The Clippers have reported traded Zach Randolph and the remaining two years and 33 Mil remaining on his contract to the Memphis Grizzlies for former Clipper Quentin Richardson who has only one year remaining for 9 Mil.

Q, who was drafted the Clippers, spent 4 years as a Clip to begin his NBA career. He will bring an outside scoring threat to a lineup that always seems to be in need of shooters. Averaging about 10PPG, Q shoots about the same percentage from the 3 as he does from the field.

The move will free up cap space for the very lucrative free agency market after next season. But don't be surprised if the Clippers use it to improve this years roster if the right deal comes along. Trading Zach also ends the logjam of Bigs that the Clippers have and frees up minutes for their #1 draft pick, Blake Griffin, at power forward.

So where does Blake Griffin fall short? Well, he is not King James. At least not yet. So why will the Clippers not be inticed to trade this valuable asset? Certainly there will be tempting offers by a lot of teams in the league that look at the Clippers as chumps to be played. But Mike Dunleavy has gotten the better of other teams in recent trades. Certainly, proclaiming to the world that they will indeed draft Blake puts them in the best possible bargaining position. Let the games begin.

One team that I feel will try the hardest to land Blake from the Clippers is Oklahoma. Blake is a home town boy that will keep their arena sold out for years to come. They can offer the Clippers a package that would include their third pick and the rights to either Hasheem Thabeet or Ricky Rubio, along with the 25th pick that could turn into someone like UCLA's Darren Collison and Jrue Holliday. Throw in Darren's old team mate Russell Westbrook and this becomes a package that would be hard to turn down.

So why would the Clippers not jump on that sort of trade package? Certainly that trade would make the Clippers stronger and deeper on the bench. If they drafted Thabeet they could easily trade Kaman for an All Star. If they drafted Rubio they could trade Baron for Corey Maggette or pluck a gem from the Dallas roster, making the team even stronger still. Certainly, this will eventually lead to more wins, more tickets sales, and a trip to the playoffs.

So, why not? Well, Blake Griffin instantly sells a ton of tickets, right now. Blake, also allows the Clippers to trade Kaman for an All Star anyway. Blake Griffin could easily turn into their franchise player, become an All Star, or the best player in the NBA. Only time will tell. Blake Griffin certainly will be a star and a fan favorite. He will be the reason fans buy tickets to see the Clippers play in other arenas around the league. He gives the Clippers instant credibility........ if they start winning. That's the reason they will keep him. But this is the Clippers, of course. And we need for Mike Dunleavy to keep a cool head. But look at it this way. The Clippers are in a really good position whether or not they pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade. The draft is only about one month away. What do you think the Clippers will do?

JamFan

What makes Zach's progress this year even more unusual, is that he is doing it as a down low force making it big time in D'Antoni's run and gun, shoot first from the outside offense.

Will Coach Dunleavy change his offense just to accomodate ZBo?
Will the Clippers trade either Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby for another shooter?
Will all 3 of our Bigs be able to coexist on the floor together?
Will there be enough minutes to go around if they don't make another trade?
Will Zach Randolph be able to put up the same numbers as a Clipper?
Will Zach be able to replace Elton Brand?

The saga begins tonight against the Denver Nuggets at the Staples arena. TV coverage on Fox Sports Net, check you local listings. This could be really fun to watch. Are you ready to rumble?

JamFan

Dark Horse Bubble Team- New York Knicks- I do not like D'Antoni personally and I think he is a bad playoff coach because he loses his composure. But despite most of the old roster is back, he will make them better because his system works.

10 of my top 16 teams are from the West, so what else is new. I think that New York ( yes, I am going out on a limb here) Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington have the best chance of making the playoffs in the East. Of my top teams in the West, Denver and Portland have the best chance of falling out of the playoff picture.

So you don't like my picks? Think you can do better? Just hit the "discuss" button below and let me have it. Why not?

JamFan

Will Baron Davis fly high and fast to lead the break and the new quick strike offense? Will Al Thorton be a man among men? Will Eric Gordon be everything we hoped for when we made him a top first round pick? Will Ricky Davis be that instant offense we need off the bench? Will Marcus Camby be the defensive force he was in Denver? Will DeAndre Jordan surprise the world as the best second round pick ever? Will Brian Skinner's beard be the coolest thing we have ever seen? Will Chris Kaman cuss out the refs in German so they won't know what he is saying? All of these questions will be answered Thursday night so don't snooze on this one.

10/9/08 Los Angeles Lakers Lakers Save Mart Center
Fresno, CA 7:00 PM
10/14/08 Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Ford Center 5:00 PM
10/15/08 Sacramento Kings Sacramento Spanos Center
Stockton, CA 7:00 PM
10/18/08 Toronto Raptors Clippers STAPLES Center 4:30 PM
10/19/08 * FC Barcelona or
Lakers FC Barcelona or
Lakers STAPLES Center
STAPLES Center 4:30 PM or
7:30 PM
10/21/08 Phoenix Suns Clippers STAPLES Center 7:30 PM
10/22/08 Portland Trail Blazers Clippers STAPLES Center 7:30 PM
10/24/08 Denver Nuggets Clippers STAPLES Center 7:30 PM

Jamfan

When Chris Kaman returns home from the Olympics, somebody is going to have to introduce him to his new team. He is one of only 3 players who were Clippers two season ago. This is the largest full scale overhaul of a roster that I have ever seen.

Enter Jason Williams aka White Chocolate. He certainly isn't the player everybody expected. In fact our entire bench is now made up of players we didn't expect. It has been the Clipper's tradition to not invest much in their bench. It has been a perennial weakness of the Clips. Not this year.

I thought we would be down to signing young unproven role players who would work for peanuts. After drafting Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan they signed Baron Davis, and made the blockbuster trade to bring in Marcus Camby. They traded for Mike Taylor, Jason Hart and Steve Novak, while signing Ricky Davis and Brian Skinner. It's enough to make your head spin.

Chris Kaman is going to come home and ask, who are all of these strangers? They are going to have to put name tags on everybody.

Jason, 33, started his career in Sacramento and after a stop off in Memphis, he spent the last couple of seasons down in Miami. He has averaged 11 PPG and 6 APG over his career but has been more of a scorer that a shooter. He career shooting percentage is only 40% from the floor and 33% from the 3. It will be Coach Dunleavy's job to bring him in off the bench and convince him to focus on distributing the rock and only be an opportunistic shooter. In other words, only shoot from your best spots on the floor.

It is suddenly very crowed at PG with Davis, Hart, Williams and Taylor already on board. I have a feeling that Hart or Taylor may play some SG. It's possible they would send Taylor back down to the D league. It also brings up the question, is Shaun Livingston done as a Clipper?

One thing seem obvious to me. The old system of making roster moves by committee has never worked that well for the Clippers because you had the Coach, the GM, the Owner, the Prez, and the Chief Bean Counter all voting on the moves. This season I'm convinced they gave the entire job to Dunleavy and Dunleavy alone. If the Clips rock the NBA, Elgin will get consideration as GM of the Year. But this has Dunleavy's fingerprints all over it.

JamFan

Drafted by Houston in the second round out of Marquette, Novak really hasn't had a chance to play much because he was buried on the Rockets roster. When he was given a chance to play, he can really knock it down. In the playoffs last year he only averaged 7 minutes per game. But he shot 75% from the floor and 67% from the 3. Unbelievable!

You think that his shooting prowess so early in his NBA career is a flook? He was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection ... One of three players to start in every game that season ... Led the team in minutes averaging 33.8 minutes per game ... Has a school record 354 career three pointers, passing Travis Diener for the top spot ... Recorded 1,567 career points passing Don Kojis (10th, 1,504) for the 10th spot all time ... Is the sixth player in the program history to have more then 1,500 points and 500 rebounds for his career ... Novak led the team at 97.4 percent free throw shooting ... He is one of six active NCAA Division I players during the 2005-06 season with over 300 career three pointers joining J.J. Reddick (Duke), Keekee Clark (St. Peters); Taquan Dean (Louisville); Justin Gray (Wake Forest) and Gerry McNamara (Syracuse) ... passed Ray Allen's single season 3-point record (63) with 70 dating back to the 1995-96 season ... Led the BIG EAST in 3-pointers made per game (3.90) and 3-point field goal percentage (46.7) ... ranked third in the nation in three pointers per game (3.9), sixth in the nation in three point percentage (46.7 percent) ... One of two players to score double figures in first six games ... Named Great Alaska Shootout Tournament MVP after recording 51 total points, including nine three pointers, and 18 rebounds ... was 6 of 10 from three-point range, tying the Shootout championship-game record for treys made against South Carolina (Nov. 26) ... Became Marquette's all-time free throws leader after making both of his attempts against Valparaiso (Dec. 7) ... Led Marquette with 14 points against Wisconsin (Dec. 10) for his eighth double digit scoring effort this season ... tallied his second 20-plus point performance this season, 14th for his career, with 22 against San Francisco (Dec. 17) ... matched his season high number of treys with six against San Francisco ... Set career highs in points (41) and rebounds (16) against no. 2 Connecticut (Jan. 3.) for his first career double double ... The 41 points was a record for most points by a player in his first BIG EAST game, breaking the record of 30 by Troy Murphy (Notre Dame, Dec. 8, 1998) and Allen Iverson (Georgetown, Dec. 7, 1994)

This is without a doubt the deepest bench the Clippers have ever assembled, and we aren't even finished yet. After this trade, you have to wonder, what's next. A exchange of second round picks for.............

JamFan

Never a star but always the reliable role player, he never wore out his welcome. He last played for the Clippers in 01 and after a long jouney through the NBA returns to where it all started.

His career numbers are 5 PPG and 5 RPG in 18 minutes while shooting 50% from the floor. Unfortunately his free throw shooting percentage is barely above his field goal percentage.

By waiving Josh Powell to make room for Brian, the Clippers gave up a young power forward with potential for a veteran who is a proven commodity. He will mostly back up Marcus Camby, but is capable of doing some duty a center if Jordan isn't ready to back up Kaman. He will add a defensive minded player to the roster. Last season he averaged 1.2 blocks in only 12 MPG. Welcome home, Brian.

JamFan

If there is one thing that your Bigs on the front line like more than anything is the outside shooters spreading the floor making there work so much easier down low. Teams will be unable to sag and will have further to travel to double team our low post threats. Moreover, a spread defense allows Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, and Al Thorton, to drive the lane and either score or kick it out again to shooters waiting on the wings.

Ricky Davis, despite being a head case a times, has been a good team mate according the guys he has played with. The 28 year old Davis has scored in double figures that last 9 seasons in a row while shooting a lofty 45% from the field, mostly from the outside. Last season in 31 minutes he had 14PPG. 4 RPG, and 3 APG while shooting 44% from the field and 40% from the 3. In the 3 seasons he was given 40 minutes per game, he averaged 19-20 PPG.

To be able to get Ricky Davis on our roster basically with our left over money is quite a feat for the Clippers front office. This off season they literally have fixed the two biggest problems the Clippers have always had, a lack of outside shooting and depth in the roster. This year when we go to our bench, Clippers fans will barely notice a drop off in play and effectiveness.

