Next Year Starts Now For The Clippers

When Mike Dunleavy resigned as head coach of the Clippers in February, the fans pretty much took that move as an indication that the season was lost.  A season that started with so much promise and hope had turned into yet another injury-riddled disappointment.

Once again, it’s all about next year for the Clippers.
 
Well, here’s a news flash for the fans and the organization.  Next year starts now for the Clippers.  I’ve always been a huge fan of the phrase: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”  Simplistic in its nature, yet so clairvoyant.
 
Everyone has thought about ways to improve themselves in order to have a more satisfying future.  I’m going to lose weight.  I’m going back to college.  I’m going to save more money. But instead of jumping on those ideas right away, most of us have a tendency to put things off.  A great idea will still be a great idea in two days, right?  Of course, but the problem becomes when those days turn into weeks, months and then years.
 
There’s never a better time than right this very minute to start improving aspects of your life for the betterment of your future.

foxsportswest.com:  Next Year Starts Now For The Clippers 

NBA Teams Salivating Over John Wall

Over the weekend, I worked the Kansas vs. UCLA game at Pauley Pavilion as part of the Big-12/Pac-10 hardwood series.  In case you missed it, the game wasn’t overly exciting.  The top-ranked Jayhawks played like the best team in the country in stretches and survived a valiant effort from a rebuilding Bruins team, 73-61.

My First Peek At This Year's Clippers Did Not Disappoint

Earlier today, I caught my first glimpse of the new and improved Clippers in action. I made it to the team's facility in Playa Vista in time to catch the last few games of the morning scrimmages. Before giving you my early impressions as well as some insight I received from Mike Dunleavy during lunch, I will give you some injury updates.

Blake Griffin did not take part in any of the workouts today. He is still nursing that bruised left knee. While the rest of the team ran some games, Blake sat--rather impatiently, I might add--on the sidelines watching. Occasionally, he would get up and some shoot some free throws and mid-range jumpers before the team's training staff wrapped his knee in ice.

Dunleavy does not expect Blake to participate in any workouts this week, and said that the rookie will probably have another MRI done just to be sure the bruise is healing and he's ready for contact. Hopefully, Blake will be able to take part in drills early next week.

Sebastian Telfair also sat out the scrimmages after spraining his left ankle during the morning drills. He was seated next to Blake with his left foot propped up on a big exercise ball.

Other than those two injury notes, the Clippers collectively look very healthy and fit. The scrimmages were high-paced with high intensity. DeAndre Jordan was impressive grabbing boards and running the floor. Craig Smith scored several buckets in the paint. And Eric Gordon was driving the lane and getting the rim with regularity. Granted, it's still early in camp, but the tempo and tone look drastically different than last season, and that's without Blake Griffin even taking the court yet.

After practice, Dunleavy joined me, Don MacLean, Ralph Lawler, Mike Smith, Dain Blanton and our producer Sara Takata for lunch at Piknic in Playa Vista. It's an annual gathering we have at the beginning of camp to get the coach's ideas and plans for the upcoming season. It really helps with our tv production throughout the year.

While most of our conversation is not for mass consumption, I will share with you some overall impressions Mike has about his team and this season. As the team's general manager, he's obviously the one responsible for acquiring the new pieces, and once all the moves were made he really liked his team. Now having seen them in action for several workouts, he likes this mix of guys even more. He probably has more versatility and depth since he's been here, both of which every coach covets.

As far as a starting lineup is concerned, Dunleavy reaffirmed what he said at Media Day about the starting spots being wide open. He said the starters from last year will start atop the depth chart, but any and all spots can be won during the preseason.

He believes there are about 5-6 teams from the Western Conference who are locks for the playoffs. You don't have to be an NBA insider to figure who those squads might be. But beyond those teams, Dunleavy thinks it will be a battle for the last 2-3 playoff spots. And barring any devastating injuries, he expects the Clippers to be right in the mix.

