I spent more time Wednesday thinking about the Los Angeles Clippers than I wanted to. Tuesday night’s loss combined with the Sterling incident, and Chris’ bitching have produced a sulfurous funk, what Simmons calls the stench, around the team. Clippers fans, with rare exceptions, are accustomed to the layer of gloom that hangs over the franchise, but most of it can be managed with a long sigh, shake of the head, and a resigned laugh. It’s what Clippers fans do. But something shifted overnight Tuesday, and by Wednesday afternoon, the climate had changed, even for the most patient among us.
There’s a very low threshold of expectation among Clippers fans. Other than the tail end of Maurice Taylor’s time with the team, the losing has always been tolerable. Most of those Clippers teams lacked talent, but that wasn’t their fault. Some of those squads actually overachieved [the 39-win 2001-02 team] given the composition of their rosters.
Wednesday felt like rock bottom, like franchise armageddon, and it triggered a strong sentiment that I’ve been trying to sublimate, even though Kelly Dwyer has made it difficult: This team is loathsome, and nobody — not even Clippers fans — has an infinite supply of resilience.
My thoughts differ from the hard-line fatalism that dominates most public conversations about the franchise. I find arguments that begin and end with some immutable belief that the team is destined for eternal failure irrational. Any franchise that’s willing to make a material commitment to building a roster can assemble one that can win. For the Clippers, ownership granted its consent for that strategy a few years back. It isn’t fate that’s sentenced the franchise to failure. It’s real life events — personnel decisions and performance. Curses and superstition are facile interpretations of reality.
This doesn’t mean that reversing course is easy. One revelation of Wednesday is a hardened belief that incrementalism won’t work. A wholesale approach can sometimes render harsh sentences. I honestly don’t believe that Mike Dunleavy is a bad tactical coach, but that doesn’t really matter anymore. It may not be entirely his fault, and it’s possible there aren’t more than a handful of people on the planet who could make this thing work. There might even be situations where Dunleavy could win again, but this doesn’t appear to be one of them.
After Elton Brand’s about-face, Baron Davis is owed a karmic favor, and that should be worth something. I still believe that Baron is the kind of player who can develop that veteran ability of recognizing physical limitations and employing experience to compensate for any diminishing capacity. Under a new regime, I think he could make that happen in a Clippers uniform, but he’ll have to try. Superstars perform regardless of situation, system, or context. They stake claim to the ten hours of meaningful court time a week irrespective of the fact that ownership is insane, the coach is stifling, and the mood is morose. Baron could compose a decent narrative for himself if he wants to. My optimism in him might be irrational, but I’m a sucker for charisma even when it’s mercurial.
Apart from that, the Clippers have as many assets as they do liabilities. The list is familiar, and determining which is which is a matter of some debate. Wednesday was about something else, an admission that moving forward as a loyalist will demand brutal endurance to outlast the torment, the likes of which even Clippers fans have never suffered. Sublimation will numb only part of it. But if the past week tells you anything, it’s that behavior and decisions provoke events, not fate.
60 Responses
Baron wants to be a producer. Period. End of story. His NBA salary merely funds his Hollywood dreams. And even if he wanted to lead this team, his body simply cannot take an 82 game season.
Can’t wait to get the sales call from my Clippers ticket rep….
Posted on March 11th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
A friend at work asked me the other day, “Why aren’t the Clippers better than they are?”.
Of course, plenty of answers popped in my head. Dunleavy. Sterling. Injuries. Overrated talent.
But only one answer felt right.
“Because they’re the Clippers.”
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Why is it that I was not surprised when they lost the lead and the game against the Cavs? Why is it that I have come to expect this from the team I root for?
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 2:04 am
In the LA Olympic Summer of ’84 I bought a pair of Clipper Season Tickets. There have been many times at the old Sports Aroma me and perhaps 2500 of the die-hards where there with me. Would Walton play this game? Did you see that amazing play Derek Smith just made? I saw Michael Jordan’s 18th professional game. After the game the season ticket holder who sat next to me offered me his remaining season package, including parking for 50 cents on the dollar. And I took it.
The Clippers have been a loosing team for more years than not…and I took it. The Clippers have been late night talk show punch lines for more years than not….and I took it.
