--F Curtis Sumpter failed in his bid, for the third straight year, to hook on with an NBA team. The rookie free agent out of Villanova was signed as a free agent several days before training camp but was waived after appearing in two exhibition games. Sumpter was in training camp the past two years with the Denver Nuggets.
--F Al Thornton's third-year option was picked up, as expected, and the Clippers' emerging star now is signed through the 2009-10 season. Following that season, Thornton will be a restricted free agent, which means the Clippers could match any offer sheet he signed with another team. So far, Thornton is the team's leading scorer during the preseason, averaging 16.2 points per game. With the departure of Corey Maggette and Elton Brand, Thornton very well could average 20 points per game this season. --G Baron Davis has been slowed by a finger injury, which was deemed serious enough that he had to see a hand specialist recently. Davis might be the most indispensable starter the Clippers have and any sustained absence by him would be detrimental. Backing him up are veteran Jason Hart and rookie Mike Taylor.
Hart is an efficient, no-frills point guard, who thus far in the preseason is averaging only 5.6 points and 2.7 assists per game but mixes that in with only .57 turnovers per game. In contrast, Taylor is averaging 12.6 points and 4.6 assists but a team-high 3.29 turnovers.
--C Chris Kaman has gotten off to a slow start, which he hopes is not an ominous sign going into the regular season. In six exhibition games, Kaman was averaging seven points and 6.3 rebounds, while only shooting 33 percent from the field. Until he suffered a series of late-season injuries, Kaman was a leading candidate for the NBA's Most Improved Player award in 2007-2008. Through the first 39 games, he had 20 points-rebounds double-doubles. He missed three other double-doubles by scoring nine points on three separate occasions.
--C Jelani McCoy might have found a home, as a backup post player, even if it is only temporary. Summer free-agent acquisition Marcus Camby has missed the entire preseason, first due to lingering effects of the flu, followed by a bruised heel. His unavailability provided ample opportunity for the journeyman McCoy to get plenty of practice repetitions and game action and McCoy has delivered.
However, because McCoy is operating on a non-guaranteed contract, he would have to remain on the roster past the second week in January to be guaranteed for the entire season. McCoy's dilemma is that the roster currently stands at 15 players and Coach Mike Dunleavy prefers to carry 14 players to start the season.
Veteran F Ruben Patterson faced a similar situation last season and although he made the opening-night roster, Patterson subsequently was waived in December.
MAIN REASON CLIPPERS CAN WIN: With Baron Davis igniting the fast break and second-year F Al Thornton filling the lane, the Clippers should score many more easy baskets than they did a year ago. Several newcomers, namely Ricky Davis and Marcus Camby, will play with a purpose, striving to prove that the teams that gave up on them made big mistakes.
MAIN REASON CLIPPERS CAN LOSE: Perimeter defense looms as a problem, with no established stopper. Continuity will take time to establish, with so many new players on the team. The Clippers will have to keep their turnover count down since the defense does not cause a lot of opponent turnovers.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm not worried about any of that now -- starters, rotation or minutes." -- Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, when asked if he would have any difficulty in establishing his starting lineup and substitution pattern once the regular season began.