Baron Davis Writes An Open Letter To Clipper Fans

I can't count how many times people have asked me--either during the season or since it's ended--about the Clippers, and the questions are rarely posed in positive terms.

What's wrong with the Clippers? Are they always going to be this bad? Why didn't they fire Dunleavy?

On and on it goes. Sometimes I have answers. Sometimes I don't. Either way, the fans usually go away still feeling frustrated.

If you really think about how the season played out, you can place a portion of the blame on just about everybody. Players. Coaches. Management. They would all tell you they fell well short of their own expectations this past season. However, they all would also tell you that next season should be different.

The latest to voice that sentiment publicly is Baron Davis. He recently posted "A letter to the Fans" on his blog. Here's an excerpt.

"I want to make sure you know that EVERYONE at the Clippers is committed to doing whatever is necessary to make sure that you don’t have to deal with another year like the one that just ended. I’m dedicating myself to that goal, and I know my teammates will do the same."

"There are probably those who will read this and toss it off as just words, but I can only write these words with hope that the feeling and sentiment is conveyed."

Whether you are one of those people who will toss that statement off as just words or you are some of the die-hards who truly believe what Baron wrote, you have to give him credit for recognizing the fans frustration and vowing to do something about it.

Let's just hope he and his teammates actually back up those words next season though, because until they do, it will be just talk.

More Of The Same For The Clippers

The Clippers swallowed yet another tough loss last night. The opponent was new, but not the cause.

The 4th quarter was once again LA's downfall.

After a buzzer-beating 3-point heave by Baron Davis gave the Clippers a 9-point at the end of the 3rd frame, Orlando preceded to open the final period with a 10-0 run to regain the lead, and then held Mike Dunleavy's squad to just 13 points over the final 12 minutes.

We haven't seen such a quick and definitive turnaround since Joe Lieberman.

Figuring out the problem is not the issue, it's the solution that is being so evasive. But if an answer is not discovered real soon, the Clippers could be headed for an even faster downward spiral.

"The Clippers have had a lot of these games where they've been right there and been ahead in the fourth, then had some trouble down the stretch," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I've had teams that went through that, and it sort of gets in your mind a little bit, too."

It's already in the minds of the fans, who were heard outside our Clippers Live studio last night chanting "Fire Dunleavy!"

Clipper Nation has also been blowing up my mailboxes asking why Dunleavy continues to retain his job even though four other coaches with similar or better records have already been let go.

The Clippers head coach is fully aware of the fans' diminishing patience, but the man, who also serves as the team's general manager, doesn't believe his job is in any immediate jeopardy.

"I don't think that's the case," Dunleavy said. "I think we're headed in the right direction. I think we've got a good group. We haven't had our whole group together all season, or in the preseason."

I can already hear all of your sarcastic rumblings after reading that explanation. True, every team deals with injuries, however, I don't think that defense is necessarily a cop out on Dunleavy's part.

Four players from his 8-man rotation have been injured and unable to practice and/or play at some point either during training camp or the regular season. And that's not even counting Tim Thomas, who was traded to the Knicks in the Zach Randolph deal.

In fact, at no point this season, has Dunleavy had his entire allotment of players healthy for a stretch of 5-games or more. Tough to build chemistry that way on a team featuring nine new players.

"Here's what I think this franchise needs the most," said the GM/coach. "We need to win a lot of games in a stretch, let fans recognize a group of players they can count on, and show everyone just how good we can be when everyone is on the court."

That responsibility, ultimately, falls squarely on the shoulders of the head coach, and no matter how good and truthful the excuses, even those run out eventually.

OFFICIAL RELEASE: CLIPPERS ACQUIRE ZACH RANDOLPH AND MARDY COLLINS FROM KNICKS

Clippers Send Forward Tim Thomas and Guard Cuttino Mobley To New York

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins from the New York Knicks today in exchange for forward Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley Clippers General Manager and head coach Mike Dunleavy announced today.

