Let’s just call last season a false start. After a lot of chest-beating and muscle-flexing, the Los Angeles Clippers saw any hope for a promising season fractured like Blake Griffin’s knee. Even if you’re not superstitious, at some point or other you’ll find yourself weighing the possibility that the Clippers truly are cursed.

Yeah, Donald Sterling is still in charge and that will make any Clippers fan spit a few curses out every now and then. However, when you have so many promising players come and go, year after year, and they all go down to career-altering injuries or are caught violating league policies, it makes you shake your head in disbelief.

After last year’s horrible mess, the Clippers are stepping out with a slightly altered look and have announced their commitment to shed their perpetual image as perennial saps and step into a new era with a more aggressive, winning attitude.

So, what the hell were they thinking the last two decades since they moved to L.A.?

Well, whatever.

New coach Vinny Del Negro returns to L.A. with a clean slate and an opportunity to sail his former team into new waters, Griffin is back more determined than ever, Chris Kaman looks to continue to cement his standing as one of the premier centers in the league, USA national Eric Gordon is back more confident than ever after winning the FIBA World Championship in Turkey and Baron Davis is…out of shape.

Come on! Just when everything is starting to fall into place.

What kind of commitment is this from Davis? This isn’t the type of attitude the team needs from its supposed leader. What kind of message does he expect to convey to his teammates and fans if he spent his summer loafing around while everyone else was working hard, looking toward the future?

While the Clippers are still a month from the beginning of the season, it might not be enough time for Davis to get in shape and that’s going to hurt their chances of starting off on the right foot against some tough Western Conference opponents.

While all signs point to an improvement from last season’s debacle, the Clippers did well with both of their first-round draft picks, scooping up small forward Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest, No. 8 ) and obtaining point guard Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky, No. 18) via trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both players are well-regarded by NBA scouts and it will be interesting to monitor how they adapt to the NBA and what contributions they bring to the Clippers.

Who know what the Clippers were thinking when they drafted shooting guard Willie Warren (Oklahoma, no. 54), who is considered by many as the antithesis of Griffin and has been described as selfish and possessing a negative attitude. It isn’t a surprise the Clippers website still lists him as unsigned.

While Warren seems like a waste of a draft pick, the Clippers did well in signing free agent forward Ryan Gomes, who brings with him a great work ethic that will fit in with the team’s new attitude. Gomes has averaged 11.5 points per game in his 5-year NBA career and the move to the Clippers will allow him to grow in what should be an exciting turn of fortunes for this beleaguered franchise.

The Clippers also strengthened their bench with guard Randy Foye and forwards Marqus Blakely and Brian Cook. In Foye, the Clips have a guy with the ability to put up great numbers if given the opportunity. Despite being a standout player with the University of Vermont, Blakely went undrafted but was picked up by the Clips after attending the NBA Summer League, so you have to admire his hunger. Cook’s better years are past him but he will do well to provide veteran know-how for some of the younger players.

Although the Clippers didn’t land a marquee free agent during the summer, they have quietly put together a solid team has a great chance of landing the Clippers a playoff berth and will only improve in years to come.

Too bad we can’t say that about their uniforms and logo. When the Clippers announced their new approach, they should have gone ahead for the total makeover. The logo continues to rip off the Lakers’ boring ball and swooshing lettering combo and those new uniforms look like they were picked off the replica sale rack at Big 5.

However, if the Clippers play hard and win games, it won’t matter if they wear potato sacks.

Down with the Lakers and their evil regime.

Clipper Nation, it’s time to rise.

Long live the new flesh!