Welcome back to my lengthy and comprehensive ranking of all the Clippers players to suit up for the team throughout the 2010’s decade. This time, we are diving into some forgettable role players. These are differentiated from the previous batch of “Forgotten Ones” mostly because at one point or another, they actually played legitimate rotation minutes for the Clips.

As for why they weren’t in the “Disappointments” or “Villains” category, these players came in with low enough expectations and played few enough minutes that they weren’t able to do much harm to the team or the fan’s collective psyche. Heck, a couple of these more forgettable role players might even be remembered slightly positively! All that said, let’s dive in!

85. Stephen Jackson

Seasons Played: 1 (2013 – 2014)

Games Played: 9

Stats: 1.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.7 steals in 11.9 minutes per game on 23.1/7.1/50 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: I didn’t remember Jackson being quite this bad while on the Clippers, but boy are these numbers brutal. Jackson was brought in to provide some wing size and scoring for a Lob City team that lacked scorers on the perimeter that stood taller than 6’4”, but Jackson was completely washed up, and failed to make a positive impact in just about any facet of the game. It’s probably for the best that I don’t recall too much else, because his stint was not pretty (and was the end of the road for him in the NBA). It’s also good I have no fond memories of him as a Clipper, because he’s made some extremely insensitive and hateful statements the past couple weeks.

84. Bobby Brown

Seasons Played: 1 (2009 – 2010)

Games Played: 23

Stats: 3.0 points, 0.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.3 steals in 8.3 minutes per game on 32.9/28.1/71.4 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Brown was one of those smaller combo guards who was kind of in vogue back in the late 2000’s, but unfortunately was not very good for the Clippers. He’s not a bad playmaker, and his assist numbers (per 36 minutes) bear that out, but he just couldn’t hit shots, and that was supposed to be his calling card. There’s not a ton else to say about Bobby, except for the fact that he was out of the NBA for a number of years before making a return in the late 2010’s on the Rockets after a successful career overseas.

83. Antawn Jamison

Seasons Played: 1 (2013 – 2014)

Games Played: 22

Stats: 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.4 steals in 11.3 minutes per game on 31.5/19.5/72 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: I’ve probably gone through about 10 players on the 2014 team so far in these rankings, a mark of just how poor the depth was around the awesome Core 4 center. Jamison was coming off a fairly solid season for a decent Lakers team the year before, but just fell off an absolute cliff for the Clippers in his mid-30s. He was as awful as ever on defense, a black hole in the post, and failed to connect from deep as a stretch big. The main plus for Jamison was that teams did respect his shot despite his misfires, so he provided some spacing, but that was about it. A sad end to a very nice career.

82. Brian Skinner

Seasons Played: 1 (2009 – 2010), also played with Clips from 1998 – 2001 and 2008 – 2009 as well

Games Played: 16

Stats: 1.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks in 7.7 minutes per game on 40/0/75 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Brian Skinner is a guy who would rate much higher if you counted his early years with the Clips (with whom he entered the NBA), or even his 2009 season. However, just in the 2010s decade, he played a mere 16 games and was clearly washed up. He still brought a tough presence to the court, and was a good veteran to have in a young locker room, but his play is best left forgotten.

81. Jarron Collins

Seasons Played: 1 (2010 – 2011)

Games Played: 23

Stats: 0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.2 steals in 6.8 minutes per game on 33.3/0/70 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Collins, funnily enough, filled a very similar role to Skinner, just a year later. He was a low-usage big man veteran who gave the Clippers some vaguely useful minutes as a post defender and rim protector, but could not do much of anything offensively. Never an offensive threat in the NBA, at this stage of his career Jarron was virtually useless on that end, which prevented him from getting more minutes or being a positive player. Perhaps nobody defines the category of “forgettable role players” better than Jarron Collins. Still, he served his purpose as a third-string big.

80. Dahntay Jones

Seasons Played: 1 (2014 – 2015)

Games Played: 33

Stats: 0.6 points, 0.3 rebounds, 0.1 assists, and 0.1 steals in 3.7 minutes per game on 28.6/0/81.8 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Dahntay Jones was one of the endless string of veterans who was brought in to try to plug the Clippers’ hole on the wing in the late Lob City years. For a wing in the modern NBA era, he was a singularly non-existent threat as a shooter, and certainly hadn’t improved at age 33. Still, he had made a decade-plus career due to his defense, and he still maintained some of that in his time with the Clippers. Doc Rivers used him in certain situations (end of shot clock, end of quarter, etc.) where his defense could be helpful, and at times, it was. But overall, his lack of offensive game limited him to this situational role.

