Excellent work.

I would love to see you link the Dunleavy ESPN radio podcast on the main page. It is a must listen for any Clipper fan.

If Clippers wanted BRAND, they could have gotten him. But did they?

I don't think so. They were planning long-term. And ignoring immediate needs.

But they will proven right by the end of next season.

Great article and i agree with Mike, the Dunleavy podcast is a great interview. The interview, along with Baron's press conference, has my spirits up after a rough couple of days, and i am confident the clips can still head in the right direction starting now.

Also.....If there is any positive about Brand leaving....its that we dont need to deal with David Falk anymore!

Someone please link me to the Dunleavy interview. My brother called me and said Dunleavy sounded real pissed.

thanks in advance.

As always, Kevin, you're an insightful and articulate voice for the rest of us. Well said!

Dunleavy Interview: http://query-origin.andohs....

I went to youtube to find BD's Clippers press conference (which I can't seem to either find on line or click onto from the NBA.com or Clippers.com site) and found this link posted by an angry and disappointed Clippers fan:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

"Benedict" Brand ... I think I know what to shout from my seats when and if the 76ers come to town.

The Clippers should make a offer for Iguodala. We need a small forward and we could get payback. A key player in that offense they will suck. Besides, they spent all there dough on Brand; they can't match.

Thanks for the link JM.

Check out this article with some of Baron's thoughts on Brand leaving as well as his optimism for the upcoming season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/n...

Asked when he last spoke to Brand, Davis said it was yesterday, laughing and adding, "I can't tell you what I said to him."

Brand, who has averaged around 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, was expected to remain with Los Angeles, but he took a five-year deal for a reported $82 million in Philadelphia.

When Davis decided last week that he was going to join the Clippers, he believed Brand was going to be his teammate, but Davis insists he's gotten over any disappointment that they won't be playing together.

"I'm signed, sealed and delivered, so I'm not disappointed at all," he said. "And he's signed and he's committed."

Davis had tried to sway Brand's decision.

"I talked to him, would tell him, 'Hey, this is the best place for you, we can do great things.' But obviously he chose otherwise," Davis said. "I can't be mad at him for that. I wish Elton brand the best. He's a great guy, always going to a great player and a friend of mine. He made a decision for the future of his family.

"There's no more Elton Brand in L.A. It's my turn and a chance for the young guys to step up. Get a couple more free agents and we'll be ready to go."

Davis said he didn't consider backing out of his deal (five years, $65 million) with the Clippers because Brand wasn't going to be around.

"It didn't really matter, once I made my mind up. I'm a man of my word," Davis said. "I committed to the Clippers and they committed to me."

Can we now put blame on the true deal maker/breaker, the guy that is supposed to negotiate/close the deal--- dump the old fart with the bad toupe. Get someone in there with half a brain and gonads enuf to handle our disfunctional Clipper crew.

That interview with Dunleavy was all I needed to hear. After listening to the interview, how can you still blame Dunleavy for any of this? It would be plain ignorance and I would like to hear an argument, because I'm not sure one exists. The man did everything he could. That being said, I believe he has the determination to turn this into a winning organization (even if for his own personal gain). I was neutral on Dunleavy before all of this. He might not be the one to take this team all the way, but he cares and I do believe he expends himself fully for the Clippers and their fans. Unfortunately, injuries were always prevalent and I never thought he had all the right pieces. So I, for one, never placed too much blame on him for losing. He tries his damnedest and for that I tip my cap.

Brand did "5 good minutes" on PTI and he directly addresses Dunleavy's angry accusations. You can listen to the podcast here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/e...

I like the fan video. "Aw, I got bullsh$t on my shoes!"

Here are some more links.

Elton's KLAC interview: (link on that page)

http://www.clipsnation.com/...

Baron's press conference video (link found on that page)

http://www.nba.com/clippers...

That fan video is great.

The Truth (Maybe?) About the Elton Brand/Clipper Fiasco:

RECAP: Dunleavy says he has proof (text messages, emails, and a hand-written NONBINDING "contract" by DF) proving EB & DF screwed the Clips.

ESPN 710: http://stations.espn.go.com...

KLAC 570: http://www.am570radio.com/p...

I may be in the minority (or perhaps the silent majority), but after listening to Dunleavy's interview, it's hard for me to lay any blame at his feet. Sterling, sure. Baylor, sure. But I've always liked what Dunleavy has brought to our team.

Here's a guy who really cares about doing what's best for the Clips. He garnered Sterling's support early in his tenure here, and leverages it when he feels it is important. Mike's right when he says we don't have a bad contract on our roster. Mobley's contract is a borderline-albatross, but hey, it's not nearly as bad as Rashard Lewis's contract. How many teams can honestly say that they don't have a bad contract on their roster?

Sure, Dun's coaching style has sometimes seen needlessly rigid or static at times, but I really don't think he's doing pounding half court sets over and over because he has some agenda; I think he's doing it because that's the best way he knows how to win.

Many people felt that Mike needlessly buried Maggs in the rotation over the last few years, but with the exception of the Warriors' massively inflated offer (like the Clippers, the Warriors have no choice but to overpay players to get them to play in Oakland), it's not like many teams were salivating over getting Corey to play for their team. The league's elite teams (San Antonio, Boston, Detroit) all seemed to think that the MLE was a fair offer for Maggette's services. So maybe Mike wasn't so far off base on that issue.

Todd, there were only 4 teams with cap space thus having the ability to afford more than the MLE..Corey talked to all those teams you mentioned above and took the best $$ offer in GS. He'll do well in that offense up there

tw -

I'm just saying that San Antonio and Detroit didn't get to where they are by overpaying people and writing bad contracts. If they think the MLE is fair value for Corey, I'm pretty inclined to believe them.

Corey is definitely worth what he got considering what other guys are getting. Duhon got the MLE. Corey is worth two Duhon's. The reason that the Spurs and the Celts were offering MLE was simply because that was all they had. If the Spurs had more room you can be sure they would have used it.

If Omeka Okafor is worth 12 million (actually he turned that down) and Bogut is worth what he got, then Corey is worth about 24 million. You get what I mean.

Dunleavy isn't that good an actor to be lying. Anyone who believes Falk/Brand is living on another planet. You can hear it in Dunleavy's voice.

Wow. Pretty amazing.

Clipz thanks for the links. Just heard the interview. My reaction: interesting if it's true. Now all Dunleavy has to do is post the proof or hand it over to ESPN or something just to back his word. But you know...really...this situation is over with. Can't bring Brand back. But I guess people's perception of Brand and Falk will change a bit; especially here in LA.

Todd L, you make a good point. Great teams don't overpay good players. Stephen Jackson helped the Spurs earn a ring, but they offered him a contract he felt was not adequate. He ended up getting good money but from a bad Hawks team.

Dunleavy's coaching methods and substitution patterns may be asinine at times but there is no doubt that Sterling started spending money and The Clips started operated like a real NBA franchise once Dunleavy came on board. He is really the gm of our team...hopefully, if and when this coaching thing has run its course, he can move into the GM role bacause Elgin is comatose half the time we see him on tv.

Yeah, it's about time MD got some good reviews on this website, even though his coaching skills and success are limited. He was actually the face of the franchise, not Brand, for trying to turn a decades long culture of losing around and getting ownership to spend money, compete for players, and to help get BD, the first true, really good free agent to become a Clipper. TW, I'm liking what I now hear on this forum! Care to join in with the chorus? Let's name this, "MD unsensored day".

BTW, someone earlier on this blog said the Clips should try out Gordon and Jordan in the starting line up along with Kaman sometime during the season and see how well the kids can play. We can have a couple of twin towers down low with three lights-out scorers who can get to the hoop and shoot outside on the wings. Could be interesting. Let's get on with the future......

Seriously-- D. Jordan is not the answer. Flip him for an established player to fill the 4 hole. My vote: Zach Randolph.

You can't pay Baron $65 million and surround him with a bunch of teen-agers.

Fill the void with a 20-10 guy. Dump some bad contracts in the process. It's not a knee-jerk reaction. Randolph is an established 20-10 guy. He'd make us a really strong contender.

I have to admit that it's hard to listed to those MDsr radio clips and have a problem with the guy. He seems totally cool and straight up about shit.

As much as I was wanting a change, now I'm more inclined to see him have a go with the new guys.

A little ironic,... but I'm even more of a Clipper fan now that we've lost EB. At least I know that management is serious about turning the team into a playoff contender...

I'm one of Dunce's biggest retractors, but I have to say I've changed my stance as far as who to blame for this EB fiasco. He genuinely sounded pissed off and, if he's telling the truth, EB and Falk SERIOUSLY gave it to Clipper Nation with no vaseline. I believe Dunce tried his best (It's seriously painful for me to say anything nice about Dunce, so take that for what its worth). Now, as for Roeser, he needs to keep his sorry ass out of negotiations and stick to being the Smithers to Donald's Mr. Burns.

