This man was seeking redemption as the US took the floor this afternoon (your early morning) to play Greece in a semifinal.

``It does matter to me," Brand confided. ``I was part of a team that placed a dismal sixth place in the world, and I'll never forget the feeling of guys not caring anymore once we lost [to Argentina]. We expect to win here, but even if we were to lose [in the semis], because of this coaching staff and the way we've come together, we would never fold the way that team did."

And no one was more inspired than Brand. ``It's an honor and a privilege to be on this team," he declared. But he was just one of 12 guys who needed to get it into their heads that in order to beat Greece, they were going to have to play, as Yannakis would say, basketball. Just showing up and throwing out those NBA clippings doesn't cut it any longer.

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Here's more:

"They played a great game," said the Clippers' Elton Brand, who failed to score. "They got hot when they needed to. They hit their shots. They knocked down their foul shots.

"They hustled hard, and they won."

How about this comment from Chris Bosh:

"We flat out got beat," said Chris Bosh, who watched the carnage unfold mostly from the bench. "We didn't play any defense. They got 101 points. They got second chance points. They outworked us.

"They taught me how you can lure a team to sleep and then just go," he said. "I'm going to take this tape home and watch it. Every day."

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ALERT - YOU CAN ALSO SEE BABY SHAQ PLAY IN THE FINALS AGAINST SPAIN ON SUNDAY AT 3:30 AM OR 10 PM ON ESPN

JamFan - The revamped, restocked, restored, recoached Team USA, showcasing the best talent that the NBA has to offer, were stunned by the team from Greece 101 - 95 in the World Championship semi finals.

We have seen the Clipper's Baby Shaq, Sofo Schortsanitis, play well against ofther teams, most notably Yao and company from China. But last night, Baby Shaq, dominated the NBA big men while he was on the floor, hitting 5 of 6 shots for 14 points in only 17 minutes. For a guy who is suppose to be to short for his weight, he was very agile. On the downside, he only had one rebound. Both teams also combined to shoot 56% from the floor, so the entire Greek team only had 27 rebounds. By contrast, Elton Brand scored zero, nada, in 12 minutes with 2 rebounds.

Early on in the playoffs, Baby did not play much if at all. I do not know if he was injured or what. But in the last 4 games he has only missed 2 shots hitting 84%. He is going to the line a lot, but only hitting 55%.

In the last 4 games, he has averaged 12 points on 84% shooting, 2 rebs, in only 13 minutes. Not bad. So why isn't he over hear this fall in the Clipper training camp to see if he is good enough to be a Clip? I'm sure, Clippers management after watching him play in the World championships are wondering the same thing.

JamFan

Baby says his time with his current Greek team has been very valuable to him in preparing for the NBA. We had some reports that he would be with the Clippers in summer league this year. It didn't happen. But he now says he is most likely to come over next year. He went on to say that the Clippers have told him that it is up to him when he comes to the NBA. I doubt that. I feel the Clippers will decide when and if he comes. His contract situation is also a factor. Baby also said he is 320lbs and needs to lose 33-44 lbs before he comes. But he has been at that weight for about 2 years now. If he has no work ethic now to get in shape at the tender young age of 21, whose to say he is suddenly going to become more committed to his career. What is he waiting for. I have heard before that he wanted to get down to around 275, but that was last year. Since everybody lies about their weight, I wouldn't be surprised if he is really 330 or 340. At that weight in on a frame that at last report was no taller than about 6' 10".

Unfortunately, my spanish is only so good. I know we have some fans over in Europe (Miguel) who follow the Baby Shaq situation more closely than we do. So this is an official request to go read this article, check on his stats and other reports, and give us an update.

JamFan

On the USA Team:


Guys will step up different days. It?s not just one player. I?ll have a good game, Dwyane Wade will have a good game, LeBron James, anybody is capable of having a good game.

On Brazil:


They are a very different team. Brazil got us in foul trouble. They hit some shots and came back and took the lead. We had a 16-point advantage and when we do that, we have to keep our lead.

On Brazil's zone:


That was key, having a zone. But, we didn't have Dwyane Wade obviously and didn't have Carmelo Anthony - two of our best penetrators and shooters. So, that really hurt us.

On the offensive execution:


We should have attacked it more and got it in the post a little more. But, we're learning and we're growing and that's what this process of exhibition games is about.

On if a close game came earlier than expected:
We weren't sure but we're glad it did. It builds character and we can learn from it. And we won't take any teams for granted.

