After Smush passed his physical, it was reported that he was headed to Atlanta to join the team for a couple of days of practice before Friday nights game against Atlanta. Before his nightmare in Miami, he was coming off his best two years as the starting PG with the Lakers where he averaged 11 PPG while shooting 44% from the field and 36% from the 3. He was 9th in the NBA in steals and 8th in the NBA in the steals to turnover ratio. He brings size and quickness to the Clippers. He is also a lot more athletic that our current crop of PG's and will bring a little show to an offense that currently is stagnant and boring while the team plays out the string this season.

So, what is the rap against Smush. He is actually a nice guy but has been a head case at times. But I watched him play over 100 games with the Lakers and his reputation is his lack of defense because he can not stay in front of the fastest PG's when they explode with the first step. Smush is quick and quick enough to always be a steals leader, so what is the problem. My thought has always been that he shouldn't crowd the fast PG's out high and back up a half a step giving himself more room to move side to side. It is a containment stategy. If he can solve this one aspect of his game he can actually help any team. He can run the break, shoot from the outside, make athletic plays, and be fun to watch. He came out of the school yards playing the "show" game.

After this road trip Smush will return to Staples Arena and it will be Deja Vu all over again, just in a different uniform. Smush is not likely to be our starting PG next season. But if it works out he could be a valuable back up as a combo guard available to play the 1 and the 2. Go Smush.....this is your last chance Buddy. Don't mess it up!

JamFan

They reported it like is common knowledge. If so, the Clippers must be aware of it. So why didn't they go ahead and trade a player who is having a career season and at least get something for him? He makes so little he certainly doesn't clear a lot of cap space next summer.

So where will he sign? Will it be the Clippers? I think the Clippers can either offer him a bigger deal or a longer deal than other teams.

But will they? That same article said that EB is not going to opt out. Why not? He is paid a lot better than Corey. But will the Clippers be willing to have over 40 Mil devoted to just 3 players? That is what it is going to take to keep EB, Maggette, and Kaman on the same roster for the next few years. Q ross is also an unrestricted free agent. He certainly will sign somewhere for more than the paltry $800,000 that he is making now. So if the Clippers want tot keep him, they will have to pony up some more bucks for him as well.

Meanwhile they are taking this "injury" opportunity to give Thorton as many minutes as possible to get him up to speed as quickly as they can. Is he the heir apparent for our small forward position? He certainly will not need a raise for a couple of years. If he ends up starting at small forward next season, the 13+ Mil they would have to give Corey could be spent on a top flight shooting guard or point guard. They may feel that Livinston's knee is just to risky to depend on next season to allow him to once again play at they same level he was at last year. Or they could use the 6 Mil exception to get a top veteran PG, and spend Corey's money on an all star level shooting guard.

The possibilites are endless. The reality for the Clippers is never all that certain. If Corey opts out and is gone, just because you now have the money to spend, doesn't mean top players will want to come to a team that seems to be in such a disfunctional state of disarray.

JamFan

The reports are so positive that it's easy to imagine that all of this is going to happen sooner rather than later. Elton reports that he is jumping as high as he ever has, especially off two feet. And if he can dunk.....well then it seems he is on his way to a full recovery.

Now that we are past the trading deadline with the same roster we had yesterday, when Elton returns we know that it is possible for this team to at least return to the same effectiveness that it had before he got injured.

Will he get so excited that he begs to return in time for the Laker game on Saturday night? Or will they wait a week or two to make sure that his legs are solid as a rock? The clock is ticking. We are waiting!

JamFan

Last season many pundits picked the Clippers to make an even stronger run in the playoffs than they had the previous year. Then things started to unravel. First, after Chris Kaman signed a contract extension he decided to go into hybernation. Sam struggled often with injuries. Then Shaun Livingston ripped his knee apart. The team struggled to a dismal finish.

Last summer was again full of promise. We made a crafty draft pick in Al Thorton and things were looking up. But the Clippers failed to sign one of the top free agent point guards to replace Shaun. Then the sky fell through the roof. Elton Brand sustains an injury that would keep him out for quite some time. The end result has not been all that pretty as the Clippers have sank to the bottom of their division and sport the 5th worst record in the NBA.

Sam fought the good fight and has been a good warrior. Now, with his contract expiring at the end of this season, he sees no purpose in his being here any longer. The Clippers need to rebuild for next year. For Sam, the clock is ticking. He only has only so many more games left in those legs.

Meanwhile, Danny Ainge parlayed one of the worst rosters in the NBA into a powerhouse by trading for two super stars. A roster that is likely headed the NBA finals. Sam, has the opportunity to become a part of that party. So, he is asking for a buyout. If not traded or given a buyout, he will finish his time with the Clippers with a bad taste in his mouth. It is time for him to move on. It is time for the Clippers to move on. We either get players, draft picks, or cap space. Either way, do the deal. Get it done and let Sam go. He is a good guy and deserves no less.

