OK, sure. They traded their franchise player a year and a half ago for Kwame Brown and some Skittles. And yes, with the No. 2 pick they managed to select the only basketball player available who's biggest weakness is his ability to put the little ball in the big circle with the net attached (which I hear is kind of important). But hey, they needed to rebuild, and they rebuilt. But they have tons of cap space now, so much in fact, that they're actually under the CBA limit and have to spend some.
So they've stopped torturing their fans with one terrible decision after another right? Right? Guys? Anybody?
Oh, hi Zach Randolph. What are you ... doing ... here ...?
I have absolutely no clue why Sterling would nix a deal like this. The Clippers had nearly a full season to realize Randolph isn't worth it. He scores frequently but inefficiently, which is spyspeak for "he takes way too many shots." He's a great rebounder ... but so are Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman and Griffin. Randolph will make more than $33 million over the next two seasons, while Darko (a far better defender than Z-Bo) has a $7.5-million contract which expires after 2009-10 and Buckner's contract can be bought out for about $2 million.
The "ball off the defender's back --> easy layup inbounds pass" is one of the truly great punkings that one can pull off on a basketball court. It rarely happens, though, outside of movies, and when it does, it never happens to good players. Just people like Zach Randolph. And Shawn Bradley. But last night, Chauncey Billups pulled a fast one on Kobe Bryant, literally using No. 24 for an easy bucket. Via the Drs. of Hoop, obviously.
Moments after learning that his team had won the 2009 NBA Draft lottery, Clippers president Andy Roeser had a look of euphoria. Within an hour later, he was already back to work taking questions from reporters in a post-lottery conference call.
Roeser didn't come right out and say the Clippers were going to draft Blake Griffin, but he certainly didn't hold back any compliments when talking about him, either.
For a full transcript of his comments, from his thoughts on Mike Dunleavy's job security ("We have every intention of opening camp with Coach Dunleavy this year -- although I think that we have every intention of approaching some things differently, too.") to his not-so-vague comments about which veterans need to improve ("Baron Davis did not have a particularly good season. He knows that; we know that."), keep reading.
When the Clippers traded for Zach Randolph, they also received a truckload of baggage. Actually, strike that, they got "Rolls Royce load."
According to TMZ.com, Randolph was arrested for DUI last night after officers spotted his Rolls weaving in and out of his lane. After pulling him over, officers smelled alcohol, prompting them to ask Randolph to perform field sobriety tests, which he failed. He spent the night in jail, and according to our favorite celebrity rumor-mongers, is being held without bail.
NBA Essentials provides the must-see links, quotes and videos of the day.
-- [Zach] Randolph laughed when I asked him if he felt the Knicks made a mistake in trading him away. "Yeah," he said with a big smile beaming. "It was definitely a mistake." [...] If they wind up with LeBron, Zach says he can understand moving him. But Chris Bosh? "I'm better than Chris Bosh," he said. -- Alan Hahn on Newday
-- "I retired," Arenas said in the home locker room before Washington's game against Charlotte. "No more blogging for me." [...] "It's just like the double-(edged) sword thing: Eventually your words is going to kill you," Arenas said with a smile. -- Gilbert Arenas
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.
Amid a fantastic slate top to bottom, Boston at Orlando stood out as the must-watch. And the teams delivered: the Magic ended up with a rollicking two-point victory on the back of Dwight Howard's deft post play and some lovely outside shooting from everyone else. (Which is to say they won this game how they win every other game.)
For the second time this season, a player was ejected for his involvement in an incident with the Suns' Lou Amundson. And for the second time this season, the resulting penalty is a two-game suspension.
Denver's Nene received his suspension for head-butting and then elbowing Amundson to the floor, during the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' loss to the Suns on Monday. The offense didn't seem as severe as when Zach Randolphpunched Amundson in the face, but the report from the commissioner's office said that Nene made contact with an official, which could have gotten him an additional game.
The Clippers almost upset the Cavs last night, leading for most of the game before a stunning collapse in the final quarter. But even after coughing up a 19-point lead, the Clips still had a chance to tie or win the game with six seconds left ... until Zach Randolph decided to play hero with a step-back three that missed the rim completely. If you couldn't tell by Mike Dunleavy's facial expression, that wasn't exactly the play he drew up in the timeout.
As teams get eliminated from the 2009 NBA playoff picture, Fork 'Em figures out what went wrong.
No team has been as disappointing in 2008-09 as the L.A. Clippers. At least one or two teams have been worse in quality, but the phenomenal ability to fail with this much talent seems unprecedented. An All-Star level point guard, a D.P.O.Y. level center, two strong big men, a R.O.Y. candidate, an experienced coach ... what happened to the playoff hopes? What happened to 2008-09?
You could listen to me toss out some jokes, or you could read a completely sober(ing) dispatch from a guy who has watched it all, ClipperSteve of Clips Nation. I think you'd prefer the latter. ClipperSteve's words, after the jump.
OK, sure. They traded their franchise player a year and a half ago for Kwame Brown and some Skittles. And yes, with the No. 2 pick they managed to select the only basketball player available who's biggest weakness is his ability to put the little ball in the big circle with the net attached (which I hear is kind of important). But hey, they needed to rebuild, and they rebuilt. But they have tons of cap space now, so much in fact, that they're actually under the CBA limit and have to spend some. 
Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal 
Moments after learning that his team had won the 2009 NBA Draft lottery, Clippers president Andy Roeser had a look of euphoria. Within an hour later, he was already back to work taking questions from reporters in a post-lottery conference call. 
When the Clippers traded for 
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the "lig." 
For the second time this season, a player was ejected for his involvement in an incident with the Suns' 
As teams get eliminated from the 2009 NBA playoff picture, 