Clippers opening night in Staples, the lights where dimmed the super jumbo tron shows this video – a flash of light goes over the old sports aroma, I yell they blew it up YEAH!
Name a player that the Clippers let get away who played up to their next contract? Consider how much nicer Staples Center is as compared to the sports aroma.
Marcus Camby is the ultimate professional who doesn’t have to stay here – but he is and he sees the light at the end of the tunnel. So should all of the Clipper faithful.
If there are Chicago Cub fans after 100 years of waiting – so can the real Clipper Fans be thankful for what we have. Cheer up – it will happen.
fireDunleavy .com Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Camby was playing hard, so other teams would be interested in him.
Stian Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Camby plays hard because he is a pro in every sense of the word. Other teams would be interested in Camby either way – he’s got nothing to prove anymore. And even if they are interested – the Clippers own him for another year and unless they decide to trade him Camby isn’t going anywhere no matter how hard or well he plays.
FireDunleavy .com Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Nothing to prove? Denver traded him for nothing.
Kealii74 Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Nah. Camby has been playing really hard this season. In fact, at one point he was leading the NBA in rebounding. He is still up there in both rebounding and blocks. He is averaging a double-double this season (11.2 PPG, 12.2 RPG) along with 2.3 blocks per game!!! Come on, give the guy some credit. Camby came out to play because he, like any other true NBA professional, wants to play against the best players in the league.
We (the Clipper fans) are all frustrated with what happened the last game, and with this crappy season. Let’s focus on the real problems with this team and organization.
FireDunleavy .com Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 11:59 am
The only way Camby would be traded is if he puts up big numbers. He proved to have ZERO value in the offseason. He wasn’t even worth a second round pick.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 7:38 am
As much as I wanna quit on the team, I keep coming back. KA, you hit it on the head. Clipper fans were okay w/ the yesteryears b/c there was little talent on those teams. But this team has to be at least a .500 team.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 7:53 am
A little dramatic. We lost by 4 to a championship caliber team with arguably the best superstar in the game. Giving up such a big lead made it a disappointing loss to be sure, but not one that shifts paradigms. We got beat Memphis (16-47) blew us out last week on our own court. THAT sucked. But the Cleveland game as rock bottom? No way. It was progress, and for me, there’s at least some hope for the future based on that game.
The team desperately needs leadership (I’m looking at you Baron). But Davis is a guy who where’s his heart on his sleeve and I think he’s checked-out a bit do to the fact that our record is so dismal. He strikes me as a guy who takes pride in winning. But at this point in his career, it’s not about winning games — he needs to win seasons, get to the playoffs and go deep for he year to be successful. This season is already lost for Clips and he’s checked-out to a certain degree. I think when the team has something to compete for, we’ll see the Baron we expected.
And make no mistake that this season was lost to injuries. The Cleveland game was our 30th different starting line-up. 30th! It’s frustrating, because we have a roster that looks like it should win. But for at least half the games this season we’ve been reduced to putting role-players and rookies in starting positions (a shout-out to Eric for being awesome). This season has been more like the talent-challenged teams on the past when you look at who’s been on the court instead of who’s on the roster.
Sam Mays Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Let us not forget, this was a Cleveland team that missed their first 17 3-point shots… That isn’t going to happen often so it was a rare opportunity to beat an excellent team.
Any team with a decent point guard could have protected that lead. It took monumental stupidity and deep self-loathing to lose that game.
I remember Dennis Johnson’s last years, when he was fat and slow, but still played with pride and winning determination. Two things Baron Davis has never known.
Cappy Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
“this was a Cleveland team that missed their first 17 3-point shots” …that’s a really good point. Cleveland didn’t exactly play like Cleveland in the first half. But for the sake of the argument, I’m just saying that I didn’t see anything in the Cleveland game that was going to dampen my spirits any more than they already were after the Memphis game. I think everyone, fans and team included have given up on this season. But for me, there’s a difference between giving up on the season and giving up on the team. I’m going to look for any glimmer of hope that I can.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 9:05 am
No matter what happened to Clippers this season, they’re poised to do better next season. But few changes need to happen now.