Hearing Baron's interview gave me some hope... it was good to hear his positivity. Am I the only one who thought there may have been deeper meaning to his 'puppet show' joke? (like, EB being Falk's puppet)

I'm a bit intrigued by a potential acquisition of Zach Randolph, although his salary and contract length scare me a bit. Though an idiot off the court, he's a proven 20-10 guy and NY would probably move him for cheap. Otherwise, I'm not totally sold on Josh Smith (though, admittedly, I haven't seen him play all that much) and anything over $12 mil a year seem quite steep for a player like Okafor.

I think I'm actually a fan of the team now (whatever that is) rather than just of certain players, which I predominantly was before. I guess I just don't like to see the franchise treated so poorly when it is trying to do better.

"Now, as for Roeser, he needs to keep his sorry ass out of negotiations and stick to being the Smithers to Donald's Mr. Burns."

I just plain lost it, I couldn't stop laughing. Brilliant.

As for Randolph, I will admit he put in the hard work to come back from micro-fracture surgery (doesn't get enough credit), and he's stayed out of trouble with the NYPD. But I just think for a franchise that got rid of him so eagerly and another that is looking to unload him for peanuts, all this must surely be a red flag.

The red flag with Randolph is that Knicks management want to move him over Kevin Duckworth the 2nd, AKA Eddie Curry. I'd like to be optimistic that Randolph could contribute on the Clippers but I don't think he fits in the uptempo system Dunleavy talked about today. They need someone more mobile.

Also, from today's LA Times article, my guess is they don't waste their time going after Josh Smith or Okafor and try to trade for someone instead.

What about Troy Murphy? It hasn't really worked out on the Pacers for him.

I like the Clippers new team with good outside shooting and the ability to run the floor. I will miss EB's inside game and his great shoot blocking, but I won't miss his inability to be depended upon to make a game winning shot I won't miss his inability to get the ball to an open man when he's being double teamed. Let's hope that the new Clippers can make the transition smoothly.

The 570 clip has more details from Dunleavy than the 710 clip, despite the idiocy of the 570 guys -- the first question to Dunleavy was whether he was relieved the Brand free agency process was over. Really? That's your opener? Instead of asking WTF happened?

Thankfully, Dunleavy eventually cut them off and got down to business. For anyone unable to listen to the radio clips or see the TV clips, here's a rough summary of what Dunleavy said on 570, 710 and FSN:

Opt-Out Ultimatum -- Clips clearly preferred that EB play out his last year and then they'd take their chances signing him next year. Falk sought an extension for $120-$150 and DTS said no, citing the Achilles injury. DTS said, via MD, that if EB played out 08-09 he would get market value from DTS next summer. This lead to an "ultimatum" from MD, approved by DTS, regarding the opt-out decision -- use it or don't, but we can do business either way.

Verbal Agreement -- Sometime after Falk demanded an extension for $120, EB came to MD and said he would sign for $70 if DTS would promise to spend for good free agents. MD, after receiving "carte blanche" from DTS, made a verbal agreement with EB on these terms. On 570, MD said that Falk was "blindsided" by his agreement with EB and that during the negotiations between MD and Falk, Falk must have felt like MD "knew all the cards."

Baron Davis Signing -- Delivering on the promise to get FAs, MD gets a verbal agreement from BD for $65 for 5. In no interview I heard did MD mention Udrih.

Falk Marks Up Contract -- According to MD, the Clips presented Falk with a draft contract that Falk returned to Roeser with handwritten comments. At this time, Falk also communicated that if BD was in then EB was also in.

ETO -- On 7/1, and while at the movies, EB sent MD a text asking for Falk's language changes to be accepted and for inclusion of an early termination option because "I'm giving up a lot here." MD says this was the first mention of the ETO. MD sent EB a text stating he would get it taken care of and asked if there was anything else EB needed because MD would also get it for BD. Around 9 am the next day, MD sent EB another text saying he had secured the language changes and the ETO.

No Trade Clause -- Dunleavy said it was never requested and all reports about it are false.

Talking to DTS -- MD said there's no need to talk to DTS b/c MD had "carte blanche" to do as he pleased. MD characterized Falk's request to talk to DTS as "big-timing it."

"Take it or leave it" -- Sounds like MD said "take it or leave it, EB already agreed to it" to Falk about the initial $70 offer b/c he thought he had a deal with EB. EB told MD that he would "take care of" Falk. MD thought EB would control Falk.

$$ Raises -- MD said the Clips raised the offer to $75 once they figured out the cap situation. Falk relayed it to Philly and told them to make the Carney/Booth trade to get more cap room. After the Clips saw the trade, MD raised it to $81 in a text to EB and Falk saying they could get to $81 if MD cut some guys and asking if EB really wanted the cuts to happen. No response from EB or Falk to the $75 or $81 offers.

Evidence -- According to MD, there are text messages and a marked up contract from Falk. MD also pointed out numerous text messages from EB to current Clippers where EB said "me, you and BD we got it rocking and rolling."

Bottom line according to MD, this is all on Falk.

If we are going to start pushing for a NY PF, I say we push for David Lee. He's got more heart and upside, and he's pretty damn good to begin with. Coming off the bench in 07-08:

Min: 29.1
PPG: 10.8
FG%: 55.2
FT: 81.9
Off Reb: 3
Def Reb: 6
Tot: 8.9

He plays hard, seems to have a good head on his shoulders ... and he's clutch: http://www.youtube.com/watc...

As Clipper Speakeasy said, NY would want to unload a bad contract with him. Would absorbing someone like Jeffries be worth it?

tw & co.

All disagreements about Dunleavy's previous dealings and coaching aside, the guy has earned my respect as a true Clipper.

He went to war for us these past 10 days and he tried his best and is genuinely dissapointed just like we are. But instead of taking the low road and calling them names, he is looking towards the future. He made me re-think giving up my season seats.

I love the guy... he's GREAT for this franchise, even if he's not the best coach in the world. He's done more for them in 5 years than Elgin has done in 20 years.

Mike Dunleavy Sr. went to war for the Clippers and their fans... How many other guys have done that?

Mike -

"Duhon got the MLE. Corey is worth two Duhon's."

That was great, thanks for the good laugh!

For basketball fans, I totally forgot about this. This is funny...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Thanks JM. I'll say it again with more evidence -- David Lee is the sugar that gets somebody to take the bad Curry and/or Randolph contracts from the Knicks. He's not available straight up.

Randolph is due $14.7 in 08-09, $16 in 09-10, and $17.3 in 10-11.

Curry is due $9.7 in 08-09, $10.5 in 09-10 and $11.3 in 10-11 (the 09-10 and 10-11 are player options that are sure to be exercised).

Lee is due $1.8 in 08-09 and his qualifying offer for 09-10 is $2.7.

Knicks have to unload at least one of Randolph or Curry to even get within sniffing distance of the big name 2010 free agents, so you only get a cheap guy like Lee if you take a bad contract.

Do you want a Randolph/Lee combo at that price?

MD said several times today that the Clips have no bad contracts.

Thanks for the numbers Speakeasy. Personally, I wouldn't take either Randolph or Curry ... even if you throw Lee in there. Maybe I'm already missing the idea of having a hard working, blue collar player back on the team. I think Lee fits that mold ...

Its time for the clippers to bring sofoklis.

Great posts Speakeasy. I'm glad that coach D has been out front and speaking up for the Clips on this cause he and the orginization clearly got jobbed by Falk, and by extension EB. Although Falk had deal control, EB was the decision maker here, and he chose to go down that path.

ACD, I will say this about coach D, he went to bat for the Clips big-time this Summer but in my opinion you should not have your coach dealing with personnel matters, period. And that's on DTS for not having a capable GM in place. Roeser has proven to be worthless in this arena as well if he indeed was involved in this debacle. Having the coach recruit players and negotiate deals seldom works out well in the end. Look at the examples of this in sports (Isiah, Parcells, Holmgren etc.) all ended badly. Coaches should coach and leave the GM duties to someone else. The seperation is healthy, and this is my point with having MD involved with personnel. This Summer he was working on something great, but I cannot get behind his past decisions in that of trading Wilcox and then eventually turning him into T2 or the drafting of Korolev or Livy.

With regards to MD's coaching, maybe this will be the reckoning he needs to change his ways. He needs to adopt a present day offense cause his offense is tired and predictable. It doesn't allow players to play their games, instead it constricts them to the shackles of a rigid offense. This debacle aside, I can't help but wonder if this played into EB or Coreys decision to spurn the Clips in the fashion they did. Clearly, EB and Corey had no loyalty whatsoever to the Clips and basically used them to get what they wanted elsewhere.

