1994-95

The loss of Dominique Wilkins and Ron Harper to free agency robbed the Los Angeles Clippers of their two best scorers in 1994-95, while injuries kept the team's two top big men, Stanley Roberts and Elmore Spencer, out of action for practically all season. (Spencer played only 19 games.) These events left the club extremely thin on talent, and the results were disastrous. The Clippers ended the 1994-95 campaign with a 17-65 record, tying the 1987-88 and 1981-82 Clippers for the second-worst record in franchise history. Only the 12-70 team of 1986-87 was worse. Los Angeles opened the season by losing 16 games in a row, 1 short of the NBA record for consecutive losses to start a season. The Clippers ranked 24th in the league in field-goal percentage at .444 while allowing opponents to post a league-high .496 mark. The team lost 43 games by 10 or more points and led the league in personal fouls with 2,152. But under Head Coach Bill Fitch, who returned to the sidelines after two seasons away, the Clippers played hard every night and often challenged superior teams into the fourth quarter. Forward Loy Vaught was the team's steadiest performer, averaging 17.5 points and 9.7 rebounds. Point guard Pooh Richardson, obtained from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Mark Jackson, averaged 7.9 assists and joined Charles Outlaw (1.86 blocks per game) as the only Clippers to place on an NBA top 10 list. Rookie Lamond Murray was the team's second-leading scorer at 14.1 points per game, and fellow freshman Eric Piatkowski showed potential by finishing second on the team in three-pointers made with 74. Los Angeles owned the second overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft and selected underclassman Antonio McDyess out of Alabama. Later on draft day, the Clippers traded McDyess and guard Randy Woods to the Denver Nuggets for Rodney Rogers and the draft rights to Brent Barry.