HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Over the summer, the Los Angeles Clippers made a run at LeBron James.  The pitch was based on the notion that the Clippers weren’t a team that needed to sign or trade for a top big man.  They already had one on the roster in Blake Griffin.

James chose the Miami HEAT but the Clippers weren’t wrong about Griffin.

Instead of the team blowing their ample cap room by overpaying a second or third-tier free agent, the Clippers signed veterans Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes to reasonable, short-term contracts.

LA still has financial flexibility moving forward along with a number of viable trade assets.  When the time comes to lure free agents, at least Blake as already made the argument for Vice President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey.

In the meantime, the Clippers are four games into their massive 11-game road trip.

Winning on the road has proven to be difficult for LA, especially now with guard Eric Gordon out with a wrist injury.

On Wednesday, the Clippers won their fourth away game of the season in an impressive victory at Madison Square Garden over the New York Knicks.

Key to that win was Foye, who flat out took over the game in the fourth quarter after the Clippers had lost a double-digit lead to the Knicks.

"I just think at certain times in a game when other teams go on a run, never panic," said Foye.  "Just sit back, relax, take a deep breath and just kind of get even closer [as a unit] when teams go on runs."

Foye led all scorers with 24, pouring in 17 in the final period of LA’s 116-108 victory.

It’s been a challenging year for Randy, who struggled through a significant hamstring injury early in the season.  With Baron Davis, Chris Kaman and Foye missing a lot of time, the Clippers opened the season with a 1-13 record.

"It happens but early on with injuries, we had a tough start and we feel like now, we’re playing catch-up.  That’s tough," said Foye.  "The young guys that were in there early when a lot of us older guys were hurt, they did an unbelievable job.  They went down to the wire with every team.  Veterans know how to win.  I think that if we had our whole team healthy before the whole season with no injuries, I think we’d be definitely in the top eight."

Unfortunately for the Clippers, their 20-32 record has them eight games behind the Portland Trail Blazers who currently occupy the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Even if teams like the New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets or Utah Jazz stumbled down the stretch, the gap is probably too large for the Clippers to not only overcome but leapfrog the Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.

It was actually against the Knicks in Los Angeles when the Clippers, in a losing effort, finally turned the page.  They’ve played .500 ball since then (19-19) and .577 over their last 26 (15-11).

"I think part of being a young team is just learning how to win night in and night out," said Foye.  "Once you get that, most everything else will be taken care of.  Once you learn how to win, you’ll be alright."

The Clippers have figured out how to win at home, taking nine in a row (an LA franchise record) before losing recently to the Chicago Bulls.

If they can get it to click on the road, like it finally did at STAPLES Center, the Clippers will be a team worthy of a playoff berth (not this season, however).

"Being on this team is great.  There’s a lot of great young guys here, working really hard," said Foye.  "I enjoy coming in working with them every day.  The opportunity for me to be here has been great.  I’m just trying to make the most of it and continue to play and continue to get better."

The Clippers are getting better and so is Foye.

After finally getting through the hamstring injury, Randy began to close out games in a three-guard unit with Baron (or Eric Bledsoe) and Gordon.  {AUTHOR_BOX}

In his nine starts since Gordon went down, Foye has averaged 16 points a game on 41.5% shooting.  This is after 24 games off the bench at 4.3 points on 31.4% shooting. 

Foye looks forward to seeing Gordon and the rest of the injured Clippers (including Craig Smith and Kaman) back to health.

"The sky’s the limit to tell you the truth.  When Eric gets back, more fire power.  When Chris gets back, even more firepower," said Foye.  "It’ll just make us that much stronger when those guys come back."

In the meantime, Griffin has very quickly put the Clippers on the map.  He’ll represent the team and the city in the All-Star Game and dunk contest next week at STAPLES.

"When you’re playing with a younger guy like Griffin and you’re playing with all these other great guys, it’s fun.  It’s exciting, people coming out to see your team," said Foye.  "People don’t understand how good he is until they play against him or how athletic and explosive he is until they play him.  How fast he is off the dribble, things like that.  I just think that people don’t understand how good a person he is.  He’s always looking for the open guy.  A little bit in his way of passing the ball, he reminds me of [Kevin Garnett], because he will pass you the ball any time."

Foye came into the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves, spending it with Garnett as the team won just 32 games in KG’s final year with the club. 

Randy was with the Wolves for two more seasons, winning a combined 46 games.  Last year he was with the Washington Wizards who won 26.

After a tremendous college career (including an Elite Eight appearance), Foye’s producing in his fifth season.

While he’s never been part of a winner in the NBA, Foye’s No. 2 Villanova jersey will be retired on Saturday.

This may not be Foye’s year to break the streak but the Clippers are a franchise on the rise.

Next year the goal won’t be .500, it’ll be playoffs.