“In an attempt to make our team more competitive, we are excited about the acquisition of Zach Randolph,” Dunleavy said. “He is a 27-year old highly-skilled scorer and rebounder. Getting a player like Zach cost us two highly skilled veterans in Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, but we feel that the move will help us both now and in the future. We wish nothing but the best of success for Cuttino and Tim with their new team.”

The six-foot-nine Randolph is known as one of the NBA’s most effective young post players, bringing a career 16.4 points per game scoring average and 8.2 rebounds in 467 career games to the Clippers. Randolph is a career 46 percent shooter from the field and averaged 17.6 points, a team-leading 10.3 rebounds in 69 games for the Knicks in 2007-08 while finishing 10th in the NBA with 40 double-doubles. Randolph is averaging 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in the first 11 games of the 2008-09 season.

The Michigan State product was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in the first round (19th overall pick) of the 2001 NBA Draft. Randolph, 27, played six seasons in Portland, enjoying a break-out year in 2003-04 when he averaged 20.1 points and 10.5 rebounds for the Trailblazer en route to being named the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year. Randolph joined the Knicks prior to the 2007-08 season in a trade.

In his third pro season, the six-foot-six Collins is averaging 2.2 points and 1.7 assists in nine games this season. A former standout at Temple University, Collins was drafted by New York with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft. Collins has appeared in 107 career NBA games, with career averages of 3.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Cuttino Mobley joined the Clippers as a free agent on August 4, 2005 and was a key member of the club’s run to the 2005-06 Western Conference Semifinals, averaging 14.9 points that season and 13.3 points in 12 playoff games. A 10-year NBA veteran, Mobley is the Clippers third-leading scorer this season, averaging 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 2008-09.

Tim Thomas signed with the Clippers as a free agent on July 13, 2006, and the 11-year pro has been a fixture in the frontcourt ever since, averaging 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 149 games in his time in Los Angeles.

With this transaction, the Clippers roster now stands at a total of 14 players, with three players (Chris Kaman, Al Thornton, Paul Davis) remaining from the team that finished the 2007-08 season.

Clippers Make Trade for Zach Randolph

--LA Sends Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas To NY For Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins--

Mike Dunleavy has coveted Zach Randolph for quite some time, and now it seems as though he is getting him. I heard a little earlier today that the Clippers were making this trade. I assume as I write this post, the legalities of the deal are being finalized right now.

The question now becomes is Dunleavy done dealing or is this move just the beginning? I vote for the latter.

Here's the NY Daily News article on the trade.

Knicks trade Jamal Crawford for Al Harrington, ship Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to Clippers
BY FRANK ISOLA DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Friday, November 21st 2008, 5:04 PM

The Knicks completed a wild day of trading on Friday when they sent Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. The deal comes less than two hours after Donnie Walsh traded Jamal Crawford to the Warriors for Al Harrington.

Both deals were made to clear salary cap space for the summer of 2010 for when LeBron James becomes a free agent. The contracts of Harrington, Thomas and Mobley all expire in two years which will put the Knicks in position to make a run at James, the most coveted free agent since Shaquille O'Neal left the Orlando Magic to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2008/11/21/2008-11-21_knicks_trade_jamal_crawford_for_al_harri.html

Not The Best Farewell For Elgin Baylor

You have likely heard this news already, but I wanted to pass along the Clippers official statement as well as my thoughts.

It's a real shame that Elgin Baylor's career with the Clippers didn't end in a better fashion. While his moves as GM won't earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame, he was still a man worthy of going out with a bit more dignity.

The Clippers actually offered him another role with the team, albeit not in basketball operations, but Baylor's pride, seemingly, would not allow him to take it.

It's not exactly clear at this point what, if any, action Baylor plans to take in the future. Whatever it is, I just hope it doesn't overshadow his legacy as one of the best players in history.

