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Two years ago, the Clippers were one game away from the Western Conference Finals. They were, for once, a hot ticket. A stunted debate about who was better between them and the Lakers rumbled around Los Angeles as they finally seemed destined to become viable competitors with their Staples Center roommates in the standings and fan allegiance.

Now, that seems as absurd as calling Shia Lebouf’s Mutt Williams character in “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” an equal to Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones.

Desperate for more than a venerable sidekick, the Clippers have the seventh pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, a comfortable place for a team that’s rarely played beyond May 1 since they moved to Los Angeles in 1984. Yet this is the beginning of an offseason littered with questions. More so than any time in recent Clipper lore, they’re faced with decisions that will drastically alter the complexion of a franchise in need of a twenty-four year makeover.

The draft also falls at an inopportune time. Corey Maggette has yet to officially terminate the final year of his contract, but all signs point to it being a mere formality. Elton Brand, while not as likely as Maggette, may do the same. During the team’s draft lottery press conference on June 23, Head Coach Mike Dunleavy said, “Overall, if both guys opt out, I think both guys want to be back in L.A. and from an organization standpoint, we want both guys back. Still, with the franchise’s best and most marketable players teetering on the edge of leaving, there is no easy way to balance it out.

Most significantly, what happens if Maggette and Brand both walk away and the Clippers receive nothing in return?

Losing both of their stars would be a franchise killer. And an ancillary problem exists even if Maggette and/or Brand don’t opt out because there is no guarantee they’ll be in Los Angeles long term. They will become unrestricted free agents after next season, unless the Clippers sign them to extensions. While their exodus would leave the team nearly $30 million under the estimated $58 million salary cap, there is hardly anyone worth spending it on via the free agent market. Investing in top-tier talent this year would be a bit like tossing a lead anchor in the Pacific Ocean and hoping that it floats.

A number of key players around the league have early termination options, but most are likely to remain with their current teams. Gilbert Arenas is rumored to be a possibility, but why would Agent Zero leave a perennial playoff team in Washington to play in L.A. without Brand, Maggette or a chance? Other potential free agents provide few alternatives, aside from entering next season with a lineup worse than last.

That is why Thursday’s seventh pick is paramount.

For weeks, many draft experts have predicted that the Clippers will select Indiana guard Eric Gordon, but that appears less likely by the hour. ESPN college basketball analyst Andy Katz said on Monday that he believes the Knicks will choose Gordon at #6. Other mock drafts have him going to Memphis one slot higher. If Gordon is gone, the Clippers might go with UCLA’s Russell Westbrook or LSU forward Anthony Randolph. Neither pick would do much to move the meter. While Westbrook is athletic and defensive minded, a positive in Dunleavy’s eyes to be certain, he’s not an outside threat the team needs. Randolph, who played one year in Baton Rogue, is long, athletic and raw. He also plays the same position as Brand, which would almost affirm that their current franchise power forward is a goner.

General Manager Elgin Baylor insists this is not the case saying, “[Off season uncertainty] will not effect who we draft.”

Draft guru Chad Ford reported on Monday that the team is trying to trade up to assure they can select Gordon, USC’s O.J. Mayo or Arizona guard Jerryd Bayless. Other rumors have indicated the Clippers may attempt to acquire an established player, including a Maggette sign-and-trade with Phoenix to obtain Leandro Barbosa or packaging Brand and the seventh pick for Shawn Marion and number two.

No matter how you spin it, the ideal choice is Gordon. NBA.com’s scouting profile calls him the complete package offensively. He can shoot from distance, create off the dribble, get to the foul line and is built for the NBA. Combining the 6’4” freshman with Al Thornton, who Dunleavy said the team valued as a top-five pick despite falling to no. 14 in 2007, would give the Clippers an athletic scoring combo and a bit of hope.

“Clearly, the idea that we go with is who is the best player at the time,” Dunleavy added. “The overall best player is always going to override need.”

Despite Dunleavy’s comments, the team’s draft track record has proven otherwise. If they stay at number seven and Gordon is the best player available it does not necessarily mean Baylor and Dunleavy will pull the trigger. In 2005, they chose unknown Russian forward Yaroslav Koralev over now proven contributors like Danny Granger, David Lee and Jason Maxiell. Koralev, who appeared in 34 games in two years and was cut before last season, proves what could go wrong. Say it comes down to Gordon or Italian point-forward Danilo Gallinari. This should be a no-brainer, like a kid choosing ice cream over Brussels sprouts. But the Clippers are lactose intolerant and they could easily make the wrong decision.

Thursday could be an opportunity to make things right.

Could be.

In a way, that’s been the rallying cry for Clippers fans for two largely forgettable decades.

EP

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