With regards to Maggs, I was not saying he's worth $10M a year..was simply saying that he talked to a bunch of teams and went for the $$ in GS. If winning was his priority, he would have signed the MLE in San Antonio or Boston or Detroit..cause that's all those teams had to offer.

Lastly, anyone that hasn't checked out Ricky's youtube EB video has gotta check it. It's classic, the link is at the top of this thread.

i share all clippers' fans pain from the back stabbing job done by falk and benedict brand. check out my blogs and video tribute.

clippershttp://www.riceboytv.com/blogs/rikdaddys-blog/fck-you-elton-brand/

http://www.riceboytv.com/bl...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

I admit, Randolph is not a dream candidate. In a perfect world EB would lead us to the western conf. finals next year.

There is no perfect solution to the shitty situation we've been put in. Randolph has had his off-court problems, but he is productive, and frankly, I don't spend much time hanging out with these guys off the court.

His contract is big, but it is much smaller than whatever we would have to shell out for Okafor or Smith and his production is guaranteed.

Isiah Thomas misused him last year, just like he misuses everyone. And he didn't get in any off court trouble, which says a lot considering the environment he was playing in. Put him in a winning situation and he will deliver. (He was unstoppable in the 2003 playoffs!).

PS, for those who would prefer David Lee, who wouldn't?! But Lee isn't for sale. At least not without having to part with real assets. Randolph could come at no cost to the team, and a very marginal cost to Sterling.

Mobley and Thomas are bad contracts. MD cant say it because it insults them. We can.

They are not bad contracts on the Knicks though, which is why I think they would bite if we offered them for Randolph. That way it only costs Sterling the last year of Randolph's contract which is good $ value for the huge upgrade Randolph is over TT and Mobley.

It's a win-win, the way a trade has to be. Donnie Walsh isn't Isiah Thomas. He's not going to trade David Lee for D. Jordan straight up.

Yeah, hard to believe anything out of the Dunce's mouth when he doesn't see any bad contracts.

The Dunce is a great talker. That's why he got such a great contract. I'm sure if he talked to me for an hour about how great a coach he is, I might believe him.

I wanna see a full transcript verified by EB for me to believe all that.

Bottom line is results, and the Dunce isn't producing. Only thing good the Dunce has done was tank those games before the playoffs so they could play Denver instead of Dallas causing an NBA rule change.

Actually, you dont have to give ANYTHING up to get Zach...

The Clippers are under the cap so they can take on Randolph's contract without giving anything up. IF anything, the Clippers have leverage here because the Knicks are DYING to get rid of that guy. You can probably pry another piece of their team like Renaldo Balman from them at little charge.

Regardless... Randolph is the anit-Brand. He doesnt play ANY defense... and gets you 20 and 10. The good thing for the Clippers is that he can score the ball in the clutch. He is a money player in the 4th quarter. As long as you have Kaman watching Randolph's back, it may be worth the risk.

Or maybe not. Bad defense is contagious. And his contract is not exactly friendly...

Just some things to consider...

Bad piece. Makes it sound like it's just 50-50 eye of the beholder whom to believe on this when you'd have to be a moron not to see Falk as Satan and Elton as a lying, backstabbling BS artist.

What bad contracts do the Clippers have? Mobley and Thomas? They are SOLID role players. As long as they dont have to play 40 minutes a game, they are EXCELLENT at what they do.

THESE are bad contracts: (as of 2007)

Bobby Simmons, Milwaukee Bucks
Contract Remaining: 3 years, $29.8 million

Troy Hudson and Marko Jaric, Minnesota Timberwolves
Contract Remaining: Hudson: 3 years $18.9 million, Jaric: 4 years $27.3 million

Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans Hornets
Contract Remaining:4 years, $54.5 million
Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia 76ers
Contract Remaining: 4 years, $43.8 million
Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks
Contract Remaining: 4 years, $41.3 million

Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz
Contract Remaining: 4 years, $63 million
Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat
Contract Remaining: 3 years, $60 million

Quentin Richardson, Jerome James, Stephon Marbury, and Steve Francis, New York Knicks
Contract Remaining: Richardson: 3 years, $26.3 million, James: 3 years, $18.6 million, Marbury: 2 years, $42 million, Francis: 2 years, $33.6 million
Larry Hughes, Cleveland Cavaliers
Contract Remaining: 3 years, $38.5 million

Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets
Contract Remaining: 4 years, $59.1 million

Those are some bad contracts. Kenyon Martin's and especially Marbury's and Francis's stand out. It is easy to overpay in the NBA. I really don't think Thomas is a bad contract. Mobley? Maybe a little given that he is totally washed up and is always injured.

We can't trade away Mobley, he is a solid player at the 2 and is a good defender. Plus, as good as Gordon may be, you can't just throw him in there with no back-up shooting guard.

I agree with ACDE, Mobley and Thomas are not bad contracts, actually they are fairly cheap. Plus, after this season, they will be in the final year of their contracts which means they will be even better trade bait next summer, when many teams will try to unload players for the 2010 free agent summer class. Actually, Mobley & Thomas are good contracts in that aspect.

Plus, if you trade away the two of them, who else do the Clippers have....nobody. Here is where we would stand without them

PG Davis/Knight
SG Gordon
SF Thorton
PF Josh Powell / (Randolph ?!?!?)
C Kaman/Jordan

bench:
the 2nd round NBDL draft pick

that is it since we have let go of the rights to everyone else. we'd need to sign players, and hopefully keep more, but if we trade Mobley & Thomas we have no back-ups.

They are better trade bait next summer during the final year of their contracts.

not sure how we would get Randolph without trading them, just pointing out we need them, although new york would do it because their contracts end 2010 when they want to go after lebron et al.
(i like mobley...thomas, eh, but they both chose to come play for the Clippers, and after this whole debacle that is something i like)

Chris..T2 is making 6M and Cat 9M. That's a huge chunk of change for bench players and for alot of erradic play.

Looks like the Clippers are looking at Biedrins too. Heard from some higher ups that Josh Smith is a little loco in terms of "off the court" behavior. But besides that, his on court game is amazing and a perfect fit. NEW ERA!

tw...ya they are overpaid, but not absurdly overpaid...and not for another 5 years...

2 years left each. not bad.

Plus, i remember when the clippers were very young (gentry era) and everyone wanted them to go out and get some "veterans". these are those veterans that hold the club together over the course of the season.

Mobley does his thing once every 4 games as does Thomas. Forget about the money for a minute... i love having those weapons off the bench. Someone who can get hot and take over a game offensively (mobley) and someone who you can count on to hit a 3. Thomas had a HORRIBLE year shooting 3's last year, But historically, he's much better than that.

Chris makes a GREAT point about the summer of 2010... teams will be dying to trade for those 2 players to clear cap space.

Still sorting between he said this and they said that. But for good or bad it all goes back to Sterling who may have comported himself properly or as properly as he can here but, no matter how many ex-player become "successful" GMs they are always at the mercy of the David Falks. Sterling has never ever won against Falk and sending out Dunleavy or Baylor to face Falk is like sending you 12 year old into the ring with Tyson or Ali. It's like the world champs against some high school kids. They can't win. But control, ego and cheapness have led Sterling to keep the great Elgin Baylor in a role he's not suited for as GM and Dunleavy a very limited coach and failure previously as a GM as his front men. It's a mismatch.

They're not the worst contracts, but they're bad contracts. Mobley's worse the Thomas Both should be making around 3mil a year. They shouldn't be starting in the NBA.

In all of this Clipper talk in the media lately, I have heard every name mentioned, from Sterling to Dunleavy to Andy Roeser, yet not one single mention of Elgin Baylor. WTF is he used for? I'm glad Dunleavy went to bat for the team, where the hell is Elgin Baylor? What is his job description, I have no clue?

While I object to TT's play, his contract is OK -- he's basically making the MLE.

Mobley will still be the starter, at least to begin the season. While I think he's overpaid, it isn't excessive or awful like the contracts cited by ACD. And we need some "glue" now that Brand is gone. Cat is the glue -- MD loves him.

That said, any trade -- for Randoloph or anyone else with a big $$ contract -- would likely include one of these guys. I don't see DTS taking on a huge contract without shedding one of these two. And as several people have already pointed out, TT and Cat will be of greater trade value as their deals get closer to expiring. If we deal them now, we've played that card and, besides the cap space, those are the only cards we have left to play.

It's nice to see some guys that the Clippers passed on the opportunity to overpay on ACD's list of bad contracts: Jaric, Q. Rich and B. Simmons. At the time we lost those guys, there was some regret to see them go, but credit the Clips for not overspending to keep them. Also, one guy is on the list that I'm glad we didn't end up overpaying, even tho we had the opportunity to do so: S. Francis. I never thought he was gonna be the solution at PG.