1. Annoint Sam Cassell as the Head Coach NOW.
2. Promote Dunleavy as GM & President of Operations with special perks attached to winning record.
3. Prepare to trade Al Thornton & Baron Davis. Do not re-sign Ricky Davis.
4. Shake-up entire Clippers organization. Remove Elgin Baylor loyalists. And hire talented & experienced professional management team.
5. FIRE Mike Smith & HIRE Cuttino Mobley to join Ralph Lawler.
6. Find a solid replacement(Center/PF capable) for Camby. If Camby would take less money…keep him.
7. THINK DEFENCE. Gordon, Collins, Jones & Taylor may not be enough to shore up defensive structure. Whoever replaces Baron & Thornton must be defensive
minded. Having Kaman in the middle is a BIG PLUS. Just build around it. BTW..Kaman looks good + matured & patient.
FireDunleavy .com Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Yeah, give a promotion to Dunleavy with special perks because he’s done such a great job already. He should get more than the 5mil a year he’s getting.
Stian Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
FYI – Ricky Davis has a player option and unless we buy him out he isn’t going anywhere.
Also, Al Thornton is on a rookie salary for 2 more years – no need to trade him unless it’s part of a substantial upgrade. Al is not horrible by any means, merely extremely deficient on D. Let him come off the bench for next year as instant offense.
Baron should be traded if at all possible; he is the wrong type player to have as the captain/motor of this team. We need a guy who’s a warrior, not a pussy who folds at the first sign of trouble.
Dj Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Agreed with Al coming off the bench- he’s the perfect 6th man and could carry a 2nd unit scoring wise.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 9:32 am
you linked the wrong simmons article…here is his summary of the game (pretty good summation if you ask me)
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090311&sportCat=nba
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 10:14 am
my two favorite parts of the above article:
amazing Clippers fact of the day: Did you know the Clipperd pay L.A.’s 710 AM to carry their live radio broadcasts? Imagine if I paid ESPN.com to run my columns? That would be weird, right?
Rockets GM Daryl Morey has something called the Morey Rule: If the number of points you are ahead equals the number of minutes left in the game, you have about an 85 percent chance of winning. Leading by 19 with 11 to play? He thinks that’s a 99 percent probability. You know, for normal teams. There might have to be a Clipper Exemption to the Morey Rule.
BoomDizzleisaCipp Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 10:28 am
in case anyone missed how this game ended:
“So, Gordon is inbounding the ball from the left hashmark near midcourt. Thornton, Novak and Randolph are stacked at the top of the key. Baron is under the basket. Thornton cuts through to the left corner. One Mississippi. Obviously, he’s not getting the ball. Baron starts moving up toward the top of the key, only the Cavs know he’s getting the ball — (two Mississippi) — so they block his way. Everything is congested. The fans start panicking. Three Mississippi. Baron accelerates past the 3-point line, only LeBron sees him and jumps in the way so he can’t get the ball. This is an awesome play. Four Mississippi. Gordon finally passes to Randolph, who takes two dribbles and …
(Oh no.)
Picks up his dribble and …
(Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!)
Launches a 28-foot 3-pointer with a hand in his face. His third air-balled 3 of the night. Actually, it was more than an air ball — it almost killed the ball boy.
Cavs ball, 1.8 seconds left.
The fans are in disbelief. Randolph’s teammates are in disbelief. Dunleavy is making a face that my friend Sal later describes as “A face I have never seen a human being make before.” What ensued in the next 20 seconds could best be described like this: Imagine being trapped in one of those big hospital elevators with eight other people. One of them pulls his pants down and just starts going to the bathroom — not No. 1 but No. 2. At that specific moment, the doors open for the next floor. How fast would everyone else in the elevator flee for the door? Lightning-fast, right? Like, Usain Bolt-level fast, right? That was the entire stadium after Z-Bo’s air ball. He basically took a dump on the 3-point line.”
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 10:16 am
After 12 years, nine as a season-ticket holder with a very prime seat location, I sadly have to agree with KA. I have attended around 350 Clippers games over those years, and Tuesday night was the most deflating loss I have ever seen. Dunleavy’s complete refusal to acknowledge reality (in terms of how he coaches, who he puts on the floor, what his relationship is with players and fans, etc.) has finally turned me off. I’m not renewing.