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that Head Coach Mike Dunleavy will assume the additional role of General Manager, replacing Vice President of Basketball Operations, Elgin Baylor.

In a related move, the team’s current Director of Player Personnel, Neil Olshey, will be elevated to the post of Assistant General Manager.

“We greatly appreciate Elgin’s efforts during his time with the Clippers, and we wish him the very best,” said Clippers’ Owner and Chairman of the Board Donald T. Sterling.

Referring to Dunleavy and Olshey respectively, Clippers President Andy Roeser said, “In Mike and Neil, we're fortunate to already have talented people in place to make this transition a seamless one. Going forward, we have high expectations for our team. From a basketball standpoint, these are the people we're counting on to make those expectations a reality."

Dunleavy welcomed the opportunity, saying, “I really appreciate the trust that the organization has placed in me. We’re ready and excited to move forward, and we think we’ll have a team which can be dynamic and exciting, certainly one with enough talent to be a force in the Western Conference.”

Baylor, an 11-time NBA All Star, joined the Clippers in 1986 as Vice President of Basketball Operations after a stellar 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers and a brief coaching stint with the New Orleans Jazz. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976, chosen as one of the NBA’s “50 Greatest Players of All Time” during the league’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 1997, and was named the 2005-06 NBA Executive of the Year.

Dunleavy, entering his sixth year as Clippers’ Head Coach, has manned dual roles before: he was Vice President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks from 1992-93 through 1995-96.

Olshey, originally hired as Clippers’ Director of Player Development prior to the 2003-04 season, became an assistant coach on Dunleavy’s staff in 2004-05. He has been the team’s Director of Player Personnel for the past three seasons.

###

Clippers Media Day

Clippers Media Day seemed to have even more optimism than in most years. Maybe it was because there are so many new players on the team (10 total), that not enough of them have firsthand knowledge of the most recent disappointments.

The first thing that stood out to me today was the team's practice facility. It is simply spectacular. Mike Dunleavy even went as far to tell me that "It's the best in the league." I personally haven't seen every NBA team's practice facility, so I guess I will have to take his word for it. However, on first impression, I think it would be hard to prove Dunleavy wrong.

I talked to Dunleavy for several minutes as he signed what appeared to be about 300+ brand new balls for sponsors and season ticket holders. The first thing I asked him pertained to his expectations for the season. With so many new players, I would think he would need about 15-20 games just to see what he really has. However, Dunleavy believes this team should be an even better defensive team than the one that a couple of years ago was among the tops in the league.

He wouldn't say for sure that he had a playoff team on his hands, but he did say he would be very surprised if they were not in playoff contention all the way through April.

You can also expect this team to get up and down the floor a lot more than in season's past. Dunleavy tried to implement that strategy last season, but he said he didn't really have the personnel to carry it throughout the season. This season, however, is different because that style of play not only suits Baron Davis, but the Clippers have more finishers in transition in Cuttino Mobley, Al Thornton, and Ricky Davis.

Speaking of Baron Davis, he was the life of the party today. And believe me when I say, if there's one thing a media day needs, it's some life. Basically, the guys are paraded from station to station taking pictures and reciting lines into cameras. Davis was bouncing around like it was the first day of school. One other observation: he's in GREAT shape. He told me that he spent all summer working out in Las Vegas to get ready for the season. And considering how much the Clippers season is relying on his health, that was a great idea.

Marcus Camby told me that he is officially over the shock of getting traded from the Nuggets to the Clippers, and he's looking forward to starting a new chapter in his NBA career--one that includes 4 different teams. Camby was also very optimistic about the team's chances, but still wanted to hold off on making any proclamations until the team at least went through a full training camp.

And believe it or not, despite the loss of Elton Brand and Corey Maggette and the addition of 10 new players on the roster, one Clipper official told me that the team will actually be more competitive than if the team had retained Brand and Maggette and paired them with Davis. The thought being that not only will the team have more scoring options, especially from the perimeter, but that the locker room will be better as well.

