The
1997–98 NBA season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 19 ...
was the Clippers' 28th season in the
National Basketball Association, and their 4th season in
Anaheim
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
. During the off-season, the Clippers signed free agent
James Robinson, and acquired
Stojko Vrankovic Stojko is a South Slavic given name, a diminutive form of Stojan. Notable people with the name include:
* Stojko Vranković
Stojan "Stojko" Vranković (born 22 January 1964) is a Croatian professional basketball executive and former player. He ser ...
from the
Minnesota Timberwolves. With
Loy Vaught going down early into the season with a back injury after only playing just ten games, averaging just 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, the Clippers struggled losing 14 of their first 16 games. After holding a 5–24 start, the team managed to win four of their next five games, but then lost 12 of their next 13 games afterwards, and held an 11–37 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded
Brent Barry to the
Miami Heat in exchange for last year's Most Improved Player
Isaac Austin. The Clippers lost 15 of their final 17 games, including a 10-game losing streak between March and April, finishing last place in the Pacific Division with a 17–65 record.
showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward, averaging 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and finishing tied in eighth place in
Most Improved Player voting, while
Rodney Rogers averaged 15.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and top draft pick
Maurice Taylor averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game off the bench, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, three-point specialist
Eric Piatkowski contributed 11.3 points per game, while
Darrick Martin provided the team with 10.3 points and 4.0 assists per game, and second-year center
Lorenzen Wright
Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright (November 4, 1975 – July 19, 2010) was an American professional basketball player for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was drafted seventh overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers ...
provided with 9.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
Following the season, Austin signed as a free agent with the
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
, while Vaught signed with the
Detroit Pistons after eight seasons with the Clippers, and head coach
Bill Fitch was fired. Fitch's most losses record in NBA history with 1,106 losses stood for five years, until
Lenny Wilkens broke his mark during the
2002–03 season while coaching for the
Toronto Raptors.
Draft picks
Roster
Roster Notes
* Rookie center
Keith Closs played for the Lakers during the pre-season and had a strong performance. When he was released, the Clippers quickly signed him to their roster.
Regular season
Season standings
:z - clinched division title
:y - clinched division title
:x - clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Player statistics
Player Statistics Citation:
Awards and records
Transactions
The Clippers have been involved in the following transactions during the 1997-98 season.
Trades
Free agents
Additions
Subtractions
Player Transactions Citation:
See also
*
1997-98 NBA season
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1997-98 Los Angeles Clippers season
Los Angeles Clippers seasons