If TT and Cat are traded to the Knicks they will be waived and free to sign with any team for the league minimum. Perhaps the Clips can work out another "handshake agreement" for them to rejoin the team after the trade.

As for the bench: not as important the starters. 10th, 11th, 12th men are a dime a dozen. Smaller rotations win more games.

Maybe the Knicks would trade Randolph AND Crawford for Mobley, TT, and Faz/Jordan/future picks. They are looking long term and both those guys may be available.

Going after Biedrins is a good idea b/c GSW are a divison rival. Josh Smith plays great D but is a little undersized @ the 4. Oakafor could be a 12 - 10 guy and block some shots. Luol Deng would be gr-8 but @ 6'9" is too slight for true 4.

The Clippers may not be the brightest organization, but they're smart enough not to poison the franchise by going after Randolph. As talented as he is, he's never been part of a good team, but more importantly he was the poster child for the "Jailblazers".

One of the positive things the Clippers have going is that they seem to have a bunch of good character guys, and the addition of Baron gives them a sorely needed sense of leadership and toughness.

It doesn't look like we'll be able to get another impact free agent this time around, especially at the power forward spot. Charlotte will do everything they can to keep Okafor, so who does that leave us?

Randolph has been part of a good team. The 2001-2003 Blazers Blazers averaged 50 wins and made the western conf. finals.

Randolph was not the poster child for the Jailblazers. You associate him with the Jailblazers because he was on the team for a long time because he was the best player. He had a DWI charge. The likes of Rod Strickland, Bonzi Wells, Shaun Kemp, Qyntel Woods, JR Rider, Eric Barkley, Reuben Patterson, and Rasheed Wallace were the perps that turned the Trail into Jail.

As for Deng, forget about it. The Bulls refused to include him in the Kobe deal of last summer. For what? To let him walk to the Clippers?!

Same with Smith and Okafor. They will use us for what every one else uses us for: to drive up the price and then to sign somewhere else.

Poison the franchise?!? That's a joke right? We're the LA Clippers-- the most historically irrelevant franchise in the NBA. Perpetual losing has poisoned the franchise. How about putting a winner out there for a change.

NO Randolph. NY says hell no
http://sportsillustrated.cn...

i dont really feel too bad about cat. i mean when we signed him he was a 18ppg scorer and he is probably still good enough to start for say the first 45 games of next year until we can see if gordon can do it.

plus he's a scorer off the bench. cats contract was something like 5 years 40 million when we signed him, which at the time wasn't ridiculous.

Thomas on the other hand I think for what he gives you is ok. I mean for the MLE which is what we gave him, oddly I'd still rather have him than radmanovic (who we also offered the MLE).

I mean sure tim thomas isn't great, but eh can hold a team together and can be a spot starter for injuries. He's like a 6'10 eddie house, i know. But for the MLE you could do much worse. And theres only 2 years left on him and cat so its not like we have 5 years left at say 18 mil a year.
Now that I think about it EB at 5 years 82 million is terrible. Granted he'd be decent for say 3 years. But he'd also likely cost touches and post up oppurtunities for kaman which we saw last year. Not to mention do you want to be paying elton brand 20 million a year in year 5 of his deal?

82 million over 5, is just about

14.5 , 15.6, 16.9, 18.3, 19.8 million.

And he's a power forward... a 34 year old felton probably gives you say 14 pts and 8 boards. I really dont think we'd want tthat.

Granted baron davis might be giving you 15 and 7 by then also, but we arent even paying him as much.

Plus 15, couldn't agree more. DTS had his coach handling this monumentally important task and his coach was negotiating with the wrong guy cause as soon as Falk got wind of this he took control and delivered him to Philly. Agents are ego-maniacs and he has a long history of screwing the Clips, so knowing this DTS should have either handled this himself OR had a competant GM in place for this.

How could NY say no? What do they want, Gordon, Al, and some unprotected 1st round picks? Jesus, what's wrong with them?

My heart has gone through such a whirlwind this week, I don't even know what to think anymore!!!

Just listened to Brand on ESPN radio in Philly. What a douchebag. It was clearly all about the $$$.

I listened to Brand on ESPN radio also, he said nothing that would change your mind about what happened. He and Falk totally screwed the Clips and he knows it, I completely believe Coach Dunleavy on what happened.

The Baron Davis interview on ESPN Radio yesterday actually brought me some comfort.

Hopefully we don't waste money, and make the best of the situation.

Here's what it sounds like to this Phila. fan: the Clipper's messed this up by trying to hard ball and nickel and dime their best player.

Brand says give me 75 mil, the Clippers offer 70 mil and present it as the best they can do. Meanwhile Falk becomes involved on the details, and the Clippers won't give them an ETO and a no-trade clause. So now Brand has 5 mil less than he "agreed" to as well as no pot sweeteners like the no trade or ETO.

At this time GS jumps in with 90mil. So now Brand is not only getting nickle and dimed, but his market value is demonstrated as being much higher than 70 mil. So he finds a best of both worlds between good team and a being respected: the Sixers.

Long story short, Clipper's management got too cute.

Curious about Miami.

They could really want that trade exception or free cap space next summer. I think either Haslem or Marion would work very well with the new team. The question is whether a trade exception and either Mobley/Thomas would get it done (Marion harder than Haslem). It will all depend if Miami plans on starting Haslem at the 5 or having him come off the bench. They definitely have too many power forwards who need playing time though.

Randolph was a reach. Knicks have to make it seem like they are getting something good in return. Perhaps a three-team deal can be made with another team needing cap space.

Okafor and Smith are improbable at this point. It was clear from Dunleay's recent interviews they weren't enamored with either of them. Personally, I think going after Bendrins is a huge mistake. The Warriors will no doubt match and I think he's a one dimensional player with zero half court game.

Ryan Gomes is Elton Brand light. He will come cheap and IMO would be a much better fit than Okafor, Randolph or Smith and a fraction of the price.

Forget Haslem, perhaps the biggest mediocrity in the league. I'll take Randolph over him.

Reminder: Clips play tonight at 7PM on NBA TV, good chance to see Gordon and Jordan play.

I'M GOING TO VEGAS!!! i'll let you guys know on Monday what i thought of the players...

just listened to EB ... wow he is so full of shit...

same old shit... "we asked for something, they said no... so we looked elsewhere"...

bullshit.

Todd,
When you bought your seasons did the rep say there were alot of seats left or no? I am thinking of going ahead for this season - phoenix run and gun style hey?

Rumor has it, Clippers are going to offer Emeka Okafor 10 Million a year.



With a significant amount of cap space freed up, the Clippers could offer Bobcats' restricted free agent Emeka Okafor a contract starting at $10 million a season, according to The Charlotte Observer.

Los Angeles is reportedly interested in both Okafor and Josh Smith with the departures of Elton Brand and Corey Maggette freeing up a large amount of salary cap room.

Offering Okafor a contract starting in the $10 to $12 million range, means that the Clippers' offer would likely be competitive with anything the Bobcats could afford.

MARTY - you're 100% wrong. Don't want to explain it again but anywho, the ETO is rediculous. Why wouldn't the clippers want a ETO ? Paying a player 17 million at the age of 34, 35 ? Brand doesn't want that ? That's like stephon marbury opting out. Get ya facts straight and listen to the two interviews.

ghost-ride, I disagree about Haslem. He is solid making reasanable money. He seems like he'd fit well with Kaman, and only has two years left. He would be a band-aid the first year, and maybe trade-bait the final year. I would deem someone like Tim Thomas "mediocre" (though at least there's nothing two-faced about him...okay, I am officially moved on from that).

Ima tune in today for that summer league game against dallas.

Lets see how this Mike Taylor looks...I will also look at Gordons shots, curious what percentages he puts up.

A few days back some one on here said D.Jordan could be Dwight Howard in a couple years. Well im curious to see him play too.

chris. is atually 100% correct, only a few people have mentioned Elgin's name on here.. what was he doing, power napping while all this was going on? That is the one thing we're all overlooking. WTF is the other EB still doing with a job???

Hopefully the Knicks will come back to trade talks. We can throw in next years 1st rounder. With Zach Randolph on the team, that pick will be in the mid 20s.

Or maybe the Knicks would bite if we included Gordon and they included Crawford. I'd do that. Gordon will be Crawford in 5 years. Why wait when we can have him now (and put an awesome team on the floor next season).

Nice piece. You also got an honorable mention on yahoo! by K Dywer:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba...

Wow.

We have the attention of the sports community right now. We are all over ESPN, ESPN radio, and ESPN.com.

Too bad it's because of negative press.

A link to anyone who wants to hear Eltons response to Coach Dunleavy's radio comments.

http://podloc.andohs.net/dl...