If you want to know more about Ricky Davis, you can go to his website.
http://www.rickydavis31.com/

JamFan

Jamfan

The Clippers first target was New York's Zach Randolph. They made an offer of a second round pick for Randolph but were rebuffed. Randolph's contract was for 3 years at 14 Mil per year, but his numbers were a lofty 18 and 10. They tried again, offering only a second round pick, and picked up 34 year old veteran center Marcus Camby from Denver. The often injured Camby is a career long double double machine. But his specialty is not scoring but rather rebounds, defense, and blocked shots. At 34, Camby reached his career high in rebounds with 13 per game last season. That feat was punctuated by only scoring 3 points per game while still averaging 10 rebounds during the playoffs. Still, his contract only calls for 8 Mil next year and 7.6 Mil in it's final year, so he becomes a short term rental for a year or two.

The confusing thing for Clipper fans is that Camby is a center, or at least that is the postition he has always played. He seems athletic enough to make the transition to power forward, but he may be to one dimensional on offense. Hopefully his strengths on the defensive end and rebounding will make up for it.

The Clippers gave up no assets to get Marcus Camby, and have left themselves with enough cap space to more adequately round out their roster and make sure their bench is deep. They also still have to ability to trade the contracts of Cat Mobles and or Tim Thomas to bring in another player, so they just might not be finished yet.

JamFan

Surprisingly, Josh Smith was already in LA on Tuesday, long before it was officially announced that Elton Brand was heading to Philly. He is scheduled to meet with the Clippers management on Wednesday.

Will they take a chance and give him the same offer that that they gave Brand? Will Atlanta match the offer? Can they somehow front load the offer so that Atlanta would be reluctant to match? Are they willing to lose a week of negotiating time needed to work with other free agents while Atlanta is making up their mind?

At age 22, Josh Smith just might be worth the wait. He is 2nd in the NBA in blocked shots and was 7th in steals during the playoffs. He carried Atlanta to a 7th game against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. He went for 17PPG and 8RPG last season and his numbers have been climbing every year. He is both an offensive and defensive presence that could rock our world for many years to come.

Honored as Mr. Basketball in the State of Indiana, Eric broke all scoring records for freshman in the Big 10 and at Indiana University. Averaging 21PPG, he was also honored as Big 10 Freshman of the Year. He was also honored as a second team All American and also 2007 Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year.

All of the honors are great, but the Clippers drafted him because with his outside shooting from downtown, he opens up the offense so the Bigs can work down low. He hit 43% from the field and 34% from the 3 as a freshman. His numbers would have been even higher but he struggled with a wrist injury the last 7 games of the season. He can also drive to the bucket and draw the foul, so defenders can not cheat on him.

In one of his last pre draft workouts he hit 10 NBA 3's in a row and commented afterword that he wished he had shot better. Is he the shooter that the Clippers have so sorely missed for several seasons? Will he be Rookie of the Year? His jouney begins in NBA Summers league that is only about a week away. Look for him to be paired at SG with PG Mike Taylor who was drafted in the second round out of the D League. They should make quite a pair.

Ticket sales will be brisk. Baron Davis is coming back to help resurrect a franchise that has been decimated by injuries just after finally reaching the playoffs two seasons ago.

He joins a pair of stars in Elton Brand and Chris Kaman. He comes to tutor another young budding star in Al Thorton, the scoring machine. He comes to mentor one of greatest young shooters to ever come out of college, Eric Gordon. He is there to help put it all together into one smooth engine firing on all cylinders. He will push the offense like no other point guard in the history of the LA Clippers. He will score.

Do we have the makings of one of the most talented back courts in all of basketball, Baron Davis and Eric Gordon? Can they combine for 40 points a night? Will they shoot the lights out? With their outside shooting will they free up our big guys down low, so that they can have their way with any defense that tries to stop them? Will there be another great player that will sign a long term mid level deal with Clippers just so he can be a part of what is about to happen? The Red Baron flies again, this time in a Clippers uniform.

JamFan

Many NBA commentators were surprised that DeAndre did not decide to back to school for one more year. Even so, he was projected as a lottery pick in many mock drafts and was supposed to be gone by the middle of the first round. Had he stayed in school one more year, mock drafts for 2009 had his as a top 5 pick. Fox Sports, in their winners and loser article, stated that the Clippers were one of the biggest winners in last weeks draft. Not because of Eric Gordon, but because they were able to get DeAndre in the second round. He is a young project. But he is a 19 year old 7 footer, with a huge wingspan, off the charts athleticism, he is quick, and he can run the wing on the fast break. He has been compared to Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. Will he turn into one of those players? His jouney begins in the NBA summer league as a member of the Clipper squad. This is one show we will not want to miss.

I can't find one reliable rumor regarding the Clippers making a trade. I really can't see them giving up an asset to trade up because they are going to get such a great player at 7. I can see some players, like Brandon Rush and a couple others, who might be worth trading down for if they can pick up a pick or player in the process.

As usual, the Clippers are not talking. The GM's who are floating rumors are usually doing their fake left and go right manuever to keep teams from putting a value on the player they are really going to take.

I have changed my mind about who is the best player in the draft. After the Final 4, I was quite sure that Derrick Rose was #1. But the more I looked at tape, and studied the stats, I have come to the conclusion that Michael Beasley is the guy. But at the 1 and the 2, you would be very satisfied taking either player based on your team's need.

Usually, there are far fewer trades on draft day than rumors. So let's assume there are no trades going down before the Clippers pick. I am going to go out on a limb and give you my first 7 picks and whom the Clippers might take in the second round, depending on whose available.
1- Chicago - Derrick Rose
2- Miami - Michael Beasley
3- Minnesota - Brook Lopez or Kevin Love
4- Seattle - OJ Mayo ( told the 3-5 teams not to draft him, he could drop)
5- Memphis- Kevin Love or Brook Lopez
6- New York - Danilo Gallinari
7- LA Clippers - Jerryd Bayless
* Bayless doesn't fall - Then it's Russell Westbrook - then Eric Gordon
2nd round - LA Clippers - Courtney Lee - Billy Walker - George Hill
In that order depending on whose available at the time.

Players we might trade down for - Brandon Rush, DJ Augustin

OK, I can hear the Hee Haws out there already. This is actually one of the hardest draft in some time to get a handle on. There are a lot of really good players among the top 16. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is also very hard to predict if any Euro players are going to make an impact early on.

So you don't like my picks. Feel free to hit the discuss buttom and let me have it.

JamFan

There are rumors about the 3rd pick that many assumed would go to Brook Lopez. Many feel that he will drop and the 3rd pick could cause a disruption that could cascade right down through draft affecting who could be available when we get to the Clippers 7th pick. Most feel that pick would have been targeted at a guard. It is now possible that the best player available might be a "Big".

Oh, yes, the second round. All of the discussion about the 7th pick means we have to analyze players, both big and small for the Clippers. If they go big in the first round they are likely to go small in the second and visa versa. And there are plenty of interesting options.

First let's look at some "Bigs" who are likley to be available early in the second round.

Joey Dorsey - PF Memphis - some felt he might move up into late in the first round, but he had an inconsistant Pre-Draft Camp. He could be a good NBA role player who can rebound and play defense, but may never be a great scorer.

Omer Asik - PF/C Turkey - the Clippers have reportedly scouted and had contact with Asik overseas. Considered one of the top 7' players in Europe who could be brought in to back up Kaman.

DJ White - PF Indiana - a short but powerful PF with a 7' wingspan. Good low post game. Likes to dunk and block shots. Explosive, athletic, and a good rebounder.

Nicola Perovic - PF/C Serbia - another good Serbian big man who some think is better than Omer Asik. Good low post game with a baby hook shot. Averaged 22 and 7 with 63% from the floor.

If for some reason the Clippers go big with their first pick, they will still have a glaring need for another shooter and a point guard.

Ty Lawson - PG UNC- lightning quick and very athletic. He is my candidate to be one of the most likely players to drop out of the first round because he is short at 5'11" for the NBA and will have trouble with defensive matchups. But if you are looking for a PG guard to come off the bench who can run the break and dish the rock, Ty would be a great catch in the 2nd round.

DeMarcus Nelson - SG Duke - was supposed to be late 2nd rounder but has had an excellent Pre-Draft Camp so he may be moving up. Scored 22 points the last day and has been the leading scorer almost every day. He is a shooter with 3 point range and the Clippers like players coming out of the Duke program.

Sonny Weems - SG Arkansas - quick, athletic, likes to run the floor. Has an Al Thorton style motor that runs and runs. Can score in a variety of ways but is considered a raw talent who would need some seasoning. It is hard to predict how good he could be eventually.

Lester Hudson - SG/PG Tennesee Martin - if you are looking for a scorer, Lester might be you man. He has 3 point range and averaged over 25 PPG in college while playing the point. He has had a sucessful Pre-Draft camp, and has tremendous skill for a player who could be taken late. He was 3rd in the nation in scoring and 4th in steals.

Kyle Weaver - PG/SG Washington St. - another combo guard who is quick, a good defender, but not necessarily a great shooter. A tall guard with a big wingspan who can play both positions.

I know there are certainly other players we could consider early in the 2nd round. We do not as yet know those who could drop or who the sleepers are over in Europe. Certainly, the Clippers have shown in the past that they will take a chance in the 2nd round on unknown quantities. They haven't been very successful in the 2nd round. Most of their picks have left the team within a year or two or never made the team at all. This year could be different. This is a deep draft with some really good talent that will be available to them late.

My favorite is Lester Hudson. We need a PG, and getting one who is already a big time scorer as well and with 3 point range seems to be the best of all scenarios for the Clippers because they need a PG and a shooter. He has a killer cross over dribble and is a very creative passer helping his team mates score while scoring a lot himself. He was also 4th in the nation in steals and third in the nation in scoring. One scouting report compares him to Rodney Stuckey. We should be that lucky.

The Clippers have surprised me just about every year in the 2nd round so I am not hopefull they will take anybody on the above list. Usually I end up saying "suprise, surprise, surprise".

Jamfan

With the draft now only one month away, speculation is starting to heat up about what all of the top teams in the draft are going to do. The Clippers have the 7th pick and two of their top players, Maggette and Brand, are in a position to opt out of their contracts. They could also seek extensions, seek trades, or wait until the following summer to figure out what they are going to do.

The consensus is that Brand will not opt out and will probably seek and extension. Maggette will probably opt out or seek a sign and trade. Trading Maggette at this point seems more likely but to which team and for whom? So far the rumors have been distant and more of media speculation than hard negotiations.

Meanwhile, what New York does might affect the Clippers more than you might would think. Danilo Gallinari is not coming to the NBA workouts starting next week because his team is still playing in the playoffs over in Europe. His first stop when he gets here, New York. His father played for new coach D'Antoni for 8 years in Italy and there are deep connections there, not to mention D'Antoni speaks fluent Italian. Danilo's people say he will work out for very few teams. Do they already have a committment from the Knicks?

If so, this really helps the Clippers if they really have there eyes set on OJ Mayo. Currently, NBADraft.net and some other mock drafts have OJ going 6th to the Knicks. But if they pick Gallinari, OJ drops right into the Clippers lap for the taking.