79. Nate Robinson

Seasons Played: 1 (2014 – 2015)

Games Played: 9

Stats: 5.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.7 steals in 14 minutes per game on 33.3/35/83.3 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Nate Robinson was a fan favorite (far from the forgettable role players of the world) early in his career due to his undersized stature and explosive athleticism, and fans were excited for his signing, especially as he was only a season removed from being a solid enough role player for the Nuggets. Unfortunately, the “end” comes quickly for small NBA players, especially when they rely on athleticism, and Robinson had lost the half-step that had kept him in the NBA. He could no longer get to the basket, instead chucking up jumpers, which he was not able to hit at a high rate. While he was able to score and play make a bit, he did not do so efficiently, and didn’t receive any minutes in the playoffs. Still, he had a couple fun games, and that’s worth something.

78. Bobby Simmons

Seasons Played: 1 (2011 – 2012), also played with Clips from 2003 – 2005

Games Played: 28

Stats: 2.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.4 steals in 14.9 minutes per game on 31.1/33.3/57.1 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Bobby Simmons had one of the great (yes, great) one-off seasons in Clippers history when he exploded from obscurity in 2004 to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. However, he was far removed from that in 2011, when he joined the first Lob City team to add an alternate option to Ryan Gomes as a backup wing. Unfortunately, the magic was not there for Bobby, who struggled to connect on two-point shots and was only mediocre from deep. Combine that with merely acceptable defense and Bobby never settled into the role that Clippers fans might have hoped.

77. Alan Anderson

Seasons Played: 1 (2016 – 2017)

Games Played: 30

Stats: 2.9 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.1 steals in 10.3 minutes per game on 37.5/31.8/75 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Alan Anderson was considered a sneaky good signing at the end of summer 2016. His previous season with the Wiz had been cut short due to injury, but his previous four seasons he’d been a solid role player with good Raptors and Nets teams. Unfortunately, that injury combined with age sapped a bit of Anderson’s juice as a defender as well as the lift on his jumper, and with lessened abilities in both the “3” and “D” elements of the game, Anderson wasn’t all that useful. He wasn’t absolutely awful, and played more minutes than you might recall, but he was still a bit of a disappointment, which fits him snugly into the “forgettable role players” bucket.

76. Jordan Hamilton

Seasons Played: 1 (2014 – 2015)

Games Played: 14

Stats: 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.1 steals in 8.7 minutes per game on 40/47.6/0 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Jordan Hamilton was an exciting add for Clippers fans because he was a late-season signing of a young player with potential rather than a mid-30s vet with one foot out of the league. Hamilton didn’t end up sticking around with the Clippers or in the NBA (though it’s a bit unclear why – his stats were solid enough), but he wasn’t all that bad in the handful of games he did play for the Clips. He notably had a game where he contributed to an actual win on the road in Minnesota, and showed flashes of real scoring ability in his brief appearances. He didn’t have much of an impact, but for the type of signing he was, he wasn’t bad.

75. Jeff Ayres

Seasons Played: 1 (2015 – 2016)

Games Played: 17

Stats: 1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.2 blocks in 6.3 minutes per game on 52.2/0/100 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: After a couple season of being a role player on extremely good Spurs teams (including the 2014 squad, widely regarded as one of the greatest ever), one would think there might have been a market for Ayres. However, there wasn’t, as the Clippers picked him up on a 10 day contract before signing him for the rest of the season. Ayres didn’t play much, but in his 100+ plus minutes he was a perfectly serviceable backup center who could rebound, dunk, and play a bit of defense.

Well, these forgettable role players seem like a pretty good place to stop for right now. In the rankings, we have finally hit a point where players’ contributions start to become positive (however slightly) over negative. In 2020, Clippers basketball is back, which means offseason content like this series gets pushed to the backburner. Have no fear! This series will return after the playoffs (hopefully in late October), at which point we will finally start diving into some beloved Clippers.

Ranking Clippers Players of 2010s, 85-75: Forgettable Role Players
Robert Flom

This is the second part at my look at players who disappointed in a Clippers uniform in the 2010s, but weren’t quite bad enough to be regarded as villains. Check out part one here.