Some people say, well, it helps in the lottery, there was a lot of good that happened in the first three quarters– bull. This, more than any other time, was a time when the Clippers needed to show there was a reason to stick with the team, and it got blown in spectacular fashion.
I wish everyone good luck, and I hope your expectations and wishes will somehow be fulfilled soon. But after Tuesday night, I don’t see it.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Every time I watch a clipper game, I hear myself saying “NO, don’t shoot that”. It seems every clipper takes a shot no deemed a “good” shot. Except, Gordon shot selection is really high, I feel comfortable w/ his shots.
ZBo and Baron shot discipline is terrible.
I’m tired thinking about the clippers.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I noted before, that I had season tickets from 88 to 94… The only way to enjoy the Clippers is on TV… So long as you’re not spending big money to root for them, it’s a fun show to watch.
No reason not to remain a Clipper fan… There are many reasons not to support the Clippers financially.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I agree with KA. It can’t all be Dunleavy’s fault. I’ve railed against him for the past few years. Remember, the only way we got to the playoffs was when Cassel was actually coaching on the floor. But this team just plain sucks. There’s no getting around it. Dunleavy’s a bum who can’t figure out what to do (how many years of experience does he have?), and the team has no chemistry except for the three rookies who seem to play well together.
I’m waiting for my rep to call too, but he probably doesn’t want to make the call.
FireDunleavy .com Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Huh? Dunleavy built the team around players who are all injury prone.
eastie rich Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I’ve done it for years. Get rid of Dunleavy!! Now I’m just tired. There’s no other way to describe it. Tired of the coach, how the team plays, how they make personnel decisions, the owner, the GM. It’s all one big Clipper cluster*****.
Is it Dunleavy’s fault Baron plays like shit? Simmons defense aside, who’s been the biggest free agent bust this year? Davis.
Seriously, it can’t all be one mans fault. Well maybe, there was Isaih in NY and Petino in Boston, so maybe it can. But at least it’s a tag team with Dunleavy and Sterling.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
“After Elton Brand’s about-face, Baron Davis is owed a karmic favor, and that should be worth something. I still believe that Baron is the kind of player who can develop that veteran ability of recognizing physical limitations and employing experience to compensate for any diminishing capacity. Under a new regime, I think he could make that happen in a Clippers uniform, but he’ll have to try. Superstars perform regardless of situation, system, or context. They stake claim to the ten hours of meaningful court time a week irrespective of the fact that ownership is insane, the coach is stifling, and the mood is morose. Baron could compose a decent narrative for himself if he wants to. My optimism in him might be irrational, but I’m a sucker for charisma even when it’s mercurial.”
Yes, Kevin you are a first-grade SUCKER! You have picked THE worst player to have faith in. Baron is owed a karmic favor because of Brand lying to him? Did it ever cross your mind that this miserable season is karmic payback for Baron for all the crap he has pulled in his career? After the pathetic, inexcusable season Baron has put in for us so far he likely isn’t gonna have karma in his favor for a long time to come. He doesn’t deserve it. Baron is about two shades off form Stephon Marbury at this point – and karma seems to like Marbury a lot better right now given that he is getting a chance at a free ring he doesn’t deserve with Boston. Baron needs to re-evaluate his whole game and re-dedicate himself to basketball in a big way. Nobody has much use for Baron Davis 2.009 in his current state, least of all the Clippers.
Jax Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Too bad you don’t hold the $5M / yr coach to that same standard
bongstradamus Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
I dont blame Baron Davis. All of us knew, either consciously or subconsciously, that Baron and Dunleavy were going to be like oil and water and have problems. They have completely different ideas about how basketball should be played. Baron needs to run and gun, be able to create on the fly and not be saddled into a plodding half-court routine where you waste 18 seconds on the shot clock and scramble to find a shot with 6 seconds left. Problem is, Dunleavy is not the guy you want drawing X’s and O’s with 30 seconds on the game clock, because we all see how he brings in the coldest guys to make miraculous clutch plays, and makes his best shooters inbound a ball when they should be one of two options available to catch and shoot. See Zach’s infamous airball for an example. Zach should have inbounded that ball to either Baron or Eric instead of Eric inbounding. That last minute and half of that game, the more we analyze it, shows just how much of this problem is really Dunleavy and not his players. Dunleavy is too stubborn and wilts under pressure. Did you see those streams of sweat? Guy cannot handle it. It was like when the Trailblazers lost to the Lakers in 2000. He folds like a house of cards when confronting a light breeze. The Napoleonic Nitwit needs to be fired. If signing or trading for every single active headcase in the league wasnt enough (Hey Dun, I hear Isaiah Rider and Shawn Kemp are available) then blowing a 19 point lead in the 4th quarter by having your best shooter inbounding the ball with 6 seconds left just seals the deal.
