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Bill Simmons Would Prefer That Someone Else Coach the Clippers

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz on Fri, 02/23/07, 07:58pm:

Category: General

The Clips’ earn a ‘G’ from Bill Simmons on their trade deadline report card:

That's right, I'm giving them a "G." An "F-infinity-minus" would have been too high for them. You really have to attend their games and see how unhappy the players are, how toxic the chemistry is, how blatantly they've quit on Mike Dunleavy (against the Suns on Tuesday night, they did everything but tip over a Port-o-John at midcourt), how uncomfortably tenuous the Cassell-Livingston dynamic has become ... this team is an absolute mess. And here's the kicker: Since they're the Clippers and they have the Dumb Gene in their collective DNA, they extended Dunleavy for another five years last December EVEN THOUGH THE TEAM WAS ALREADY QUITTING ON HIM. So what happens now? The players hate playing with one another, and the only thing they can agree on is that they all hate playing for their coach ... so naturally, everyone stays? Are you kidding me?????? See the sidebar to the right for how I would have saved the Clips with the the greatest four-team trade of all-time. That's right, I'm giving them a "G." An "F-infinity-minus" would have been too high for them. You really have to attend their games and see how unhappy the players are, how toxic the chemistry is, how blatantly they've quit on Mike Dunleavy (against the Suns on Tuesday night, they did everything but tip over a Port-o-John at midcourt), how uncomfortably tenuous the Cassell-Livingston dynamic has become ... this team is an absolute mess. And here's the kicker: Since they're the Clippers and they have the Dumb Gene in their collective DNA, they extended Dunleavy for another five years last December EVEN THOUGH THE TEAM WAS ALREADY QUITTING ON HIM. So what happens now? The players hate playing with one another, and the only thing they can agree on is that they all hate playing for their coach ... so naturally, everyone stays? Are you kidding me??????

I’d love to know what was ultimately put forward as the best offer for Maggette, and whether Elgin Baylor ever put a call into Danny Ferry regarding Sam Cassell.

Comments

Dave wrote:

There's no shortage for NON-CLIPPERS trying to create imaginary chaos in order to bring down our ball club. Because they love to see Clippers lying low in the basement. And Lakers would love to see that happening.

Sterling & Baylor have full confidence in Dunleavy. That will remain so for next 5 years. They made an error in signing Kaman for $50 mil. contract. Other than that...mistakes have been limited to minimum.

If Livingston develops & remains a Clipper for next 7 years, this team can cruise along little easy.

And if Maggette behaves & matures with some sportsmanship, he can still help this team win games.

02/23/07 20:33:27

Dustin wrote:

I have to disagree with you Dave everybody can see this team has no chemistry. It doesn't matter if they have confidence in Dunleavy, point is he is not getting it done. They blatantly quit in the Suns game and they have horribly regressed from last year. Simmons I think is right on in his column the team is sinking and Baylor did nothing. As for Maggette dont hold your breath hoping he makes those improvements.

02/23/07 21:00:49

Robert wrote:

I think Dunleavy did a great job of putting together a team and I say Dunleavy because it seems like he orchestrated more than Elgin did. But as a coach, I think Dunleavy has become too predictable. The extension was too long and it seemed to be more of a 'thank you for last year' than a calculated effort to make the team better in the future. Not that it's all Dunleavy's fault that this team plays with no chemistry at all, but I don't think he is the coach to take this team any further than it was last year, if even that.

02/23/07 21:33:50

Dave wrote:

Dustin, this team is not sinking. Right now it's just floating. Are we expecting this team to perform like Spurs, Mavs & Pistons? If we are... it's an unrealistic barometer.

During 82-game season, quitting on un- winnable games early is practically a good idea. But it's not fair to our fan base.

02/23/07 21:34:10

Arnie M. wrote:

A lot of if's Dave. If our mothers had balls we would have been calling them dad.

02/23/07 22:24:47

John R. wrote:

It's boring to say when one only states what one thinks is wrong. To work for me you'd have to tell me what you'd do to fix it.

Fire Dunleavy then...?

Its the difference between understanding what you want to happen and understanding how to make it happen.

Simmons puts forth an interesting but NBA-impossible trade scenario. Its a step in the right direction, proposing a solution, but that scenario doesn't really exist as possible. Solutions should be grounded in reality and executable.

Fire Dunleavy then...?

Draft day promises to be explosive.

02/23/07 22:48:55

Fritz wrote:

...then hire Rick Adelman. done.

02/23/07 23:22:08

Rick A. wrote:

I usually like Simmons writing, but his trade scenario is ridiculous. How many teams trade away 4/5ths of their starting line-up before the trading deadline? 7 out of your 15 active players? Who would have any realistic expectation that a squad put together entirely on the fly like this could possibly gel?

And we all know that Bill was probably flip-flopping on trading Shaun after his 14 pt 14 ast game vs. the Warriors. Thats his schtick. He should be careful about writing up scenarios like these, he might end up like Sam Smith.

02/25/07 00:41:38