106. C.J. Wilcox

Seasons Played: 2 (2014-2016)

Games Played: 44 games (none started)

Stats: 2.5 points, 0.4 assists, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.3 steals in 6.1 minutes per game on 40.4/38.1/78.6 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: C.J. Wilcox, like the soon-to-be-discussed Reggie Bullock, was an older college player who was regarded as a ready-now asset for a contending team. He received even fewer opportunities than Bullock, riding the pine for most of his two seasons on the team. In his rare appearances, he showed flashes of promise, with a handful of threes and some energetic defense displaying the abilities that saw him get selected. It simply was never enough for him to earn minutes over the veterans ahead of him on the depth chart, and he was traded for a second round pick after the 2016 season. The Clippers desperately needed big wings and bench scoring in those seasons, and Wilcox’s inabilities to fill those gaps were a real disappointment at the time. Poor C.J. was never really able to find his footing in the NBA – he’s been on several two-way deals since, but has suffered major injuries, and nearing 30, is unlikely to make much of an NBA comeback.

105. Ryan Gomes

Seasons Played: 2 (2010-2012)

Games Played: 108 (64 started)

Stats: 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.7 steals in 23.3 minutes per game on 39.7/31.7/71.9 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Gomes was signed to a multi-year deal by the Clippers after a couple solid seasons in Minnesota, but was regarded from the start as a disappointing acquisition by Clippers’ fans who were dreaming bigger in free agency with Blake Griffin, Baron Davis, and Eric Gordon in the fold. Gomes’ numbers fell across the board in his first season with the team, and proved to be an ineffective starting small forward (the first of many such in this decade). However, he was competent, at least, and it was hoped that he could provide some decent minutes off the bench in the following seasons with Caron Butler as the starter. This did not happen – Gomes’ play deteriorated further, with all his confidence lost. He was cut after the 2012 season with the Clippers eating the last year of his contract, playing in only five more NBA games afterwards. Clippers’ fans mostly remember him for several end-of-game inbounding gaffes and his wayward shot, with few fond memories (though his first season numbers, in retrospect, aren’t that bad). Again, he was the first small forward disappointment, but far, far from the last.

104. Reggie Bullock

Seasons Played: 2 (2013-2015)

Games Played: 68 (2 started)

Stats: 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.3 steals in 9.7 minutes per game on 37.7/33/78.6 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Drafted with a precious 1^st round pick into the height of the Lob City era, Bullock was billed as a ready-now player, a big wing who could really shoot. However, he played in just over half the Clips’ games during his rookie season, much to the chagrin of fans who wanted to see more. When he did play, he was mostly ineffective, and while he improved slightly in his second season, he remained untrusted by the Clippers’ coaching staff. He was therefore flipped for coach Doc Rivers’ son Austin in what was a highly panned move at the time. Rivers was coming off several atrocious seasons of his own, and Bullock was regarding as having greater potential. The move ended up paying off for both parties, as Bullock was able to turn his career around a year later in Detroit, while Rivers grew into a fan favorite and one of the better role players of the latter Lob City era. Bullock himself never did much as a Clipper, and was certainly a disappointment as a 1^st round pick, but at least his tenure led to Austin.

103. Chris Douglas Roberts

Seasons Played: 1 (2014-2015)

Games Played: 12 (none started)

Stats: 1.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.1 steals in 8.6 minutes per game on 23.8/14.3/100 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: The Clippers were constantly desperate for a wing to fill the 5^th starting spot, and CDR was just one of their attempts to plug the hole. Unfortunately, after some hype in preseason, CDR proved utterly ineffective in his brief appearances, and was soon consigned to the bench. He was later included in the Reggie Bullock-Austin Rivers trade, and never played in the NBA again. Another minimum signing, CDR was still coming off a pretty solid season with the Hornets, and his complete lack of impact was another blow to what was supposed to be the Clippers’ season.