Morever, there is some speculation that Miami might trade down to get OJ, trying to pick an additional asset while getting the player they want anyway. If OJ is what Miami wants, and the Clippers want the #2 pick allowing them to get either Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose, they would have to package their pick to move up.

It is unclear what the Clippers would offer to create such a deal or what Miami would be willing to accept. We are now only 30 days away from the draft. The rumor mill on draft picks and trades is just getting started.

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

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

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

OK, what you did in college, well that was then and this is now. Granted 20 PPG with 7 RPG in 31 minutes is pretty good for a college game. And hitting 53 % from the field and 44% from the 3, is pretty solid. But is it good enough to make the Clippers forget all about Corey Maggette?

The answer to that question would be easier if it were not this season. With Shaun Livingston and Elton Brand out to start the season, the Clippers are now more than ever looking for Corey Maggette to carry the team. Just prior to his last collision with injuries, Corey led the team and averaged over 20 points per game. They now need him to do that and even more.

Al Thorton finally got some significant minutes in Sunday nights game on the road against the athletic Warriors, and threw down 24 points, hitting 11 of 15 shots. It would seem that the Clippers could use that kind of play, along with Corey's, to help fill the gap while we are waiting for EB to return.

But what if come January the season is lost, and it is starting to look like a rebuilding year? They might feel that by the time EB returns, it might be too late, and EB not strong enough to make a difference, to make the playoffs, or go very far if you got there. What if Corey's agent signals to the Clippers that he is not coming back and will sign elsewhere next summer? What if Al Thorton is scoring in double figures with a high shooting percentage?

This is a scenario that could lead to the Clippers dealing Corey away before the trading deadline. They would at least get something for him instead of just letting him depart during the summer and leave the Clippers stuck holding the bag. An expiring contract and a first round draft pick would be nice. Especially if the option is........nothing.

Whatever happens, one thing is for sure. Either way, if Al Thorton turns into the scoring monster that some think he just might turn out to be, we are good if Corey stays, and we are good if Corey goes. But if Al is the heir apparent at SF, then getting a stud shooting guard for Corey wouldn't be all that bad. Gilbert Arenas anyone?

1st off you can make a trade. There are fewer trade rumors this off season involving the Clippers than just about any other team. We haven't even heard Corey Maggette's name until draft night and then it was commentators purely speculating what might happen now that the Clippers have drafted Al Thorton. The only other speculation I have heard is that with Thorton on board, the player that brings the most back to the Clippers is Elton Brand. But you can be rest assured that did not come from the Clippers and I am quite sure EB will be here next fall.

Your second opportunity is the draft. It certainly seems that the Clippers made the most of their lottery opportunity in selecting Al Thorton who was rated as high as the 7th pick by some Mock Drafts. We actually improved here. Drafting Jared Jordan in the second round brought in a PG with promise but probably will not help us to much this upcoming season.

Well, for the Clippers, trades are not that likely, the draft is over, so that leaves us with Free Agency. We are already very close to the cap and that leaves us only enough money to sign Guillermo Diaz and fill out our roster with role players. We will need to sign Thorton and presumably Jordan. So that leaves us with only our MLE of about 6 Mil to go out and make a free agent splash.

Oddly enough, the Clippers have the same problem the Lakers have. They need a point guard. And the targets that the Clippers will be going after could be the same guys the Lakers want since they only have their MLE to offer as well. So who are the best free agent PG's. The #1 rated PG is Chauncey Billups. The Lakers or the Clippers can forget him unless there is someway they could trade for him. He is not signing for the MLE. The #2 and #3 rated PG's appears to be Mo Williams and Steve Blake. It is unclear as of right now exactly how much these two guys will ask for, but it is conceivable one of the could be had for 6 Mil. The next tier is comprised of Jannero Pargo, Gary Payton, Chucky Atkins, Kenyon Dooling, and Jason Hart. They are all good PG's, but they do not help in getting you to the next level. All of them could be had for less that MLE money.

So that brings us to Theo Papaloukas. He is rated the best PG in Europe and brings the history of a game in the World Championships where he humbled the best PG's that the NBA and the Team USA had to offer. Nobody could stop him. He went for 25 and dished a bunch of assists. He played with the court sense of a Steve Nash. I went a studied tape of Theo and he reminds you of the way that Steve Nash dishes the ball off. He seems more athletic that Nash. He might be the best PG available at the MLE. One problem is the buy our of his Euro contract which is reported to be 400K. If you want him and you think he is the best, that is mere chump change.

There isn't a lot more that the Clippers can do. They have to make good use of their MLE during free agency. The urgency is thrust upon us because of Shaun's injury and the thought that he may never ever come back as good as he was.

If the Clippers ever did sign Smush, it would be because they could sign him on the cheap. The Clips are hampered by the salary cap. However, they would not have to trade an asset to get Smush. He hasn't produced at a level that would command big money, so he fits in with their desire to not pay luxury tax for going over the cap.

Smush can be a credible offensive threat and can hit from downtown. But he disappears offensively at times. Some of that could be due to Kobe taking over the offense, leaving little opportunities for him to get shots in some games. If the Clips think that he could be a more consistant outside threat with Kobe not around, they might take a chance on him.

The larger concern however is defense. Smush is actually great at creating steals with his quickness and anticipation. But he is not very good at straight up defense against the best guards in the league like Nash. But a lot of guys can't guard Nash. He doesn't fight his way around screens very well. But this weakness was magnified with the Lakers because there often was nobody behind him clogging up the middle or rotating over with help.

Smush is ranked 8th in the NBA in steals vs turnover ratio, and 13th overall. He was 38th in 3 PT shooting with Kobe on the court. In two seasons with the Lakers, he averaged 11 PPG, 3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.5 steals, while hitting 44% and 36% from the 3. Some critics says he would be a better guard off the bench because he could be instant offense off the bench and wouldn't have to guard the starting PG for the opposing team.

So can Smush be helpful? Yes! Would Mike Dunleavey like his style? Nope! Is Smush afraid of anything or anybody? Nope! Can he play great at times? Yep! Can he take you deep into the playoffs? NO!

JamFan

Doug Chistie is not coming back to the Clippers after the break after he had just signed his second 10 day contract. Look for the Clippers to continue their try-out of players with another 10 day contract. Who's next? I hope it is a shooter.

Rumors of the Clippers trading for Vince Carter are circulating again. The Nets are reportedly looking for a promising young player, a first round pick, and expiring contacts. We have an extra first round pick and Rebraca's expiring contract. But would you give up Maggette for a player who can opt out of his contract with out a committment that he would not do so? And how do you get that in writing?

There was a whisper of a rumor that the Clippers and the Kings are also talking again about a Maggette for Artest deal. The Maloof brothers say it isn't so. But the Maloofs, who own a prominent Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, The Palm, are talking up how great it would be to have an NBA franchise there. Would they move the KIngs to Las Vegas if the NBA would let them?

There are no other trade rumors involving the Clippers out there right now. The trading deadline is 5 days away.

The Clippers start a 5 game homestand against 5 teams with losing records. Could the Clippers regain their "eye of the tiger?" Winning 5 in a row would certainly help.

After showing the world what he could do to help the Clippers win in the Philly game last Friday after finally getting some important minutes, James Singleton was rewarded by mostly getting benched in Sunday's game and played only 1 minute. Thanks for the energy and effort big fella. The Clippers lost by 14 scoring only 80 points. Coach Dumleavy couldn't find a way to use a player with "Mo" and went with the same players and game plan that has failed to produce much offense. Things got better Monday night with the Clippers scoring 74 points, but they only lost by 18.

One week away from the trading deadline and their are still no credible trade rumors involving the Clippers or Corey Maggette. Look for Corey to remain a Clipper. If they don't play him, look for him to eventually opt out of his contract early, and then we will get nothing for him. Play him or trade him.

Is there any way we could start a new NBA tradition of trading coaches? You know how sometimes teams will exchange two players who are underachievers hoping they will regain their form with new teams. Well, we could do that with coaches who are floundering. We could trade Dumleavy for a coach in another city who can't quite get his team motivated. Or maybe the coaching styles just do not match the talent for the respective teams and a trade would put the right coach with the right players. Coach Dumleavy's style would be great for..................well, I can't quite think of a roster that would need his offense at the moment. But I am open to suggestions.

Has anyone noticed that Mike Dunleavy Jr. is playing at the same level in Indiana as he did at Golden State. His production per minutes played and shooting percentages are about the same. A change of scenary has not yet produced better results.

Doug Christie certainly has some veteran skills, but everyone has identified that what the Clippers really need is an outside shooter to spark the offense. Instead, they are going with a defensive guy off the bench. Hmmmm. Looks like eveyone has identified the missing link except Coach Fumbling Bungling Dumleavy.

There are only 1357 days until Coach Dumleavy has coached his last game as the Clippers coach.

JamFan

James Singleton finally got to play some substantive minutes Friday resulting in a Clipper win on the road against Philly and his team mates giving him high praise for his exploits on the court.

There are no credible trade rumors out there involving the Clippers with the trading deadline only 11 days away.

Peter Vecey is still thinking that Jason Kidd could be traded to the Lakers. Reports are that the Lakers might get him for a couple of 1st round draft picks and the expiring contracts of Mihm and Aaron Mckie, and without giving up any key players.

The only way the Clippers can finish this trip above 500 is by winning the next two games on the road starting today in Indiana. If they can somehow win today, they would have to win the second game of a back to back tomorrow night in Detroit. Good Luck!

The good news is that after the Clippers go home they have 5 games in a row at home and against teams that are all below 500. You could easily imagine them winning 5 in a row.

Doug Christie's 10 day contract expired Friday night after the Philly win and they are expected to sign him to another 10 contract in time for the Indiana game.

7'9" Sun MIng MIng, after playing pretty well in his debut in the ABA and after being featured on NBC's Today Show, will play again today in his second game as the world tallest Bastketball player. He is the 2nd tallest man in the world. Some scouts say he is showing some skills, but after being out for 6 months, he is struggling with his conditioning.

There are only 1360 days until Coach Dumleavy has coached his last game for the LA Clippers.

If a 10 day contract wouldn't work for Diaz, why don't the Clippers sign him for the rest of the season. Everyone has talked about how the Clippers need a 3 point shooter. Diaz was only hitting over 50% from the 3 in Europe. An open 3 is an open 3 whether it's in Europe or LA. Does anybody know where there is a 3 point shooter anywhere that is available that is hitting over 50% from downtown? Diaz is not only available, but we do not have to trade anything for him. He merely just takes an open roster spot and it would cost the Clippers only chump change to sign him. He would be fun to watch with his ability at 6'2" to literally jump over the moon.

JamFan

ALERT - ESPN REPORTS THAT COACH DUNLEAVY IS STILL LOBBYING FOR A TRADE TO BRING HIS SON TO THE CLIPPERS, OTHER REPORTS CONFIRM.

ALERT- REPORTS CONFIRM THAT CLIPPERS MANAGEMENT ARE RESISTING A STRAGHT ACCROSS TRADE OF MAGGETTE FOR DUNLEAVY.

Coach Dunleavy, who is supposed to be the great talent evaluator, has been exposed in TopBuzz as being the great pretender when it comes to evaluating talent. But his eyes could not be any more blind than when it comes to his own son, Mike Dunleavy.

