SFGATE: Starless Clippers ready to shop in summer free-agent market

Starless Clippers ready to shop in summer free-agent market"
Published on April 28, 2019 at 01:02AM by By BETH HARRIS, AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers overcame low expectations and a roster without any current or former All-Stars to win 48 games, make the playoffs and push the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors to six games.

Now they're ready to go shopping. A blockbuster list of free agents comes on the market this summer.

The Clippers have depth and a cohesive bunch of players who fight to the finish — comeback wins of 31 points in Game 2 against Golden State, 28 points at Boston, 25 points at Detroit and 20 points at Charlotte — and that should help catch the eye of big-name talent.

They went 48-34, extending a franchise record with their eighth consecutive winning season. Their 13-2 mark was the NBA's best in March.

"We did more than most thought we could," coach Doc Rivers said. "This is the start of something great here."

After missing out last year, they returned to the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. As an eighth seed, they lost in 4-2 in the first round to Golden State, but not before their Game 2 comeback — the biggest in NBA playoff history.

"That's a beautiful basketball team," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "They've got a bright future."

Some things to watch:

IMPACT ROOKIES: Two of the team's three rookie guards made a big impact. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started 73 of 82 games at the point, averaging 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists during the regular season. He scored a Clippers rookie playoff record 25 points against the Warriors. Landry Shamet joined the team in February in a trade from Philadelphia, where he played his first 54 games. He finished fourth all-time in 3-pointers made (167) by a rookie during the season, when he shot 42 percent. Jerome Robinson showed promise while struggling to find minutes in a...