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| 1986-87 |
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Despite the arrival of Elgin Baylor to Clippers front office, the 1986-87 season proved to be a difficult one. The Clippers didn't have a first-round draft pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, and they managed to wring only one game and six minutes of playing time out of the two players they did draft. Injuries robbed the Clippers of the services of Norm Nixon, who missed the entire season, and Marques Johnson, who sat out all but 10 games. Los Angeles also traded Derek Smith and Junior Bridgeman prior to the season, sending both to the Sacramento Kings in a deal that brought Larry Drew and Mike Woodson to the Clippers. The end result was an painful 12-70 record.
The Clippers started the season respectably enough, posting a 3-3 record through the first six games, but the bottom fell out after that. Following a 115-112 win over the Nuggets on November 11, Los Angeles lost a dozen consecutive games. Seattle obliged the Clippers by falling to them on December 10, but 16 more losses ensued. Denver fell to the Clippers for a second time on January 14, which led to yet another losing streak, this time lasting five games. In the wake of a 20-point defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks on January 26, the Clippers were 5-36 and seemed poised to break Philadelphia's all-time futility record of only nine wins in a season. However, Los Angeles managed to win 5 of its next 13 games, reaching the end of February with 10 victories. But the rest of the season was still tenuous, as the team only managed to tally two more victories for the season. |
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