Drafted early in the first round 4 years ago by Golden State, and after being traded yesterday to Indiana, there were all kinds of GM's and other talent evaluators who declared Mike a bust for Golden State. The scouting report is that he is very inconsistant and can't shoot straight. The skinny is that most NBA players miss more often by shooting short or long. Mike misses by shooting left or right. He is the shooter who literally can't shoot straight. Proof is that he only shoots 34% from the 3, and in his last 3 games scored 4 pts, 2 pts, and 18 pts.

Since he had worn out his welcome in Golden State and finally traded to Indiana, he wore out his welcome in Indiana in only one day. The Pacers are already on the phone trying to trade Mike Dunleavy to the Clippers for Corey Maggette. Based on his Dad's comments yesterday after Mike's trade to Indiana, that basically said that he was disappointed because he had hoped to trade for his son because of his high basketball IQ and great shooting ability. But unike Mike Dunleavy, Corey Maggette consistantly produces every night. And everyone knows that if you were to move Maggette, the Clippers glaring need is a dead eye 3 point shooter, which Mike Dunleavy is not.

All this will not keep Dumleavy from making another talent evaluating mistake. Since he was so disappointed yesterday, he is probably elated today because the Pacers already want to move Mike Dunleavy over to the Clippers. They are looking for a sucker, and the only one they can find is his Dad. They seem to have no interest in Mike's inabilities, and see Corey Maggette as a major upgrade.

We can only hope that Elgin Baylot stops all this insanity, and either keeps Corey Maggette or waits for a better deal, like Ray Allen. If you had the rights to Ray Allen, would you trade him for Mike Dunleavy? Not unless you had just drank two bottle of Tequila. But Coach Dunleavy is drunk with his admiration of his own son. Let's hope that wiser and more stable minds prevail and this deal does not go through.

JamFan

Do you see the need for a guy who can hit one from outside the arc on a regular basis? You say our lineup needs to add depth? Do you think we need to be hit ting shots from the outside so as to open things up inside for Kaman and Elton? So you want a outside shooter for the Clippers but you do not want to give up any current players to get one. Do you want to keep Corey Maggette in a Clippers uniform? Well here is a short list of Shooters who are either veteran free agents, in Europe, or in the D league. We might as well dream because the only thing it will cost us is Donald Sterling's money.

Right out of the gate there are some veteran outside shooters just waiting for a call. So let's immediately add to the list KEITH VAN HORN, NICK VAN EXEL, TONI KUKOC, VOSHON LEONARD AND JEFF MCGINNIS. Nicks knees won't take a lot of minutes but he would never play more than 20 MPG with the Clips anyway. Jeff is mostly a mid range jump shooter. Toni could play limited minutes like Nick. And Keith would be a good 6th man type of player and can hit the long bomb. Vashon is in great shape, and hit 106 3's for Denver as a starter 3 years ago.

Don't like any of those guys? OK, well there are a couple of bombers over in Europe that might fit the bill. THEO PAPALOUKAS is the Greek player that Team USA couldn't stop no matter who they assigned to guard him, and is currently hitting 67% from the floor as an outside bomber or CSKA Moscow . Is there anybody in the NBA hitting over 60% from long range? I don't think so. TONY DELK is spending his first season overseas with a power house Greek team and is averaging 12 points off the bench and hitting 43% from the 3.

Still not convinced any of the above can help? Do you think maybe there is a gem hiding in the D league. Well, KELENNA AZUBUIKE, a 6'5" shooting guard out of Kentucky is leading the D league in scoring with 27 PPG while hitting 51% and 49% from the 3. He is excellent from the free throw line and averages over 1 steal per game. He also gets over 5 rebounds per game, 3 assists and .58 blocks. The reports are he looks real good and his body is chisled (see pic above). Born in London England, after he came to the US, he scored over 40 points per game in high school. He also shot 49% from the field in college. Drafted by Houston, he was so young they used him little. He just turned 23 and is leading a poll that asks which player will be the first player to be brought up from the D league. And there are some pretty good players down there. He is just considered the best.

This list is just a short list. There are many other oppostunities our there. Do the Clippers have the vision to sign a free agent veteran shooter? Do they have the proper scouting reports to find that Euro player that could be their next shooter? Do they have the creative insight to see the future that Kelenna holds, or are they going to let some other team turn him into an All Star? Worse yet, will they take the easy way out and trade Corey Maggette for a proven shooter thereby not improving the depth we so desperately need? Lot of questions. We will have to wait and see how the Clippers answer them.

Jamfan

Ron Artest does not give the Clippers the outside shooting that they need and he has never been a great outside shooter from the 3. Everything else about Ron Artest we have to put in past tense. He looks like a horrible washed up player at a very young age. His defense isn't even close to what it used to be, his shooting percentage is lousy, and to put his performance in the words of last nights commentators, "He looked like a zombie out there." He looks disinterested. Like he is just going throught the motions. He also looks 20 pounds overweight so he is a half step slow as well. You might remember that just last off season he spoke of retiring and going off to do music. To me he looks like he has already reitred.

On the other hand, Corey Maggette put in one of his usual great performances last night. His shooting percentage is good, his percentage from the line is great, his defense was more than adequate, and his rebounding is solid every night. Moreover, when Corey is in the game, our point spread improves. Last night we were down 6 early in the first quarter. Corey comes in and by mid way throught the second, we were up 6. He leaves and we end up leading at the half by 1. This happens all the time. Most importantly, considering he has been the subject of every trade rumor imaginable, his attitude every night has been unbelievable.

Corey Maggette is the type of guy that you want on your team. Ron Artest is not. If we are indeed going to trade for somebody, it has to be somebody other than Ron Artest. Ron Artest is done. Moreover, many have speculated that the reason the trade didn't move forward is because the Kings asked for another asset in addition Corey to get the deal done. They have got to be kidding. It should be the other way around.

Or better yet, maybe we do not want to do this deal at all. We should consider having Clippers management all get together with Corey for a group hug and declare he is off the market. We can protect Brand, Kaman, Corey, and Livingston, trade one other player along with one of our surplus first round draft picks, and Rebraca's expiring contract, for the outside shooter that we desire. That is enough to get us a good one. And we get to keep Corey.

We have all spoke lately about how our Coach is not performing properly all the time and being out of touch with reality. Well, Elgin Baylor and the owner Donald Sterling both love Corey Maggette. It is Dumleavy who likes Ron Artest. If you watched last nights game, you would wonder what is wrong with Dumleavy's perception of players and the game.

For one thing, most teams are not trying to emulate the Suns style of play, even though they might not go all the way to the extreme the Suns have. But young, fast, athletic players going for it in a run and gun style is where the NBA is heading right now. Not only is scoring up the last couple of seasons, but this style of play is more fun to watch. Dumleavy on the other hand is running a slow down game reminiscent of the Chicago Bulls back in the 80's.

I think we all need to take a step back and really analyze where we are at the moment, what we really need, and how to get there. I hope that after last nights game, Clipper management saw what a BIG mistake they almost made. I hope they take a deep breath, pause, and start to rethink the path forward. We need to keep Corey and add a shooter. We are just one injury away from actually being short handed. And we haven't always been playing that well with the depth we have now. OK, now, everybody, group hug, and send some great vibes to Corey. It is now time for the Clippers fans, when Corey comes to the free throw line, to start a chant. "Keep Corey, fire Dumleavy" or "MVP". If you are at a home game, it is your responsibily to start the chant. Stand up, wave your hands, run up and down an aisle, start the chant, and wait for security to come and get you. Wait a minute, they don't bother "Clipper Daryl."

JamFan

It doesn't matter what your or I think. The Clippers need a change. Dumleavy is probably wrong, but he seems hell bent on trading Corey Maggette. A player who can effectively drive to the bucket, score, or get fouled, and then also rack up points from the free throw line, doesn't seem to fit Dumleavy's game plan. Funny, that seems to be the way Kobe scores so much.

So the change will be that Corey gets shipped off somewhere. Most analysts would say that if the Clippers do not want a player who drives to the hoop, therefore clogging things up for the big fellas, then what they should be getting is a pure outside shooter. Especially since that seems to be their current most glaring weakness shooting less than 30% from the 3. Well Ron Artest has talents, but pure outside shooting is not one of them.

This trade, if it happens, only works if Ron Ron is happy coming to LA. Past comments he has made seems to say he is an LA kind of guy. He definitely is not a "cowtown" kind of guy. I never felt he would fit in Sacramento. But LA has the music scene he likes, the spotlight he likes, the action he likes. Can he be happy here? Can he come here with his head screwed on straight? I have actually seen a couple of interviews in the past that he has done with Fox Sports that only left me with the impression that Ron Ron is from planet "Ron Ron". Having said that, I actually like Ron Artest. But I do not think he is going to get along with Dumleavy. Dumleavy scouls to much. Within a year, either Dumleavy or Ron will have to go.

The mechanics of the potenial trades look like this. Both players make roughly the same amount of money over the next 3 years. So it is probably a straight up trade. We do not lose any other assets in the process. Both players have similar numbers. Even though they are both still young, for both players their best years are behind them .

Maggette's best year was a couple of years ago when he led the Clippers in scoring with 21PPG. Since then, injuries has slowed him down and his production, minutes, and games played has fallen off. Ron Artest had his best year for Indiana during the 04/05 season where he averaged 24.6 PPG on 50% shooting from the floor and 41% from the 3. He hit 92% from the free throw line. But those are not his career numbers. Since that year, the now famous suspension and a couple of nagging injuries have kept him from duplicating that feat. If the Clippers make this trade they are definitely banking on his possible return to the game that many people feel that Ron is capable of.

But we can at least hope that he comes here and plays at least as good as he has for Sacramento. In 36 minutes he is averaging 16.4 PPG on 39% shooting, 7.2 rebounds, 3 assists, 75% from the line, and a 17.79 EFF which is 39th in the league. Those are not overwhelming numbers. But Ron is only 27 years old. Mentally he seems 17 at times. But he does bring MVP defensive skills to the table and he is #1 in the league in steals. Why is this important? Well, after bad outside shooting, the Clippers biggest failing this year has been defense.

If the Clippers make this deal, it doesn't solve the outside shooting problem. But if they make a straight up trade, they might night be finished. They would still have Minnesota's and their own first round draft picks to work with. They could dangle those picks and a couple of expiring contracts (like Rebraca's) at a team who is out of it and wants to rebuild or needs to dump some salary. They might still get the 3 point shooting specialist they are looking for.

However, this trade chatter could also be for the consumption of the Sonics who continue to be the subject of speculation of a team that needs to unload salary and are not going anywhere this season anyhow. Would the Clippers trade for an injured Rashard Lewis? Could they pry away Ray Allen from Seattle? Or is Ron Artest their true target? Stay tuned!

I received a D Wade Jersey as a birthday present, so I am going to honor my brother who is flying down from Lake Tahoe just for this game, by wearing it. I hope I do not get to much flack from the local fans.

