It was a fantastic season for L.A.’s “other” team as they broke an eight-year playoff drought and came within one game of advancing to the conference finals. Sam Cassell brought leadership and intangibles, but it was Elton Brand’s ascension to the league’s upper echelon of superstars that was the true difference. The cast remains largely the same, with Tim Thomas being the only new face. That means the roles should be similar to last year, but the Clippers are certainly worth watching in the preseason as PT battles are expected between Thomas and Corey Maggette and Sam Cassell and Shaun Livingston.
The Stud: Elton Brand, PF
Fantasy nerds like us have known for a while that Elton Brand is a star, but last year was when everyone else finally caught on. He took his already all-star worthy game and raised it to MVP levels and led the Clippers to their first playoff appearance in nine years, while finishing the season #3 on the player rater, behind only Shawn Marion and LeBron James. The big jumps were in scoring and FG%, especially the latter. He shot an astounding 52.7% from the floor on just over 18 attempts per game, putting him behind only Shaquille O’Neal and Tony Parker in terms of value in that category. He blocked the third most shots in the league, grabbed the sixth most rebounds (cumulative numbers, here) and scored the 11th most points. He appeared in 79 games, which is exactly what you want from your star player. Just a dominant campaign by any measure. It’s somewhat hard to believe that Brand will be entering his eighth season in the league, but he’s still just 27 years old. He’s in his prime and while an ever-so-slight regression can be expected, he remains one of the surest bets out there. Be happy to snatch him up in the second half of the first round.
The Support: Chris Kaman, C
He’s often ridiculed (and deservedly so) for the way he looks and acts, but his owners last year certainly didn’t mind. At a position that perennially lacks consistent options, Kaman proved to be a legitimate #1 center. He has improved each season in the league and there’s no reason to expect anything different this year. He was healthy all season and finished at #51 on the player rater, finishing in the top 10 in boards and top 20 in FG% and blocks, which is what you’re looking for in a center. Kaman does turn the ball over a lot, especially for a big man, and you can expect a drop in FT% after he raised it by 11 percent last season. It would be nice to see him block just a few more shots, but his rate has remained steady through all three seasons, so don’t expect it. Instead, just hope he maintains his gains in FG%. There’s nobody behind Kaman who should really threaten him for minutes, so if he can keep his foul problems under control it wouldn’t be surprising to see him push 35 mpg. Start considering him in the fifth round in 12-team leagues.
The Supporting Support: Cuttino Mobley, SG
Mobley’s one of those unexciting players who usually drops farther than he should in the draft because he doesn’t have monster upside, and he then ends up providing decent value. He’s a very durable player who always seems to get major minutes. He finished a respectable #67 on the player rater last year (6th round value), but his season could be considered a disappointment, actually. After averaging at least five 3PA per game in three of the four previous seasons, I expected that trend to continue in Los Angeles. Instead, the Clippers attempted the second fewest 3s in the league (behind only the Magic) and Mobley connected on just 1.1 per game while hitting only 34%. He took a more passive role on the team, attempting fewer shots overall, not just from behind the arc. Expect more of the same from Mobley this season. As usual, he makes a fine, steadying pick in the middle rounds.
The Sleeper: Corey Maggette, GF
OK, we might be stretching it by calling Maggette a sleeper, but the arrival of Tim Thomas – not to mention Maggette’s injury history and the fact that he came off the bench to end the season – has some people wondering what Maggette’s role will be. Maggette has now played seven seasons as a pro and has topped 70 games just twice, but had always appeared in at last 63 before last year’s disastrous 32-game campaign. He deserves his tag as injury-prone. But the talent remains, as Maggette remains one of the league’s most explosive scorers and best fantasy assets from the free throw line. He doesn’t really help out anywhere else, although he is a solid rebounder for a SG/SF. Swingmen like Maggette who don’t help in any of the scarce categories aren’t always the best values, but there aren’t going to be many people sitting there in the sixth or seventh round that averaged 22 ppg just two seasons ago. Players like Maggette burn you when you take them too early, but once a solid foundation is set, he’s the kind of guy who can help put you over the top if things go right.
The Slacker: Tim Thomas, F
You’re not going to be the one to fall for it, are you? Please don’t be that guy. Please. We’ll feel like we didn’t do our job here at FBB. Year in and year out, Thomas is one of the biggest disappointments around. If he stopped being a disappointment lately, it’s because everyone finally gave up expecting anything from him. So don’t let 26 games and an impressive playoff run in a system that perfectly caters to his skills change your opinion of him. (All of that during a contract push, too.) Go back and read the Cuttino Mobley blurb. The Clippers attempted the second fewest 3s in the league last year, and that’s the only category in which Thomas is a real asset. He’s still a career 44% shooter who stands 6’10” yet doesn’t grab many boards or block many shots. He has his $24 million now, so don’t be surprised to see him revert to his habits that made him such a favorite of Scott Skiles (among others).
Double Dribbles: You’ll notice that the point guard situation went unaddressed above. That’s because we’re still waiting to see how the Sam Cassell/Shaun Livingston battle shakes out. Cassell was fantastic last season and while he may have received a bit too much credit for the Clippers success, he was obviously a huge part in their turnaround. He did slow down as the season wore on but still finished at #50 on the player rater despite enduring his worst shooting season this decade. We can be fairly sure that Cassell won’t improve on last season’s numbers and that he won’t receive as many minutes. That makes him a risky pick, but no more risky than Livingston … It was encouraging to see Livingston remain completely healthy after missing the season’s first 21 games last year. That almost helped to offset the fact that he didn’t really show any statistical improvement outside of a welcome drop in turnover rate and a slight improvement in FG%. The assists are nice, but he’s still nowhere near the level of Brevin Knight, Andre Miller or Jason Kidd. His height makes him better than average in rebounds and blocks at his position. It might be that both Cassell and Livingston average around 30 mpg this season, which would make both of them borderline fantasy options … Quinton Ross is one of the Eric Snow Memorial All-Stars, completely without value even with significant playing time. His fantasy relevance is tied into how many minutes he takes away from everybody listed above.