LA Clippers: Which Clippers Are the Greatest of Their Era?

LA Clippers GOTE 1994-2000: Eric Piatkowski

Coming in as the GOTE for 1994-2000 (“Bill Fitch and the move to Staples Center”) is the Polish Rifle, Eric Piatkowski.

A fan favorite, Piatkowski was 20 years too early; he played a game more suited to today’s NBA than the one he came into. The 6’7 forward played with the Clippers for every year of this era and shot 37.4% or higher from three in all but one of those seasons.

If he came into the league today, he’d have sets run to get him open and he’d shoot many more threes a game than he did. As it was, he never shot more than 4 a game, despite his deadeye from deep.

The Clippers would only take the Rifle into the playoffs once, in 96-97, and they were out in 3 games. That season, they made it with a losing record; in his career with the Clippers, Piatkowski went 220-486. That didn’t stop him from becoming beloved by fans and known as one of the great shooters of the late 90s and early 2000s.

Honorable mention goes to Loy Vaught. Vaught was with the Clippers from 90-91 to 97-98 and came into his own as a Clipper. After a few seasons getting his bearings as an NBA forward, he peaked in 94-95 with 17.5 points and 9.7 rebounds. Sadly, injuries would derail him in 1997 and he wouldn’t be the same player again. Still, for his work on the glass and his work improving his game, he has to be mentioned here.