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After playing the 2007/2008 season in a fog, the sun finally broke through on the Clippers this week when Elton Brand made his first appearance of the season. Steve from Clipper Nation gives the breakdown on how Brand propelled the Clippers to victory against Seattle in his debut, something likely lost on most of Southern California a) because it happened to be on the same night as Pau Gasol returned from an ankle injury for the Lakers, and b) because no local member of the media was on hand (none of the daily papers had beat guys make the trip, since EB was supposed to come back the next night in Sacramento).

The win was nice but it was just a side note compared to the impact Elton Brand made on the game. For the first time all year, Clipper fans got a reminder of what they had been missing, and you can’t blame them for wanting the current season to end and next season to get going.

It’s been a nightmare campaign from the start for the LAC, who have dealt with enough injuries to crash a MASH unit. It all started when Shaun Livingston destroyed his knee last spring, killing his ‘06-’07 season and putting his carer in jeopardy. It got worse when Brand blew out his achilles during a summer workout. If you’re keeping score, that’s one current and one future All Star down. It didn’t get any better when the games started. Backup center Paul Davis was lost for the season, Sam Cassel was hurt most of the year before getting his wish to play for the Celtics, Cuttino Mobley has never been healthy, and finally Chris Kaman, who battled everything from his back to nasty viruses, missed games throughout and is now likely done for the year.

Suffice to say, they only thing the Clippers lead the league in this year was games lost to injury.

While it would appear on the surface that the Clippers are in tough times if you dig deeper, they have some silver linings that could pay dividends as soon as next season.

1. Going into the seasaon Chris Kaman was more famous for getting his nuts grabbed and disappointing in the first year of a big contract extension than for anything else. That all changed when he used biofeedback to become on of the best centers in the NBA.

2. Corey Maggette rediscovered his complete game. If he sticks around- a big, big if- and carry an improved floor game into next year, that’s a huge boost.

3. Al Thornton may have been the steal of the draft at the 14 slot. When was the last time a Clipper draft pick was the steal of the draft? I’d bet on never, and I’d win quite easily. He has been the second best rookie in the NBA this year, even if he was ignored for the the Freshman vs. Sophomores game All Star weekend.

4. Snagged a useful Nick Fasekis, he of the 20 PER in limited minutes. He’s nothing more then a backup center, but he could be a useful one, found on the cheap.

5. Rather than simply being mediocre, they lost enough games and will garner enough ping pong balls to make the draft interesting. They could get lucky enough to wear a Rose, and at worse should be keeping Mayo in town.

6. The Clipper Spirit got to the finals of the NBA Dance Bracket contest.

It was just two years ago that in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semis, the Clippers had the Suns down by three points with 3.6 seconds to go in OT, poised to take a 3-2 series lead. That was before Mike Dunleavy, despite having a foul to give, decided to stick seldom used rookie guard Daniel Ewing on Phoenix’s Raja Bell. Ewing lost Bell in traffic, and Bell drilled a three pointer to send the game into a second OT, where the Clips would lose.

If LA holds that lead they return to Staples with a 3 - 2 edge on the Suns and probably advance to the Conference Finals, but alas it was not to be. Instead, they win Game 6 at home, but then were blown out back in Phoenix to end the series. It seems like a lifetime ago now, but in May of 2006 the Clippers were the best they had ever been, and easily the best team in Los Angeles. Save Sam Cassel, the core of that team could be back on the court in ‘08-’09, with the addition of Thornton and a lottery pick.

That’s something worth looking forward to.

Keys for 2008/2009

1. A healthy Elton Brand. He’s one of the top 20 players in this game, easily. During the ‘05-’06 season, he was in the top ten. His production simply can’t be replaced and just getting him back on the court makes all the difference in the world. The Clippers got a taste of that in Wednesday’s win. Everyone looks better when EB is out there. There’s a chance that Elton Brand could opt out of his contract this summer, but between the injury and the financial landscape in the NBA, I think the odds favor Elton will giving the Clipper Nation at least one more season.

2. Healthy Shaun Livingston. Clearly, this is a dicier proposition, because even putting aside the devastating injuries that cost him this season, he’s still had trouble staying healthy as a pro, and his future is very much in doubt. With Brand, the Clippers know what they’re getting. Livingston is more a wild card. Maybe the Clippers get nothing from him, maybe they finally get a consistent dose of the skills that had many pundits predicting he’d be the next great point guard in the NBA.

3. The Lottery Pick. They would love a Rose, would settle for some Mayo, and a Beasley? That would take an Immaculate Ping Pong Bounce the likes of which the franchise has never seen. Dare to dream. Going into the year Mayo was considered by many to be the top pick in the draft. While Rose and Beasley elevated their games to fight for that coveted number one pick, Mayo’s stock has taken a hit. The Clippers need guard help, point or shooting, and certainly Mayo could fill the latter. My biggest fear is that they end up with the overrated Jarryd Bayless from Arizona.

Bayless has talent but I’m a bit befuddled when I see him mentioned as one of the top five players in the country. I just don’t see it.

4. Al Thorton. All summer I heard him compared to Dominique Wilkens, but 10 games into the season I figured the front office had overhyped yet another Clippers draft pick. Maybe not a complete washout- hello, Yaroslav Korolev- but I wasn’t expecting much. I figured there were reasons why a guy some figured could go as high as seventh in the draft had slippped to the Clippers at 14. But as the season went along, it became clear that the kid could play. More specifically, he can score, and he can score on anyone.

Suffice to say that while Brand’s game is generally workmanlike, if incredibly effective, Thornton’s has flare. When he’s on, Thornton can make your eyes bug out, and over the second half of the season, he’s been on a lot. Not since the Miles/Odom/Richardson days have we had a player who can light up a crowd like Al Thornton. With a full season beside Brand, the Clippers could develop something really special. If he wore purple and gold instead of red, white, and blue, he’d already be the talk of the town. Eventually, it could happen… it’ll just take a little longer playing for the second cousins of L.A. hoops.

5. Corey Maggette. Dicey, but not for the same reasons as Livingston. Like Brand, Maggette can opt out his deal this summer. The conventional wisdom says he’s ready to do it, and Maggette has played well enough this year that someone might make a him a enticing deal. If he goes, it’s very possible the Clippers could engineer a sign and trade to help facilitate the move. The last time Elgin Baylor pulled off a sign and trade it netted Sam Cassell and a future number one pick. I’d love for Maggette to stay, because I think he has a lot to offer the team, but I’m intrigued by what could be had in return for him. The Clippers already have a natural replacement for him in Thornton. Could Maggette be flipped for some help at guard? Maybe Kirk Hinrich?

6. Cutino Mobley. He can’t stay healthy, but if he could manage it, Mobley would be a valuable and important asset as a sixth man.

7. Chris Kaman. He can score with either hand, block shots, rebounds, and run the floor. Over the first half of this season, he put all of that together and became one of the best all around centers in the game. Brand must be salivating to play with Kaman 2.0, and given that together they could be one of the best 4/5 combos in the league next season, fans anxious to see it happen, too.

Just looking at the numbers for the ‘07-’08 season, no doubt things seem dark. But while the skies are gray today in the Clipper Nation, in a few months things might be much rosier, no matter how the ping pong balls bounce.

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