The 1993–94 Los Angeles Clippers season was the 24th season for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association, and their tenth season in Los Angeles, California.
Season summary
Off-season The Clippers had the 13th overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Terry Dehere out of Seton Hall University. During the off-season, the team signed free agent and former All-Star forward Mark Aguirre, who won two consecutive NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons between 1989 and 1990, and hired Bob Weiss as their new head coach.
Regular season Under Weiss, the Clippers played around .500 in winning percentage with a 6–6 start to the regular season. However, after holding an 11–14 record as of December 27, 1993, the team then struggled posting a seven-game losing streak between December and January, as Stanley Roberts only played just 14 games due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and was out for the remainder of the season. The Clippers lost 10 of their 14 games in January, and held a 16–29 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the Clippers traded All-Star forward Danny Manning to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for All-Star forward Dominique Wilkins; before the trade, Manning averaged 23.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 42 games.
Meanwhile, Aguirre was released to free agency after 39 games and retired, averaging 10.6 points per game off the team's bench as their sixth man; the team also signed undrafted rookies, power forward Bo Outlaw, and small forward Harold Ellis during the regular season. Despite the addition of Wilkins, the Clippers lost 14 of their final 16 games of the season, and finished in last place in the Pacific Division with a 27–55 record.
Wilkins averaged 29.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 25 games after the trade, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Ron Harper averaged 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and Mark Jackson provided the team with 10.9 points, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In addition, Loy Vaught averaged 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while second-year center Elmore Spencer contributed 8.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, Ellis contributed 8.7 points and 1.5 steals per game, and Gary Grant provided with 7.5 points, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game off the bench.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and before the mid-season trade, Manning was selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was his second and final All-Star appearance. Wilkins finished tied in eleventh place in Most Valuable Player voting. The Clippers finished last in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 471,034 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena during the regular season, which was 27th in the league.
Aftermath Following the season, Wilkins signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics after only half a season with the Clippers, while Harper signed with the Chicago Bulls, Jackson was traded to the Indiana Pacers, Weiss was fired as head coach after only one season with the Clippers, and Hot Plate Williams was released to free agency after serving a season half suspension due to continuing weight problems.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 13 Terry Dehere SG/PG Seton Hall 2 53 Leonard White F Southern
Roster
Roster notes Guard/forward Mark Aguirre was waived on February 1, 1994. Power forward John "Hot Plate" Williams was suspended indefinitely before the start of the regular season due to weight problems, and not maintaining playing shape.
Regular season
Season standings
z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot
Game log
Player statistics
PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG Dominique Wilkins 25 25 37.9 45.3 24.7 83.5 7.0 2.2 1.2 0.329.1 Danny Manning 42 41 38.0 49.3 14.3 67.4 7.0 4.2 1.3 1.423.7 Ron Harper 75 75 38.1 42.6 30.1 71.5 6.1 4.6 1.9 0.720.1 Loy Vaught 75 56 28.2 53.7 0.0 72.0 8.7 1.0 1.0 0.311.7 Mark Jackson 79 79 34.3 45.2 28.3 79.1 4.4 8.6 1.5 0.110.9 Mark Aguirre 39 0 22.0 46.8 39.8 69.4 3.0 2.7 0.5 0.210.6 Elmore Spencer 76 63 25.4 53.3 0.0 59.9 5.5 1.0 0.4 1.78.9 Harold Ellis 49 16 18.8 54.5 0.0 71.1 3.1 0.6 1.5 0.08.7 Gary Grant 78 8 19.7 44.9 27.4 85.5 1.8 3.7 1.5 0.27.5 Stanley Roberts 14 14 25.0 43.0 0.0 40.9 6.6 0.8 0.4 1.87.4 Bo Outlaw 37 14 23.5 58.7 0.0 59.2 5.7 1.0 1.0 1.06.9 John Williams 34 6 21.3 43.1 25.0 66.7 3.7 2.9 0.7 0.35.6 Terry Dehere 64 6 11.9 37.7 40.4 75.3 1.1 1.2 0.4 0.05.3 Tom Tolbert 49 6 13.1 41.8 37.5 73.3 2.2 0.6 0.3 0.33.8 Randy Woods 40 0 8.8 36.8 34.6 57.1 0.7 1.8 0.6 0.13.6 Henry James 12 0 6.3 38.1 22.2 100.0 1.2 0.1 0.2 0.03.4 Bob Martin 53 1 10.1 45.5 0.0 60.8 2.2 0.3 0.2 0.62.1
Player statistics citation:
Awards, records and milestones
All-Star Danny Manning selected as a reserve forward for the Western Conference All-Stars. This is his second straight All-Game appearance making Manning the first back-to-back All-Star selection of the franchise since Bob McAdoo then with the Buffalo Braves was selected for four straight All-Star Games from 1974 to 1977.
Transactions The Clippers were involved in the following transactions during the 1993–94 season.
Trades February 24, 1994 To Los Angeles Clippers Dominique Wilkins To Atlanta Hawks Danny Manning
Free agents
Additions Player Signed Former team Henry James July 19 Utah Jazz Tom Tolbert October 1 Orlando Magic Bob Martin November 1 Rapid City Thrillers (CBA) Harold Ellis January 7 Quad City Thunder (CBA) Bo Outlaw February 15 Grand Rapids Hoops (CBA)
Subtractions Player Left New team Lester Conner free agency, July 1 Rapid City Thrillers (CBA) Ken Norman free agency, July 7 Milwaukee Bucks Jaren Jackson free agency, December 21 Portland Trail Blazers Henry James waived, January 5 Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA) Mark Aguirre waived, February 1 Indiana Pacers (assistant coach)
Player Transactions Citation:
See also Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
References