Bendecit Elton is a douchebag. Cant you get that through your thick skull?

j/k

I love Maggette.
I hate Elton.
I love Dunleavy.
I hate Falk.
I love Baron.
I hate Elgin.
I love Q Ross
I hate L Odom
I love Singleton
I hate Cherokee Parks
I love Shaun Livingston
I hate Rick Brunson

I'll end it on the Rick Brunson note

Yoroslev koralev or how ever its spelled seems to have a spot on the Mavericks summer league team. Richie Fram is also on their roster.

Watch for korolev and maybe he will be great? What if he went back home and practiced every day and became a Baller?

Korolev sat on the bench on his russian team.

Also, Faulk is right that Dunleavy and Brand shouldn't be talking behind his back. And it's the TEAM's responsibility not to do it. Dunleavy should have told Brand to go through his agent.

"This is what I want to say emphatically: The process was flawed," Falk told ESPN.com's Marc Stein. "The team should not be having two simultaneous negotiations with a player and his agent. But that's the team's responsibility, not the player's. I'm not happy about it, I'm not gloating about it. I regret that the process was flawed, but I don't take any responsibility that the process was flawed."

"Mike and I have had a good friendship for 20 years," Falk said. "[But] Mike has acknowledged that he and Elton were having a private dialogue, which is illegal and a violation of the collective bargaining agreement for teams to do that when they know he has a registered agent. I wouldn't expect [Cleveland Cavaliers vice president] Danny Ferry, who's a former client, or [Denver Nuggets vice president] Rex Chapman, who's a former client, or [Charlotte Bobcats president] Michael Jordan to be negotiating behind my back. I think it's unethical. "

At this point I would say the team needs CAT. He would not only help out in the leadership role but he can also defend, get some steals, post up, hit an open jump shot and provide some depth at SG.

I have read D.Jordan listed at 260lbs and 250lbs. At either weight I feel that he can certainly bang with guys for rebounds, and being listed at 6'11"
he can create some defensive presence in the lane to help kaman.

Forget about elton piece of shit brand.

ACD..Brunson is your pal Dunlevy's boy and therefore should be your favorite player along with Q

In one of the interviews with Dunleavy, he said he expects Jordan to contribute a little this year.

Honestly, I liked Rick Brunson. He couldn't jump, or shoot, or run really. But there's something admirable about a guy who hangs around 10 years in the league despite those glaring short-comings. A talent like Mateen Cleeves couldn't do it. Daniel Ewing couldn't do it. Brunson was a tough guy/leader type who could run an offense and do some passing. He might've had Derek Fisher's career if he could just nail a stinking three-ball.

But I digress.

JM..I hated Rick Brunson. Not for his desire to have a game that resembled anything good, but moreso that I was paying a C note to watch him play. That part really blew, and he had no business on the floor of an NBA game

I hope Gordon scores 60pts tonight.

Steve-O..that's my point..if DTS had a GM in place that was worth a shit, MD would not have been thrust into 'quasi GM' as Falk put it. That is where DTS f-ed up. The rest is on EB and Falk

holy shit. i can't believe after all this drama, i'm about to watch a clips game (sort of) on nba tv.

Clips starting five at pro league:

PG Taylor
SG Gordon
C Jordan
PF Fazekas
SF Thornton
They are looking good!!!! Especially Jordan!

14-6

Clips in the lead

Gordon already hit his first 3. it looked very clean.
D Jordan already has 1 sick block, offensive rebound with a put back, a dunk and 1.
LA 14 DAL 6 5:42 1st qtr

Um, I know it's Summer League, but Jordan is already a huge improvement over Paul Davis in 5 min of play (free throw shooting not withstanding).

Oh, and Gordon's stroke looks like it's back.

And does Clipper Daryl go to every Summer League game? I can't decide if I'm embarrassed or happy he's there...

damn it, can't connect online to see the game

ACD interested to know what Cherokee did to tick you off.

Its nice to have Clipper Darrel in the house.

LA 19 DAL 6 2:56 1st
Gordon 6pts
Thornton hit one 3 pointer

i think i heard clipper darrell launch into some u-g-l-y.

is that the frkn serenity prayer on jordans arm? puke!

there has been a koko archibong sighting.

Gotta love singleton

Thornton was basically unstopable. If I had to nitpick, I do wish he'd look to pass a little bit more. But he made Frahm look real bad.
Gordon can really take it to the hole and has a mean crossover. His jump shot just was not hitting. As far as his defense, I thought he did a decent job on Green, who's 6-8 and pretty quick. I think he could play some point too. He's a much better passer than I think the scouts give him credit for.
Jordan is not ready. He was the biggest guy out there by far. He should have more than 4 boards in 23 minutes.
I'm pretty excited about Taylor too. He's quick, crafty, and I think can play some defense. I'd be surprised if he didn't make the squad, especially if Livingston doesn't come back.
But hey, it's one game.

Gordon finished with 23 points. I would say he had a nice game. He hit a couple of 3's, hit the free throws, attacked the rim and made some passes.

Thornton did just about what ever he wanted.He is going to score a lot of points this season.

LA 86 DAL 69 final

Funny, I thought Jordan was more impressive than Gordon. Jordan was a huge presence in the lane and many of the shots he altered were rebounds that went to Fzeickas. He also caused a lot of fouls on opposing Dallas forwards.

Gordon missed some very easy shots and Green, who isn't necessarily a world class defender, really caused him to take some bad shots.

I thought Taylor looked very good. If they bring Livingston back, I think he makes Brevin expendable.

Thorton looked smooth and confident. I'd say he took this game as seriously as a pick up game (as should we).

But it was nice to have a win after a tough week.

If Thorton goes off, which I think he can this year, the No 12 guernsey will be a big seller this year,

Anyone point me to alink of the Boxscore of this match

http://www.nba.com/summerle...

5-18 FGM-A.... I'm hoping he got those 23 points with so many shots made. I still like Gordon. He should be getting more comfortable hopefully.

Let me re-word that...

5-18 FM-A... I'm hoping he can get better shot selection rather than depend on the charity stripe, rather. Come on Cuttino, teach him like you did with K-Mart!

Andy, sure there are season tix availble, call my guy at the Clips:

Justin Choi: 213-763-4650

Would anybody want to splt season tickets. I'd like to keep mine, but I'd be happier only going to half of the games:

I've got section 206, row 7, sets 5&6.

The total for the season is $2900 for those two seats. If we split the 41 games evenly, we'd each get 20 pairs of tickets to 20 games. Your portion would be $1445. We can flop a coin for the 41st game, or just attend that one game together.

Anybow, if you wanna discuss this, my email is tj_AT_pacfs_DOT_com (no underscores)

I thought Gordon looked awesome. Extremely quick and very crafty for a 19 year old. He missed some easy shots, probably partly from nerves, but the hard part in the NBA is consistently getting easy shots, not making them. They will fall eventually if you keep getting to the rim. His defense was better than I expected, and he did a good job on a much taller guy who has a few years of NBA experience under his belt. Don't forget Gordon is 19. Give him a year or two to settle in. Based on what I saw him being able to do he should be a good NBA player.

Jordan looked better than I though he would, but still has a way to go. He looks promising though, and you can't teach that kind of length and athleticism.

Taylor looked decent and might make the team.

Thornton looked like he was playing with high schoolers.

Korolev made me remember why I had forgotten him.

Just saw this idea somewhere else. Looks pretty interesting. Can any of you smart guys tell me why this wouldn't work?
Its a three team trade:
1. [Miami -- Clippers]

Shawn Marion 17 Million
for
2009 1st round pick
2010 2nd round pick
Trade exception (simular to Jason Richardson trade)

Miami:
They don't want to give Marion an extension.. and they need to a find team that is under the cap, so they can trade him without taking back salary. This trade sets up step 3.

Clippers:
They are under the cap and desperate for a big name player. He would slide into the 4 spot.

----------------------------------------------------------

2. [Miami -- Pacers]

Udonis Haslem 6.575 Million 2years
Smush Parker 2.4 Million 1year (contract)
Trade Exception
for
Jamaal Tinsley 6.750 Million 3year
Jeff Foster 6.175 Million 1year

Miami:
Steal 2 starters from Pacers.
Marcus Banks is a solid backup point guard, but Jamaal Tinsley is a starting NBA point guard, who just needs a new town and the warmth of Miami could keep him happy enough to play 70 games.
Jeff Foster gives them a perfect Center for there style of game, running up and down the court, Foster can run well for a 6'11 white guy.

Pacers:
They need to recduce there roster.
They have a PF hole and Foster is expendable with Nesterovic in town.

----------------------------------------------------------

3. [Miami -- Free Agent]

Miami:
Now they are 14.8M roughly under the cap, they can make a run at a young SF restricted free agent, Loul Deng or Josh Smith or Andre Igoudala or Josh Childress.