I think the Clippers will be able to handle the Heat who have not quite returned to their championship form. In the past when Shaq was hurt, they played better. But this season they were not playing all that good even before Shaq got hurt. So this is an opportunity for the Clips to win two in a row. It looks bad for them to be in a 3 way tie for last place. But with a win tonight they could be alone in third place in a division where every team is at 500 or better. Moreover, they would be only 3 games out of first, so with even a little win streak they could get back in the mix.

Contrast that to the Atlantic division in the East where even the first place team is 2 games below 500. Miami is only sporting a 7 -9 record, but that is good enough for 3rd place in the Southeast. There are only 3 teams over 500 in the entire Eastern conference. The West dominates.

It looks like it is going to be tough in the West this year so the Clippers need to get it going. The Lakers look like they are on a roll and we do not want our guys getting to far behind so early in the season.

Sunday nights win was certainly a step in the right direction. The chemistry was back and our Bigs started to get it going. Most importantly, if you look at box score, the shooting percentages were way up for most players. Elton Brand hit 10 of 12, Tim Thomas drilled 7 of 11, Aaron Willims hit both of his shots, and Chris Kaman was 5 for 10. A good night for our Bigs. Our shooters did alright as well. Corey hit 4 of 8, and Sam was 6 for 8. Overall, the Clippers hit 60% from the field, 56% from the 3 and 82% from the line. That.....will get it done. Let's hope this shooting streak continues.

Tonight's game in on a Fox Sports feed so I hope everyone has fun watching the game. I know I will. We have seats behind the Clippers bench and also across the floor looking into the bench. So I might move back and forth and half time. Just look for the only guy wearing a black D Wade jersey and that will be me. Heck, they might be short a player, get confused and put me in the game.

JamFan

number one Livingston needs to be playing constantly, and we need to start TO STOP counting so much on SAM. Shaun has found a comfort that if he messes up, Sam will save the day. Livingston needs to play, and needs to learn (even if it means loosing a couple). Cat can stay a starter, but needs to find his stroke. Maggette is a starter. period. To have the "6th man" support off the bench (as an offensive spark) Q can start and Cat come off bench as well as Sam. EB obviously starts, but not MVP status yet! And Kaman needs to sit, while Thomas starts. Only problem, Thomas isnt a natural 5. Thats why Kaman is so vital. Thomas does not feel for center, he and maggette need to share a position. So until Kaman realizes he was paid 52 freakin dollars and wakes up, We are in trouble. but final:
1) S. Livingston (sub SAM)
2) CAT (sub Q)
3) C Maggette (sub Q, also)
4) EB (as beyonce says, irreplaceable ;) )
5) Tim Thomas (Kaman)

I wrote in an article a couple of weeks ago, that the Clippers could not keep relying on outside shooting alone to keep winning games. If they do and our shooters go cold, they would be only a couple games away from dropping down to 3rd place. I said then that the inside game, with its 50% shooting percentage, is what keeps you steady and in games night in and night out. Well, our shooters have cooled off, we have lost 4 of our last 5, and now we are only 1/2 game out of last place.

Elton Brand started the season a lot slower than usual. He is well below last season's numbers even though lately he is starting to get back into form . If Brand is not getting enough touches in the right spots, it is the coaches fault for not making sure it gets done. There have been other players who have gone through a long successful season, an extended playoffs, and played all summer like Elton did, and then not have all the "mojo" they needed the following season. These players have played so much without resting that they hit the wall early. A lot of NBA Euro players have had this problem because they go home to play for their national teams during the summer. Let's hope Elton does not hit the wall this season.

I thing Kaman has a different problem. He took the summer off and didn't play in summer league or go to a Big Man's camp. He had an injury in camp but he wasn't out for all that long. And he has been back for quite awhile now. So tell me I'm wrong, but he looks heavier this year. Between his belly and his thighs I think the uniform is hiding a heftier than normal midsection. He is a half a step slow around the bucket this year. His quickness is gone. His leaping ability is gone. And a couple of balls rolled along the floor next to him and he didn't even bother to bend over to see if he could pick them up. This recent spranged ankle in practice the other day is a sideline issue. I'm thinking Kaman came into camp heavy. Then he couldn't get into shape and he is trying to do it during the season. Meanwhile his team suffers from his lack of contribution. Last year he finished with 12 PPG and 10 RPG. He got his $50 Million contract extension on the promise of moving his numbers up to maybe 16 and 12. Instead he his only scoring 8 points per game and 7 rebounds. His shooting percentage and blocks are down as well.

I think there is at least an explanation for Elton's slow start. Nobody is ever going to accuse him of being a slacker. But if Kaman did come to camp heavy and out of shape, then he did a disservice to the fans and his team that is going to be paying him $10 million dollars a year to play.

I haven't heard any "Boos" yet at Staples Center, but I think the next time an opposing center abuses Chris, you might start to hear the fans give him a little noise. Especially if we have already dropped down into last place.

JamFan

So far, Chris has gone in the other direction. On a team that sports a Pacific Division best record at 6 - 1, Kaman has barely scratched the surface of the potential many felt would really shine through this season. In the 8 man rotation that Coach Dunleavy is deploying, Chris has the lowest point total at 8.2 PPG. His rebounding is back to his rookie levels at 6.5, and he is blocking shots at 1/3 the level of last season. But the most shocking stat is that his shooting percentage has dropped to 37%. Not good for a guy who works mostly in and around the bucket.

So what's wrong? Nobody is talking, except for an article written today by a female sportwriter who glowed about his "cro-magnum" height and long blond hair with short bangs, not to mention his..............female sportswriters? Yikes!

Elton Brand got off to a slower than usual start but finally got untracked in the last game and put up his typical double-double numbers of 22 points and 10 rebounds. The players talk about it is OK to have the outside shooters carry the team while the Bigs wait to get it going. Huh? There is a reason why teams who have Bigs who typically score with shooting percentages of 50-53% can consistantly carry a team better than outiside shooters who average 35-40% from the field. Outside shooters are steaky, they get cold, they are inconsistant. The inside guys pound away, consistantly scoring every other time they shoot the ball.

That is the most important reason we all need for Chris to get untracked. He needs to do it before the shooters have a couple of off nights and suddenly we find ourselves back in 3rd place. Will it happen tonight against the Jazz? Lets hope so. The Jazz have risen from the ashes to sport the leagues best record at 6 - 1. We need to have our team firing on all cylinders. We need Chris to come back and become the Kaveman.

JamFan

Because of the slow response by KTLA, I contacted the Clippers organization directly. I received a response back from the Clipper broadcast director Jessica Boroquez. She said she would look into the matter.

If all of this fails we will start calling the advertising departments of all the sponsors who pay good money to advertise during Clipper games and let them know that their advertising is also being blacked out and their advertising dollars wasted.

Hopefully, just a little pressure from the Clippers will get KTLA to get a move on. If not we will go directly to the sponsers to put the pressure on. Trust me, when the sponsors speak, KTLA is definitely listening.

JamFan

I want to hear from anyone who finds that their Clipper games, that should be on the KTLA feed are blacked out in their area. This usually happens in areas that surround the LA metro area, where another more local channel carries the CW network programming. In those cases, you should be getting any programming on your KTLA feed that is not CW programming like KTLA news, local sports, and Clipper Games.

In my county, our cable company is Charter Communications, and they say they do not know why they do not get the Clipper feed. KTLA programming department is non-responsive. And if they continue to be non- responsive we are going to put pressure on them through the Clipper organization. The Clippers gives KTLA the right to televise the games but they are blacking out a lot of the fans who live in on the outskirts of the SoCal area , but are not that close to Staples and have a harder time getting to the games.

I have already contacted the Clipper organization. If KTLA does not want to repspond, then we will put pressure on the Clippers to use another station next year.

Please let me know if you have KTLA on you cable system, but find your games are blacked out. Tonights game against Phoenix is the first one that is carried by KTLA. If you do not have this game, this is your chance to complain so I can help everyone get the games. Just hit Discuss below and tell me where you live and who your cable company is and I will forward the info to the Clippers and KTLA.

JamFan

Are Corey Maggette's days numbered as an LA Clipper. Are there really as many teams interested as the press lets on. Lets look at the issues.

On the side of trading Corey we have some compelling reasons to do so. The most obvious is that Corey has been hurt a lot since coming to the Clippers. Two years ago he led the team in scoring with 22 PPG, but the rest of the time he has either been hurt or playing while rehabbing from being hurt and not 100%. Moreover, many feel Corey's game is not suited for Coach Dunleavy's game. We are big down low and Corey's game often works best while driving to the hoop into an area that is often clogged with Bigs. Corey is not a shooter, but rather a scorer. And if you look at his line, many times half of his points come from the free throw line not from hitting shots from the outside. Tim Thomas was brought in to replace VladRad's outside shooting, but already we are seeing Tim working close to the hoop. Meanwhile, except Sam Cassell, the Clippers seem to be hurting for consistant outside shooting.

A reason not to trade Corey is that he is a tremendous value with his long term contract at 6 MIl or so. But that value has been diminished by so much time spent on the sidelines. The Clippers need another dead eye outside shooter to open up the middle for our Bigs. Last night they were collasping on Elton to the point where he could hardly get any shots off. They are daring us to shoot outside. They no that we usually can not beat a team that way. We can not rely on Sam to hold down the fort alone.

So the clock is ticking. The Clippers could wait for that special deal or pull the trigger on a deal before Corey gets hurt again. I don't think that all these teams are calling the Clippers regarding Corey Maggette unless the Clippers are willing to listen. Is it just a matter of time until some team makes an offer that GM Baylor can not refuse? Tick....tick.....tick!

JamFan

Will Shaun Livingston start tonight?

Will Sam I Am start?

If not, will Sam finish the game?

Will Chris Kaman be back at full strength?

Will Corey Maggette return to his former levels of ability?

Will James Singleton sky through the air for put back slammer?

Will Tim Thomas hit a clutch 3 with 3 seconds to go to beat his former team?

Will the Clipper Bigs go for 82 points like the Lakers Bigs did last night?

Will the Clippers try to run with the Suns?

Will back to back games slow down the Suns at all?

Will Shaun Livingston keep Steve Nash off balance all night?

Will all of this add up to an extended playoff run?

Will the Clippers win the NBA championship?

For the answer to these and other questions, this game is televised at 7:30 PM. Check you local listings, but for most the game will be carried on TNT. If you have a question that you feel will be answered tongight, just hit discuss and let us know what it is?

JamFan

This year you expect Elton Brand to be Elton, Cat Mobley to be Cat, Sam Cassell to be Sam I Am. Coming into the season completely healthy should help Corey Maggette to return to form. 2 Years ago he led the team in scoring with 21PPG. Tim Thomas will be bombing from the outside much like he did last year for the Suns, even in clutch time.

So how do we get to the next level? It is all in the hands of our young kids.

Chris Kaman, 24 - expect him to have a break out year. I can feel it coming. He will play hard whether or not he gets his extension. He will be playing for a contract either way. He is strong and ready. Most centers will not be able to handle him this season.

Shaun Livingston, 19 - is starting to have that potential super-star feel to his game. When he has had minutes this preseason he is running the show and shooting with more confidence. I feel he will start the season at PG, and share minutes with Sam closing out games. His job is to stay healthy this year, play a lot of minutes, and keep Sam fresh for the playoffs.