JamFan

He then went on to proclaim that it was Sterling who nixed two trades last summer that would have improved the team. One trade was Corey Maggette, whose contract is expiring this summer anyway with no guarantee you can sign him, for Jason Terry. Sterling is in love with Maggette so, No Deal.

Dunleavy also wanted to sign former San Antonio free-agent guard Beno Udrih, but the Clippers' bean counter, Andy Roeser, decided Udrih wasn't worth the money it would take to sign him. Beno is one of the most improved players this season, so that was a poor judgement. The problem seems to be that I have always felt that the reason the Clippers have drafted so poorly in past years has been because Sterling was meddling in player personnel matters. That is a problem because Sterling isn't a basketball man. And when you have bean counters instead of basketball people making player decisions, you have a big problem. I wonder if that same bean counter has noticed how badly ticket sales are and TV ratings. The loss of revenue this year must be astounding. It seems evident to me that is the reason that everybody's tempers are so short.

Elgin Baylor and Coach Dunleavy are always going to be a better judge of horse flesh that a real estate investor. Now that Sterling has meddled in the job that he supposedly gave to Coach Dunleavy, and that is to make player and drafting decisions, he wants to cry about how things are not working out. Two days ago in an interview he complained about the job Dunleavy and Baylor were doing and Baylor was apparently on the other end of the room. He went on to say if things didn't get better and they didn't make the playoffs this season, changes would be made, suggesting that Dunleavy or Baylor could be gone. Dunleavy implied again yesterday that Sterling just doesn't know what he is talking about and doesn't know basketball by saying that the Clippers would have to go 34 -10 the rest of way to make the playoffs which is not a practical thought under the current circumstances. "Where we are today as far as making the playoffs, nobody in their right mind would bet on that."

As far as future decisions on player personnel matters, "You give me the budget," Dunleavy said, "and I'm going to be OK with it. I'm not asking anyone to go to the luxury tax." "But if we gather information and put deals in place that I think benefit the team and somebody who is not in basketball operations disagrees with it, sorry, you've just taken it out of my hands."

So, the the family fued begins. The battle lines have been drawn. The only way this can be fixed is by Sterling getting out of the way. I have not always been sure about Coach Dunleavy's decisions on drafting, trades and free agent signings, but now I am not so sure those decisions were Dunleavy's to make on his own. But one thing is for sure, Dunleavy knows more about players than Sterling and the bean counter. Putting a good team together is hard enough without having to get the approval of the owner and FO people who have no clue.

Jam Fan

He was honored as the MVP of the All Star Game where he scored 26 points on 7 of 8 from the 3. This was after he had just placed second in the 3 Pt shooting contest during All Star weekend. One scout said, if he shoots the 3 and hits the 3, there just isn't much you can do about it.

http://www.interbasket.net/players/zhizhi.jpg

JamFan

http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_8007265

JamFan

2- Detroit Pistons 26-8 - Won 9 straight before running into the Boston Celtics Saturday night. How sizzling hot can you be. The Pistons are running on all cylinders.

3- San Antonio Spurs 22-9 - I reluctantly still put the Spurs in the 3rd spot despite the fact they have only won 5 of their last 10. They were on the road 7 of those games and mostly against tough opponents. Need a healthy Manu Ginobili

4- Phoenix Suns 23-10 - The Suns have looking human lately winning only 6 of 10 while struggling to be as consistant as in the past. They are winning on the road. They need to keep Grant Hill healthy. Even though they have 6 players in double figures, their bench is just not producing.

5 - Los Angeles Lakers 20-11 - The Lakers are surging of late winning 7 of thier last 10 with two of the losses against Cleveland and Boston while beating the Suns. Half of those games were on the road. With Fish, AB, Farmar and new addition Trevor Ariza making significant contributins, Kobe actually gets to take a breather on occasion.

6- Dallas Mavericks 22-10 - Won 8 of 10 and thier last 3 in a row after stumbling a little bit early on. The team in still loaded with talent and will be right there at the end.

7- New Orleans Hornets 23-11 - Won 8 of their last 10 and 3 in a row, with 6 games on the road. Most of their wins have been against week opponents. Good road record with Chris Paul leading the way.

8 - Denver Nuggets 22-12 - Won their last two in a row but only 6 of the last 10. Lots of talent here but they do not always play team ball.

9- Portland Trailblazer 21-13 - One of the hottest teams in the NBA winning 9 of their last 10 but most of the games were at home and against teams with poor records.

10 - Orlando Magic 22-13 - Started strong but fading a little losing their last two and finding only 5 wins out of the last 10.

11 - Golden State Warrior 19-15 - After starting slow they are starting to find themselves and are looking more like last years team again. They are winning on the road so now if they can only figure out how to win at home.

12 - New Jersey Nets 17 -16 - Starting to surge a little in a weak conference, but they have won 7 of 10 and their last 5 in a row.

13 - Washington Wizards 16-15 - With Caron Butler leading the way they are holding their own with Agent Zero out with injury.