For as great a player and person EB is, he is simply not very vocal in the locker room. Those in the organization believe that if Brand had spoken up at different times in the past, the team would have had greater success. Now, I don't feel as if the Clippers blame Brand for their recent disappointments, but the idea is that the team's best and highest paid player should be as much of a leader in the locker room as he is on the court.

For those of you wondering what happened to Shaun Livingston, here's the deal. The Clippers actually offered him a guaranteed 2-year contract, with a player option for the second year. However, Livingston and his agent thought they could get more money from another team (Portland had been the rumored destination). But as we enter NBA training camp, Livingston is faced with having to earn a roster spot.

And another issue for Livingston will be the loss of his Larry Bird Rights. The simplest explanation is this: If Livingston had signed with the Clippers this season and they traded him, they would have traded his Bird rights as well. But without those Bird Rights, the most Livingston could sign for would be $5 million a year as opposed to $11 million if he had retained his Bird Rights. And to remind you of how valuable a player's Bird Rights are, think back to when Devean George would not give up his Bird Rights when the Mavericks were trying to make the trade for Jason Kidd.

Quinton Ross also turned down a guaranteed deal because he and his agent believed they could secure more money. When that money did not surface, Q was forced to take a non-guaranteed deal with the Grizzlies and go to camp playing for a roster spot yet again.

The Clippers open the season Wednesday, October 29th against the Lakers.

CLIPPERS SIGN FREE AGENT GUARD JASON WILLIAMS

With three point guards now on the team, the Clippers are basically saying goodbye to Shaun Livingston.

They could still add another player to the roster, but probably not at the price Livingston's agent is seeking.

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent guard Jason Williams, according to Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

A veteran of 10 NBA seasons, Williams joins the Clippers after playing the last three years for Miami, where he helped the Heat to the 2006 NBA Championship. Williams, 32, has played in 679 career regular season games and averaged 11.4 points, 6.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds for a total of three teams. The six-foot-one, 180 pound point guard has also started and played in 53 career playoff contests, averaging 9.8 points, 3.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 steals.

“Jason is an experienced and proven player,” Baylor said. “He is a terrific ball handler with great passing ability and court vision.”

Playing alongside new Clippers teammate Ricky Davis with the Heat last season, Williams averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 28.1 minutes while appearing in 67 games. The West Virginia native finished eighth in the league with a 3.37 assists per turnover ratio and 12th with a 0.91 steals per turnover ratio.

“We are excited to add Jason to our squad,” Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. “He brings added veteran leadership and playoff experience to our backcourt.”

Drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 1998 following his junior year at the University of Florida, Williams was named to the 1999 NBA All-Rookie Team following an electrifying first season that saw him average 12.8 points and 6.0 assists. Over the next nine seasons, Williams has emerged as one of the most dependable point guards in the NBA, averaging double-figures in scoring and at least five assists per game in eight of his ten years in the league.

Williams moved to Memphis for the 2001-02 season and over the next four seasons became the Grizzlies all-time assists leader and all-time leader in three-point field goals attempted. Williams joined Miami prior to the 2005-06 season that ended with an NBA Championship.

The Clippers new-look roster now stands at 14 players as Los Angeles has revamped its roster by adding a total of 10 new faces for the 2008-09 season.

