2003 Clippers Pre-Season Presser

[aburns211]

Good Evening and Welcome to everyone who made it tonight. Last season was another one of those years that seem to happen too often around here. We had a winning season, but failed to make it into the playoffs. We made a deadline move to try to make a run at the playoffs, but injuries held us back. The big piece in that trade was bringing in the versatile Donyell Marshall. We had to send away fan-favorite Nick Van Exel to bring him in. Great news though fans, heeee'sss baaaaaacck.

That's right folks, Nick had a little vacation in Seattle, but he is back home where he belongs. We used our 1st round draft pick, Josh Howard, paired with another pick to bring him back to Los Angeles. We are very excited about this upcoming season. I want to introduce you to our starting lineup:

At Point Guard: Nick Van Exel; We already spoke a little about Nick. He is an all around point guard; a distributor who can create on his own as well. He once again led the league in assists last season. That makes 6 years in a row.

At Shooting Guard: Ricky Davis; I can't say enough about Ricky. Ricky just keeps working and keeps getting better. Very few in the PBSL can say they outwork Ricky. Don't be surprised if you see a breakout year for Ricky.

At Small Forward: Rasual Butler; Rasual is only in his second year, but he is wise beyond his years. Not to mention; the guy can shoot the rock. If you forget Rasual, he will kill you with the 3.

At Power Forward: Donyell Marshall; Donyell can do it all. He can score inside or outside, he can defend, and he can rebound. His 3 point stroke just cant get any sweeter.

At Center: Tony Battie; Tony has the most to prove of this group. He has primarily come off the bench for us the last few seasons. He will be called on to be a full time starter this season. The important thing for Tony is to focus on the little things. We dont expect him to be a double-double guy. We just want him to do clean up the glass and be tough down low. He is a team player and will fit great into his role.

If you have any questions, please fire away.

[coltsguy510]

Will this team continue to be a low seed type team or is this the season the Clippers emerge as a legitimate contender?

[aburns211]

Will this team continue to be a low seed type team or is this the season the Clippers emerge as a legitimate contender?

If we stay healthy, we are certainly a legitimate contender. The weakness of this team is the depth.

[IamQuailman]

Awarded 5 PTS!