Acquiring Marcus Camby Means Clippers Will Play At Fast Clip

Another day, another episode of “As the Pacific Division Turns,” this time with Marcus Camby joining the remade Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite his reputation as a stellar defender, Camby has never been able to defend any opponent with bulk, routinely leaves himself out of position by chasing ball penetration, overreacts from the weak side, and doesn’t try to alter shots he can’t block.

Still, despite those flaws (as well as the fact that Camby shoots far too many jumpers for a player with as limited an offensive game as he possesses), Camby can be a boon to the Clippers for several reasons.

• Because Chris Kaman is an adequate post defender, he can draw the task of defending the majority of powerful post up threats leaving Camby free to swat shots from the weak side.

• Camby and Kaman should be able to hold their own on the boards against most opposing teams.

• With Camby and Kaman’s rebounding prowess and willingness to run the floor, the Clippers can conceivably become a formidable open court team. With Baron Davis’ open court skills, and Al Thornton’s athleticism, the Clippers have the makings of a very powerful fast break.

• Since Davis and Thornton double as turnstile perimeter defenders, Camby’s ability to reject dribble penetrators will be a necessary asset.

• After Elton Brand and Corey Maggette spurned them at the altar, the Clippers needed another big name replacement to help keep L.A.’s other team relevant.

In fact, whereas the Clippers were dead in the water before Camby, they now have an honest chance of capturing an eight seed, even in the carnivorous Western Conference.

As for the Nuggets, this is what happens when you shell out bad contract after bad contract to over-hyped (Kenyon Martin), unproven (Nene) players. Eventually there comes a time when the money runs out and you have to be sellers rather than buyers.

Pity for Denver, their strategy of shelling out expensive contracts to individualistic, defenseless players garnered them exactly zero playoff series victories in Camby’s time.

With Camby and the ever under-appreciated Eduardo Najera gone, Denver is now devoid of players with any concern to playing defense, and is devoid of the omnipresent safety valve who cleaned up his teammates constant defensive mistakes.

Perhaps Camby’s absence will force Carmelo, Iverson, and the rest of the Nuggets to buckle down on the defensive end. Or more probable, perhaps the Clippers, Golden State, and Portland will simply pass the Nuggets right by in the Western Conference pecking order.