James Singleton, 25 - only needs more minutes to show his stuff. Defense, blocked shots, and rebounds will be followed by high flying dunks off of offensive rebounds.

Yaroslav Korolev, 19 - finally got some minutes this preseason in one game and only went for 26 points. Last season when he wasn't getting any PT, I went to a Clippers game early and watched him come out on the floor to practice outside shooting before either team began warmups. He only hit about 90% of his 3's and looked a little like a tall Jerry West out there stroking it. Still just a teenager. It is just a matter of time.

Paul Davis, 22 - has already shown in preseason that he is a rookie with a lot of promise. He will play backup center and power forward this season.

Q Ross, 25 - has been shooting jumpers all summer. But if you remember the playoffs last year they were doubling off Q and he burned the opposition time and time again with outside shots. His primary job is our defensive stopper at the 1, 2, and 3 spots. If he shoots like we know he can that will be icing on the cake.

Daniel Ewing, 23 - It is too bad he is buried behind Sam and Shaun because he is a good little player. Coming out of Duke, he is smart and confident. But he can't help if he doesn't play.

We know what to expect out of our veterans. But a trip to the finals depends on Chris Kaman, and Shaun Livingston. It also depends on Corey Maggette returning to form. If all these pieces fall into place. Watch out! All the guns are loaded and we are ready for battle. We are going to have a lot of fun this year.

JamFan

The clippers have officially signed Sam Cassell to what was a reported two year deal. Exact terms of the deal were not announced but were reportedly close to 7 mil per year.

The Clippers should be turning their attention to the Tim Thomas signing next. They picked the Suns pocket by offering Thomas their mid-level exemption. I can't believe the reports out of Phoenix saying that they can exist easily without Thomas. All through the playoffs it was Thomas coming off the bench when the going got tough, and he hit the tough shots that saved them time and time again.

Also probably on the agenda, is extending the contract of Kaman. Now that the salary cap has been officially announced by the NBA at 53 Mil, the Clippers probably have a clearer picture of how much they can offer Kaman. My calculator says they can offer around 6 mil a year with out going over the cap. It is unclear to me what Kaman is worth in todays market. He is still a young player, but one of the better centers in the Western Conference. I have not seen or read any report where it was speculated what it would take extend him.

If they do extend Kaman at those levels, they still have to round out their roster. They are currently committed to 12 players. If they use up most of their cap space on Kaman, that actually helps their second round draft picks make the roster because they can sign them for very little. From what I can tell they have their 1.7 Mil exemption that they can use on another player to come off the bench. If Rebraca's health is questionable, they might use their exemption to bring in a veteran backup center/power forward.

Current Roster

PG - Livingston, Cassell, Ewing

SG - Mobley, Ross, (Diaz)

SF - Maggette, Thomas, Korolev

PF- Brand, Singleton, (Davis)

C - Kaman, Rebraca, (Free Agent)

JamFan

All is well in Clipperland. Or is it? With the good news of Sam Cassell signing to probably finish his career with the Clippers, and the free agent signing of Tim Thomas to replace Vlad Rad, what could wrong? We had a great draft considering we only had two picks in the second round. We ended up with two players that many mock drafts had rated to be gone in the first round. So everything is perfect right?

Wrong! What many Clippers fans have missed is that the next objective of the Clippers is to sign Chris Kaman to an extension, thereby locking up one of the best Centers in the Western Conference and avioding the whole restricted free agent scenario the Clippers have been lousy at in the past.

Securing Sam's contract at close last years numbers, and getting Thomas with the mid level exemption should put the Clippers in the position financially to extend Kaman. Their draft picks, even if signed, will cost them chump change.

So, will it happen? Hoopsworld.com has reported a rumor that Kaman isn't to excited about staying with Clippers and staying in Los Angeles. What they didn't say were reports last season that Kaman really didn't like Sam's constant harping at him all that much. Sam harps at everybody, but in one game I even saw EB rolling his eyes with a please go away look on his face as Sam followed him down the court giving him a earful.

So where is Kaman this summer? Laying on the beaches of SoCal, soaking up the LA atmosphere? Hardly! He is back in Michigan where he went to college. Chris is more of an outdoorsman type than an LA city boy type.

Is there any truth to the rumor at Hoopsworld? Could Kaman get traded? If so for whom? Could he be packaged with the often injured Corey Maggette to bring a superstar like KG? The longer the Clippers go without signing Kaman to an extension, the bigger that rumor will get.

Sam Cassell recently said, "Kaman is like a far away island, farthur than Hawaii, way, way, out there."

JamFan

The first time Guillermo Diaz jumps over the head of Chris Kaman for a slam dunk, only then will Clippers Fans realize what Elgin Baylor just did. He drafted one of the best athletes in the draft, with a record 48" lateral vertical leap (at recent Phoenix workout), and who was his teams leading scorer at 17 points per game in the nations toughest conference. He shot 44% from the field, and 38% from the three. He can beat most anybody with his first step driving to the hoop. And even if he doesn't beat you he just might jump over you and score anyway. You are going to love this guy.

Introducing Guillermo Diaz. Drafted by the LA Clippers in the second round with their second pick at #52. Unbelievable! Most mock drafts had him gone before the end of the first round. Why? At Miami, even though he wasn't their point guard, he led the team in assists 13 times while he was the leading scorer. Last season he dropped 29 on Virginia on 10 for 14 shooting. He dropped 25 on Florida, 24 on North Carolina, another 23 on Duke, and 21 on Maryland and Michigan. He wasn't exactly playing against the Sisters of Mercy. He is only 21 years old.

NBA scouts felt if he fell in the draft it would only be because he is short (6'2") for a shooting guard even though he played some PG in every game. But with the largest vertical leap in the history of the NBA, who needs to be tall. You are going to like how he looks in a Clipper uniform.

Superman has arrived in LA. Faster than a speeding bullet. Can leap tall buildings with a single bound. We can give him a cape and watch him fly by.

JamFan

It is impossible to know the answer to the question of whom the Clippers will pick at 34. The Clippers brain trust doesn't even know. They do know who is on their wish list. And you can bet they are not sharing that information with anybody.

The most strange scenario playing out is that the Clippers worked out only 7 players. The Clippers have visited workouts conducted by others with multiple players involved. This is the smallest workout schedule I have even seen. The Clippers have been over to Europe and you might think they have a sleeper stashed away over there.

JamFan's wish list of who would be available at 34 is as follows. We are looking for a gem to fall into the laps of the Clippers.

THE FIRST TIER

GUILLERMO DIAZ- A 6'2" SG/PG of Miami mostly played the 2 but played a little PG in every game. He could be the most athletic player in the draft. He literally jumped out of a gym during a Phoenix Suns workout with a 48" lateral vertical leap. I have never heard of anybody ever doing that. And the pic is scary. He is very quick on his defense and with his drives to the bucket. He should go to the line a lot where he shoots very well. He is also prolific from the 3. His detractors say at his size he needs to play the point where his skills are not fully developed and he seems to be a score first guy. They say he is not tall enough for SG but with a 48" leap who knows. Mock Drafts mostly have him as a mid to late 1st rounder and one has him in the middle second round. So, there is a chance, and the Clippers would be very lucky to have him available at 34.

SHAWNE WILLIAMS- A 6'8" SF/SG/PG/PF freshman out of Memphis. Many scouts believe if he waited a year or two he would become a high lottery pick. Young and not as yet fully developed as a player, he has a NBA body that goes along with passing and ball handiling skills that make some feel he could play the point as well as every other position except center. Whoever drafts him will have to wait a year or two and the Clippers have already shown they are willing to wait with their pick last year of a 19 year old unproven Russian. Mock drafts have him anywhere from mid first round to mid second round. If he falls to 34 you have to gamble on this young phenom.

JAMES WHITE- 6'7" SG/SF out of Cinncinnati has been moving up in the Mock drafts has his workouts have unfolded. The Lakers, who pick at 26, worked him out privately, & made him the only player to be invited back for a 2nd workout. He seems to have impressed everybody. He is a great leaper, great ball handling skills, very quick, great defensely, and can shoot from the outside and driving to the bucket. Draft Express calls him a world class athlete and actually has the Clippers drafting him at 34. Some Mocks have him gone in the late first round so he is a gift at 34.

THE SECOND TIER

MARCUS VINICIUS 6'9" SF from Brazil & THABO SEFOLOSHA 6'6" SG out of Switzerland both have great resumes and skills that would make them great picks at 34. The mock drafts have them anywhere from mid 1st round to mid 2nd round. Draft Express has both of these players rated ahead of James White and they are both a steal at 34.

BIG GUYS

JOSH BOONE- UConn, KEVIN PITTSNOGLE- WVirginia, JAMES AUGUSTINE- Illinois, & PAUL DAVIS- Mich St., are the possilble good picks at PF/C. The Clippers could be looking for a solid backup PF who could maybe also play some backup center with Rebraca's future uncertain. All are rated in the late 1st round to mid 2nd round. SAER SENE 7' from Senegal, and HILTON ARMSTRONG 6'11" out of UConn are both Centers rated around the 21st pick, but one them could slide to 34 and would be a steal for the Clips .

Well, don't get your hopes up. The Clippers haven't workout any of these players. Could be if they wanted one of these guys they would not want to tip their hand. I have to think that this draft is still pretty strong through the early 2nd round and we are going to get an exciting player at 34. Set your TV schedules for next Wednesday, June 28 at 4PM on ESPN to find out who the Clippers drafted. After all this analysis they will probably trade Corey Maggette for a high draft pick and all of this analysis will have been a big waste of time.

JamFan

There is no excitement. The only news is that there is no news. No trade Rumors. No draft rumors. Few reports of Clippers work outs of draft prospects. No first round draft choices.

What is a Clippers Fan to do? Well, wait just a couple more days and at least something will happen. That would be the NBA Draft on ESPN at 4PM Wednesday June 28. Now that the finals are over, the NBA press core will now start the draft and trade rumor mill going. Much of that should bypass the Clippers only because they are giving every indication that they will work to resign their free agents and keep their roster in tact.

The only trade bait is Corey Maggette. But if they traded him they would then need a another small forward, and I don't see them being able to trade a SF for a SF. Corey's contract is a bargain, if he is healthy.

In the draft, every team that is looking to move up to the next level in the playoffs, like the Clippers, are looking for a Kobe/Wade stopper. The Clippers seem to have everything they need. But their glaring need is the same need every team needs to win a championship. That is one player who can stop Steve Nash, or somebody like him. So far Quinton Ross has been our stopper and his offensive skills even improved at a most unlikely time, during the playoffs. Teams dared him to shoot and he burned them

You want news! Well, within 48 hours I will post who I believe the Clippers will be drafting with the 34th and 52nd picks. There are some sleepers who could drop to 34, and I expect the Clips to get a really good player. Stay tuned!

JamFan

There is a lot of interesting speculation going on out there in the media. One thing that is not speculation is the TV ratings. The Lakers better get used to LA having to be big enough for the Lakers and the Clippers. The Clippers TV rating during the playoffs exceeded the Lakers ratings.........Hmmmmm! The stars came out for the Clippers in bigger numbers during the playoffs and even Jack Nicholson showed up in Phoenix.

