2001-02

Much like the previous year, the Clippers excitedly entered the season after a highly productive offseason. The 2001 NBA Draft saw the club pull of one of the most significant trades in franchise history, landing Forward Elton Brand from Chicago in exchange for the Draft rights to Tyson Chandler. The workmanlike Brand's move to the Western Conference placed him in nightly matchups against the NBA's best at his position, but the 1999-00 co-Rookie of the Year was up to the challenge. He averaged 18.2 points per game and was among the league's top five in both rebounding (11.6 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.527). He was just dominant on the offensive boards as well, averaging a staggering 5.0 per game to lead the NBA and posted the highest single-season total (396) since 1997-98. Brand's stellar play garnered him a Western Conference Player of the Week honor in December as he became the first Clipper since Danny Manning to land a spot on the Western Conference All Star squad. He was joined on All Star Weekend by teammates Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, who again shone brightly in the Rookie Challenge game. A late season push found the Clippers in the thick of things for the Western Conference's 8th playoff spot, but a 3-10 finish to the season ended any postseason hopes. However, they still finished with the most wins by a Clippers team since 1992-93, notching a 39-43 final record.