----------------------------------------------------------

Miami:
Jamaal Tinsley -- Marcus Banks -- Mario Chalmers
Dwyane Wade -- Daequan Cook
Free Agent -- James Jones -- Dorell Wright
Michael Beasley -- Mark Blount -- Stephane Lasme
Jeff Foster -- Alonzo Morning -- Joal Anthony

Indiana:
TJ.Ford -- Jarrett Jack -- Travis Diener
Mike Dunleavy -- Brandon Rush -- Stephen Graham
Danny Granger -- Marquis Daniels -- Shawne Williams
Udonis Haslem -- Troy Murphy -- Josh McRoberts
Radoslav Nesterovic -- Roy Hibbert -- Maceo Baston

LA CLippers:
Baron Davis -- Brevin Knight
Cuttino Mobley -- Eric Gordon
Al Thornton -- Tim Thomas
Shawn Marion -- Josh Powell
Chris Kaman -- DeAndre Jordan

I like that deal. Seems to make a lot of sense. Miami can't trade Smush's contract though. The concept is good.

I'd rather have Randolph for 3 years than rent Marion for 1 year.

thats a bizarre trade, the clips looked so good yesterday, yes i know its summer league but they looked faster and more atheletic...i think jordan is gonna be a major stud...if we could get marion we would run guys out of the building

It's unfortunate, that Clipper fans don't have a blog which understands their pulse.

And we have no choice but to come to this sleeping blogsite which is worse than LA Times.

Clippers had a great opening night at Las Vegas last night. It was televised live on NBATV. It was fun to watch Eric Gordon. Finally Cliipers have a real STAR in the making. He's going to be big for Clippers.

First time we are seeing the fruits of Dunleavy & Co.'s hardwork.. Listing few accomplishments.

1. AL THORNTON: Picked at #14. His rookie ranking: #4.

2. ERIC GORDON: Picked at #7. His current rookie ranking: #3.

3. NY KNICKS #1 choice for their PG: BARON DAVIS(out of 11 prominent PG's).
Look who we got!

4. BRAND SAGA: They let him go without feeling lost in the process. Saving $82 million is huge. We need that money to retain Eric Gordon & Al Thornton in near future.

Over all this team is going to be fun to watch. Let's not forget Mike Taylor, De Andre, Marcus Williams and other promising rookies.

Good news: James Singleton & Richie Fromm are playing for Dallas in Las Vegas.

Current rookie ranking #3? He played one summer league game and wasn't even very good. You put stock in that?

Putting stock in Jordan is silly too. 1 in every 200 2nd round picks become impact players, much less superstars. Of those 2nd rounders, most are foreigners (Ginobli, Parker, Okur, etc...). Everyone got to scout Jordan, invite him to camp, work him out, see him in college, and everyone passed on him at least once in draft. It doesn't look good for him. Scouts can be wrong. GMs can be wrong. But all 29 out of 30 GMs wrong??

If he does develop into an impact player it will take more than 4 years, by which time his rookie contract will have expired and he'll go off and be good for another team.

(and on the new blog you create you can convince people not to spend cap space in order to sign your own free agents. Hahaha!)

Great to hear the good reviews on the summer league game, I really think we have a lot more talent here than we think.

This Power Forward/ Free Agent situation is giving me a headache though...

1. David Lee would be my first preference, as unlikely as it is.

2. Marion - I really don't like the guy, nor can I see him in a Clipper uniform, but he undoubtedly makes us a lot better, so what the hell. We just can't give up much, no more than 1 future 1st rounder I'd say.

3. Randolph - Compared to Marion, he adds a little bit less than Marion, plus as I've already mentioned I don't want the guy due to character issues. But we have to do something, so if we get him it wont be the end of the world, maybe the talent and character guys around him will have a positive influence on the guy.

4. Haslem - The guy is really no better than Powell, and has less upside. If we get him, it's for depth and he better come cheap.

5. J.Smith/Okafor - It's a longshot to get either one of these guys since they're restricted, but even if we did it would seem weird to give them EB money.

I like this blog alot. I think it's great in season and has been a solid comprehensive way to track all the recent crap as well.

Some of you guys need to realize this is summer league. Let me preface this and say that i have been a lifelong Clips fan, but im also a realist.

The Clippers looked good last night against a Mavs team that might not have any players that get meaningful playing time in the league this season. Gerald Green still looks like an incredible waste of talent.

Thornton looked solid, but his defense is still suspect and he doesn't really look to pass.

I'd wait a few games before giving Gordon star status. Gordon took some truly atrocious shots last night. I admit his athleticism in getting those offensive boards was impressive, but his numbers wouldnt have been that great without the free throws.

And as much as I hate the Brand situation and think he is a major jackass, he was a guaranteed 20 points, 10 boards guy a night. For a Clippers franchise that has always lacked consistently, thats huge.

In Dunleavy's interview last night, he said he would use all the money available to solve the power forward situation and thats the right way to go.

Without a solid post presence, they might be fun to watch, but they won't win many games.

"he was a guaranteed 20 points, 10 boards guy a night. For a Clippers franchise that has always lacked consistently, thats huge."

Randolph is that consistent. I really hope that deal works out. Throw in Gordon to make it work. Win now!

Billy J, I don't think anyone's saying that we're going to be title contenders with or without a nice free agent acquisition, but when you start drafting well, which the Clippers look like they've done the last couple drafts, and you sign a Baron Davis, I still think things are looking up for us.

93Clips - I don't think anyone's trading Gordon anytime soon, but it looks like we may just get Randolph if we want him.

From rotoworld.com

The Clippers are desperate for interior scoring now that Elton Brand is a Sixer, and might need to take on a few big contracts to appease new PG Baron Davis. So far, there is no word on who the Clippers might give up. The Knicks must feel like it's Christmas morning now that a team is actively trying to get Z-Bo, with his oversized contract and his utter lack of defense or passing skills.

i couldn't agree with you more ghost_ride. While the last 2 players need work, they definitely have alot of upside which bodes well for us.

Randolph has been nothing but poison for every team he has played on. He might have talent, but has motivation and attitude problems. From the knicks, i'd much rather have Lee then Randolph. At least with Lee, you know youre going to get a blue collar player who comes to work.

I heard Bill Simmons' podcast and he mentioned that the Clips might be better off with a more athletic power forward that can get up and down the court now that the Clips have Baron.

Bill J.....i agree with what you said from the Bill Simmons podcast....an athletic PF would fit in nicely...and also...anyone else think Gordon is going to be great during fast breaks? he has such a pretty pull up 3 pointer and can also get to the rim pretty well

Randolph could be a huge mess or a savior. It's a really tough call. Marion may be just as selfish, but at least he hustles on defense and can run.

E Gordon looked like a more athletic Bo Kimble last night. And if you think that's a compliment...

I refuse to root for z.bo. Particularly with all of the promising youth on the bench. This team should have good vibes & be exciting. Please get okafor instead.

Dan S. is right. You can't teach length!

We just lost a bitch ass power forward that gave us 20-10, we can't get Oakfur or Smith, we have to get Zach, even if he's a nut.

I don't know about okafor at the 4 though. Last year when he played 4 alongside nazr he struggled.

Also, all we should take away from last night's game is that both E.G. and Al shouldn't have trouble getting their shots off next year. E.G. is explosive, with considerable athleticism, and Al is rounding out his offensive game. They're both going to have to start relying less on ability and more on smarts and skills, but i think last nights game was an auspicious, but not hugely important offering.

I know it was one preseason game but I'm on the Gordon bandwagon. He missed a lot of layups last night.
There's no way Dunleavy gives up Gordon to get Randolph. The most we should give up for Randolph is second round pick. Ok, maybe more than that, but definitely not a high first round pick.

Have people lost their senses? There is a reason teams (Knicks, Portland) want to dump this guy for nothing. 1) His salary is outrageous thanks to the idiots at the Knicks, 2) he is an absolutely selfish, poisonous, teammate - witness the no defense, no passing, chuck it up philosophy, and most importantly 3) he is a total miscreant his entire life. Rape charges dropped just last year. This guy is a poster child for what is wrong with the NBA (he's worse than Artest) and you want to bring him here? For what? So the Clippers can have a few more wins? Why is that so important in your lives for the Clippers to have a few more wins? You ought to be asking those questions.

Okafor is nowhere near being a PF. He can't shoot to save his life. He is strictly a center. That would be another disastrous knee-jerk move. We don't need a 12 million dollar back-up center.

What I am seeing is a lot of the Denver Nugget, Jerry Tarkanian (there is a connection between Tark and Denver), New York Knick philosophy, of bringing in the worst sort of characters for "a run at a championship." Rumor has it that Tark used to go to the Vegas jails to round up players for his teams at UNLV. How many of those players turned out to be anything? You don't build a team around trash; it never turns out well.

http://www.newsday.com/spor...

There's buzz that the Clips are talking to the Knicks about Randolph. No way Clips give them Gordon though.

