August 25th, 2005. It’s a day that produces no real memory when mentioned. In fact, it’s so completely forgettable that I had to look it up to confirm it was the actual date. But on this rather pedestrian day in the offseason some five years ago, the fate of two franchises became seemingly permanently intertwined with one another.
August 25th, 2005: That was the day the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Sam Cassell and a lottery protected first round pick to the Clippers for Marko Jaric.
This piece is from Breene Murphy, Clipperblog’s newest contributor:
Baron Davis sat on the training table adjacent to the practice court, one knee pulled into his chest, watching draft prospects run through drills and scrimmages the first time I saw him up close, at the Clippers Training Facility. His beard shorn, he looked in shape, nowhere near the 260 pounds he’s recently been rumored to weigh. He pitted himself in the midst of a few other players, Mardy Collins and Craig Smith, with scouting coordinator Jason Piombetti. Baron didn’t smile much and his eyes very rarely left the court, watching the young players jostle and compete for their futures. I’m sure in some ways, Baron envied those players, the way that people would talk about their potential, the word still being used in a positive way.
TrueHoop Network blogger Matt Hubert of DLeagueDigest.com has compiled a great look at all the 30 NBA teams and their usage of the D-league.
Matt used a grading system that I’ll let him explain here:
I wanted this to be a comprehensive effort, so rather than just offering my take on the teams, I reached out to the excellent bloggers of the TrueHoop Network, asking each team blogger to grade their team’s usage of the D-League (25 of them complied by giving a grade). I also got grades of all 30 teams from Matt Moore, who covers the D-League for AOL Fanhouse, and a combined grade from Scott Schroeder and Jon L. of Ridiculous Upside.
From ESPN’s Chris Sheridan:
ISTANBUL, Turkey — Eric Gordon played so well in the second half Thursday against Tunisia, he may have earned himself a spot in the starting lineup.
Emphasis on the words “may have.”
“Yeah, we’ll take a look at it. We’re always open for everything,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said after his team played sluggishly for the majority of the game before pulling away in the final 14 minutes — led by Gordon’s shooting — to defeat winless Tunisia 92-57 and finish preliminary-round play 5-0.
You’ve heard the rumors. Carmelo Anthony wants out of Denver, and the Clippers have emerged as one of the likely destinations. Could a marriage between Melo and Los Angeles work?
When considering a potential deal, there’s a couple of things to keep in mind. First off, Anthony would absolutely have to sign a contract extension. I’d say it’s safe to assume that the Clippers would have no interest in forfeiting future and current assets for a one year rental on Anthony. If the Clippers make a move towards Anthony he’d have to sign the 3-year, $65 million dollar contract extension as part of the deal. That’s the first hurdle. Is Anthony willing to lock into a long-term deal with the Clippers as opposed to hitting free agency?