Los Angeles Clippers: Who Should They Have Taken in Past NBA Drafts?
When you cover a team like the Lakers, you get to write about the wonder of Kobe, the consistency of Pau or the athleticism of Shannon.
If you cover the Clippers, well, you have to come up with things. I mean, how many articles can you write about Blake Griffin dunking like no other, Eric Gordon's amazing improvement from last year or the team's potential?
Don't feel bad for me, I chose this.
I'm like an addict. I want to stop. I know it's bad for me, but I just can't seem to walk away.
I'm like the three pack-a-day smoker who keeps hoping and praying for that scientific breakthrough that proves those ads in the 50's that touted the benefits of lighting up were right after all! I want to be able to yell, at the top of my tar covered lungs, I TOLD YOU SO!
One day, the Clippers will be as good on the court as they are on paper. I know it, *puff puff.* I just know it *blowing a perfect smoke circle.*
In the interim, let's take a look back at what might of been.
This is a completely unfair article in a lot of respects. All I wanted to do was to look back at the Clippers draft history to see who they passed on and to see what the team might look like today if they hadn't passed on a certain player.
My criteria is simple. I am looking only at the first round and at players that were on the board when it came time for the Clippers to pick. Also, the Clippers' draft position would have been much better if say, they drafted Kobe in 1996. I am suspending belief for this right now, however, and keeping the draft positions the same.
I'm also assuming that Clipper management would have kept these players. That's right, I'm working under the assumption that each player would have wanted to stay and the owner would have paid them.
I told you it was a completely unfair, and admittedly unrealistic article.
If you happen to be a Clipper fan, then proceed with caution. This isn't pretty.
1995
1 of 12
Clippers picked Antonio McDyess
Clippers should have picked Kevin Garnett
KG has been in the news lately and not for particularly good things. Hard to argue the numbers however, 20-10-5 for a decade would have been a nice to have in L.A.
1996
2 of 12
Clippers picked Lorenzen Wright
Clippers should have picked Kobe Bryant
The Clippers weren't the only team blindsided by this kids talent. Seems like the only person with an idea as to what Bryant could one day be was The Logo.
1997
3 of 12
Clippers picked Maurice Taylor
Clippers should have picked Anthony Parker
Nothing too earth-shattering here. I went with Parker over the Clippers original pick mostly because Parker is still contributing in the Association while Taylor is earning Euros while playing for a team called Benetton Treviso.
1998
4 of 12
Clippers picked Michael Olowokandi and Brian Skinner
Clippers should have picked Dirk Nowitzki and Al Harrington
Right about now, you have the makings of a pretty darn good team. Nowitzki took a while to blossom, as did Bryant, but imagine what this team would have looked like just after three years of drafting right.
1999
5 of 12
Clippers picked Lamar Odom
Clippers should have picked Lamar Odom
L.O. would have never left the Clippers if he was playing with KG, Bryant, Nowitzki and company.
2000
6 of 12
Clippers picked Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson
Clippers should have picked Mike Miller and Mo Peterson
This is a tough one because Miles and Richardson injected some excitement in L.A. with that silly forehead bump they performed after each bucket. This was the start of a good era in Clipper basketball; looking back, the best era in Clipper basketball. It started with the drafting of Miles and Richardson.
Hindsight being 20-20 however, Miller is a better fit for this team we are building now. Mark Madsen was also available at the time they should have picked Peterson. I loved the idea of having Madsen on this team to do the funky chicken at the parade, but opted for Peterson instead.
2001
7 of 12
Clippers picked Tyson Chandler
Clippers should have picked Pau Gasol
I know, this is starting to look a lot like another team currently in the Association. I'm just picking the best player at the time; it's purely coincidence that these are the players selected. Says a lot about that other team in L.A. though, doesn't it?
The Clippers sharing the same city as the Lakers is like Democrats and Republicans agreeing, dogs and cats getting along, Felix and Oscar living together. It's sad to see how these two clubs' fortunes have been over the last 10 years. Well, sad if you follow the Clippers. If you are a Laker fan, then go ahead and smile.
2002
8 of 12
Clippers picked Chris Wilcox and Melvin Ely
Clippers should have picked Amar'e Stoudemire and Tayshaun Prince
I know the Clippers took a long look at Stoudemire before passing on the high schooler. No idea if Prince was ever on their radar, but given the Clippers' draft history the last few years, it's doubtful.
2003
9 of 12
Clippers picked Chris Kaman
Clippers should have picked Chris Kaman
The draft is not a perfect science. Every team has a skeleton in their draft closet. I suppose picking two "right" players (Lamar Odom and Chris Kaman) in seven years isn't bad. What makes the Clippers the Clippers is that they couldn't keep the "right" players and their other picks were so bad that they overshadowed the few times they did choose wisely.
2004
10 of 12
Clippers picked Shaun Livingston
Clippers should have picked Devin Harris
This one is also difficult because of who Livingston could have been. Most outside of L.A. only remembering the horrific injury he suffered, but before that the dude showed signs of being special.
Once again however, we have to rely on the perfect vision that hindsight provides us and go with Harris. We need a steady player at the 1 to catapult this team, that by now is a perennial championship contender, to the next level.
2005
11 of 12
Clippers picked Yaroslav Korolev
Clippers should have picked Danny Granger
I suppose the Clippers thought they had the next Dirk Nowitzki when they drafted Korolev. If they would have played their cards right, they would have already had Nowitzki and a few championships by now.
Ladies and Gentlemen, YOUR LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS!
12 of 12
In 2006 the Clippers didn't have a pick. In the following three years they seem to have chosen wisely by drafting Al Thornton, Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin. Thornton looks like a steady contributor for the Wizards and you already know about Gordon and Griffin. Maybe, just maybe, the franchise can build something around their two cornerstones.
If they had done a similar job of picking players from 1995 through 2005 though, look at the team they could have had. Is there any doubt this team would have owned L.A. and made the Lakers an after thought?
Starting Five
Kobe Bryant
Devin Harris
Pau Gasol
Amar'e Stoudemire
Dirk Nowitzki
Second Unit
Mike Miller
Mo Peterson
Chris Kaman
Lamar Odom
Danny Granger
Spot Players
Al Harrington
Tayshaun Prince
Anthony Parker
Kevin Garnett