One recent report says that Sam Cassell has signaled that he would be willing to take a cut in pay to 5 Mil a year for a 2 year deal. Vlad Radmanovic is reportedly signaling that he might sign for the 5.5 veterans exemption that he basically turned down in Seattle. This opens the door for the Clippers to sign Chris Kaman to an extension before they get into an option year situation with him. They have never done that before. But this isn't the old Clippers, this is the new Clippers

So, what does this all mean. Well, if the Clippers bite on all this, expect next years roster to look almost exactly like last years squad. The draft will probably be uneventful because the Clippers only have the 34th pick early in the second round. There is always a chance Corey Maggette might get traded, but only because he is injury prone. I feel this is unlikely, but you never know. They did indeed have a deal done on Ron Artest that did not happen only because Indiana ownership turned it down. Not the Clippers. Corey's contract is very reasonable considering his skills. He was the Clippers leading scorer in just the previous season at 21 PPG. With the roster set, who would you trade him for, another small forward? One unsettled postion is back up center. Rebraca's future is not certain due to his heart problem. But back up center has not been a problem for the Clippers in this era of small ball. When Kaman sits, they just go small and plug in Singleton or McCarty when needed, or go even smaller. Vin Baker is available for a backup role.

Imagine the Clippers going from the team who loses everybody to the team who keeps everybody. What a turn around. There have been comments already in the press that the Clippers feel that without any roster changes they will improve because their young guys will get much better. Livingston is at the ripe young age of 20, Ewing only 23, Kaman and Singleton are 24, and Radmanovic is 25. The only guy in the twilight on his career is Sam Cassell. But his legs and conditioning should be enough for a couple of more seasons, especially since Livingston is going to be the starting PG and taking on most of the minutes.

So, expect the New Clippers to look a lot like last years Clippers. Coach Dunleavy will like get his extension. Current roster players seem to be willing to compromise on contract demands to keep this team together. The only wild card is Baby Shaq coming in from Greece for summer league. If he gets signed, he will be the only new toy we will have to play with next season. Ah yes, Baby Shaq vs Grandpa Shaq! Can't wait!

JamFan

During the preseason had we predicted this team is going to have the greatest season ever and go deep into the playoffs, we would have said "bring it on!" And our Clippers did. OK, so they didn't go all the way. But only 4 teams move forward. And the 4 that did, their series could have gone either way, just like the Clippers second round bout with the Suns.

We might have been just one shot away. Remember Raja Bell's miracle shot and the end of regulation in game 5. If that shot clinks off the rim, the Clips go home to win game 6 and move forward to meet Dallas.

So now the Clipper Nation needs to look forward to next season. But we get to look forward in a different manner than in years past that was frought with so much uncertainty. We know we are going to have a good team next year. It will be fun to see how our roster next year unfolds.

Here are the things that we know. Elton, Cat, and Corey are still under long term contract. Chris Kaman and James Singleton are only 24, Q Ross 25, and Shaun Livingston is still a babe at 20. These guys will all be back and can only get better.

The question marks are our free agents. Sam Cassell says he will not be asking for a lot of money and wants to remain a Clipper and maybe even be a coach here some day. The value of his leadership was undeniable. So was his clutch shooting. His lack of athleticism was a weakness which also showed up in his defense. If the money is right, I feel he will be back for a couple of more years. Vlad Radmonvic, 25, gives us that outside shooting threat, but also showed he can drive to the hoop and rebound. Can he do it consistantly? Will he ask for to much money? He says he loves it in LA. Will Rebraca's heart allow him to carry on? If not we will be looking for a back up center. Will the Clippers merely pick up Coach Dunleavy's option for another year or sign him to a long term contract. My wisdom says that they better. It would be a mistake to do anything less.

The Clippers do not have any cap space. One way to upgrade the team is to possibly trade the oft-injured Corey Maggette. But his contract is not over priced and when healthy he is as good as or better than any player you would get in return. You could combine the money that you would spend on Sam and Vlad and sign one great player. But for what position? Our starting rotation is probably set. Or, you could bring back the team mostly as it is, see what you can get in the draft, bring Baby Shaq over from Europe to back up Kaman and Brand, and see if our young guys can develop. Is that a recipe to get us to a championship? We'll see.

The good news is that it is unlikely that we will retreat. Donald Sterling finally spent all the money he could. His team became the darlings of LA. They went deep into the playoffs. He went to the games a hero instead of having to hide like he used to. He had fun. His GM was executive of the year. And most importantly he made money. The value of his franchise also went up. This all means that you can bank on his continuing to fund this team.

What will the Clippers do with free agency? Who will they Draft? How will Baby Shaq look in summer league? Will they sign him for next season? Will Dunleavy get extended? Is Sam and Vlad coming back? And you thought the fun was all over. Stay tuned. Topbuzz will keep you updated on all the off season fun.

JamFan

With only a couple of seconds left in regulation in Game 5, the Clippers have a 3 point lead after coming back from 19 points down, they should win and come home to finish off the Suns in game 6, right? Time Out!

Coach Dunleavy has been the target of criticism over what transpired in the final 2 seconds of the game. Most notably from Sir Charles and the TNT analysts. But this only shows how bad Sir Charles, Kenny Smith and company are. This is the worst team of analysts in the history of sports. The are not only bad commentators, they are boring, especially Sir Charles. The only time this show gets a little bit interesting is when they have a guest like Magic Johnson or Kobe. Just because Charles said a few outrageous things 10 years ago, doesn't make up for the years of boring us to death. Moreover, he looks bored most of the time. And misinformed.

During the time out, Coach new exactly what was at stake, and new exactly what to do. The players were informed they had a foul to give. Cat was instructed to guard the inbounds pass and make sure the pass did not go to the sideline. Forcing the pass to the top would likely be thrown to a player running away from the basket, needing to receive the ball with their hands away from the basket, and needing to turn or rotate to shoot. Every player is intructed to be right there to give the foul. Being late means you can not foul if they are beyond the 3 point line and the shooter is anywhere close to being in his shooting motion. The offensive player might receive the ball to far away from the basket to turn and get off a good shot. Ewing was put in because he is just faster than Cassell. Lagging behind the play means a foul can not be given.

The plan was good, the execution was not. It only took Cat about 10 seconds to forget that the coach told him to stop any pass to the sideline. Ewing, coming off a screen, got there a fraction of a second late and Raja Bell received the ball on the sideline, facing the basket. The rest is history.

All of this is lost on Sir Charles and others who have a history over the decades of looking for some reason to criticize the Clippers. Sir Charles pontificated about Coach Dunleavy's decision making. Could you imagine Sir Charles coaching a team. For one thing, coaches need to be heard and Charles Barkley only mumbles most of the time. Give me a break

I'm Jamfan, and that's my opinion. What's Yours?

Ok, so he talks to much. Actually, he talks just about all the time. He talks to the players on his team, players on the opposing team, the refs, the coaches, the fans, anybody who will listen. But if Elton Brand is the rock, the foundation of this team, Sam Cassell is the flash, the flourish, the exclamation point, the guy who gives this team character.

He makes his players believe. When the going gets tough, he calmly waltzes down the floor, through traffic, and hits some unbelievable shot that turns back a frantic rally by the opposing team. He does it with a confidence that says to his team mates, "Chill out and you can do it to." And they do. This is the value of Sam. He gives this team Swagger. He is "Mr Swagger."

In last nights victory, the rock, Elton Brand, went for 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He is the foundation this team builds on. But the old man, Sam I Am, went for 28 points, 9 assists, and yes.........11 rebounds. But it's not the numbers, it's how and when he does it that matters most. Early in the 4th quarter with Sam on the bench, the Clippers went on a shooting slump missing 9 shots in a row going scoreless from the field over 5 minutes. They saw their double digit lead evaporate and looked like a team about to squander a great effort and lose a game they had been dominating. Here comes Sam to the rescue. He is in control. In control of his emotions and the game. Two 3 pointers, a couple of other difficult shots, a couple of great passes, and he takes control of the pace of the game. A furious rally by the Suns is turned back and the victory is achieved.

With Chris Kaman out with a shoulder injury, the Clippers started the game with a surprising starting lineup inserting Corey Maggette and Vlad Romanovich. Instead of the pound it in offense, they suddenly looked more like the Suns playing small ball. It became a high scoring affair. Maggette responded with 18 points and 15 rebounds. The Clips had 6 guys in double figures. Vlad had 13, Cat went for 10 and 8 rebs, while Livingston had 11 points, 5 rebs, 4 assists, and 2 blocked shots.

In the end it was all Sam Cassell. You know, in crunch time, in a game like last night, I would rather have the ball in Sam Cassell's hands than Kobe Bryant. Sure, Kobe in the greatest player in the world. But he doesn't always trust his team mates and forces up shots while tripple teamed. He operates in desperation mode. Yeah, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sam trusts his team mates. It's all about giving them confidence, swagger. Sure, after a bad call by the refs, and play is stopped, he can scowl with the best of them. But when play resumes, watch his face. He is not desperate, he is calm, confident. It transcends to the other players on the court. I don't know how much money Sam wants after this season to hang around for a couple more years, but he is certainly earning the money he is making now. You can't buy that kind of swagger on the court. After the season, pay him. Win or lose, Mr.Swagger has earned it.

JamFan

I'm going to make this short and sweet. Nobody is paying me 6 Million bucks to coach the Clippers, but here is what I would do.

After watching the Lakers chase around the Suns for 7 games and lose by failing to guard the 3, and watching film of the Clippers doing the same thing in game 1, I would give my players an ultimatum. IF THE PLAYER YOU ARE GUARDING HITS A 3, YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY COMING OUT OF THE GAME.

I would instruct every player to stay home and on the jersey of whoever they are suppose to guard. Their is no double team. There is only limited help defense. By that I mean you can come over to help but not if it means you leave your player alone out on the perimeter. It also means we will have to force players who want to drive away from the baseline and to the middle where it is easier to help without having to drop down to low. We can no long afford to have Kaman sit down there to help guard the baseline while his player floats out high.

Why? The Suns have not proven they can beat you driving to the hoop for 2 point shots. Moreover, after double teams and help defense, opposing teams literally wear themselves out chasing down the open man. They also jump out of control at the player on the 3 point line only to have that player step aside and drive to the bucket unguarded. We have seen this scenario over and over until it is actaully sickening to watch it happen.

Players who do not do this right every time will have to sit down. After they have been yanked from the game a couple of times they will get the message that the coach is not kidding.

We can either do this, or we will lose. If we do not stop the perimeter shooting, the only way we can win is if they go cold. Don't count on it. This is without a doubt the best outside shooting team I have ever seen. They are fearless. The Clippers played brilliantly on offense and scored 123 points. Brand went for 40 hitting 12 of 16 shots. The Clippers shot well over 50%. And they lost. Why? The Suns scored 130.

JamFan

Both teams will have to get past the first round, but if they do, at least one LA team will be heading to the Western Conference Championship Game. The good news is, both teams got the play off seedings and opponents they wanted.