14 - Utah Jazz 18-17 - Only a shell of last year's team so far this year. The teamwork and chemistry has suffered a blow.

15 - Cleveland Cavaliers 16-17 - Only team with a losing record to crack my top 16 and only because they have won their last 2 and 6 of 10. They can not seem to win on the road. King James can't do it alone.

16 - Houston Rockets 17-17 - Falling on hard times and having TMac out with injury is not helping. Hiring a new coach has not worked out so far.

On the out side looking in, who are the bubble teams?

Toronto Raptors - Indiana Pacers - Atlanta Hawks

JamFan

An MRI exam in Los Angeles on Saturday performed by team physician Dr. Tony Daly revealed the extent of the injury.

He sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a stabilizing ligament within the center of the knee, and also tore his lateral meniscus, cartilage around the knee. He is scheduled to meet with Daly again Monday and his surgery will probably take place within 10 days, once the swelling in his leg subsides.

"He has worked hard and this was the year he was getting an opportunity to play and the last couple of games he was playing well for us," Coach Mike Dunleavy said. "Hopefully, he has a speedy recovery and bounces back."

Rehabilitation usually takes six months for a torn ACL, which would put Davis on track to return for summer league. Trainer Jasen Powell said he talked to Davis on Saturday and said his spirits were high.

"Once he found out the extent of the injury, he kept his same calmness," Powell said. "He was a hard worker before the injury and I don't expect anything to change."

Davis, a second-year forward from Michigan State, averaged 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 22 games, but was coming into his own recently, scoring 10 points twice in the last seven games. He said his confidence was growing with more playing time and he even called for the ball in the first quarter of Friday's game before nailing a jump shot.

Read the entire story

Guard Richie Frahm, who was cut by the Phoenix Suns before the season, was signed to a non-guaranteed contract to fill the spot on the roster.

The organization is concerned over the lingering injury to point guard Sam Cassell, who has missed the last eight games because of a strained left calf, and may seek help at that position.

Patterson was the only Clipper whose salary was not guaranteed. His one-year contract of $770,610 would have become guaranteed on Saturday.

He is coming off a career year for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he averaged career highs in points at 14.7 and rebounds with 4.7.

Patterson, 6-foot-5 and 223 pounds, is considered an undersized forward but an aggressive defender.

He waited deep into the off-season, looking to sign a large free-agent contract, but found the market frigid.

Instead, he signed for the veteran's minimum with the Clippers after forward Elton Brand sustained his Achilles' tendon injury.

Patterson started five of the Clippers 21 games, including the season opener against the Golden State Warriors, when he was charged with the task of defending Warrior point guard Baron Davis.

Entire Article.

We just need to survive until we get Cat, Shaun, and EB back, probably in that order. So other players are stepping up. The MVP so far seems to be Chris Kaman. He is putting up All Star candidate style numbers. Through 5 games he is hitting 53% from the field, 18 PPG, 15 RPG, 1.6 blocks, and has an NBA efficiency rating of 28 EFF which puts him among the league's elite.

Corey Maggette is returning to his leading role with EB out, hitting 42% from the field, and enormous 46% from the 3, 90% form the line, 19PPG, 6 RPG, 3 APG, and has an NBA effieciency rating of 18 EFF.

Tim Thomas is another player who has stepped up with his new starting role. So far he has 15 PPG, 6 RPG, and a 15 EFF in 31 minutes.. He is only hitting 44% form the field 47% from the 3, and 90% from the line. These numbers are all better than his career numbers so this could be his best season ever. Maybe the other teams will try to pour a bucket of cold water on him to try and stop him.

After Corey, Cat, Tim, and Chris, there have been players who have had their moments but not consistantly every night. Sam went for 35 against Indiana, but is only averaging 13 PPG, 5 APG, and 15 EFF. To be fair, Sam is only averaging 24 minutes per game, which is probably a good thing.

We are all on our Al Thorton watch to see if he gets minutes and if he can produce even though he is a rookie. His best game was against Indiana where he went for 13 points and 7 rebounds. But his rookie inconsistancy is showing with 23% shooting from the field. So far he is going for 6 PPG and 4 RPG in 19 minutes. Once the butterflies are gone and he finds his game, he will be unstoppable. It's just a matter of time.

The rest of the team is playing well but not shooting a great percentage or scoring very much. We need more than 4 players in double figuers to continue this run. Cat Mobley, who is currently out of the lineup, was our 5th player in double figures with 18 PPG, 4 RPG, in only 27 minutes. And if you want to talk about hot shooting, he is hitting 62%, yes that was 62, from the field and 47% from the 3, and with an 18 EFF. It is easy to see why we need to get him back as soon as possible.

So we have a big game an home on Sunday against King James. The KTLA feed will be blacked out for many of you but we are working on that. Let's get a big reponse on TopBuzz during the game so those who can not get a feed in some other way won't feel totally left out on how well the game is going. Go Clipper Nation. Go Clippers!

JamFan aka Don Allen