Don't Believe The Hype: Disecting The Los Angeles Clippers

Alright Boppers...

Directed towards political issues in the United States during the late 1980s, Chuck D and Flava Flav's famous song "Don't Believe The Hype" can be indirectly related to the Los Angeles Clippers' overwhelming off-season.

There is no doubt that Blake Griffin will bring his "A" game next season, but the hype that surrounds Blake and his Clipper team can brainwash the uneducated basketball individual.

Griffin's 2008-09 season stats are well-worthy of his National Player of the Year Award; averaging 22.7 ppg and 11.8 rpg in his sophomore season. Leaving most of the responsibility on the shoulders of a rookie is unorthodox and, in recent history, has only been seen in 2003 when an individual by the name of LeBron James entered the league. But comparing Blake Griffin to LeBron James is not only unfair, but also too early, and besides this blog is for the Clippers, not the Cavs.

What many people are forgetting is the long and rough road the Clippers underwent to receive that first overall pick in the 2009 Draft. The Clippers lacked talent, were riddled by injuries, and the mixture of players simply did not settle.

The tailbone, the toe and the hamstring seemed to curse the season of Baron Davis, which caused many Clipper hopefuls to suffer. Acquiring Baron Davis at the time seemed like a wise decision, but as we would soon discover, the Baron Davis 'fresh off the boat of Golden State' would rot and spoil in the Staples Centre. Baron only averaged 14 ppg last season. 

In addition to Baron Davis, Marcus Camby suffered many ankle problems during last season. The injury would limit the centres true potential and ability to play the game, only averaging 10.3 ppg and a solid 11.3 rpg.

Finally, the knee of Ricky Davis seemed to doubt the players worth during his campaign with the Clippers last season; averaging a miserable 6.4 ppg.

Bringing up this dirt is quite simply proving a point. The Clippers are aging and need a fine tune up fast! Baron Davis(10 years pro), Marcus Camby(13 years pro), Ricky Davis(11 years pro), and Brian Skinner(11 years pro) are aging, and aging quick. And sure there might be room to argue that veteran-ship is a necessity on a professional basketball team, but production is also required from all players.

The upside to this dramatic story is the amount of potential this Clipper team has. Eric Gordon, Al Thornton and Chris Kaman are the catalysts to this Clipper ball squad. Averaging nearly 20 ppg, all three players are not only stars, but the faces to this franchise. And welcoming a prime and fresh Blake Griffin to the formula can lift the spirits of staff, players, and fans.

Many changes are needed to help support this Clipper project. Removing Zach Randolph to fit Quentin Richardson is a forward step towards success. Unfortunately, the dark memoirs block the potential ray of light, and only time will tell when this Clipper organization will turn right side up. So, as my man Chuck D states, "don't believe the hype."