102. Byron Mullens

Seasons Played: 1 (2013-2014)

Games Played: 27 (none started)

Stats: 2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists, and 0.2 steals in 6.2 minutes per game on 40.6/33.3/33.3 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Mullens had a semi breakout in 2013 as a 23 year old who moved behind the line to be a stretch big man. The Clippers signed him in that role, and he utterly failed. He couldn’t hit shots from outside, brought nothing else to the table offensively, and was a dreadful defender. Mullens was brought in on a minimum deal so it’s hard to be too disappointed in what he brought to the table, but 2014 was maybe the Clippers’ best chance at winning a title or at least making a Western Conference Finals run, and whiffing completely on a free agent signing hurt the Clips. The Clips traded Mullens mid-season for essentially nothing, and he was shortly out of the NBA. This was also Doc’s first of many failed attempts to bring in a stretch big, and while Mullens was the least effective, he was not even the most harmful (see Hawes, Spencer).

101. Trey Thompkins

Seasons Played: 1 (2011-2012)

Games Played: 24 (none started)

Stats: 2.4 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.1 assists, and 0.1 blocks in 5.0 minutes per game on 39.3/30.8/71.4 shooting splits.

The Lowdown: Thompkins was selected with the 37^th pick in the 2011 draft, but was considered a steal at that range who fell due to attitude issues, not talent. Unfortunately, he never really got a chance to enter the Clippers’ rotation as the arrival of Chris Paul meant a shift in expectations towards playoff contention, not player development. He suffered a bone bruise in the summer of 2012 and never played for the Clippers again, being waived in March 2013. Since then, he’s had a phenomenal overseas career, playing a major role on some excellent Real Madrid teams as a stretch big man who can punish mismatches in the post. The two reasons he’s on this “disappointment” list versus the next one on “non-factors” is that Clippers fans had real expectations for him, and the player he developed into could have been a real help for the Clippers over the years. Still, good for Trey on turning his career around post-NBA.

With this post, we are now at the 100th spot in the all-decade rankings list, which is a good time to start our progression from players who left a negative presence towards those who made a positive one. But first, we will take a look at players who didn’t make an impact at all, and might be tough for fans to remember.

Ranking Clippers Players of the 2010s: 106-101, The Disappointments Part II
Robert Flom

So, not much is going on in the NBA right now. The only thing that people are talking about on Twitter is the NBA player’s 2K tournament which… is not the kind of content I crave. With the 2020 NBA season in limbo, it’s also rather difficult to focus on recent events, or think about who might win the championship this year. Erik’s recent articles on the modern Clippers over the past week have instead pushed me to think more about the past. Specifically, I can’t help but think about the Lob City era and the last time the Clippers were contenders. That look backwards together with some of the highlight mixes popping up on Twitter for random players has inspired in me a desire to rank every Clippers player of the 2010s. All 117 of them.

However, before we get things under way, there are a few ground rules. First, this list includes only players that were on the Clippers from the 2009 – 2010 season until the 2018 – 2019 season. That is, by definition, the “2010s decade”, and seemed most accurate to the goal. Also, ranking this year’s players would be extremely difficult due to the incomplete nature of the season, so it all works out.

Second, the list only focuses on the seasons that the players had in that decade. Therefore, Lamar Odom doesn’t get ranked higher for his Lob City year because of his stint with the Clippers in the early 2000s, and Ivica Zubac doesn’t get a boost due to his increased role and improved play this season. The rankings are based on how these players impacted the Clippers in this set time frame, no more or less.

Third, the rankings are somewhat different than “best player”. Ultimately, the rankings are a mix of quality of performance, duration of time on the team, subjective stuff like being a fan favorite, and how much they really impacted the team. Expectations and role on the team, too, will play a part. In other words, someone who was great for one season might be ranked below someone who had a lesser impact but played significantly more games. On the other hand, players who might have had short stints but were so disastrous in their play that they’ve been reviled ever since will be ranked below virtual non-entities. Even if they were “better players”, they left a more negative impact due to their higher volume of minutes.

Some of the descriptions of the players will be short. Man will be long. Some will be more stat-heavy, others will try to capture the player is a more narrative element. I’m still not sure of the order in its entirety, nor even in what groupings I will release the player rankings. However, I am sure that I will have a lot of fun doing this, and I hope you all have fun too!

Without further ado, the first player rankings will be coming out some time this week, and will cover “The Villains” of the 2010s for the Clippers, the players that to this day make fans gnash their teeth and claw at their hair and piteously moan on random occasions into the wee hours of the morning. I can’t wait.

A Ranking of All Clippers Players of the 2010’s: An Introduction
Robert Flom