Dunleavy is a stain on the Clippers franchise, not a blemish that goes away, but a stain we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. He has brought us to depths of Hell that are unimaginable considering how used to losing we are as a group of fans. He has incredible talent on this team, but he cant coach them to even 20 wins.
Over the last 20 years, the brightest spots were when Larry Brown took us to the playoffs and the 2 weeks Dennis Johnson coached the team and every player wouldve taken a bullet from him. Those are the best memories I have. Im over the Dunleavy Legacy, he ruined this team like Bush ruined America. Its way past the time to get rid of him.
Stian Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 1:52 am
“Baron needs to run and gun, be able to create on the fly and not be saddled into a plodding half-court routine where you waste 18 seconds on the shot clock and scramble to find a shot with 6 seconds left.” –
Too bad you fail to mention that Baron is walking the ball up court because he is not in good enough physical shape to run and gun (which also explains why he hardly ever tries to take his man off the dribble anymore and can’t finish plays at the rim when he does). Not because Dunleavy wants to play at a snail’s pace. Funny enough, when Mike Taylor is in there the tempo is generally much higher and the team more energized. I don’t recall Dunleavy yelling at Taylor once to slow things down. Why can Taylor push the ball and Baron can’t? Certainly not because Dunleavy gives MT the green light but not to Baron.
Jax Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 11:42 am
LOL – do you need to run up the court to dump it in to ZBO?
Not so much.
Stian Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Very funny. Z-Bo probably beats Baron down the court right now – and he certainly had no problem keeping up in D’Antoni’s run-n-gun offense before he came over. Got any more lame excuses why Baron stinking up the joint is everyone else’s fault?
bongstradamus Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
No lame excuses, just lame facts.
The Clippers rank 19th in the league in Fast Break Points this season. Which is pretty sad.
However, its an improvement over last year where we were tied for 24th in the league in fast break points. These numbers are directly related to our coaching. The improvements could all be attributed to Mike Taylors 13 minutes and 1.8 assists per game, but i’m leaning more towards Baron Davis’ 34 minutes and 7.8 assists per game.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
All the air for the season was lost on opening night when we got pummeled in silence at Staples and Laker fans chanted Kobe for MVP on our court. We were doomed from day 1. Next year we need to open against the Clippers for a sure win… wait we are the Clippers, we are screwed.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I may have mentioned this once or twice before, but I’ve a fan of this team since 1992, going to back to Larry Brown. I sat through the coaching of Bob Weiss, Bill Fitch, Chris Ford, Jim Todd, Alvin Gentry, and the late great Dennis Johnson…all but the ’97 and ’06 playoff teams and the 2000-02 teams were bad to watch. This season’s team, is without a shadow of a doubt, is the worst I’ve ever witnessed. I don’t get into things like bad karma when it comes to sports, because I always belive that good and talented teams can overcome bad coaching and management, but this roster simply doesn’t give a fuck, and it’s very sad. I didn’t bother watching the Cleveland game, but I was following the score on the ESPNews ticker…when I saw that the Clips were ahead for the good part of the game, I wanted to get home and see the game.
However, I got home too late, but I saw the postgame show, and seeing the replay of Mo Williams’ go-head basket and Zach Randolph’s airball…I just shook my head in disgust. But at the same time, knowing Dunleavy’s penchant for overthinking the most simple task, I wasn’t surprised with the Clippers loss. There’s a reason why guys like Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, and Jerry Sloan have been successful, while Mike Dunleavy is an average-at-best coach (and average-at-best at this point is being generous)…they actually trust their players and don’t micromanage the games by acting smarter than they are.
