I haven't been able to catch many basketball games lately, so today's clippers-hornets game was the first clippers' game I've seen in a while. I was really impressed with Kaman and how aggressive he was playing. His boxscore stats won't blow you away, but he was making agressive moves and wasn't hesitant to shoot the ball when he had a good look. This is as confident as I've ever seen him. So I checked up his stats online, and it appears he has been doing this for the last few games. Over the last 6 games, he's averaging about 15ppg, 9 rpg and almost 2 blocks per game . Has he finally turned the corner? It looks to me like the Clippers have a keeper at Center.
Before the Dallas game, he was averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds in 2 games vs the Kings, and one vs the Spurs. I had a post on RealGM concerning Kaman and Brand. Is Kaman's presence helping Brand, or is Brand just fully recovered from his injuries now. EB started the season a little slow because of injuries, but the past 10 games he's been averaging 21.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 blocks. Last 5 games, 23.0 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.00 blocks. Kaman has also been on a tear lately. He's had some pretty good games in January, scored a career high 23 points at Sacramento. He's been averaging 12.0 points on 47.0% shooting, and 7.8 rebounds in only 29.4 minutes in January. It's actually a combination, Brand doesn't have the minor injuries, and also Kaman playing as opposed to Wilcox. Wilcox is a better offensive player than Kaman, but that is all, Kaman is a much more complete low post player. Kaman's much better defensively than Wilcox because he has better awareness, and he can do more of those little things on the floor that Wilcox couldn't do. Kaman committs less turnovers, is a better passer, and goes up to set high post screens which Wilcox doesn't do. When Wilcox is there Brand would many times give him his space to operate offensively and won't be in position to rebound the ball offensively as well as he is now with Kaman, and Kaman also boxes out offesnively and defensively much better tham Wilcox.
I think it was because he had to go up against Shaq that other game...it probably gave him some good experience and training and so when he goes up against centers of lesser than Shaq, it's all to da good. I'm starting to like him a little more now. I know they got people from the team reading this stuff online during free time...keep it up Chris if you reading this...haha.
Kaman wraps up the month of January with another solid game tonite, getting 18 and 10 in a Clipper win... He finishes with averages of 12 ppg, 9 rbs, 47% FG in 30 mpg for the month of Januray . The Clippers finish 9-8 for the month.
