Are Clippers better off with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby?
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Sure, it’s early to try and pass judgment on whether the Clippers have improved with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby essentially filling the void created by the free-agent departures of Corey Maggette and Elton Brand after last season. But we’re going to give it a shot anyway.
The verdict: We’re looking at pretty much of a wash. No one has come out a winner in this reshuffling. With the Clippers 1-6, Brand’s 76ers 2-5 and Maggette’s Warriors 3-5, none of the teams is tearing up the league.
Injuries have played a part. Brand is recovering from the Achilles’ injury that basically erased last season for him. He’s averaging 14.4 points and 1.4 blocked shots, both career lows.
Maggette is averaging 18.5 points, but on 35% shooting, and has missed half of Golden State’s games with a bum hamstring.
Davis has started only five of the Clippers’ seven games, Camby, only three. And it seems that the strained relationship between Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy and Maggette might evolve into an even swap with the budding relationship between Davis and the coach, as Bill Plaschke wrote this morning.
Brand spoke recently about playing in front of very vocal Philadelphia fans who would boo Mother Teresa if she missed a free throw, and told Ian Thomsen of SI.com he accepted that.
‘I remember [in 2005-06] when I was having a great season, the Clippers were having a great season and everything was about us -- and then Kobe Bryant turns around and scores 81 points. And the next day, it’s like, ‘What are those guys’ names again?’ But here, it’s about us, so I like that pressure.’
We’ll see how everyone feels in a few months. But for now, the only winners in this new setup are ... well, there aren’t any winners yet.
-- Mike James
Photo (top): Elton Brand drives to the basket. Credit: Reinhold Matay / Associated Press.
Photo (bottom): Corey Maggette slams home a shot. Credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press.