Much like a few of players on this team, I’ve already given up on the season. I know this is wishful thinking here, but I’m for whatever it takes to make this franchise a winner, and it should start with getting rid of Dunleavy altogether, plus anyone else that’s a Dunleavy loyalist. Sterling should also stay FAR away from this franchise…if he’s steadfast on not selling the team, he should just become a faceless, absentee owner, sign the checks and shut the hell up. They can talk about injuries all they want, you have a culture of guys simply not caring.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
blaming zach for losing the cavs game is almost like blaming noah for the flood. like noah he was put in a bad situation because of the transgressions of others & did the best he could under the circumstances(albeit a bit more unsuccessfully). moreover, it is particularly sad to read those comments because they are unwarrented for a variety of reasons. first& foremost, the clips wouldn’t have been even close in the game without zachs usual agressive talented inside play;secondly,he is one of the few clips who have played hard & well virtually every game & unlike some of his teammates has been willing to play even though he has had excuses not to- in this instance the death of his father just a few days before the game. as in this game he is the key to the entire clips offense (such asitis)because he is always willing to do the dirty work in the trenches and is always wiiling to take the big shot- usually with good results. in that regard, “the sporting news” recently named zach the 3rd best post player in the league- ahead of yao ming. yes, the shot he took at the end of the game was terrible but i’m sure he was surprised as the 18,000 fans in the building to find himself with the ball with 6 seconds to go near mid-court. whose idea was that? surely not zachs, & who was he supposed to throw it to when everyone else was just standing around watching? let’s face it, the clips lost the game because they have one of the worst coaches in the league who , among other things,kept kamen in the game when it was obvious to everyone except coach d that he was unraveling as he usually does in crunch time & was playing more minutes than he should have after sitting out for 3 months- this while one of the best defenders in the history of the league(camby) was sitting on the bench.with the exception of the time sam cassell was the point guard & ran the team on his own without paying any attention to coach d’s rigid tunnelvisioned coaching. the clips under d have rarely won these kind of games. its no coincidence. the clips have the talent to be a very good team but there in no chance that will happen under the arrogant leadership of d-& he has a few yrs to go on his contract with an owner who could care less about what happens on the court. the only real solution would be for everyone to cancel their tickets. sterling would notice that since he would be left with a few cents less than the billions he already has.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
baron is the worst signing ? Umm. Have you heard of elton brand or Gilbert arenas ? At least baron plays
eastie rich Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Baron was the worst signing. When he found out Elton wasn’t going to be here he didn’t even bother getting into shape. His fg percentage is somewhere around 30%, he has given little effort and it rubs off on the team. He was a horrible signing. I don’t think “he’ll be better next year” cuts it. Does he give a refund to Sterling and every fan who pays to see him. Most fans groan when he puts up a shot.
Elton had an injury plagued year but at least he put the effort in on the court.
Arenas, I think he’s been out all year. A horrible signing I’d have to agree.
But, Davis showed up with no intent to play. That’s different. What an enormous waste of money.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
This is the coach who would not have played Gordon except for injuries and did not resign Powell.See how quikly the Lakers picked him up.I guess the Clippers have 14 players better than him….
eastie rich Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I think that all the time when I see former Clippers somewhere else. But, if Powell was playing for Dunleavy, and he was any good, Dunleavy would leave him on the bench. He’s a coaching Genius. I check a few different Clipper Blogs and it’s amazing how many posters are in favor of the coach.
Cappy Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Josh Powell? Really? On a team with Kaman, Camby and Randolph on the Roster You think we also need Josh Powell? I guess we should also be bummed Hart’s not with us any more since the playoff-bound Nuggets picked him up. I guess next year we’ll al have to be upset if they waive Skinner and he signs on with another team. Come to think of it, why do we have Skinner when we could have just kept Jason Powell? Oh the horror. No wonder this season’s been so lousy. I thought it was injuries and chemistry, but all the while it was right in font of us. Jason Powell has catapulted the Lakers in to contenders, and it could have been the Clips if we just held on to him one more year.
Stian Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Josh Powell has ONE great game as a Laker and all of a sudden he is some sort of discarded Clipper franchise player? Please.
eastie rich Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I’m not saying Powell was a go to guy, but someone who plays hard, something difficult to find on this team. But the point is why get rid of Powell and get Skinner, why get rid of Maggette and get Davis? The Clippers are a mystery.
