clippers roster for upcoming season much deeper than it appears – NBA Feature
Ecstatic with their success in the 2011-2012 season, the Clippers decided not to waste any time and seize the moment, adding a list of talent to the roster in the offseason. The Clippers knew they were good, but needed more depth if they wanted to become playoff regulars, and make an even deeper push next season. Hence, they went out and got Lamar Odom, Grant Hill, Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford in the offseason. And for a team already boasting talents such as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the new additions were a huge step forward and immediately put the Clippers in the top five teams of the Western Conference.
Odom, a 13 year veteran to the league, is an accomplished forward having won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and a 6th man of the year award. In his last season with the Lakers which was the 2010-2011 season, Odom averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3 assists per game. He moved to the Dallas Mavericks last season, but was unable to prove his talent in his new home and finished the season averaging only 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds after starting in only 4 games. The Mavericks led him go before the end of the season, and the Clippers picked him up in the offseason with the hope that he would be able to get back to his old dominating self, and help them improve their depth in the front court.
The second biggest signing for the Clippers was Jamal Crawford, the 12 year veteran guard who played for the Portland Trail Blazers last season. Crawford started only 6 games last season, and finished with 13.9 points and 3.2 assists. These numbers are a significant drop from Crawford’s statistics in his previous seasons, and the Clips added him to the team to give a boost to their back court and give them another scoring option on the team. In the three preseason games so far, Crawford has averaged 16.7 points, 3.3 assists and 2 steals.
LAC also added Grant Hill and Matt Barnes to the roster. Barnes is a hustle player who can average 5 plus points and rebounds on a daily basis and provide the team with the burst of energy it sometimes needs off the bench to close quarters. Grant Hill, on the other hand, is the veteran who has extensive playoff experience. Even in his last season with the Phoenix Suns, which was his 17th in the league, Hill averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and started almost every game.
With the likes of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford to start the game, and Chauncey Billups, Matt Barnes, Grant Hill and Lamar Odom to provide back-up, the Clippers know that they have a talented roster that is capable of taking on any team. Now it all depends on how well the players respond to the coach and how cohesively they play on the court. If the players are able to match their expectations for next season, the Clippers will be one of the team to beat in the Western Conference, right up there with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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