The "Fresh Start" Los Angeles Clippers

The old wine and beer metaphors usually picture the Los Angeles Clippers as the dregs at the bottom of the NBA barrel. All that was supposed to change this summer.

In the lead-up to this year's historical off-season free agent signing period, the Clippers postured and posed as if they were in the consideration for a top-flight talent like Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson or Rudy Gay.

They had the money. They had the need. And by most accounts Los Angeles is a nice place to live if you've got pro-athlete money.

However, heading into training camp, the Clippers still don't have one thing - a big name free agent.

At first blush, we may assume that this was a failed off-season for the Clippers. With no Lebron or Wade, there was no success. This could prove to be the case, but it isn't over yet.

Sixteen months ago, the Clippers began the off-season with the number one pick in the NBA draft, selecting Blake Griffin. Griffin was hailed as one of the most NBA-ready draft picks in recent memory. He played extremely well in training camp and in pre-season games.

Then he suffered a season-ending knee injury before the first official whistle had a chance to blow.

Yet, he remains Blake Griffin. Recovered from his injury, he is the same explosively athletic, NBA-ready player he was sixteen months ago.

That is encouraging news for Clipper fans.

And though the team didn't manage to land a marquee name, the Clippers did sign on some new talent. Point guard Randy Foye and forward Ryan Gomes are coming to Los Angeles as free agent pick-ups.

Foye and Gomes are both solid players who have proven their qualities. Though they both may have more to prove in terms of any legacy they may leave behind them in the NBA, there is no doubt that these two players belong in the league.

So many of the Clippers hopes have been pinned to unproven young players or to salvation-style free agents in the last few years that the signing of two middle-of-the-road role players is a welcome departure for the harried "second franchise" of Los Angeles.

Clippers fans should feel good going into the 2010-2011 season.

With a healthy Blake Griffin starting at power-forward and the two new additions to the team, there is suddenly a solid line-up in place. Griffin, Foye, and Gomes join shooting guard Eric Gordon (a member of the USA national team), point guard Baron Davis, and center Chris Kaman. That really is not a bad line-up. It boasts a nice mix of youth, experience, talent and attitude.

There are plenty of teams who would want to trade places with the Clippers given these six players in healthy condition.

The roster is rounded out by shooting specialist Brain Cook and swing-man Rasual Butler, who had one of the best seasons of his career last year as a Clipper.

Don't expect this team to win a championship, but there is every reason to believe that they could make the playoffs.
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The Clippers have also divorced themselves from former coach and now former general manager, Mike Dunleavy, hiring Vinny Del Negro as head coach. Del Negro coached the Chicago Bulls in his first season as a head coach last year with some success.