The Lakers finished the season with a 5 game win streak, winning 11 of the last 14 games, and looking every bit like a team ready for the playoffs. They finished 8 games over 500 at 45 - 37. With Chris Mihm back, everyone is healthy and ready for the playoffs. They are playing with the best chemistry they have had in the last two seasons. Holding on to the 7th seed, the Lakers like their chances against Phoenix. With Amare not returning and their starting Center injured, look for the lakers to attack the basket. The key to victory is containing the fast break as best they can and perimeter defense.

The Clippers, winners over Dallas last night 85-71, won 3 of their last 5 games, while holding out starting players so that nagging injuries could heal and to get their legs fresh for the playoff run. They finish 47 - 35, their best recond since becoming the Clippers and the best since the 1975-76 season. By conveniently losing a couple of games while starters sat out, they dropped to the 6th seed and a date with the Denver Nuggetts. The Nuggets have not been playing all that well, and the Clippers will have home court advantage.

Beating the Suns will be a challenge for the Lakers. But the Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. Kobe will also be motivated by all those folks who say that Steve Nash is the MVP. Watch for Kobe to dominate. Many analyst will have the Clippers favored to win their series with Denver. If they both win, the second round will take place entirely at the Staples Arena.

It will be battle for LA. It will be a battle royal to make it to the Western Conference Championship Game.

JamFan

The good news is when Clipper benchwarmers like Ewing, Singleton, and McCarty come into the game they play hard and give alot of energy to the game. The bad news is our starting 7 player rotation looks tired and emotionally spent. They do not look ready for the playoffs.

The good news is the Clippers and Memphis won, and Denver lost. The Clippers remain the 6th seed, and 1 1/2 games ahead of Denver to secure home court advantage. The bad news is, if they don't start playing with more energy and committment, it won't matter where they are in the playoffs.

The good new is..........well there isn't any good news. The bad news is Corey Maggette's injury that was originally reported as just back spasms, which meant he could have been back for the playoffs, now is reported as a herniated disc in his back. His status will now remain doubtful. Corey's body just doesn't seem to be able to hold up to the rigors of the NBA.

The good news is that if coach would just play James Singleton on a regular basis, I think he could actually become a force in the NBA at the forward postion. He can shoot from downtown. He rebounds and attacks the boards like a "Mutha" and plays solid defense. The bad news is when coach plays him, he comes in and plays like an All Star, and then coach buries him on the bench for a month or longer and we wonder if he is still with the team.

The good news is we have had the best season since 1976, we are in the playoffs, and the future looks bright for our guys. The bad news is the press won't have the Clippers to kick around anymore.

Jamfan

What is Dunleavy thinking? Has he forgotten the quality of his bench players? One is particular stands out and it is a shame that he doesn't give him a chance. That outstanding player is James Singleton. Every time he plays, he contributes..why wasn't he playing in the last games? Singleton's presence alone jump starts the energy that is so sorely needed for this team. He has proven his worth and I hope Coach wakes up before he loses another season...give this young man a chance to excell, it will pay off in victory for the Clippers.

In the last three games, all loses, the Clippers have never looked worse this season. They have been lackluster, detached, and horrible on defense. So besides going into a self induced coma, what has been the common denominator? Who or what has been the X factor? Q.......Quinton Ross!

So what's the big deal about Q. In 25 minutes per game, he only averages 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. He actually shoots pretty good at 42%. Sitting behind the Clippers bench at a recent game, a Clippers official accidentally disclosed to me a permanent medical condition that Q has suffered from his entire life. I'm sorry , but in all fairness to Q, I have decided not to disclose it. But it is amazing how well Q plays in spite of it. But shooting is not Q's job. The big deal is, night in and night out, Coach Dunleavy gives Q the defensive stopper role on any opposing player at the 1, 2, or 3 spot. With Q out because of injury, our defensive stopper vanished.

The one thing that can demoralize a team faster that anything else, is the inability to stop the other team from scoring. Eventually a good team can slip into a malaize because of it. And the Clippers have, 3 games in a row.

In the last three games, the Clippers have been unable to stop the leading scorer of the other team. Moreover, they have been unable to stop dribble penetration that has either led to direct scores or layups, or quick pop out passes on the perimeter for easy shots. What's missing? Q!

Sadly, the Clippers limp into the All Star break with several days to chew on their 3 game losing streak. But it's not just that they lost 3 games, it's how they lost them. They seemed uninterested and demoralized. They sleepwalked through the first 3 quarters like they have many games this season, knowing they could turn it on in the fourth quarter and pull out the victory. It didn't happen. Let's all pray that Q comes back soon.

JamFan

Now we are hearing that not only has Sam Cassell spoken with Spree, but Coach Dunleavy as well. If this rumor has any legs, we will soon hear about negotiations, Spree making a trip to LA, and reports about his conditioning, which is usually good.

Not only is Spree a good fit for the Clippers based on our needs and not wanting to depart with any players, but I feel the Clippers are a good fit for Spree from Spree's perspective. LA and the Staples Arena is a big stage. He is coming to a team that needs a wing and has a place for him to play. They are not a team just looking for a player to add depth and a seat on the bench. He is needed. He will get minutes whether or not Maggette returns. He has friends and former team mates already on board. Most importantly, the Clippers are going to make the playoffs. Spree has a chance to make a run.

To get him, reports say he wants 3-4 mil and a two year deal. I don't know how excited the Clippers are about committing to two years, but they could maybe structure a player or team option for a second year. Under that scenario, if things work out, we bring him back.

Based on repeated injury problems to Maggette and Livingston, Spree adds needed insurance. He can play the 2 or the 3. With all these pieces in place, and assuming the clippers extend Cassell, they would still have wiggle room to match any offers next summer for restricted free agent Wilcox. If all this happens, for the next couple of years, this will be the best and most stable Clipper line up we have ever seen. Not bad. Jamfan

Big Ben wrote (see his take below) about Ron's appearance at tonights Laker game and comments made by his agent. They were indeed in town for the purpose of putting the finishing touches on the biggest trade in Clipper history. But at the last minute, it all fell apart.

Donnie Walsh could be bluffing to get more out of the Clippers. Or he could back off to see if anybody else wants to step back in and improve their offer. If either of those scenarios are true, for the deal to be revived, I think it would happen over the next couple of days.

If the Pacers are bluffing, their hand just isn't that strong. Instead of 2 Aces, they have a Jack and a 5. They haven't been offered a player anywhere close to the quality of Maggette, who is signed to a long term contract. If they accept a lesser player just to have him available for the next couple of months, they hurt themselves for years to come. It would be short term gain for long term pain.

Maybe they think they are going to get another offer with a player as good as Maggette who is not hurt. But what team would do that? They only reason a player of "equal" quality to Artest is available is because he is hurt.

One longshot scenario would be that if the Pacers wait until right before the trade deadline of 2/23, and when Corey's cast comes off, see if he is good to go. But this is just to risky for the Pacers. They would literally have their backs against the trade deadline wall. The Clippers could then change their mind and the Pacers could end up with just a little more than squat.

After a day or two, I think they will come to the same conclusion and make the deal. That is of course if they don't receive a new offer that is better than what other teams have already put on the table.

What ever happened to the boring Clippers. The Soap Opera used to be reserved for the Lakers, but Hollywood has finally engulfed The Clip Show. Where's Spree when you need him? We don't have enough controversy yet! Maybe Spree will cruise into town tomorrow and challenge Ron to a duel to see who gets to become a Clipper. Stay tuned. JamFan

So todays media reports include the prospect of the Clippers being in a good position of trading for Ron Artest without giving up oft-injured Corey Maggette. Corey is off the table despite his average of playing in only 59 games per season.

If the deal goes down, it will most likely include Chris Wilcox and one other asset, like a draft pick or Daniel Ewing. I am not happy if the draft pick is a first rounder. Moreover, I think the Ewing has a very bright future. It is easy to forget that Ewing is a rookie that probably should not even be playing at the level he currently enjoys. He is equally effective at the one and the two, just like in his college days.

Because the Clippers are suffering with Corey hurt and Q Ross out, they have a back up plan that involves Latrell Sprewell. Apparently, they have asked his buddy and former teamate, Sam Cassell, to contact him and talk about his joining the Clippers. To get Spree they do not have to give up anybody, all they have to do is spend a little money. Teams have offered Spree the veterans minimum (1.1 mil, I think) but he is asking 3 million. Another report speculates that the Clips might bring back Rodney White.

So, there you have it. Help is on the way. But none of these options are a done deal, nor are they a guarantee of making things better. It's probably why the Clippers are slow to pull the trigger. JamFan

2006 NBA Free Agents


From Brendan McGovern, Your Guide to Basketball.


Top 25 2006 NBA Free Agents ... and Beyond



After being put on hold for over a month, the 2005 NBA Offseason hasn't exactly proved worth the wait. Will the 2006 NBA Offseason be another snoozer? Here's an advance look at who'll be available on next summer's free-agent market.



A few things to bear in mind ... "Restricted" signifies that a player's current team can match any contract offer made by another team. "Team Option" and "Player Option" mean the team or player has the right to void the player's current contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. And, in that vain, the following guys with options on their contract won't be headed anywhere:



Carmelo Anthony, SF (Denver's option)
Nick Collison, PF (Seattle's option)
T.J. Ford, PG (Milwaukee's option)
Jarvis Hayes, SG (Washington's option)
Kirk Hinrich, PG (Chicago's option)
Josh Howard, SF (Dallas' option)
Darko Milicic, C (Detroit's option)
Luke Ridnour, PG (Seattle's option)

rumors are gary payton wants to play for clippers he doesn't want to move his family out of LA the only thing is do the clippers want topay 5.4 million on his contract. I beleive they should.

If we lose out on the star guard to the Suns we are back at to our losing ways so what we should do is mail our penny pinching front office that we would rather have "Q" than the ball hogging guard also know as kobe bryant . sure "Q" dosent have as much potential as kobe but he sure has a lot of heart in his game and with the clippers organization .

Bobcats head coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff said Wednesday he's called counterparts with both the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers, owners of the top two picks.

-- Clippers scout Evan Pickman told Florida Today, Dwight Howard is very good now and he is going to be great someday. But the question is when will he be great?

Click here for entire article

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Answer: It really is the Clippers, people.

http://www.batug.com/lac.htm

Donald T. Sterling: I'm puzzled again. I still want to win as much as I ever did.

Clipper fans (in unison): That's the problem.

Sterling: No, seriously. It's like I told my friend, T.J., when last I tried to embrace him, if Elgin Baylor wants to keep those little whiners, we will, as long he uses his own money. By the way, if you're so hot to keep them, you can kick in a few bucks too.

For the entire editorial click here.

The good:

	Points	Rebounds	FG%	Fouls
Brand	16	8	39%	2
Webber	26	10.5	54%	4
Brand	23.5	8.5	54%	4.5
McDyess	25.5	11.5	51%	5.5
Brand	16.5	6.5	30%	4.5
Malone	29	9.5	66%	2
Brand	16	13	44%	4
Garnett	15	12	50%	1
Brand	22.5	5.5	61%	4
Duncan	21	8.5	52%	3.5
Brand	23.5	10	43%	2.5
Wallace	16	8.5	46%	2

Check him out at http://us.telebasket.com/player_info.asp?id_player=4369