PLAYER NEWS: --F Brian Skinner has been in the NBA for a while now, and probably knows he won't see too much daylight for the Clips in 2009-10. However, it would be a surprise if his lack of playing time became a negative, burdensome factor for the team, considering the professionalism that he has displayed throughout his career. Expect Skinner to get maybe 5 or 10 minutes of playing time whiel delivering hustle, exemplary post defense and solid rebounding. --C Chris Kaman has quickly become an even more important member of this team as the season approaches. Even with all of the new additions, the Clippers have little to offer in terms of depth and experience up front, and if young C DeAndre Jordan goes down for an extended period of time, Kaman will be asked to score and rebound at even higher rates. Kaman is known for his hard work and quiet demeanor, but the Clips may need him to do even more next season if the team is to hold its own against other noteworthy Western Conference bigs, such as Tim Duncan and Pau Gasol.
--G Eric Gordon doesn't appear to be the type who's shaken by poor play against elite competition, but he must have been at least a little unnerved by the less-than-satisfactory shooting and overall skill set he displayed while trying out for Team U.S.A. over the summer.
Gordon is a guy who has the passing and long-distance marksmanship skills to become an elite guard in the NBA, as he showed last season. But if coming up short against the country's best got into his head and affected his game, he may take a step backward in his development before he can morph into an All-Star for the Clips.
DRAFT PICK:
Blake Griffin, F, 6-10, Oklahoma (first round) -- The top pick in the draft, Griffin was considered the clear-cut best overall player available, and with an NBA-ready game and build, he's expected to play major minutes as a rookie and become the face of the franchise.