Stian Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
C’mon, we decided not to renew Maggette because he saw enough for 7 years to know that he wasn’t worth 5/50. Not to mention that Thornton looked like he could pretty much fill those shoes without us missing much of a beat. And we’d been mired in PG misery – not counting the first season of Cassell – for literally a decade or longer. On paper, Baron was a easily THE best PG to ever play for this team. Too bad it hasn’t worked out. But hopefully we’ll get a chance to get a stud like Rubio in here and turn Baron into a couple of other pieces we have use for.
eastie rich Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
“We” decided not to renew Maggette, by that you mean Dunleavy hated him and couldn’t wait to get rid of him. Let’s be clear.
Stian Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Dunleavy didn’t hate him – he thought he had major deficiencies on D which is why QRoss ended up starting in the first place (as to cover for Cassell was also a sieve on D). Corey not making the effort on D was and still is a legit gripe. Obviously, Corey didn’t feel ‘hated’ otherwise he would not have come back to the Clippers with the Warriors’ offer in hand and given us the option to match it which we declined to do.
bongstradamus Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Dunleavy hated him. It was mutual, after all the drama between them, they hated each other. Corey said hed resign at 5m a season, so it would have been a 5/25 deal. We signed Ricky Davis for 2.5M instead. That’s worked out famously.
Stian Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Lay off the bong a little! Corey NEVER said he’d re-sign for 5/25 – why would he go from 6/42 to 5/25 when he’s a better player now? I’ll take a hobbled Ricky D for 2/5 over Maggette for 5/50 any time.
Seth Reply:
March 14th, 2009 at 10:00 am
For some reason, I don’t think Dunleavy likes athletic Power Forwards. Again, I really don’t know what goes on his mind, but all I know is that it’s not basketball. He let go James Singleton and Josh Powell. Two players who are getting significant playing time and contributing with their new teams. The only right move Dunleavy did this off season was to not re-sign Maggette. Maggette is trash. No defense, selfish, and his flopping annoyed the heck out of me. Thornton has similar, I think better offensive skills with a pinch of better defense than Maggette. Clippers needed a PG and Davis is a great pick up, but not in Dunleavy’s system.
bongstradamus Reply:
March 16th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I know its hard to believe, but apparently you werent paying attention during the offseason. Maggette said hed take 5/50 in order for us to have Baron and Elton playing together. He was willing to give up part of his payday to help us get BD and keep Elton. We still passed. He took GS’s offer. The rest is history.
Section 113 Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Stian, I agree again….Rubio is the must have guy…besides talent, he will at least be entertaining to watch….it is the only chance that I renew.
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
So much of next year hinges on what we do with Marcus Camby. Outside of Gordon, Camby is our only trading asset. If we stay put with Camby, there’s a good chance we end up right back in the basement of the conference, as much as it pains me to say that.
We have to move Marcus Camby this summer.
bongstradamus Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Don’t worry, we’ll get offers. Not only do people want his rebounding and shot blocking ability, but they are even more interested in how his contract falls off the books in time for the LeBron lottery.
Posted on March 13th, 2009 at 12:39 am
As a Cavs fan I was directed here by a search engine (who could)…I settled in to enjoy reading about the Cavs victory – written from the perspective of the Clippers! Instead I read a whole bunch of comments that reminded me oh so much of my Beloved Browns! Keep up the faith!
Posted on March 13th, 2009 at 6:47 am
Stop it with the Josh Powell talks. Anyone can flourish or at least provide us with the false imagery of success in the triangle offense. I’m willing to bet anything, that the only player that can really have a successful career outside of the Lakers offense is Kobe Bryant and maybe Pau, but again Pau was playing on a horrible Grizzlies team.
And, Baron’s lack of success is partly due to his immature personality and the iron fist of Dunleavy. Maybe he is walking the ball up the court because that’s what he is told to do by the coach? In all the Dunleavy years, how often have you recalled Clippers guards running the ball into half court and setting up an offense before 6-8 seconds have run off the clock? Not many. Cassell did it as well. The only difference was Cassell thrived off of it, and Baron doesn’t.
