The Los Angeles Clippers have seen plenty of talented small forwards since coming into the league as the Buffalo Braves in 1970. These are the top-5 in franchise history:
5. Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom's time with the Clippers was short-lived, but he represented a time in franchise history where youth and exuberance were the reason fans still showed up to watch, despite some disappointing season win-loss records.
Odom played his first four years with the Clippers before being traded to the Miami Heat and eventually settling with the neighbor Lakers, where he won the majority of his career accolades.
However, he surged into the league with the Clippers, averaging 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds as a rookie with an all-around line that would make most front offices salivate at the thought of building a team with him. Odom was uniquely gifted as a passing big man, able to see the court in the fast break and find the open man or finish among the trees.
He would return to Los Angeles during the 2012-13 season for one last hurrah with the Clippers, though he was merely a shell of his former self at 33 years old. Odom averaged 12.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game during his five years as a Clipper.
4. Kawhi Leonard
While he's distinctively the most skilled out of any name in this list, Leonard has played less than a season in a Clippers uniform and will have to put more years and accolades under his belt to climb up the ranks.
Nevertheless, he is the team's leading scorer during a halted 2019-20 season with 26.9 points per game, adding in 7.3 rebounds, a career-high 5.0 assists, and 1.8 steals to a well-rounded stat line.
Leonard came to Los Angeles after playing the bulk of his career with the San Antonio Spurs and right after winning a title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. A two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP, if Leonard can repeat that same success with the Clippers, it's only a matter of time before he takes the top spot on this list.
3. Ken Norman
Norman spent six seasons with the Clippers, soon carving up a reputation as a solid points-and-boards wing. “The Snake” had his best season in 1988-89 when he averaged 18.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists through 80 games.
He was a member of the team when the Clippers first made a playoff appearance in Los Angeles in 1992. Norman was an excellent offensive rebounder at his position but greatly struggled from the foul line as a career 56.7% shooter.
Norman averaged 14.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game through his 439 games in a Clippers uniform.
2. Charles Smith
Smith isn't among the most memorable names in franchise history, but he was a talent to behold. The 6-foot-10, 230-pound dynamo split his time at the forward position, drafted as a power forward with the third overall pick in 1988 by the Philadelphia 76ers, and immediately traded to Los Angeles afterward.
“Mr. Fluid” didn't waste any time becoming one of the team's top scorers, averaging a whopping 21.1 points in his second season in the league, the next-best to defensive ace Ron Harper.
His averages of 18.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks through four seasons make him one of the most complete players at his position after making the switch to small forward in his third year with the team.
1. Corey Maggette
Maggette was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1999 but started his career with the Orlando Magic. After spending his rookie season in a middling bench player, he soon carved up a role upon being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The chiseled 6-foot-6 forward started to develop as a scorer in his fourth season, having greatly increased his desire for contact. As Maggette started to make use of his 220-pound frame and living at the foul line, he soon became a 20-point scorer in his fifth season — putting up three 20-point-scoring seasons for the franchise.
Maggette averaged 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists through eight seasons with the team as one of the most symbolic players and the best in franchise history at his position.
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