Below is an update of the Clippers off-season transactions:

June 26: Drafted G Eric Gordon from Indiana University with the 7th pick in the NBA Draft
June 26: Drafted C DeAndre Jordan from Texas A&M with the 35th pick in the NBA Draft
June 26: Acquired the draft rights to G Mike Taylor from Portland in exchange for a 2009 second Round NBA Draft pick.
June 30: Extended qualifying offers to F Nick Fazekas and F Marcus Williams
July 2: Signed G Eric Gordon
July 9: Renounced rights to free agents G Dan Dickau, G Shaun Livingston, F Boniface Ndong, G Smush Parker, F James Singleton
July 10: Signed free agent G Baron Davis
July 15: Acquired F/C Marcus Camby from Denver in exchange for Denver to have the option to exchange second round picks in 2010
July 15: Signed C DeAndre Jordan and G Mike Taylor
July 16: Withdrew qualifying offer to F Marcus Williams; Renounced rights to free agents F Quinton Ross and C Paul Davis
July 23: Acquired G Jason Hart from Utah in exchange for G Brevin Knight
July 28: Signed free agent G/F Ricky Davis
July 30: Waived F Josh Powell
July 31: Signed free agent F Brian Skinner
August 1: Withdrew qualifying offer to F Nick Fazekas
August 6: Acquired F Steve Novak from Houston in exchange for Houston to have the option to exchange second round picks in 2011
August 7: Signed free agent G Jason Williams

Clippers Sign Ricky Davis

It was a foregone conclusion that the Clippers would be very active this summer, but no one could have anticipated this much activity. Mike Dunleavy will have at least seven new players at his disposal next season, but as large as that number is, what most people may remember from this 2008 off-season are the names that got away.

The Clippers thought they had Elton Brand locked up. He, instead, bolted to Philly.

LA did not think Golden State would match the offer sheet for Kelenna Azubuike. The Warriors did exactly that after Maurice Evans asked for more money.

So what do the Clippers have to show for all their near-misses? Marcus Camby and Ricky Davis. Both are veteran players who have been dominating at times during countless regular season games. And while, they were not the first choice at their respective positions, LA could have done much, much worse.

By Ramona Shelburne, LA Daily News Staff Writer

Less than a week after losing out on restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike, the Clippers regrouped by signing unrestricted free agent swingman Ricky Davis on Monday afternoon.

Davis, 28, averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while playing in all 82 games for the Miami Heat last season. He shot 43.3 percent from the floor, and - perhaps most importantly - 40.5 percent on 3-pointers.

A source told the Daily News that the deal was for two years, with a player option on the second year. Davis will make $2.3 million next season and slightly more than that in 2009-10 should he stay with the club.

"We believe he will be a good addition," Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor said of Davis. "His versatility and ability to shoot from the outside will spread the floor and help our low post players."

The team had also considered former Lakers small forward Devean George for the role Davis will be filling, according to an NBA source.

Davis, a 6-foot-7 small forward/shooting guard, had his best season in 2002-03 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 20.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 79 games.

First Brand, Now Maggette

Quoting Chris Rock's character, "Bony T" in Boomerang, "First the Fat Boys break up, and now this!" Jonathan Abrams of the LA Times is reporting that in addition to losing Elton Brand to a surprise deal with the 76ers, Corey Maggette has agreed to a contact with the Golden State Warriors.

Recently, I had written how significant of a move it was for the Clippers to lure Baron Davis to Los Angeles, saying "Moves like this one don't usually happen for the Clippers. They happen to the Clippers. " And now it seems like it's deja vu all over again for Donald Sterling and company.

Call it karma, bad luck, or fate. The Clippers just can't seem to ever catch a break. And I mean ever!

From Danny Manning and Larry Brown to Shaun Livingston and Elton Brand, if something can go wrong for the Clippers it usually does. In the past, most of the misfortunes were the results of the organization's own mistakes. However, I don't think you can say that about this latest debacle.

Mike Dunleavy and Elgin Baylor were working under the belief that once they landed Davis, EB would agree to accept less money to play alongside Davis. They believed that because that's what sources tell me they were told by Brand and his agent, David Falk. Why would they think EB would go back on his word? He's never done it before.

However, when it comes to contract negotiations-- in sports or otherwise-- a deal is never done until it's done. But looking back on this latest episode of 'Damn, not again!', could this have happened to anyone but the Clippers?