From Marc Stein at ESPN.com:

LAS VEGAS -- The Los Angeles Clippers confirmed on Sunday that lottery pick Eric Gordon will miss the remainder of the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV with a strained left hamstring.

Gordon, who has shown some nice flashes in two games despite his struggles from perimeter, suffered the strain Saturday in a loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. The injury, while not believed to be serious, rules out what looked to be one of the better individual duels in Vegas this summer: Gordon's scheduled showdown Wednesday night with O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies. Drafted No. 7 overall last month out of Indiana, Gordon has missed 19-of-28 shots from the field in two games but has relied on his strength, body control and confidence to get to the free-throw line 21 times (making 16) in just under 60 minutes of court time, enabling him to average 19 points along with 6.5 rebounds. Clippers summer league coach Kim Hughes has been primarily playing Gordon as a shooting guard, a position in which he is likely to be deployed most as a rookie alongside Baron Davis. "I think once [Gordon] figures it out, he'll understand that he doesn't have to take the first available shot," Hughes told NBA.com. "When he uses the picks a little bit more, we'll send the ball to him weak side and he won't have to shoot the ball so quickly. I think he's got a good feel for the game, I think he can break his own guy down one-on-one and I think in transition he can be a monster."

The FTA number is encouraging.  Getting to the line is a skill and instinct I'd much rather see from a 19-year-old in the incipient moments if his career.  The FG% isn't nearly as important as the TS%, which is respectable.  The 11 rebounds in 57 minutes isn't bad either.  

MORE: Good quote from Kim Hughes on Gordon at NBA.com:

"I think once he figures it out, he'll understand that he doesn't have to take the first available shot," Hughes said. "When he uses the picks a little bit more, we'll send the ball to him weak side and he won't have to shoot the ball so quickly. I think he's got a good feel for the game, I think he can break his own guy down one-on-one, and I think in transition he can be a monster."

I realize Gordon wasn't the first choice of most Clips fans, but he has a game you can root for.  Let's hope he returns healthy and ready for training camp.

AUSTIN TX -- Clipperblog is through examining the tea leaves.  I’m willing to ascribe Brand’s decision to sign with Philadelphia as a confluence of factors – all of which are now in plain view.  Maybe it’s incuriosity or boredom – or the fact that Clipperblog is on vacation away from the hermetically sealed Los Angeles media chamber --  but divvying up blame in its appropriate servings seems silly.  

Whether Brand’s decision was something the Clippers could control is debatable.  But they fully control how they’ll address Brand’s departure.  The Clippers have a sizable chunk of cap space and how they use it will very much foretell the team’s health going forward.  

Trading for Zach Randolph and the three years and $48M remaining on his contract seems absurd. If the Clippers could unload Tim Thomas in the exchange, then the deal goes from absurd to merely problematic.  When you’re of the opinion that “winning” and “chemistry” are overrated attributes in producing victories, it’s always difficult dismissing a player on the basis of those deficiencies.  But having watched Randolph’s formidable offensive game in the post, I feel confident in suggesting that Zach Randolph, while a sick talent, would be detrimental to the organization’s near and long-term future.  Imagine Brand’s most glaring weakness [passing out of the double-team], and throw an exponent on it.  But that flaw in Randolph’s game can even begin to describe his apathy on the defensive end.  Some players can’t play defense – though for no lack of effort (Sam Cassell).  Some players merely can’t be bothered (Stephon Marbury).  Randolph seems to wed a lack of skill and effort.  

A much more interesting course – one reported by Marc Stein in his weekend chatter roundup – is the Clippers acquiring Rasheed Wallace (1 year, $13.68M remaining).  It wouldn’t be a long-term fix, but that’s precisely the point.  It would address the Clippers’ hole at PF and would do it without hampering their cap flexibility. Wallace is a smart inside-out player who provides stellar help defense.  A Davis/Wallace S/R could be potent – provided Wallace wanted to be the Clippers.