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When word broke that the Los Angeles Clippers had acquired 2007 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby in exchange for allowing the Denver Nuggets carte blanche to swap out second round picks in 2010, my first reaction was mild confusion. I know the Clippers desperately needed to find a replacement (not to mention rejuvenation) after the unexpected, bitter loss of Elton Brand, but a 34-year old Marcus Camby? With free agency still in bloom and the Clips stating a desire to be movers and/or shakers? Seriously?

Some 48 hours (and some deep research) now passed, my take on the deal (which utilizes CBA rules allowing teams under the salary cap- like the Clippers- to trade without the normal salary matching requirements) is a little different.

It definitely makes sense. Turns out I’m just underwhelmed, which is what disappoints me the most.
Clearly, a “no harm, no foul” element is at play (one sitting none too well with Camby). As already mentioned, the Clippers give up nothing for the veteran C/PF, who’s virtually guaranteed to improve the red, white and blue’s defensive and rebounding. He’s one of the league’s best weak side helpers, and between him and Chris Kaman (who averaged nearly three swats and thirteen boards per game), opponents could find some pretty tough sledding in the paint.

On the offensive end, however, Camby is no EB. Not even close. Yes, he can hit from around fifteen feet and oop whatever gets alleyed his way. But he’ll also never draw close to the attention Brand gets, which could cut down on the single teams and general operating room Kaman sees. Granted, the German Olympian succeeded last season as the team’s main interior scorer, but the Clippers had visions of Brand and Kaman forming one of the NBA’s top front courts. Along those lines, Kaman/Camby can’t help but make you wish the front office had done better.

Or more specifically, if they could have done better.

Once Brand’s cheesesteak defection became official, word around the campfire had the Clippers making a hard push for restricted free agents Josh Smith (who had dinner with Clippers Prez Andy Roeser) or Emeka Okafor. Mind you, both players would require big dollars. Did Okafor’s perhaps limited offensive skills and Smith’s perhaps questionable attitude and redundancy with Al Thornton make that seem like money ill spent? Maybe the Clippers figured any offer would be matched, so why bother tying up finances waiting for the inevitable (although if an SI report is accurate, there could be complications for Atlanta with keeping Smith).

From there, the only FA’s of note are Luol Deng (likely matched, see Thornton/Smith redundancy), Ben Gordon (the Clips already drafted him, but with first name “Eric”), Andre Iguodala (the Sixers will match any offer after snatching EB), Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis, (the Clips have similar players and the Warriors want to keep both). From there, the impact guy pickings run even slimmer.

But keep in mind, there is life beyond this upcoming season. Should the Clips have sat on the extra dough and thrown it at somebody on the market in the ‘09 summer? That’s what I wondered, but I was again skeptical of a perfect fit waiting in the wings after checking out some names available:

Drew Gooden (let someone else badly overpay him), Rasheed Wallace (too old, too big a hassle), Jason Maxiell (if the Pistons can’t afford to keep him, the Clips can’t afford to get him), Danny Granger (the Pacers ain’t letting him leave and I don’t see Granger signing with a team that predicted he’d turn out worse than Yaroslav Koralev), Shawn Marion (bristled in Phoenix about being a third banana, which he’d likely end up here), David Lee (if he’s still a Knick by then, I doubt they’ll let him go), and Chris Wilcox (been there, apparently didn’t like doing that), Ron Artest (Ron-Ron + long term deal = scary dice roll), Deron Williams (no way in hell Utah will get outbid) and Carlos Boozer (if he opts out of his deal, it’ll be for a new one the Clips can’t afford)

Oh, and Lamar Odom. I’ll go out on a limb and say that ain’t happening.

Thus, it’s easy to believe the Clippers, like many teams, see the 2010 free agency sweepstakes as the one worth entering. Candidates includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Rudy Gay, Chris Bosh, Richard Jefferson, Michael Redd, Yao Ming and Amare Stoudemire. Taking on Camby doesn’t hinder that M.O., since his deal expires in 2010 (Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley also exit the books for an extra 16 mil). Whether the firm of Sterling, Baylor & Dunleavy will emerge a player in the race remains to be seen, but if nothing else, they won’t prevent themselves from signing up.

Now convinced that the Clippers are likely no worse off having made this deal, it just comes down to the effect I think Camby will have. Can he pick up for Brand and help make the Clips a playoff team? Possibly, but it’s no lock. Save perhaps Dallas, I don’t see any of 2008’s top 7 teams failing to make the postseason, a rash of injuries aside. So how would the 8 spot play out? Camby’s departure could eliminate his always dysfunctional former squad from the running (if you think Denver’s D was crappy before…) and the new Golden State Warriors must be seen before believed, so there are two squads L.A. could skip past.

Then again, we have no idea what the Clippers will be, either.

And in the meantime, Portland grew up fast, has a year of maturity under their belt and if Greg Oden is close to what the Blazers envision, they could jockey the Clippers back into the lottery. But even if the Clippers manage to play some late-April round ball, it’s hard to picture any noise coming from it. “Pie in the sky/never say never” aside, do you really see them eliminating the Lakers, Hornets or Spurs?

Me, neither.

And I guess that’s the most disappointing part of the Camby acquisition. It feels anticlimactic, especially on the heels of what could have been. It also strikes me as a typical day at the office for Clipper fans (who must feel like a hamster running furiously nowhere in a wheel by now). The proverbial “hump” often seems to be within spitting distance. You can see it, touch it, maybe even climb it a bit. But it’s never scaled, a feeling that must be extremely frustrating for the die hards of L.A.’s “other team.”

For those familiar with Greek mythology, I think the Clips should use the remainder of their cap space to sign Sisyphus. Dude loves the rock but appears destined never to achieve glory with it. He’ll fit right in.

AK

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