That year Clippers went to the 2nd round was a fluke. A freak of nature. The stars were partially aligned, and it appeared everything was set into course for our first ever Western Conference Finals appearance. And then, the Daniel Ewing substitution! And where is Ewing? Off somewhere in the Euroleagues, and where is Dunleavy? 5mil/year and a promotion to General Manager.
Interesting.
I’m putting this out there. I think all Clippers fan should stop buying season tickets. There is no need to feed Sterling’s wallet so he can live elaborately, while the fans who pay him and his employees, are living miserably forced to watch this crap! I’m sick of Dunleavy and sick of Sterling. David Stern needs to get off his ass and do something.
Posted on March 13th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
My TV has volume control. If you turn it up you will hear Dunleavy saying over and over again, “Push it.” But for running to work, all of the players have to actually run… Man for man, they must take it upon themselves to beat their opponents down the court. That means running hard on every play, because you never know when that one burst of speed is going to result in a layup or dunk.
Randolf doesn’t run. Baron doesn’t run. Kaman will run. Camby will run.
I say, get the # 1 pick in the draft, grab Blake Griffin, keep Eric Gordon and Mike Taylor, Kaman, Jordan and built around them. Unload Baron Davis, Ricky Davis and Randolf for whatever you can get for them, probably only second round picks (if that is even possible). It took the Knicks five years to realize they had to blow up Isaiah’s mess. Hopefully, we can learn the lesson quicker.
Now, plan B, in the event we don’t get Blake Griffin… Just keep this team together another year and we’re once again assured of another high draft pick.
neiljphx Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
The problem is that nobody will give anything for Z-bo and Baron and those contracts in this economy. We can talk about getting somthing for them, but i don’t even think teams would give a late pick for them. Only way now to get rid of then is to take back some other debacle with a high salary in trade.
So…since we are stuck with them, how about firing MDsr and trying ANYOBODY else as coach. This shit is just not working. You can see the body language where Baron looks like he’s gonna puke anytime the coach wants to talk to him.
And DTS is too irrational to see that he could spend a couple mill extra on a coach, keep MDsr upstairs and then maybe the huge investments in Baron and
Z-bo might yeild better results.
This is like there’s a car with a new engine and a new tranny in the garage but the owner doesn’t want to spend a little extra for new tires and instead has this undriveable mess on old tires with no grip. Just a couple more bucks might turn it into at least a serviceable ride.
Stian Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Z-Bo ran in NY under D’Antoni and averaged close to 22 PPG. He is not holding back a more uptempo offense. Baron is – because is not in good enough shape to run. Anytime Mike Taylor is out there we play at a faster pace and with more energy. Z-Bo isn’t going anywhere – he is a valuable piece. Baron on the other hand needs to be moved this summer and I believe we can get a deal done of that is the objective.
Sam Mays Reply:
March 14th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I agree with you on Baron… He must go and he’s the major impediment to the team’s chances of running… And, yes, Mike Taylor does bring energy, but it out of control much of the time and isn’t yet a good passer. When he gets into the lane, he’s looking for his own shot, not drawing defense and kicking the way the better point guards do it. He gets himself caught in some very bad situations… Still, he’s young and should get smarter. He could end up being like Rondo in Boston if he develops. I don’t know if he will ever be the answer, but I’d sooner see him playing 30 minutes a game and Baron 18 than the other way around… At least for the rest of this lost season… Z-Bo on the other hand, has been a big-time loser everywhere he’s been. He scores while his team loses… He’s a weak defender. I’d like him coming off the bench as a 6th man at 7 million a year. Let him come in and change the game with his ability to score points, but paying him superstar money is ridiculous. True superstars make their teams at least .500 no matter who they’re playing with… Also, as a first-year coach, how much would Sam Cassell actually command. It wouldn’t be that costly to try him there… If he fails, perhaps Rick Adelmann will be available in a couple years… That guy is a flat out miracle worker.
Posted on March 13th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
It aches. Sterling is such a disgrace … I’m finally releasing the Clips … won’t go to any more games, won’t even wear my shirt. I can’t continue to give even the smallest amount of indirect support to this guy. He makes me sick inside.
Kevin, thanks so much for the fantastic site and all the great work. When he’s gone, I hope to see you at a game.
Posted on March 16th, 2009 at 12:35 am
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