2. Sam Cassell
Clipper stats: 14.6 ppg, 5.4 apg
Every where Sam Cassell landed, the loquacious and bombastic point guard bought a winning culture with him. The Clippers, for nearly their entire existence as a franchise, were viewed as a true laughing stock of the league. However, once Cassell began donning the white, red, and blue – they became legitimate threats in the Western Conference.
Although LA made just one playoff appearance during Cassell’s three-year stretch, watching him and Elton Brand in the pick an roll was a thing of beauty. Cassell’s numbers won’t jump off the page, averaging 14.6 points a night to go along with 5.4 assists but Cassell turned plenty of Clipper bashers into believers.
During the 2005-06 season, the Clippers went on a magical run. At the age of 36, Cassell led a veteran group of ball players to a 47-win season and a first-round showdown against the Denver Nuggets. To the surprise of many, LA ushered Carmelo Anthony out of the playoffs in five games.
Murmurs of a possible run to the NBA Finals began surfacing as LA battled it out against the Phoenix Suns. Although they ultimately came up short, the Clippers were merely one win away from taking a trip to the Western Conference Finals. We have to tip our cap to Cassell in a major way.