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"We're close to agreement," Mark Bartlestein, Williams' agent, said from his Chicago office Friday.

A Clippers official said the team would have no comment.

The Clippers will be the 10th team for the 6-foot-9, 235-pound Williams, a 34-year-old left-hander who wasn't drafted out of Xavier in 1993 and got his first real shot under Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1995.

Traded by New Jersey to Toronto in the multi-player 2004 deal in which Alonzo Mourning refused to report, Williams played parts of two seasons for the Raptors before going to the New Orleans Hornets and averaging 20 minutes and six points over the last 34 games.

Last season the Clippers' reserve center, Zeljko Rebraca, was sidelined intermittently by a heart problem and played only 29 games. Williams gives the team a No. 3 center who can also back up power forward Elton Brand.

"He has a relationship with Mike," Bartlestein said of Williams. "Mike coached him in Milwaukee. Mike gave him his first chance in the league. The Clippers have a chance to really do something, so I think it was a combination of that and their relationship."

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Well, all is quiet on the home front. By the lack of news, rumors, or ink of any kind surrounding the Clippers, you would think everybody is on vacation. This time of year, a lot of the execs do go and take time off. But not if there is work to be done.

We know from comments that Chris Kaman made in Michigan that his agent is working on his extension. That is somewhat urgent. The team is probably working on Coach Dunleavy's extension, but that could get done anytime before the season starts.

The Clippers still have McCarty and Ndong listed as free agents. 2nd round draft pick Guillermo Diaz is still unsigned even though they did sign 2nd round pick Paul Davis. The status of Vin Baker is unclear. Will they sign one of the other players from the summer league sqaud who performed well like Jawad Williams?

From what I can tell they have 13 players under contract. Who they will invite to camp and who they will sign to round out there roster remains to be seen. I think they still have their 1.8 Mil exemption to use. It would most likely be used to bring in a veteran back up center if Rebraca is a no go this season.

But the only announcement that would be a blockbuster this offseason would a trade involving Corey Maggette. Some Philadelphis sportswriters have suggested that a trade of Allen Iverson for Maggette have been discussed. What would the Clippers do? Move Livingston and Cassell to SG? So with all this unfinished business still out there, why is it so quiet?

It should be mandatory that the Clippers at least put out one rumor or roster move each week just so we all do not fall into a fan coma. Boy, it is going to be a long summer. Don't worry, Preseason starts in October.

JamFan

An interesting side-note about Ewing is that most of his life friends and family foresaw Daniel tossing and tucking a pigskin, rather than dribbling and dishing a Spalding.

“Most people don’t know, that don’t know me, that I was a pretty good football player,” Ewing said. “Growing up in the state of Texas, where football is huge, I was quarterback… and actually a lot of people, my family and friends that know that when I played I stopped playing in middle school and I was about to go to high school, they thought I was probably better at football than I am at basketball, so that might say a little sometime about how good I could have been.”

Obviously, Ewing has a good sense of humor n and so do his friends and family.

For Ewing, making the choice to stick with hoops couldn’t have been easier.

“Well, when I got to high school I wasn’t really trying to deal with that heat, man n the spring training and all that,” Ewing said with a grin.

So what is Ewing’s favorite thing about playing basketball for a living?

“It’s really how I can let loose and just be myself in a different kind of way, not a bad way, but a different personality comes out with me on the court that I’ve always been able to have fun and let loose,” Ewing said.

James Singleton picked up the games lone double-double, as he dropped in 10 points (3-6 FG) and collected 10 rebounds in the win. Singleton was one of four Clippers to tally double-figures in the game. Daniel Ewing led all scorers with 21 points (9-13 FG) and was followed by Boniface Ndong's 14 and Yaroslav Korolev's 12.

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The Lakers moved quickly on the first day of free agency by snatching away a piece from their cross-town rival and agreeing to terms Saturday with Radmanovic, a three-point shooting forward who has made a career of stretching defenses.

The Clippers reacted swiftly after Radmanovic and Cassell apparently reneged on agreements to stay with them, then reaching terms with the sharp-shooting Thomas and making a push for free-agent guard Bobby Jackson as a back-up plan in case Cassell left.

But Cassell, the 36-year-old point guard and undisputed on-court general of the Clippers last season, late Saturday agreed to a two-year, $13-million contract, keeping intact a Clippers nucleus that lasted longer than the Lakers in this year's playoffs.