The 1995–96 Los Angeles Clippers season was the 26th season for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association, their twelfth season in Los Angeles, California, and their second season in which they played occasional home games in Anaheim, California.
Season summary
Off-season After finishing the previous season with a league-worst 17–65 record, the Clippers received the second overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected power forward Antonio McDyess from the University of Alabama; however, the team soon traded him to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Brian Williams, Rodney Rogers, and rookie shooting guard, and first-round draft pick Brent Barry out of Oregon State University on draft day.
Regular season With the addition of Rogers, Williams and Barry, the Clippers lost three of their first four games of the regular season, but then posted a five-game winning streak afterwards, and got off to a 7–5 start to the season. However, the team soon struggled and fell below .500 in winning percentage, posting a nine-game losing streak between November and December afterwards, and later on holding a 16–32 record at the All-Star break. The team posted another nine-game losing streak between January and February, as players such as Williams (strained left arch), Rogers (sprained ankle), Pooh Richardson (calf injury), Malik Sealy (knee and thumb injuries), and Stanley Roberts (ankle), were all out for long stretches during the season due to injuries. The Clippers lost eight of their final ten games of the season, and finished in last place in the Pacific Division with a 29–53 record.
Loy Vaught averaged 16.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, while Williams showed improvement, averaging 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and sixth man Terry Dehere provided the team with 12.4 points and 4.3 assists per game, and also led them with 139 three-point field goals off the bench. In addition, Richardson contributed 11.7 points and 5.4 assists per game, while Rogers provided with 11.6 points per game, Sealy contributed 11.5 points and 1.4 steals per game, and Barry averaged 10.1 points per game and 123 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Off the bench, second-year forward Lamond Murray contributed 8.4 points per game, while Roberts averaged 7.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, and Bo Outlaw provided with 3.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, and shot .575 in field-goal percentage.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Barry won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and was also selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Western Conference Rookie team. Williams finished tied in fifth place in Most Improved Player voting, while Outlaw finished tied in eighth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The Clippers finished last in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 405,495 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena during the regular season, which was 29th in the league.
Aftermath Following the season, Williams was released to free agency after only one season with the Clippers, due to the team not being able to agree to his high demanded asking price of a $101 million seven-year contract from the team, who offered him $12 million for three years. Williams spent most of the following season as a free agent before signing with the Chicago Bulls in next April, during the final month of the regular season.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 2 Antonio McDyess PF Alabama 2 53 Constantin Popa C Miami (FL)
Roster
Roster Notes Forward/center Antonio Harvey became the 6th former Laker to play with the crosstown rival Clippers; he was signed by the team on January 3, 1996, after being released by the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies.
Regular season
Season standings
z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot
Game log
Player statistics
PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG Loy Vaught 80 78 37.1 52.5 36.8 72.7 10.1 1.4 1.1 0.516.2 Bison Dele 65 65 33.2 54.3 16.7 73.4 7.6 1.9 1.1 0.815.8 Terry Dehere 82 10 24.6 45.9 44.0 75.5 1.7 4.3 0.7 0.212.4 Pooh Richardson 63 61 32.0 42.3 38.4 74.3 2.5 5.4 1.2 0.211.7 Rodney Rogers 67 51 29.1 47.7 32.0 62.8 4.3 2.5 1.1 0.511.6 Malik Sealy 62 48 25.8 41.5 21.0 79.9 3.9 1.9 1.4 0.511.5 Brent Barry 79 44 24.0 47.4 41.6 81.0 2.1 2.9 1.2 0.310.1 Lamond Murray 77 32 23.6 44.7 31.9 75.0 3.2 1.1 0.8 0.38.4 51 7 15.6 46.4 0.0 55.6 3.2 0.8 0.3 0.87.0 Eric Piatkowski 65 1 12.1 40.5 33.3 81.7 1.6 0.7 0.4 0.24.6 Bo Outlaw 80 3 12.3 57.5 0.0 44.4 2.5 0.6 0.6 1.13.6 Antonio Harvey 37 9 11.1 34.1 0.0 45.0 2.9 0.2 0.4 0.72.9 Keith Tower 34 1 9.0 44.4 0.0 69.2 1.5 0.1 0.1 0.32.4 Logan Vander Velden 15 0 2.1 21.4 0.0 75.0 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.00.6 Player statistics citation:
Awards, records and milestones
Awards Forward/guard Brent Barry won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He is the first Clipper to participate in and win the contest.
Week/Month
All-Star Aside from NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Brent Barry also played in The Rookie Game on the Western Conference Rookies team during NBA All Star Weekend.
Season
Records
Milestones Brent Barry is the only caucasian to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Transactions The Clippers have been involved in the following transactions during the 1995–96 season.
Re-signed Player Signed Contract Bo Outlaw October 4, 1995 Two-year deal
Trades June 28, 1995 To Los Angeles Clippers Rodney Rogers & draft rights to Brent Barry To Denver Nuggets Randy Woods & draft rights to Antonio McDyess September 19, 1995 To Los Angeles Clippers Brian Williams To Denver Nuggets Elmore Spencer
Free agents
Additions
Player Signed Former team Logan Vander Velden October 1 Memphis Fire (USBL) Keith Tower October 4 Orlando Magic Antonio Harvey January 3 Vancouver Grizzlies
Subtractions Player Left New team Tony Massenburg expansion draft, June 24 Toronto Raptors Michael Smith released, September 19 Gijón Baloncesto (Liga ACB) Harold Ellis renounced, September 19 Aris BC (GBL) Gary Grant renounced, September 29 New York Knicks Eric Riley free agency, October 14 Minnesota Timberwolves Logan Vander Velden waived, January 4 Connecticut Pride (CBA)
Player transactions citation:
See also 1995-96 NBA season
References