Does Gordon remind anyone of a smaller Bonzi Wells? I think Gordon's quicker and could be better though.

Clips are talking about taking on 16 million a year for this guy? They must be insane. Sterling would never go for it. Randolph to truely the last thing the Clippers need. Hell, I would rather have Stephen Jackson.

I wouldn't be so disappointed if it happened. He's a 20 and 10 guy. He's got 3 years left on his contract. And he wouldn't be such a bad complement to Kaman, who would make up for Randolph's lack of shot blocking and speed.
Bottom line is, I'd rather pay 16 million for Randolph for 3 years than a five year 12-14 million contract to Josh Smith or Okafor.

Randolph is a 20-10 guy-- more with Baron feeding him. The Clippers probably offered a protected pick. The Knicks want it unprotected.

Please unprotect it and land Randolph! He's not going to win any nobel prizes in his life, but he's a basketball player and if we were willing to shell out $81 million for Brand, why not pay $15 million for exactly the same production on the basketball court.

(Mike: the Knicks didn't give Randolph his contract. Portland did. The Knicks traded for it because they wanted to move Steve Francis who really is poison and conflicted on the court with Marbury.)

Zach Randolph on Clips = western conf. finals in '09!!!!

Look at the Knicks. They are the most overpaid, dysfunctional team in the league, but not the least talented.

For a team playing in the Eastern conference, they absolutely should have a better record. The elite teams in the league have great team chemistry. NY has too many "me first" players, Randolph included, and therefore terrible chemistry. I have trouble believing that Randolph and all the baggage that comes with him will be the answer. I would much rather have David Lee, who could easily average a double-double on the Clips.

There is a reason that NY is trying to unload Randolph and keep Lee.

at least josh smith plays d....

Considering Randolph, Josh Smith looks like the second coming of Dr. J. Pay smith the 15 million if you must. I don't understand this idea that the Clippers have to spend their money on trash just because they have it available. What kind of philosophy is that? What business is sucessful with that type of philosophy. Why not save the money until something good is available? Hell, that is even what the Knicks are trying to do now. Everyone wants to clear space in the NBA and the Clippers want to take on bad contracts and the rejects that other teams are willing to dump for nothing. Makes no sense at all. Why sacrifice the future for a couple more wins this year. Even if you are willing to look past the fact that this guy is trash, and it appears that many are for some reason, he isn't that good and he certainly isn't a difference maker.

I think the idea that we need a PF who averages 20 and 10 isn't necc the case. How about 15 and 10? If Kaman can just sustain his averages of last year's 15 and 12, a PF with similar numbers is fine. We just need a defensive presence to help him on that end so he's not as tired on the offensive end. The problem with Okafor is he's even more injury prone than Davis and he can't pay the high post worth shit (ie, the Nazr comment). Kaman is much more effective in the low post. Marion would be a better fit.

Randolphs stats are seductive, but previous posters are right, he doesn't bring it on the defensive end and I'm worried about his influencing some of the young guys.

Marion or Haslem, if either can be pried away, are much better options.

Then again, and I'd take a chance Zack over Powell any day.

ykno, thinking about it. I'd take Randolph from the Knicks, but if only if they took Tim Thomas and his terrible contract.

Clips should be playing again right now.
Can anybody keep an update on scores?

Tim Thomas is nowhere close to a terrible contract. You may not like the guy but his contract is not bad at all. If anything, he's underpaid. Ronny Turiaf just got about 4 million a year, and that is a guy that all he can do on the basketball court is the chicken dance. 6 million for Thomas vs. 4 million for Turiaf? You think Thomas is overpaid? Turiaf is a scrub, Thomas is a legitimate NBA 20-30 minute a game second unit guy.

Mobley is the guy with the bad contract, although I will admit that it wasn't bad when it was originally done given the circumstances. Mobley is the guy who isn't close to being worth his money.

Mike - Good point on contract comparisons, but i still feel really underwhelmed when i see Thomas play. And don't call Ronny a scrub. He is all about intangibles. He is one of the best bench players. He's always cheering hard, is the first to come out and give high fives, and has crazy celebration dances. He's like a white Mark Madsen. AND he has the added bonus of being the only NBA player that looks like Predator. Side note - Yeah, 4 mill is a terrible contract.

Petey Pablo - 23-16 Bobcats. Game is being streamed live on NBA.com for free.

I am at work and they have web block, My internet here is limited. Horrible.

Sorry for calling your boy a scrub. Although since you admit he is like a black Mark Madsen, you in essence admit he is indeed a scrub as there is no other way to describe it. I just don't like his wild cheering and dances. I think he is classless. Call me old school - score the touchdown, drop the ball and run back to the sideline. Show a little class not engage in some grotesque exotic in-your-face French Chicken dance. Yeah, I don't like the guy.

Mike, Tim Thomas plays the 4 but he plays like a 2 with his tendencies to stay outside and loft 3's. This left the Clips extremely vulnerable inside last year, and especially against teams that had dominant PFs that play in the post. He and Wilcox make close to the same money, and this money would have been better spent on a traditional 4. I think that's mostly the argument, that his money is somewhat dead cause he doesn't give you what most PFs do.

When TT was signed , LA had a PF.Clips were hoping to utilize him as a outside shooter.

He is ok as a back up for 10-15 minutes at that position.

TT is more of a 3.

and wilcox makes a good amount more than him. about 50% more.
i think he signe da 3 years 24 million deal with the sonics a few years back

if you guys are talking about turiaf, i cant stand that crap and i'm surprised phil and kobe put up with it. middle school shit.
i'm o.k. to give ZR a spot if MDsr and BD think they can keep him productive.

Hows that score looking?
Clips competing?

not so good. i didn't see it.
but here's the box:

http://www.nba.com/summerle...

Wow, 5 assists for the whole team for the whole game? That will not get it done. I know it's summer league, but you have to move the ball more than that.

What is the final score?

Z.Randolph scored 20+ against the Clippers many times and LA didnt seem to be able to stop him.

On the court he would be an upgrade over
Powell.Altough his jumper isnt consistant , he seems to know his way around the basket.

He gave off a little bit of THUGLIFE on his MTV Cribs Interview.
Has a very nice home and a couple of babies along with his wife.

81-66

Clippers offense consisted of Thornton, Gordon, and Taylor taking whoever was guarding them 1 on 1. Taylor is learning how to play the point here in summer league, so I think I can give him a pass. Thornton looks amazing, but still, once he gets the ball, hes going up with the shot. Hes making it, but doesn't look to pass at all. We knew coming in that he could score, but he needs to use the summer to get his teammates involved more.

At the same time, there are no post options for the guards to pass to in order to get easy assists. DeAndre Jordan, while athletic, is still not ready. I would not be surprised at all if the Clips played him in the D-League for awhile and Fazekas is probably one of the most unathletic NBA players I have ever seen. Also, I dont know what happened to Marcus Williams after he left Arizona, but he looks completely lost out there.

It was a very sloppy game. Only thing I get out of it is thorton is pretty good.

I'd also rather have Taylor than Brevin Knight.

Really hard to tell how Gordon and Jordon will be until they face real nba players.

Damn Clipper Darrly is such a loser. U-L-G-Y on meaningless free throws in the Summer leage to people who probably won't be in the NBA.

Petey-

It was 81-66 Charlotte. Al got 22 with 7 boards. Gordon got 15 on 4-10 shooting and 6-10 from the line. Taylor had 10 points, 2 assists and 5 turnovers.

OK Hans, the math difference is 25% then, which is worth the extra amount to pay for someone that actually plays the 4 and not like a 2 or 3. The Clips got hammered on the baords last year, and gave alot of easy baskets

we signed tim thomas to a 4 year 24 million dollar contract.

so my bad, i thought it was 4 years and 20, and just looked it up as i thought the MLE was 5 million 2 years ago.

but whatever, its still 33% more.

Besides, at the time we signed thomas we needed 3 pt shooting as we had and still have (though gordon will help) a crappy 3 pt shooting team. It was the right signing at the time

Taylor, 4 for 11 w 7 fouls & 5 turnovers

Yikes, think I'd lean toward sticking with Knight.

Knight will probably still be the backup. He is steady and always seems to manufacture assists, but he rarely looks for his own shot. I think he will be the backup because his game is so different from Baron Davis.

Taylor is still very raw as a point, but he shows potential. He has a decent jumper and can take his man off the dribble. Some of his misses were wild attempts while going to the basket. He had 7 fouls because he couldn't stay in front of DJ Augustin. At the same time, Augustin had 5 fouls because he was being pushed back by Taylor's aggressiveness.

I just read on ESPN that Gordon may have hurt his hamstring. Great....

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/...

