Post by GP on Jul 5, 2008 17:15:32 GMT -5
LOS ANGELES, CA- Landing the top spot in the 2008 BBS Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers were faced with many needs entering the new season. Particularly, holes at power forward and small forward were lingering as well as bench concerns. Even with Kansas State big man Michael Beasley available and rumored to be among the best of the top three candidates in the draft pool, the Clippers went in a different direction.
They decided to go with the guy they had coveted the whole time: Memphis guard Derrick Rose. Although stacked at point guard with Daniel Gibson and TJ Ford already on the roster, management felt that Rose was too much of a talent to pass up with the first pick.
"Derrick (Rose) is a special kind of player," said GM Galo Pesantes. "We were looking at two other guys at that position but really we knew we wanted him all along."
The team added another guard later in the draft with Anton Ponkrashov who was pegged as one of them most intriguing Euro products in the class. With a team heavy with guards, the Clippers went into free agency trying to address two needs: power forward and shooting guard.
The result? Ben Gordon who was lured away from the Toronto Raptors and Andris Biedrins from the New Orleans Hornets. Although both were given big and perhaps undeserving contracts, the Clippers were faced to start making changes and building this team again.
"Gordon and Biedrins should be excellent additions and fits for our team," Pesantes said. "However we are not done yet and we are always looking to make changes."
Pesantes hinted that a move of either forwards Martell Webster or Marvin Williams seemed imminent along with either Ford or Gibson changing addresses in the upcoming months.
As the Clippers continue to solidify their core, it will be intersesting to see how Rose and other youngsters on the team develop and grow into stars in the BBS.
They decided to go with the guy they had coveted the whole time: Memphis guard Derrick Rose. Although stacked at point guard with Daniel Gibson and TJ Ford already on the roster, management felt that Rose was too much of a talent to pass up with the first pick.
"Derrick (Rose) is a special kind of player," said GM Galo Pesantes. "We were looking at two other guys at that position but really we knew we wanted him all along."
The team added another guard later in the draft with Anton Ponkrashov who was pegged as one of them most intriguing Euro products in the class. With a team heavy with guards, the Clippers went into free agency trying to address two needs: power forward and shooting guard.
The result? Ben Gordon who was lured away from the Toronto Raptors and Andris Biedrins from the New Orleans Hornets. Although both were given big and perhaps undeserving contracts, the Clippers were faced to start making changes and building this team again.
"Gordon and Biedrins should be excellent additions and fits for our team," Pesantes said. "However we are not done yet and we are always looking to make changes."
Pesantes hinted that a move of either forwards Martell Webster or Marvin Williams seemed imminent along with either Ford or Gibson changing addresses in the upcoming months.
As the Clippers continue to solidify their core, it will be intersesting to see how Rose and other youngsters on the team develop and grow into stars in the BBS.