Everyone is forgetting we can't get Smith or Okafur, they are restricted and both teams say they will match any offer! Our only option is Zach. All we can do is grab him for Thomas, a pick and some cash and hope it works out!

Mrnoluv....just because the hawks and cats "say" they will match any offer doesnt meean they will. they could be bluffing to scare off other teams, that way they can pay okafor and smith what they want, and not worry about matching other teams offer sheets. the clips have a lot of money to throw at someone, so we never really know what could happen...

On the Tim Thomas signing, at the time we picked him up, VladRad had just turned traitor and joined the team down the hall, and we were coming off of being within one game of the Western Conference Finals.

Meanwhile, the Suns, who had eliminated the Clips, had made it all the way to the Conference Finals sans Amare Stoudemire, while playing a suddenly resurgent Tim Thomas in the post as well as using him to spread the floor. It seemed like every time the Suns needed a clutch three in those finals, there was Tim.

At the time, since Tim's game is very similar to Radmanovic's, it seemed like a good substitution on paper, altho many of us had our reservations about Tim's work ethic. The price was right too, I don't really think Tim is overpaid to this day, myself. Big men come at a premium.

As for Zach Randolph, why should we assume that Zach R. + Chris Kaman will be any more effective in the Western Conference than Zach R. + Eddy Curry were in the Eastern Conference? We have better post players out here. Sure, Kaman is better than Curry. Sure, Baron Davis is a better PG than anybody the Knicks are using. Whatever. Besides, Corey Maggette rode the pine in Clipperland for playing suspect defense. Why wouldn't Zach end up in the coach's doghouse too?

And really, we don't need more questionable character guys. (Josh Smith may have a few small question marks on his character, but please, he's got NOTHING on Randolph in that department.)

Where is this big push for Z-Bo coming from anyhow. Has somebody been playing too much NBA 2K8 or something? NBA Live 2005 maybe? I don't get it.

I agree with Todd L. Mrnoluv, since when did Randolph become our ONLY option. There are plenty of options. The reason I push for a more defensive minded athletic forward is because Kaman needs to be paired with someone like that. Brand (the jackass) was a great shot blocker/rebounder that could cover for Kaman's defensive lapses. Apart from the obvious character issues, Randolph has never been considered even a good defender. I went to a Knicks blog and they are laughing at us for even considering it.

Todd L....i dont get the randolph thing today either....i think everyone is assuming he is an automatic 20 and 10 guy, and that will replace brands numbers....im guessing some are forgetting that he has some issues on and off the court that would are not worth the 20 and 10

Are the Clipper keeping Powell? He wasn't that bad.

I really hope they don't trade Gordon for Randolf.

Todd..Tim Thomas has a history of playing big in contract years and turing back into Tim Thomas. His contract before this was considered one of the worst in the league for years and recall the Bulls cut him, and PHX picked him up and he was one of 6 guys that played against the Clips in the Playoffs that year..Tim catching lightning in a bottle just before time to get a new deal, shocking

Tim is one of the players who should be on a constant one year deal to bring out his best.
Here's a link to article about Gordon's play so far:
http://www.nba.com/summerle...

i actually think the tim thomas signing was not that bad. he was actually offered 1 less year than we offered vlad at the same money.

seeing as vlad is more or less just as bad, if not worse than tim, we saved a year there (which is why we even have all these 2010 deals for the giant free agent sweepstakes).

so signing tim instead of vlad is a blessing in disguse. i'd rathe rhave the 1 year less contract since i personally think they are basically the same player and vlad is probably softer than tim if anything.

that said, i think zach having been a guy dunleavy probably had a say in drafting would not be in the dog house as easily.

its a risk, but if we get him for just a 2nd rounder, i don tthink it would be that bad.

"As for Zach Randolph, why should we assume that Zach R. + Chris Kaman will be any more effective in the Western Conference than Zach R. + Eddy Curry were in the Eastern Conference?"

Curry is the weak link there. He can't block shots, can't rebound, and can't shoot from more than 2 inches away. He can't pass, and turns the ball over way too much. Kaman, aside from being generally better than Curry, compliments Randolph's game better. Z-Bo is very effective from 10-15 ft., plays with his front to the basket and isn't as bad a passer as people seem to think he is.

Obviously, anybody who knows anything about basketball would rather have David Lee. That is irrelevant. Randolph is the one for sale. Lee is the reason why Randolph is for sale. It is not because Randolph sucks, or because he is a poison. It is because the only player the Knicks have better than Randolph plays the same position and is younger and cheaper. Therefore, Randolph is available and Lee is not.

This is not rocket science guys. Randolph is our best option at PF now for many many reasons: he is a seriously good basketball player; he is cheaper than making a max offer to restricted free agents (and a sure thing!); he fills a gaping hole left by Satan Falk; he's a great rebounder; he's a great scorer.

I wish he was great at D, but Kevin Garnet isn't available. Neither is Tim Duncan. Randolph offers to much just to turn down because his D is supposedly bad (hard to blame him when Curry is the other interior defender) and because he has a bad personality.

I don't think I'd like to spend time off the court with any of these guys. Even Brand turned out to be a total prick. Screw 'em. Pay them to play basketball and win some games for the Clippers. That'll be a breath of fresh air!!

we lost brand, but so what? at least we might get eddy curry!!

http://thesportcount.com/20...

jesus i hope not. jesus.

No way in hell we take curry. Supposedly the clippers offered the knicks a 2nd round 4 zbo but declined. Maybe the knicks would be willing to release lee and zbo if we offer a bit more. I like lee, which is why this is wishful thinking. Josh Smith looks nice right about now. We should offer iggy 1 million more than the 76ers do so they match and then we can laugh. ALSO, Please make sure staples is sold out when 76ers roll into town. Brand is a bitch and I hope he can't ever poke his face around la. I don't even think those filthy laker (only) fans can respect brand. Although with kobe whining like a bitch last year who knows. The thing im worried is that this thing settles down and no one boos brand when he finally comes. Have fun in that shithole of a city. Hopefully I see a 76er controversy paragraph on his wikipedia page. Soon. lol.
Pulling a boozer will seem utterly miniscule compared to pulling a brand.

BTW gordon is out tomorrow, he pulled a hamstring I think. He'll be back to own mayo, hopefully. Al Thornton is playing well. Nick Fazekas is super slow but at least he can throw the ball and find the basket.

if we get curry im switchin to the lakers lol

but yeh probably wont get him

Hans, that's not what I would call sound logic. The bottom line is Wilcox was in MD's doghouse for whatever reason, and was traded for Vlad. Although Vlad helped that year, and I agree Vlad and T2 are probably a wash, my point is that the Clips are still feeling the repurcussions of that trade. Had the held onto Wilcox and MD not dogged him out like he always did, the Clips would have their solid 4, not a guy that would rather be playing the 2 or 3 that we have to play at the 4 casue we have no one else. That's just dumb. But then again this is the same coach/GM that went into the season last year with 6-7 guys that play the same position (SF) and no quality or reliable NBA level guards, and chose to whine about injuries all year instead of owning some terrible decisions that had been made that resulted in this current mess. It's funny to me how this guys decisions are now looked on so favorably cause he stuck up for the Clips in the EB debacle. I think some of you should take the blinders off and look at how or more rather why the Clips are in the situation they are in. It's not just bad luck, it's piss poor decision making and stubborness that have resulted in an off balanced roster.

LAC can land Josh Smith, who would be the perfect fit for an up-tempo running team with BD @the controls. Smith is fast, has excellent D, blocks shots. Perhaps LAC can put an offer on the table where ATL matches but does a sign & trade for TT?

Sounds good JB but I can't imagine there's much of a market for Tim Thomas until he gets closer to the end of his contract

A sign and trade with TT? Why would ATL trade their best and most marketable player for the worthless Tim Thomas?! Answer: They wouldn't.

The only way to get Smith is to offer him huge money and hope ATL doesn't match. (That is if you can even get Smith to sign an offer sheet to begin with. These restricted free agents stand to make more money as unrestricted free agents next year when there are more teams with cap space to spend on them.)

A much cheaper, cost effective, AND productive way to fill the void is to bring in Randolph. I don't know what the Knicks would want for him. Eat Jeffries if we have to (Jeffries is overpaid, but he is a defensive specialist which the Clips could use).

Maybe the Knicks would bite on Randolph and Jeffries for Mobley, TT, Jordan, and a future 1st rounder?

That would put us in good position for next year (and beyond!).

Really good position!

tw-

Anyone could see we had no use for Wilcox with Brand playing big minutes every night, and you could see that situation wasn't going to play out w/ the guy moping on the bench. They parlayed Wilcox into getting Vlad which was key because we needed to spread the floor. I know it's crazy to think back, but the team was actually good when we made that deal and we had to make the move to help us win right then and there.

If we had Wilcox right now, we'd be a little bit better off but I don't think anyone would be satisfied either.